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and that the improvement of the ftock in that time was one 

 fhilling a week, or three pounds fifteen fliiUings the acre. 

 In fome parts of the fame county, five pounds worth of hay 

 might alfo, it is faid, be taken off the firft week in May. 

 Thefe fafts and ftatements ftrongly prove and difplay the 

 utility of thefe meadows, wherever they can be properly- 

 provided. 



In fpeaking of the management of water-meadows, the 

 author of the effay already noticed remarks, that in thofe 

 great diftrifts of water-meads, which in Wiltlhire are wa- 

 tered by the common confent of many different proprietors 

 and occupiers of land, the operation of floating muft begin 

 and end at certain fixed periods, wliich it is neceffary for 

 every one to know, and regularly adhere to, not only in 

 order to the produftion of a crop of grafs, but for the pro- 

 creation of thofe animals that eat the grafs : confequently, 

 as every farmer knows at what time he rtiall have grafs for 

 his fheep, he fo manages his breeding flock, that his lambs 

 may be ftrong enough at the ufual time of feeding to go 

 with the ewes to take their food in the meadows, and return 

 to the fold for lodging. 



It is noticed, that the time to commence the feeding on 

 the meadows upon thofe large ilreams in this county is 

 generally about the twenty-fifth of March : therefore, if the 

 winter be very mild and favourable for the growth of grafs, 

 it fometimes gets to fuch a height as many farmers, unac- 

 cuflomed to the herbage, might think to be much too coarfe 

 and luxuriant for (heep, and even too liigh to be fed off with 

 cattle. So great was the luxuriance of the grafs in the 

 water-meads of Wiltfliire, it is faid, fome years fince, oc- 

 cafioned by the mild growing weather immediately after the 

 commencement of floating, that fome farmers laid their 

 meadows dry, and fed them off in November, and the fol- 

 lowing month ; and then, by floating again, obtamed a 

 crop of feed in the fpring before the ufual period. Many 

 who did not adopt this method lamented that their grafs 

 was too high, even in the month of February ; and it was 

 then not uncommon to fee it in the water-meads nine inches 

 high, but laid on the ground, and white at the bottom, be- 

 fore the lambs were ftrong enough to go into the meadows. 

 Some apprehended, it is faid, that the long four grafs would 

 be wafted ; yet it was aflonifliing with what avidity tlie 

 fheep devoured it, and even preferred the parts that were the 

 longeft, and rendered white at bottom, in confequence of 

 the extreme thicknefs : this they would, it is obferved, 

 gnaw down to the very roots. It was remarked by Mr. 

 Davip, it is faid, that the grafs then on one Rickwood's 

 mead was fuch a crop as, at the ufual time of cutting it, 

 would have been eilimated at 18 cwt. per acre. Many de- 

 clared that they never faw tlie crop of the water-meads fo 

 very abundant and early ; but on vifiting the fame meadow, 

 at the particular requeft of the above-named friend of the 

 writer, on the tenth of March, when it had been in feeding 

 more than three weeks, and atlcing the floater if they ever 

 began to feed it fooner, he replied that he had had the 

 management of the meadows more than thirty years, and 

 never knew it fo early but once, when they began feeding it 

 on the eleventh of the firft month in the year. The writer 

 walked over the greateft; part of this extraordinary piece of 

 ground with fome confiderable difficulty, it is obferved, 

 from the thicknefs and height of the grafs ; and he could 

 difcover but one place, to the great credit of the floater, 

 which was worfe than another, and that not two rods fquare. 

 The man foon faw it noticed, it is faid, and before the 

 writer could mention the circumttance, told him he knew 

 what he was looking at, and had contrived to do away even 

 fuch a trifling defeft ; fo this may be truly faid to be, the 



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writer thinks, a fpotlefs meadow. This fhews the nice at- 

 tention and great care beflowed in forming water-meadows 

 in this diftridl ; and in fome other counties the care be- 

 flowed upon the water-meadows is probably not much, if 

 any lefs. This would feem to be particularly the cafe in 

 the county of Gloucefter, where very great attention is 

 given to the floating of them, to tlie manner of feeding them 

 down by live-itock, and the fhutting them up for the pro- 

 duftion of hay, as well as in every other part of their ma- 

 nagement. 



They are there, too, equally valuable and important in 

 the quantity and utility of the produce which they afford, 

 as well as the qualities of it, yielding much profit to indi- 

 viduals, and advantage to the whole diltridt. 



The utility and benefit of water-meadows are indeed now 

 beginning to be every where well underltood, wherever they 

 are capable of being formed in a convenient and fuitable 

 manner. 



Water-mcadowo are in general calculated to afford an 

 early fpring feed for fheep, or other forts of live-ftock, 

 which may be continued in feeding by them until towards 

 the beginning of the month of May, when, if defigned for 

 the producing of hay, that muft then ceafe ; as, if perfifl:ed 

 in even for a lingle week in that month, the hay would, as 

 fuppofed by fome, be wholly ruined in quality, being ren- 

 dered foft, woolly, and unfubftantial, as in the cafe of after- 

 math crops : but being then fhut up, and floated for fome 

 days, a crop of hay is next produced, which is in readinefs for 

 the fcythe in about fix weeks ; and tliis crop being removed, 

 and the meadows again floated as before, a third or after- 

 math crop is afforded, for being paftured by neat cattle and 

 horfes, but never, or in few cafes, by fheep, or for being 

 ufed as cut green food in houfe-feeding, which, in fome 

 cafes, is probably the moil beneficial application of it ; as 

 where one or two more fuch crops are caufed and taken in 

 the fame way, at the fame feafon. 



The great fuperiority of the produce from water-meadows 

 is thus rendered very evident, and the ufes of it not of lefs 

 value or importance. 



Water-meadows fhould conftantly be well eaten down 

 before they are floated, but efpecially in the autumn. 



It is of great advantage, in many different refpcdts, to 

 have feparate water-meadows, whicli can be alternately in 

 the courfe of feeding off, floating, and being laid dry, as 

 has been already feen ; as, by this means, their benefits can 

 never be loft for any length of time. And it is particularly 

 beneficial in providing an uninterrupted fuccefTion of after- 

 math pafturage, or of that fort of grafs for being cut and 

 ufed green in the ftalls. 



Any thing which is done to the furfaces of water-mea- 

 dows, in the way of rolling or giving them preffure, fhould 

 always be done while they are in a quite dry ftate, about the 

 beginning of the month of March, and never when they are 

 much in a moift condition. 



The hay produce of meadows of this fort is moflly proper 

 for all kinds of neat cattle and fheep, but not fo fuitable for 

 horfes, efpecially thofe of the working or team kind. 



V^ KTUR-Meafurc. Salt, fea-coal, &c. while aboard veffels 

 in the pool, or river, are meafured with the corn bufhel 

 heaped up ; or elfe five ftriked pecks are allowed to the 

 bufhel. This is called water-meafure ; and this exceeds 

 Winchefter-meafure by about three gallons in the bufhel. 



W AT^R- Jllicro/cope. See Microscope. 



Water-MH/, in Rural Economy, that fort of mill which 

 is turned by the power or force of water applied in fome 

 way or other. As mills of this kind often form and oppofe 

 great obftrudions to different improvements of the farmer, 



2 and 



