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Farming of Lincolnshire. 



averaires about three miles in breadth, containing upwards of 

 25,000 acres; and includes Billinghay, Walcot, Timberland, 

 Martin, Blankney, Metheringham, &c. to Washingborough fens. 

 Billinghay stands just at the point of a bold ridge of land which 

 divides this line of fen from a part of the Fifth District, and 

 prior to the inclosure and drainage of its fen in 1779, was nearly 

 environed with immense lakes and pools of waLer, which^ durincr 

 a great part of the year, used to form almost '-'one uninterrupted 

 and boundless extent of restless roaring waves." These waters 

 contained large quantities of fish as well as, at certain seasons^ 

 abundance of wild-fowl of every description. Some of the fens 

 w-ere overgrown with reeds and shards," amongst which the 

 coot, and other small water-fowl, used to breed in great numbers. 

 The inhabitants derived considerable profits from fishing and 

 duck-shooting ; and it is therefore natural that they should oppose 

 any plan of drainage that would substitute day-labour for an in- 

 dependent mode of earning a livelihood, without giving any com- 

 pensation for the removal of their privileges. Hence occurred 

 riots and destruction of drainage- works, such as are found in the 

 history of all the Lincolnshire drainages. When those fens were 

 first embanked and drained, narrow tracts, called dales/' or 

 washes, were left open to the river, and, like the fens before in- 

 closure, liable to be flooded nine months in the year ; but these 

 have since been inclosed. The water from Billinghay Dales 

 (which is much the largest of these plots), and the drainage from 

 part of North Kyme Fen, are raised into the Witham at Dog- 

 dyke by a steam-engine of 30-horse power, erected there in 

 1841. The fens are divided by embanked upland rivulets or 

 " delphs," into which upwards of 14 windmills formerly played, 

 besides several that were built for draining the dales. The drain- 

 age, like the power employed to effect it, proved very uncertain 

 and capricious^ and continual losses were resulting from occa- 

 sional floods and the general wetness of the land, when, in 1831, 

 an Act was obtained for improving the drainage of Nocton, 

 Potter- Flamvorth, and Branston fens; and a powerful steam- 

 engine was erected near the bank of the Witham. Since that period 

 the whole of the "water-engines" (or wind-mills) have been 

 superseded by the use of steam : Heighington engine drains the 

 fens between the above district and Lincoln ; Metheringham 

 engine, of 25-horse power, drains the fens belonging to that 

 town and Dunston ; Martin engine, of 30-horse power, (more 

 southward,) drains Martin, Linwood, and Blankney fens ; 

 the next is Timberland engine, of 30-horse power, built in 

 1839, which drains the fens of Timberland and Thorpe-Tiiney ; 

 and thus every district, with its frontage of dales, is tolerably well 

 drained by the indefatigable and faithful might of steam. Occa- 



