WARPING OF LAND. 



of this material to aa eminent chemift, whofe report of it 

 was, that it contained mucilage, and a very minute portion 

 of fa'ine matter ; a confiderable one of calcareous earth : the 

 refidue ii mica and fand ; the latter in far the largelt quan- 

 tity, both in very fine particles. Here, it is faid, there is 

 no mention of any thing arfrillaceous ; but from examining 

 in the fields much warped, the writer is clear that there mull 

 be clay in fome, from its caking in fmall clods, as well as 

 from its cleanling cloth of grcafe, almoll like fuller's earth. 

 He was told too, by a confiderable warp farmer, that the 

 ftifFell warp was the belt ; but in general it has the appear- 

 ance, it is faid, of fand, and all of it glitters with the mica- 

 ceous particles. 



It is evident therefore that the foil or bed which is formed 

 in the cafes of warping is fomewhat of the alluvial kind, and 

 of courfe well conftituted for the growth of mod forts of 

 tillage crops. 



Warping is a praftice which begins in the month of July, 

 and which proceeds during the fummer feafon ; and as it can 

 only be performed at that particular period, every occafion 

 of having it executed fhould conftantly be embraced, by 

 having tiie works in ptrfeft repair and readinefs, that every 

 tide may be made to produce its full effeft. In regard 

 to the utility and advantage of doing this fort of work 

 in the fummer months, it may be noticed, that at thefe 

 times the lands not only become the fooneft dry, a circum- 

 ftance which muft always fully take place before the procefs 

 of cultivation can be carried on, but the tides are lefs mixed 

 with fredi water, in which fituation they are conftantly found 

 the mod effeftual in the bufinefs. 



In refpoft to the method of performing the work, it is 

 defcribed by lord Hawke, in one of the Reports on the 

 Agriculture of Yorkfliire, in the manner which is given 

 below* 



The land to be warped muft, it is faid, be banked round 

 againll the river ; the banks for which are made of the 

 earth taken on the fpot from the land : they muft be formed 

 fo as to flope fix feet ; that is, three feet on each fide of the 

 top or crown of the bank, for every foot perpendicular of 

 rife : their top or crown part being made broader or nar- 

 rower, according to the impetuofity of the tide, and the 

 weight and quantity of water : and they extend from two 

 feet to twelve : their height is regulated by the height to 

 which the fpring-tides flow, fo as to exclude or let tlicm in 

 at pleafurc. In thefe banks, there are to be more or fewer 

 openings formed, according to the fize of the field or ground 

 to be warped, and the choice of the occupier or proprie- 

 tor; but in general they have only two fluices, it is faid ; 

 one called the flood-gate, to admit, the other termed the 

 clough, to let oft the water in a gentle manner ; thefe are 

 fufficient, it is obferved, for ten or fifteen acres : when 

 the fpring-tide begins to ebb, the flood-gate is opened to 

 admit the tide, the clough having been previoufly fluit by 

 the weight of the water brought up the river by the flow of 

 the tide. As the tide ebbs down the river, the weight or 

 prefliire of the water being taken from the outfide of the 

 clough next the river, the tide-water that has been previoufly 

 admitted by the flood-gate opens the clough again, and dif- 

 charges itfelf flowly but completely through it. In form- 

 ing the doughs, they are walled on each fide, and fo con- 

 i ' ftrufted, as to let the water run off" between the ebb of the 

 tide admitted, and the flow of the next ; and to this point 

 particular attention is, it is faid, paid by the workmen. The 

 flood-gates are placed fo high in thefe intentions as only to 

 let in the fpring-tides when opened. They arc, of courfe, 

 placed above the level of the common tides. 



Willews are aUb, it is faid, occafionally planted oa the 



fronts of the banks, to break the force of the tides, and 

 defend the banks, by raifing the fronts of them with warp 

 thus colledled, accumulated, and detained : but thefe wil- 

 lows muft ncTer, it is remarked, be planted on the banks 

 themfelves, as they would in that way deftroy them, by giv- 

 ing the winds power to fliake and dillurb them. 



In regard to the expence, it is ftated that the firft coft 6f 

 a fluice for warping, which is five feet in height, and feven 

 feet in width, may be eilimated at from four to five hundred 

 pounds. And that fuch a fluice will in general be adequate 

 to the warping of fifty acres annually ; and where the foil 

 or land is contiguous to the river, for feventy or more. 



In thefe cafes, the nature of the culture which is proper, 

 the crops, and various other circumftances that require at- 

 tention, are well fliewn and pointed out in the obfervations 

 that are given below, which were taken by the firft of the 

 above writers on the farm of Mr. Webfter, at Bankfide, 

 in the county of Lincoln, who has made fo great an im- 

 provement by warping, that it merits, it is faid, particular 

 notice and regard. His farm of two hundred and twelve 

 acres, it is faid, is all warped ; and that to (hew the immenfe 

 importance of the improvement, it would be neceflary only 

 to mention that he gave eleven pounds an acre for the 

 land, and would not now take feventy pounds an acre for 

 it ; he confiders it worth eighty pounds, and fome of it 

 even one hundred pounds the acre : not that it would fell 

 fo high at prefent however ; yet the whole expence of his 

 fluices, cuts, banks, and other things, did not, it is faid, 

 exceed two thoufand five hundred pounds, or twelve pounds 

 the acre ; from which, however, to continue the account, 

 one thoufand five hundred pounds may, it is faid, be de- 

 dufted, as a neighbour below him ofl^ers five pounds an acre 

 for the ufe of his fluice and main cut, to warp three hun- 

 dred acres by, which will, it is faid, reduce Mr. Webfter's 

 expence to one thoufand pounds, or about five poimds au 

 acre. Take it, however, it is faid, at the higheft, twelve 

 pounds, and add eleven pounds, the purchafe, together 

 twenty-three pounds an acre ; if he can fell at feventy 

 pounds, it is forty-feven the acre profit. This, it is 

 thought, is prodigious, and fuflicient to prove that warp- 

 ing exceeds all other impruvLinents. Mr. Webfter hat, 

 it is obferved, warped to various depths, to eighteen 

 inches, two feet, two and a half feet, &c. He has fome, 

 it is faid, that, before warping, was moorland, worth 

 only one fliilling and iixpence the acre, now as good 

 as the beft. Some of it would let at five pounds the 

 acre for flax or potatoes ; and the whole at fifty fliillings. 

 He has twenty acres that he warped three feet deep, be- 

 tween the beginning of June and the end of September, 

 and eighteen acres, part of which is three feet and a half 

 deep. He has applied it, too, on ftnbblcs in autumn by 

 way of manuring, it is faid ; for it fliould be noted, the 

 Writer fays, as a vaft advantage in this fpecics of improve- 

 ment, that it is renewable at any time : were it poflible to 

 wear out by cropping or ill-management, a few tides will, 

 it is aflerted, at any time reftore it. As to the crops he 

 has had, they have, it is faid, been very great indeed ; of 

 potatoes from eighty to one hundred and thirty tubs of 

 thirty-fix gallons each, felling the round forts at from three 

 fliillings, to three .fliillings and fixpencc a tub ; and kidneys 

 at from five fliillings to eight (hilling'; the tub. Twenty 

 acres warped in 1794, could not, it is laid, be ploughed for 

 oats in 1795; '"■> therefore, lowed the oats on the frelh 

 warp, and fcuffled in the feed by men drawing a fcuffler, 

 eight to draw, and one to hold : the whole crop was very 

 great ; but on three acres of it, meafured fep.irately, they 

 amounted, it is faid, to fourteen quarters one Mack tl«e 

 4 U 2 acre. 



