1G6 



THE SOUTHERN PLANTER. 



six inches of straw should be placed over 

 the drain, then pure earth, worked fine with 

 the spade, to within 18 inches of the sur- 

 face, then one foot of puddle, well worked 

 in with the spade, and the remainder of 

 rich soil. If puddle be not used, as above 

 directed, the water of Irrigation will sink 

 through the secret drains and destroy them. 



Water meadows require the most thorough 

 drainage. Without it, the grasses become 

 sour and coarse. It is important that the 

 water be not only rapidly delivered on the 

 meadow, but also that it be rapidly dis- 

 charged from it. 



The Main Conductor. 



To find its connecting point with the 

 stream, proceed as follows. Start from the 

 highest part of the meadow, and continue 

 the level up stream until a point, in its bed, 

 is reached one foot higher than the point of 

 departure. Run this level at least twice, 

 for an error here may be incurable. The 

 water should be drawn from the bottom or 

 bed of the stream, because it can in no 

 other manner be effectually husbanded. 



If a sufficient head of water cannot be 

 had without a drain, it will be advisable in 

 most instances to abandon the undertaking. 



If the large area to be watered will jus- 

 tify the expense of a dam, it should be lo- 

 cated and constructed under the supervi- 

 sion of a canal engineer. 



Start the main conductor from the point 

 above designated and continue it on the 

 same level until it reaches- a position from 

 which it may readily deliver the water upon 

 the whole or a part of the meadow. It 

 should, if possible, be laid parallel with the 

 meadow and on ground one foot above it. 

 (See p. 164 ante.) 



Though a fall of one foot in every 200 yards 

 is usually recommended, it will neverthe- 

 less be found better economy to increase 

 the width of the conductor, and thus avoid 

 the necessity of a current, and of waste 

 wiers, and sluice gates. In England 

 much expense is incurred in sluice gates 

 and masonry, wlfich, by keeping the con- 

 ductor on a level and observing the follow- 

 ing precautions may be all avoided : — The 

 bottom of the conductor should be one foot 

 lower than the bottom of the stream, and 

 at least two feet rower than its surface. It 

 should also be not less than two feet wide 

 at bottom and six feet wide at the surface 

 level of the water. If of the above dimen- 

 sions, it will pass a sufficient supply of wa- 

 ter for 15 acres of flat bed meadow, but the 



conductor cannot well be made too large, 

 for, during a freshet, too much water cannot 

 be delivered on the land. 



It should, when practicable, be located, 

 for its whole length, through cutting, that 



S3 ' O fc3 » 



is to say, its sides should be formed of nat- 

 ural earth, and not of embankment, which 

 is liable to leakage and injury by muskrats 

 and freshets. Locate the conductor in such 

 a manner that on its lower side the natural 

 earth will be at least one foot higher than 

 the usual level of the water, and be diverted 

 from this purpose, neither by the temptation 

 of straightness, economy, or any other con- 

 sideration. Shovel back, as far as conve- 

 nient, all loose earth from that part of the 

 conductor not adjacent to the meadow. 

 The lower side of the conductor will then, 

 during freshets, act as a waste and effectu- 

 ally guard the embankments from injury. 



Where embankment is unavoidable, use 

 the following precautions. 



The width of its base should be four times 

 its height. If. for instance, the embank- 

 ment be two feet high, its width at base 

 should be 8 feet. Scrape from the base 

 every particle of vegetable matter, and spade 

 up the soil to a depth of one foot, then 

 build on the foundation ; thus prepared, the 

 embankment, which must be made of pure 

 earth, weJI worked with the spade and mois- 

 tened, if water be convenient. The sides 

 to have a very gentle slope, and the top to 

 be at least 2 feet higher than the surface 

 level of the water. The main conductor 

 serves a similar purpose, and resembles, in 

 every particular, a canal or mill race, and 

 requires the same care in its construction. 

 The precautions above stated cannot there- 

 fore be safely neglected. On account of 

 its small dimensions, its cost rarely exceeds 

 that of a large ditch, for the particular care 

 demanded in its construction, involves no 

 great expenditure of money. A small 

 wooden guard gate is sometimes placed at 

 the head of a conductor-, but, except there 

 be a dam, it will seldom be needed. A 

 good substitute for a waste, or sluice gate, 

 will be found in a ditch starting from a con- 

 ductor at the point of its connection with the 

 meadow and terminating in the dischar- 

 ging ditch or stream. (Seep. 164, ante,) The 

 opening from the conductor into the ditch 

 (termed a sluice ditch,) is closed with earth, 

 except where the meadow is laid dry or 

 during high freshets. 



Branch Cdnduciors. 



Are intended to furnish a supply of water 

 to parts of the meadow not adjacent or" 



