WATERING OF LAND. 



otber county, or they muft, it is thought, have fuggetted the feeders, that the water might foon be ufed again ; there- 

 'the ideas already ftated as to the origin of floating or water- fore a very fmaU quantity would fuffice ; and if there was a 

 ing There is fome reafon, it is thought, from the natural fcarcity in the winter, the whole difcharge might be flopped, 

 wl-'mth of peat-ground, which keeps it from freezing, that and gradually lowered in the fpring. This method would 

 fuch land will produce an earlier crop of fpring-feed than anfwer all the purpofes of complete faturation, whkh 

 any other. At all events, it will firll (hew the advantages feems to be one of the moft effential parts of watering, and 

 of watering, and gravel or fand may the next to it. might be applied more or lefs, according to the time of the 



It has been fuggefted that if gcafs-land of the heavier year. When the water is put on, it is fuppofed no graffes 

 kind could be ploughed in fuch a manner as to fet the two would fuftain any injury by exclufion from the air for a day 

 furrow-flides or fods in a leaning pofition againft each other or two at the firft application. If thefe ridges could be 

 with the grafs fides outwards, the roots of the graffes would elevated but four or fix inches above the furrows, it would 

 be perfectly dry all winter ; the (hoots would have the full give the furface nearly the fame flope as the wider ridges of 

 benefit of the fun, and great advantage from mutual ftielter. common meadows or lands ; perhaps it would be better to 

 Upon wet land, this ploughing ihould be done the way the begin ploughing the furrows wide at the ridge, and very 

 water runs. If the ground ploughed in this form before narrow at the furrow, which would leave but narrow: fpace* 

 winter could be watered toward the fpring, fo as to give it for drains. If a piece of turf-ground were ploughed in 

 a good foaking, it might be preffed down again to a level fuch ridges by the common way of turning over the furrow, 

 furface with a heavy roller. If thefe narrow ridges, too, if it were fet pretty much on edge, it is thought the grafs 

 were croffed with level trenches at every forty, fifty, or between would foon cover the whole furface. 

 one hundred yards diftance, according to the fall of the Ridges, too, might perhaps be made by beginning the 

 ground; and thefe trenches made to communicate with two firft furrows more apart than the ufual width, thus 

 other m'ain trenches, which (hould run up and down the leaving the width of one furrow between the two firft to 

 Hope, and fupply or difcharge the contents of thofe which conftitute the channel of the feeder. Thefe ridges (hould 

 Are horizontal, fuch ground might be laid dry or wet at be ploughed up and down, with only three or four 

 pleafure. And it is believed, that land fo (haped might be inches fall between the crofs feeders ; and the water may be 

 floated or watered all winter with ftagnant water to its great brought into ufe again at every other fet of beds. If the 

 benefit, and probably in the fpring too, if the water be ground require to be loofened every year, or every other, or 

 changed at frequent and proper periods ; for the water two years or more, it will not be attended with much ex- 

 would remain only in the furrows, where there would be pence, and there will be no very great inconvenience m 

 little or no vegetation, and the newly loofened foil of the mowing ground in this (hape, if the fides of the ridges be 

 ridges could not fail to abforb moifture, fuch as would about a fwath wide. It is thought that meadows or lands 

 promote the growth of the grafs without any danger of of this fort might be made for twenty -five or thirty (hillings 

 putrefaftion. The levels muft be taken before a piece of the acre, floated or watered with lefs water than catch-work, 

 ground be ploughed in this ftiape, and the earth taken out and have many advantages over it ; namely, the water would 

 in cutting the crofs-drains, be ufed in flopping the furrows lie more above the furface, would be more at command, and 

 on the lower fide of them. Perhaps upon wet lands it therefore changed more readily, and it may be pent up better 

 would be neceffary to re-plough them every autumn, or the to get a good foaking when fcarce. This may be done more 

 ftrong lands might become too folid to receive the fame effeftually in turns, and will run drier when the water may 

 benefit from the praftice ; and it will be neceffary to level be taken off. It does not require much (l<ill in the making 

 the ridges every fpring, if the ground be mowed, but if or management. All the water will be let through nicks 

 fummer-fed, it may as well remain in this form as any other, inftead of running over a nice level edge, which in the firft 

 This eafy method of getting land up into ridges, which are place is feldom made well, and in the next is difScult to 

 very narrow, gives to the furface all that inchnation which is keep in repair. This fort of work would, it is thought, 

 neceffary for drawing off water, and is certainly fo far likely have all the advantages of drains and feeders, whereas the 

 to anfwer the purpofe of watering. The water is thus fame channels are obliged to ferve for both in the common 

 under the fame command as in any of the beft-formed mea- catch-work ; it would require but very few or no flops, and 

 dows or lands, and a much lefs quantity will be fuificient confequently want but Uttle attendance. It might be prac- 

 than under any other plan of watering. It is fuppofed that tifed where there are fix or eight inches of fall between the 

 it might, probably, anfwer the purpofe to float young crofs-feeder and crofs-catch, as the water of each ridge, 

 wheat, or any other fort of grain, in fome cafes, by a.fimi- which (hould be (hort, may be led out by a fod with lefs 

 lar method. It is thought that flat peaty ground, fuch as trouble in the regulation than catch-work. See Weir. 

 the level fens in Norfolk, which are fubjeft to be covered The whole of the channels and drains for carrying the 

 a few inches deep every winter with ftagnant water, would water on or off the land, in the conftant courfe and regular 

 be much benefited by ploughing in this way before the quantity which praftice proves to be neceffary, have two 

 floods commence. Some parts of it would thereby be very diftinft ufes. The firft fort or feeders bring a con- 

 raifed above the water, and vegetate quicker in the fpring, tinned fupply of water to make the flopes wet ; and the lat- 

 and the fedgy matter growing up in the furrows, would in ter by carrying it away, prevent the land from getting too 

 a few years raife them to the fame level. The crofs-drains, wet in the time of floating or watering, and ferve to render 

 where on a decUvity, would ferve to catch and re-diftribute it dry when that operation is over, and to remove any fuper- 

 the water, and the fall from one to the other muft be very fiuous moifture which may leak from the foil or fall from 

 little. If this method be found not to do for watering, it the clouds. The large ones which convey the water to the 

 is thought that four furrow-ridges of turf, with a fmall land, and along the maip ridge to fupply the others, are 

 feeder upon each, would anfwer all the purpofes of a more fometimes faid to be the main feeders ; and the branches that 

 expenfive fyftem. There is always good grafs by the fide run along each ridge and diftribute the water down the fides, 

 of the feeder, whether the water ruflies over it or not, and tkejloating feeders. The firft operation of floating or water- 

 » meadow or land of this nature would be nothing but ing begins, or ought to begin, at the edges of thefe feeders; 

 feeders. It requires fo little elevation of ridge and fall in the main feeders being nothing more but channels or courfes 



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