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er TTatering of land, after it has been once begun in hot 

 climates and fcafons, has been already (heCvn, and it is fug- 

 geftcd that there may be injury done to the grafs plants by 

 tiie fudden application of much water under fuch circum- 

 llances in fome cafes. 



It is ufefully inculcated by a late writer that, before any 

 ferious expence is incurred in works of this kind, the nature 

 and efTeds of the water that is to be employed (hould be 

 fully afcertained by the eftabhlliment of trial grounds, which, 

 if it be proper and beneficial for the purpofo, will be Ihewn 

 by the fuperiority in the growth, verdure, and general ap- 

 pearance of the grafj towards the latter end of March, or 

 the beginning of the following month. The quantity of 

 water and extent of ground that can be covered by it muft 

 likewife be jointly taken into confideration before any im- 

 provement of this fort can with propriety be undertaken. 

 And in every inftance it is advifed that due eftimates, and a 

 calculation of profit, be formed on the following principles. 

 Firil calculating the probable advantages that may arife every 

 year from hay and pafturage, and an annually increafmg 

 fupply of manure and dung ; then taking the interell at fix 

 per Centura on the eftimated coll of the works that may be 

 requifite to produce them, together with the amount of 

 the ellimated annual expence of labour, and iieceifary re- 

 pairs. 



A great number of interefting inftances of fuccefsful irri- 

 gation, or application of water over land?, in the midland 

 dillricts, have been Hated by the fame author. And in this 

 cafe, as in many others, Mr. Bakewell (lands firlt as an im- 

 prover of grafs-lands. It is ftated that, formerly, a fuit of 

 meadows, lying by the banks of the Soar, received confi- 

 derable benefit from the water of the river being fpread over 

 them judicioufly in the time of floods. But now, not only 

 thefe meadows, but near an hundred acres, he believes, of 

 higher lands lying entirely out of the way of natural floods, 

 are watered on the modern principle. 



And it is remarked that the ingenious improver juft noticed, 

 like a man of experience in bufinefs, before he fet about this 

 great work, ftudied the art in the principal fcene of prac- 

 tice, the weft of England, where he fpent fome days witii 

 the ingenious Mr. Bofwell, who, not many years ago, pub- 

 lifhed a treatife on the fubjeft. And that the great itroke of 

 management in this department of his practice, which marks 

 his genius in ftrong charaftars, is that of diverting to his 

 purpofe a rivulet or fmall brook, whofe natural channel flcir;s 

 the farthefl boundary of his farm, falling, with a confider- 

 able defcent, down a narrow valley, in which its utility, as 

 a fo'urce of improvement to land, was confined. This rivu- 

 let, being turned at the highell place that could be command- 

 ed, and carried, in the canal manner, round the point of a 

 fwell, which hcs betsveen its natural bed and the farmery : 

 by the execution of this admirable thought, not only com- 

 manding the (Ivirts of the hill, as a fcite of improvement by 

 watering ; but fupplying, by this artificial brook, the houfe 

 and farm-offices with water ; filling, from it, a drinking- 

 pool, for horfes and cattle ; a walh-pool, for fheep ; and 

 converting it into a multitude of other purpofes : acquifi- 

 tions which, Mr. Marfliall fays, many other filuations in the 

 jiland are capable of affording. One of thefe purpofcs is 

 worthy of being mentioned as defcrving the attention of the 

 praftical farmer. After endeavouring to invent a flat-bot- 

 tomed boat or barge, to navigate upon this canal ; for the 

 purpofe, moft particularly, of conveying his turnips from the 

 field to thecattl--flieds ; and finding it noteafily pradicable, 

 hie great mind llruck out, or rather caught, the beautifully 

 fimple idea of launching the turnips themfelves into the 

 water ; and letting them flow dowii fingly with t)ie current. 



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<•' We throtf them in," fays he, «' and bid them jnect lit 

 at the barn's end !" in which fituation he was then (October, 

 1789) contriving a rcfervoir, or dry dock, for them to fnli 

 into : with a grate at the bottom, to let out the water, and 

 retain the turnips ; which will there be laid up, clean waflied, 

 and freight-free, as a fupply in frofty weather. 



The improvements eftected in this department of rural 

 affairs, by this able improver, are, it is obferved, not only 

 extenfive, but highly interelting, and are rendered the more 

 ftriking, by " proof pieces,' (a good term for experimental 

 patches,) left in each Icite of improvement. 



In the art of irrigating or watering grafs-lands, on the 

 modem principle, Mr. Paget, of Ibilock, is alfo mentioned. 

 This improver, it is itated, cuts a conliderable quantity of 

 hay, annually, from lands which have received no other ma- 

 nure than water, during the la(t forty years. A ftriking in- 

 ftance, it is fuppofed, that water is not merely a ftimulns or 

 force, as lome men conceive it to be, but communicates fome 

 real nutriment to the herbage or grafs, plants. In lac prac- 

 tice of this improver, one circumftance occurred, which 

 ought to be mentioned by way of caution. He found that 

 in watering an orchard with the wadiings of the ftreet and 

 yards of a neighbouring village (a defirable fpecies of water) 

 the fruit-trees were greatly injured. A fimilar circumftance 

 alfo took place in the practice of Mr. Bakewell. It is well 

 known that furface water is in all circumftances highly inju- 

 rious to fruit-trees of the apple kind. Alfo, near Appleby, 

 in Yorkftiire, Mr. Moor has executed a conliderable work of 

 this kind in a judicious manner, cutting a frefti channel on 

 one fide of the fcite of improvement, for a rivulet which 

 wound through its middle ; in order to prevent its overflow- 

 ing 3t an improper feafon ; and converting the old cliannel, 

 (partially filled up) into a main float; an expedient whick 

 may be frequently pradlifed with'good effect, in different fitua- 

 tions. The lame Ipecies of improvement has hkewife been car. 

 ried on with much fpirit and fuccefs by Mr. Wilks of Mee- 

 fham ; and in other inftances the praftice has not been attend- 

 ed withlefs fuccefs, though under diff"ei-ent circumltances. 



Ac-cording to the agricultural furvey of the county of 

 Devon, Mr. Templer, of Stover, has experienced from thi» 

 method of hufbandry very conliderable beneficial eflfefts on a 

 tract ofmarlliy land on the borders of his canal. It had for- 

 merly produced from five to ten (hillings an acre. After 

 having it drained and levelled, by forming conductors for 

 the overplus water of the canal during the winter floods, and 

 diftributing it by well arranged fluiccs, fo as to throw the en- 

 riching particles upon the furface, he converted thefe marflies 

 into valuable, verdant meadow-land. The method that was 

 adopted in conftrufting the dillributing fluices was by having 

 a number of trunks placed at various dillances, to each of 

 which a plug was fitted, and when the flood fwelled the 

 canal above the level requifite for navigation, the plugs were 

 taken out, and the water immediately overflowed thc'lurfacc 

 of the meadow-lands, being at any time capable of being 

 eafily reftrained by replacing the plugs: fimitar -fuccefs is 

 likewife aflerted to have attended a like procefs on lands 

 ill the upper line of the canal. 



Befides thefe, in Yorkihire, Cheftiire, Wales, and the 

 more northern parts of Scotland, as well as in the different 

 dillricts in which th^ practice of irrigation has been long com- • 

 mon, various improvemerts have been effected by the appli-' 

 cation of v.-ater to the furface of grafs-lands, which will be. 

 particularly noticed under the proper head, and alfo the moll 

 approved methods of accomphihing the bufinefs under dif- 

 ferent circumftances of foil and lituation. See i/nUrin^ 



0/"L.\ND. - ■■ 



IRRITABILITY,. in PJ^yfwlojt,,dcuotcs,uihi moft""ge- • 

 - 3 N i " ■ neralj - 



