THE SOUTHERN PLANTER. 



163 



dow was made at Kirkhope on the Ettrick, and 

 another at Mount Bcnger Burn, on the Yarrow, 

 which, according to the tenant's own account, 

 pays them better than any piece of land of the 

 same extent on their farms, although the land in 

 its natural state was worth little or nothing." 



" The late Sir George Montgomery, Bart of 

 Mngleiehill, in Peeblephire, commenced irriga- 

 ting in 1798 by forming about one acre into wa- 

 ter-meadows. This little experimental meadow 

 turned out so productive that the baronet con- 

 tinued operations on a larger scale, by collecting 

 the small streams that ran through his property 

 to aid him in procuring as much natural hay as 

 possible by irrigation. He, therefore, in the 

 year 1815 converted the low-lands at the Plew 

 lands into irrigated meadows. They contain 9 

 acres, and consist partly of boggy and partly of 

 dry soil, worth <£2 ($10 per acre in their original 

 state. The effect of this improvement, for seve- 



Northern countries is so Very much against the 

 practice, yet the improvement is one of the grea- 

 test that has been introduced in a district, where 

 it is impossible to procure manure for making 

 improvements in any other way, and that where- 

 ever water can be brought to run over grass land, the 

 benefit will' richly reimburse any person for the 

 money laid out. Since the formation of this 

 meadow, several others have been made in dif- 

 ferent parts of Sweden with greater success, they 

 being made on better land." 



Although the instances cited are not par- 

 ticularly remarkable in their results, it is 

 nevertheless proper to state, that Irrigation 

 has not always succeeded in increasing the 

 crops, but has sometimes resulted in disap- 

 pointment and loss. The exceptions are 

 rare, and have been generally ascribed to 



ral years past, has been 300 Stone (6600 pounds) J want of skill or attention, or the presence 



of some mineral in the water injurious to 

 vegetation. They nevertheless inculcate a 

 lesson of prudence and deliberation. The 

 quantity of water, furnished by the stream, 

 should be measured, and its.fertilizing quali- 

 ties ascertained, by observing its effect on 

 inundated spots before the commencement 

 of any extensive enterprise. 



Irrigation has long been practised in cer- 

 tain localities of the Valley of Virginia. 

 The plan, pursued, is represented to be rude 

 and primitive, and yet, on reliable authority 

 the writer is assured thatthe results havebeen 

 very satisfactory, that the crop of hay is gen- 

 erally doubled by it, and that the value of a 

 farm is much enhanced by the considera- 

 tion of having upon it, a water-meadow ; or 

 land capable of being irrigated. A minute 

 description of the practice, there pur- 

 sued, and results obtained, would do much 

 in attracting to the subject the attention, 

 and awakening in its behalf the interest of 

 the Agricultural community. 



of very superior hay per acre, averaging 8 pence 

 per Stone, and the after-grass 20 shillings per 

 acre, which makes the gross produce of the land 

 worth £11 ($55). These meadows have been 

 sometimes cut twice a year, but, owing to the 

 high climate, he found it more advantageous 

 only to cut them once, and commence feeding 

 off the. after-grass earlier in the Autumn. The 

 expense of making those meadows was £5 per 

 acre. By this simple method of improvement, 

 fifteen acres of common sheep pasture-land has 

 given the proprietor from three thousand five 

 hundred (77,000 pounds) to four thousand Stone 

 (88,000 pounds) of hay per annum, averaging 

 6 pence per Stone." 



" In the year 1808, I was employed, to sur- 

 vey, with regard to draining, a large tract of 

 boggy land, belonging to Mrs. Grill of Soderfors 

 Iron Manufactory, in the province of Upland in 

 Sweden. After having taken a general view of 

 upwards of three hundred acres, I found about 

 80, lying nearest the large River Dal, well situa- 

 ted for irrigation ; and although there was no- 

 thing of the kind in the country previously to 

 that time, the proprietress determined to have, at 

 any expense, an Irrigated meadow formed com- 



plete in all its parts, for she was confident, thatj In the fall of 1852, on a farm in Fauquier 

 connected with thorough drainage, it would form County, the writer constructed a water- 



one of the greatest improvements to a country 

 where the Summers are so generally dry, and 

 hay very scarce. In 1810 the hay crop on 40 

 acres was 4000 Stone (88,000 pounds.) With- 

 in that year the other 40 acres were 



formed into water-meadow, and 



1811, 



the hay crop on the whole was 11250 Stone 

 (247,500 pounds.) In 1812 the crop was 

 damaged by the frost and reduced to 4550 Stone. 

 In 1813 the crop was 11250 Stone, and but for 

 heavy frosts on the 21st, 22d and 23d of June 

 would have been one third more. The hay, 

 since the commencement of the Irrigation is 

 twice as good in quality. The expense of form- 

 ing this meadow was nearly £4 ($20) per acre, by 

 which it appears that, although' the climate of 



meadow ol 14 acres in the manner recom- 

 mended by Stevens, and in accordance 

 with the best English practice. Attached 

 to it are four acres of dry medow formed of 

 rich red clay, subject to inundation, and ca- 

 pable, without manure, of yielding a good 

 crop of timothy hay. The 14 acres, previ- 

 ous to the improvement, yielded only herds 

 grass hay, and in very scant quantities. Ex- 

 cept in watering, both portions of the mea- 

 dow have received the same treatment. 

 About seven acres were watered in the 

 spring of 1854. In the opinion of the men 

 who mowed the hay, the crop on the irriga- 



