Farming of Lincolnshire. 



317 



times the area of the flat without overflowing, the river ought to 

 be kept as low as possible before the rains come on. As it is, 

 the channel being sufficiently full before the floods descend, and 

 the water from the southern extremity of the level having to flow 

 18 miles along a flat course, the water is raised by the high land 

 streams above the surface of the land for some time before the 

 sluice at the river mouth increases its discharge, and thus the 

 carrs at Waddingham, Snitterby, Kelsey, &C.5 are often flooded 

 for several days until the river subsides. This evil is mitigated 

 in some degree by the perfection of the interior drainage, so that 

 the water is not allowed to remain long upon the land after the 

 river water has sunk to its proper level. These floodings, how- 

 ever, must occasion a serious injury to the soil and crops, and 

 tend to choke up the few under drains which have been laid in 

 some parts of the flat. A steam-engine has been erected to drain 

 two parishes in one of the worst-drained localities, and its action 

 has hitherto been attended with benefit. The district requires to 

 be flanked on both sides with adequate catch-water drains, formed 

 at a higher level than the main drains, and arranged with sepa- 

 rate sluices for discharging into the H umber. These might 

 also be employed to feed the navigation and to irrigate the level 

 when requisite. 



This system of separating the drainage of the high lands from 

 that of the low lands was recommended by Mr. Rennie in 1801, 

 founded on the observation that the greater force and rapidity 

 with which the water from the upper districts reached the river 

 than those from the lower had the effect of driving the latter 

 over the level, the sluices being inadequate to discharge the 

 entire bulk of water during the periods while the tide permitted 

 the sluice-doors to remain open. If catch-water drains were 

 constructed along the whole level on each side, considerable 

 advantage might be gained by adopting the further recommend- 

 ation of Sir John Rennie, viz. the formation of reservoirs, with 

 overfalls and weirs to receive the sand and mud brought down 

 from the upper part of the country, and thus prevent its accumu- 

 lation in the river. There is an ancient sewer running from 

 Ferraby towards Elsham, which intercepts the water-brooks 

 from the hills, but the low lands have likewise to drain by it ; 

 and as there is a breadth of very wet and rushy land between it 

 and the hills, near Ferraby, Horkstow, Saxby, &c., a drain is 

 still needed on a higher level to prevent the Wold waters from 

 descending to the vale. The Ancholme carrs are also subject 



separate outlets, but the rising of the tide causes a loss of time for discharge, and floo<ls 

 are not unfrequent. In Worlaby carrs 50 acres of wheat were so much destroyed in the 

 autumn of 1848 that it had to be sown again in the next spring, quality and quantity 

 greatly falling off. 



