WATERING OF LAND. 



never made deep, but the width of it muft be in proportion 

 to the length it has to run, and the breadth of the pane of 

 ground between that and the trench-drain. It (hould con- 

 ftantly be cut gradually narrower and narrower, in the 

 wedge-form, to the lower end, in order to force over the 

 water more equally. 



The trench-drain is conftantly cut parallel to the trench, 

 and as deep as the tail-drain water will permit when necef- 

 fary. It fliould always, where pofiible, be cut fo as to 

 come down to a firm ftratum of fand, gravel, or clay. If 

 the laft, a fpade's depth into it will be of great benefit. 

 The ufe of it is to take away the water immediately after it 

 has run over the panes of the land from the trench. It is 

 not neceffary to be brought up to the head of the land by 

 five, fix, or more yards, as the nature of the foil may be. 

 The form of it is the reverfe of the trench, being narrower 

 at the head, or upper part, and gradually wider and wider, 

 until it comes to the lower end, and empties itfeli into the 

 tail-drain, which is a receptacle for all the water that comes 

 out of the other drains, that are fituated fo as not to 

 empty themfelves into the river ; and, confequently, it 

 Ihould run nearly at right angles with the trenches ; but it 

 is, in general, preferable to draw it in the lowed part of the 

 ground, and to ufe it for conveying the water out of the 

 ground where there is the greatell defcent : this is com- 

 monly found in one of the fence-ditches ; for which reafon 

 a fence-ditch is nioftly made ufe of for the purpofe, as 

 anfwering the double ufe of a fence and drain at the fame 

 time. 



The pane of ground is that part of the land which lies 

 between the trench and the trench-drain, and is the part on 

 which the grafs grows, which is cut for hay : it is watered 

 by the trenches, and laid dry by the trench-drains ; confe- 

 quently there is one on each fide of every trench. The 

 term pane is alfo applied to the part which is ufed, for 

 taking off the produce. 



The bend implies a ftoppage made in different parts of 

 fuch trenches as have a qtiick defcent, in order to obftruft 

 the water. It is effefted by leaving a narrow flip of green- 

 fward ground acrofs the trench where the bend is dcfigned 

 to be, and cutting occafionally a fmall part out of the 

 middle of it in the wedge form. It is ufeful for checking 

 the water, and forcing it over the trench on to the panes ; 

 which, if it were not for fuch bends, would run rapidly on 

 in the trench, and not flow over the land as it pafles along. 

 The great art of watering land confitts in giving to every 

 part of each pane of ground an equal quantity of water, 

 which is greatly promoted in this way. 



The gutter is a fmall groove cut out from the tails of 

 thefe trenches, where the panes of ground run longer at one 

 fide or corner than the other. The ufe of it is to carry 

 the water to the extreme point of the panes. Thofe panes 

 which are iiiterfecled by the trench and tail drains, 

 meeting in an obtufe angle, want the affiftance of thefe 

 gutters to convey the water to the longeft; fide. And 

 another ufe of them is, when the land has not been fo per- 

 feflly 'evelled but that fume parts of the panes of ground 

 lie higher than they fliould, a gutter is then drawn from 

 the trench over that high ground, which would otherwife 

 not be overflowed. Without this precaution, unlefs the 

 flats were filled up, which fliould always be the cafe when 

 materials are to be had, the water will not rife upon it ; 

 and after the wateriug-fcafon is paft, thofe places would 

 appear of a rufty-brown, while a rich verdure would over- 

 fpread the others ; and at hay-time the grafs in thofe places 

 would fcarcely be high enough for the fcythe to touch it ; 

 while that around them, which has been properly watered. 



will, from its luxuriance, be laid down. Tliis negleit is^ 

 therefore, to be reprobated in moft cafes, as the great art of 

 watering land is that of throwing the water regularly 

 over all parts, thofe where it cannot rife of itfelf as well 

 as others, and in carrying it off" from thofe in which it 

 would otherwife ftagnate and be hurtful. 



The catch-drain is an occafional ditch, fometimes cut for 

 the purpofe of carrying the fame water into a fecond main 

 or other part, for watering lower lands or panes of ground 

 with the water that has been before ufed. It is made ufe of 

 too in fome other cafes, as catching the water that is thrown 

 forward. 



Pond is ufed to fignify any part where the water ftands 

 on the ground in watering, or in the tail-drain, trench- 

 drains, or others, fo as to injure the lands near them ; and is 

 occafioned by flats and irregularities in the fnrface of the 

 grounds, as well as by other caufes. 



The turn of water means the fpace of land that can be 

 watered at one time in any cafe ; and is accompliflied by 

 fliutting down the hatches in all thofe weirs where the 

 water is defigned to be kept out, and opening thofe that 

 are to let the water through them. The quantity or 

 extent of land to be watered by one turn, muft of courfe 

 vary with the fize of the river, brook, main, and other fuch 

 parts, and by the plenty or fcarcity of the water. 



The bed of a river, main, trench, or other fuch part, is 

 the bottom of any of them. 



The head of any watered land is that part into which the 

 river, main, or other fuch part, firft enters. And the tail of 

 it is that part where the water laft pafles off^ by the tail-drain 

 into the courfe that is to take it away. 



The upper fide of a main or trench is that which, when 

 they are made at nearly right angles with the river or other 

 fucli part, fronts the place where tlie river, &c. entered. 

 And, of courfe, the lower fide is the reverfe. 



The upper pane of tlie land is that which lies upon the 

 upper fide of the main or trench when made at right angles 

 with the river, &c. running north and fouth. Where, how- 

 ever, thefe run parallel with the river, &c. the panes on 

 either fide are not diftinguiflied from each other. 



Some other terms, which are ufed by the more modern- 

 writers on watering land, will be explained as we proceed in 

 pointing out the natvire of the bufinefs. 



After noticing the manner in which water is artificially 

 brought on and taken away from the land in watering, as 

 already feen, the WTiter of the traft before alluded to re- 

 marks, that the art of watering land may properly be called 

 floating, not foaking or drowning. Soaking the foil, 

 fimilar to the effefts produced from a fliower of rain, is not 

 fufficient for the general purpofes of watering ; nor will 

 damming up the water, cr keeping it ftagnant upon the 

 furface, like that in a pond, or on the fens, produce the 

 defired effeft. The latter, it is thought, may properly be 

 termed drowning, becaufe it drowns or covers all the grafles, 

 thereby rendering the plants beneath it certainly aquatic, 

 or the herbage difpofed to take on fuch a change ; whereas 

 the herbage of a watered meadow or land fliould, from the 

 form and circumftances of the ground, enjoy the full 

 benefits of air and water. Praftice has proved, it is faid, 

 that there is no better method of cffefting this, than by 

 keeping the water palling over the furface of the land with 

 a brifl< current, but not fo brifk as to wafli away the foil, 

 and yet in fufficient quantity to cover and nourifli the roots, 

 but not too much to hide the flioots of the grafles : hence 

 appears the nicety of adjuftlng the quantity of water ; and 

 hence it appears, too, that one main-drain, to bring the 

 water on the upper fide of the land, and another on the 



lower 



i 



