Farming of Lincolnshire. 



305 



sionally the drain-banks g-ive way, and cause a partial inundation ; 

 but the breach is usually repaired before much damage has 

 ensued. 



On the east and north bank of the Witham is a narrow but 

 irregularly-shaped tract of fen-land, called the Third District, 

 extending from the river Bain, near Tattershall^ to the high lands 

 of Willingham, near Lincoln, The low lands of Kirkstead have 

 been greatly improved by the erection of a steam-engine of 30- 

 horse power, which is employed in grinding corn, and in lifting 

 Tivater, when necessary. The next is Bardney engine, throwing 

 also into'the Witham. It is 35 -horse power, and drains a recently- 

 embanked district, named Stixwould Inclosure. When the 

 W^itham is full of water, this engine has to lift against a head of 

 9 or 10 feet. Further north, near the confluence of the Lang- 

 worth river with the Witham, is another steam-engine, built in 

 1840, to drain certain lands in the parishes of Stainfield, Bar- 

 lings, and Fiskerton^ which had their drainage previously by 

 several windmills. 



There is also a considerable breadth of fenny land to the west- 

 ward of Lincoln, through which passes the river Till. One 

 catch-water drain defends it from the hill-floods of Burton and 

 Carlton on the north-east, and another cuts off the high land 

 water descending from Doddington, &c., on the south-vv^est ; the 

 drainage being accomplished by means of two main drains con- 

 nected with the Till and with the Sock- Dyke running alongside 

 the Witham. The construction of the new Witham Channel cer- 

 tainly effected great improvements in the fen-drainage as well as 

 in the navigation ; but it was found that these conflicting interests 

 ■quickly occasioned a serious dilemma, for as the water in the 

 river was held up by two locks (one at Barlings and another at 

 Kirkstead), the drainage was impeded ; and if the water was run 

 off to assist the drainage, the navigation was prevented. Accord- 

 ingly, a new Act being passed in 1812, the two locks were re- 

 moved, and a new one erected at Horsley-Deeps ; and a sock- 

 dyke or drain was cut along the south bank of the river, from 

 Lincoln to a point just below the new lock, a distance of rather 

 more than 8 miles ; so that the water is always kept high enough 

 for navigation between these points, whilst the side drain affords 

 an uninterrupted passage to the upland and flood waters. By 

 means of this work the low lands beyond Lincoln have chiefly 

 a natural drainage, though previously little better than morasses. 

 In the parish of Skellingthorpe, 2 small steam-engines have 

 been erected near the Decoy Farm, to throw out the water in 

 time of floods. 



It is a question whether the First, Third, and Fifth Districts 

 of the Witham fens will ever enjoy the advantage of a complete 



VOL. XII. X 



