SPRING. 



by the rapidity of the current, vphich would alfo carry down 

 a great quantity of the hiofe fand ; but it (hould be begun 

 only fo far down the bank, as, by culling in level, the drain 

 may be fix or feven feet lower than the outlet of the fpring, 

 or whatever depth is neceffary for drawing down the water 

 to fuch a level as it may difcharge itfclf without rifing to 

 the furface, or injuring the ground adjoining it. The re- 

 maining part of the cut, down to the brook, either in a 

 ftraight or (loping direftion, may be left open, and need not 

 be deep, but guarded from the cattle, and from the plough 

 when the field is in tillage. If covered, it need not be 

 deeper than two feet ; and there is no occafion for boring in 

 any part of it. 



When there may be any difficulty in afcertaining the ex- 

 aft line of the fpring and that of the crofs-drain, where // 

 does not appear on the furface, or when there is no apparent 

 outlet from whence to take the level, in bringing up the 

 leading drain for carrying off the water, it can be then dif- 

 covered when it crofles the proper line, and without cutting 

 any farther up, the crofs-drain muft be carried on that 

 level, fo far to each fide, along the tail or termination of the 

 rock or fand containing the water, as the fituation of the 

 ground and other circumftances may require. And if, in 

 cutting the crofs-drain, the line marked out by the fpirit- 

 level fhould be found in lome places to be below that of the 

 fprings ; and if in boring along that line no water be found, 

 then fmall cuts mulL be made, of the fame depth, from the 

 drain up to where tlie fpring lies; for if the drain be cut 

 below the line of the fpring, all poflibility of reaching it, even 

 by the auger, is loit, as boring can have no efFeft where the 

 fubftratum is clay, and where there is no under water ; and 

 if it be cvX above the line of the fpring, it will require deeper 

 cutting and boring to reach it, as there, for the moll part, 

 the ground rifes higher, and that part of the porous lirata 

 below the drain may contain as much water as may injure the 

 ground, and wliich may eafily pafs under the bottom of the 

 trench, between the auger-holes, and find vent below it. 

 If the expanfe of the valley or bog betwixt two hanks be 

 fo narrow, that the Itratum of rock or fand containing the 

 fprings, unites within reach of the auger below tlie clay, 

 one trench up the middle, with auger-holes, will do the bu- 

 finefs, without any crols or branch-drains. Although the 

 fprings that injure ground in this fituation break out of the 

 banks all round nearly on the fame level, yet the relervoir 

 from whence they proceed may, it is laid, be hit on in the 

 middle of the valley, by boruig through the fupcrincumbent 

 body of clay that forces the water to rife and ooze 

 out along the upper edge of it, at its junftion with the 

 higher porous ground. The drain being cut in the hollow 

 part of the ground, and tlie fpring below bored into, it is 

 evident that the depth of the drain being fo much lower than 

 the natural outlet of the fprings, the prellure of water above 

 that level, which is the bottom of the drain, will force that 

 under the trench through the auger-holes ; or even tor fonie 

 time, until the water fubfide, it might be made to rife higher 

 than the level of its natural outlet. The confequence of 

 this will be, it is further faid, that the water of the fpring 

 having found, by means of the drain and boring, a new and 

 eafier channel, will foon abandon its former outlets, and 

 ceafe to overflow the ground that formerly lay below it. 

 Many remarkable inilances of this fort of drainages are 

 ftated to have been performed by Mr. Elkington indifferent 

 places, and particularly at Scari(brick-Hall, near Ormfliirk, 

 in Lancafhire. 



However, bogs, or wet grounds of the fame nature in 

 fimilar fituations, may, it is fuppofed, proceed from dilfcrent 

 caufcs, and, of courfe, require different forts of treulmciit 



in the removal of their ifretnefTcs. In fuch cafes, the firft 

 thing to be confidered, in examining the ground, is, whether 

 the fprings proceed from one fide only, from both fides, or 

 lie in the middle of fuch bogs ; as, according to the nature of 

 thefe circumttances, the line or lines of the drain or drains 

 mull be diredled. In order to properly afcertain this, it 

 will be necefi'ary to have recourfe to the ufe of the fpirit- 

 level. If the bog fhould have a defcent from one fide to the 

 other, although the wetnels may appear all round, it will 

 be evident that the water proceeds only from the higher fide, 

 but palling over and under the furface, part of it i- abforbed 

 by the dry ground along the lower fide ;"from whence, if the 

 level were not prcvioully afcertained, it might be fujipofed 

 alfo to proceed. In this cale, one drain cut along the upper 

 fide will be fufficient to keep it dry. If the bog fhould 

 have a defcent from both fides to the middle, or be perfedlly 

 level, the fpiings may proceed from both fides; and will, 

 confequently, require a drain on each, if they do not unite 

 in the fame llratum below the middle of the bog, and can 

 be hit on by boring in one drain cut in the centre, as already 

 fiiewii. 



In cafe a bog of this nature between two hills is of great 

 extent, it may be requifite to have three different drains ; 

 one on each fide, and one in the middle ; which lafl mull be 

 an open one, to receive the whole of the lurface-water, as 

 well as to cut off any fprings that may arife in that part of 

 the bog. In all cafes of this nature, where there is any diffi- 

 culty of difcovering from whence the principal fprings pro- 

 ceed, or what is the nature and inclination or difpolition of 

 the fubflrata, the application of the auger may be had re- 

 courfe to for the purpofe. 



But in very wet fwamps, or bogs of great extent, it \i 

 necefiary to have other cuts than thofe that carry off the 

 fprings : for although the upper fprings, which are the 

 principal caufe, be cut off, there may be veins of fand or 

 gravel lower than thofe, out of which it is alfo neceffary to 

 extratl the water. If the ground is to be divided into in- 

 clofures, the open ditches may be fo direfted as to hit on 

 thefe lower collections of fubjacent water, as well a'; to carry 

 oil any that might llagnate in tlie hollow parts of the fur- 

 face. The next thing to be confidered in this fort of draining 

 is the conduiSing of the drain, after the levels have been 

 taken, and the true line of it fixed ; and whether it (hould 

 be covered or open. If the land is to be inclofed, and a» 

 the line of the trench may ferve as a proper divifion of the 

 ground, it may be made an open cut, or funk ferce ; if not, 

 a covered drain ; but it is firft neceffary to afcertain which, 

 as the depth, width, and other circumflances, may be regu- 

 lated accordingly. After finding the neareil outlet, where 

 the water colleded in the drain can be difchargcd, from 

 that a trench mull be brought up to the crofs one that is to 

 be carried along the line of the fpring, allowing a fmall de- 

 clivity of a few inches in every ten yards, for the water to 

 run. In cutting the drain that is to carry off the fpring, if, 

 after palfing the clay, there be a (Iratum of hard gravel be- 

 twixt that and the fand containing the water, it is preferable 

 to lay the fougli there, being a more folid foundation for it, 

 and either to perforate the gravel with the punch, or open 

 fmall pits through it « ilh the fpade ; by means of which 

 the water will flow up, and run as fpecdily off, and with 

 more fafety, than if the fough had been laid in the fand itfelf ; 

 which would not only increale the depth and diffienlty of 

 working it, but in many cafes the level of the oril-ce will 

 not admit of the drains being cut to fuch deplli. Alfo, if, 

 in cutting the trench along the tail of the r.^ck, the level of 

 the orifice will not admit of its bi ing lut fi> deep as to touch 

 the rock, the clay or impervious llratum that lici, immediately 

 2 above 



