On the Formation of Hill-side Catch- Meadows. 141 



artificial agents, its uses in an onward course, the arrangement of 

 sites for cattle-sheds, sheep-yards, water-carriage, fences, &c. 

 If it be desirable that the work should be extensive and the out- 

 lay gradual, the work may be extended over a breadth of time, by 

 the general plan being agreed upon, and each succeeding opera- 

 tion steadily and progressively directed to form its part of the in- 

 tended whole — thus completed as the meadows improve. This is 

 precisely my own case and intention, as a tenant. If the work is 

 executed by the landlord, or wished to be finished at a given time, 

 the better plan is to contract with a suitable party for its certain 

 and effectual completion. The first outlay is the main expense, 

 and is fairly classed under the head of a permanent improvement, 

 the annual expenses to maintain their efficiency being small in 

 comparison with the result. 



Catch-meadows (on our hill sides especially) have certainly the 

 advantage of cheapness in their favour, and the same quantity of 

 water will do much more work. The hill side being already formed 

 by nature to our hands, the ''spirit level" beautifully traces the 

 varied slopes, and marks the onward course for the " gutterer, or 

 waterman," who should be a man of some taste in the art of level- 

 ling, as the marking out the intermediate spaces upon irregular 

 ground is found to be a nice point, that the water may flow in an 

 even stream over the sides of the clutters. 



The arrangement of the " main water-carriages " depends solely 

 upon the formation of the land and supply of water; for instance, 

 as I have a small brook passing through the farm (which has a 

 good descent), these carriages take their lead from the stream in 

 due succession, whereby the required supply of water is kept up, 

 and are so arranged that, in crossing the valleys or otherwise, they 

 pass below the hill-side springs, that these may be " tapped " and 

 drained into them ; this is a good and cheap process. 



These " main carriages" are formed 3 feet wide and 6 inches 

 deep on the lower side, the upper side ranging according to the 

 slope of the hill, and at a distance of 2 chains apart, with a fall of 

 2 inches upon a chain of 22 yards, or 1 in 396. This is rather a 

 rapid fall for general floating, but it is found desirable to adopt 

 it, to clear out the carriages, after and during the time they are 

 used for washing out soil, &c., to the meadows. Between these 

 a smaller carriage is cut, 18 inches wide and 5 inches deep^ at a 

 distance of 3-fifths from the upper carriage and 2-fifths from the 

 lower one. These gutters again collect the water into a sheet, 

 that it may be more evenly spread over the whole surface then 

 under hand ; but for this the water gets into little streams, espe- 

 cially where the land has never been ploughed or levelled. This 

 will be further remedied by removing the surplus sods from the 

 carriages to the larger holes, the rem.oval of any banks that may 

 occur, and by the sediment from the watering and soiling as the 



