508 



On Draining. 



were there neither hands nor appliances to be found to till it, nor 

 mouths to be filled by its products, when in truth both are in 

 excess? And yet by a judicious expenditure of about 47. or 5Z. 

 per acre in an effective course of drainage the great proportion 

 is capable of having its average yield of wheat increased by 

 from 10 to 20 bushels per acre. What possible chance has the 

 occupier of such undrained wet land of competing with his more 

 fortunate neighbour on the naturally dry soils? Where the latter 

 with two horses ploughs an acre or more a day, he has to use 

 three or four horses for about one-half the same extent of work ; 

 and every other operation is subject to the same discouraging 

 hindrances. He gets a scanty and precarious crop of wheat 

 and weeds, yielding it may be 20 to 25 bushels per acre, whilst 

 the other is comparatively certain, with less labour and anxiety, 

 of 30 or even 40 bushels per acre. What, therefore, is 10s. or 

 20s. per acre additional rent for dry land, compared with the 

 ruinous cost of cultivating these undrained soils? Not worth one 

 moment's consideration ; and the more so since at this day means 

 and facilities for the execution of the work are within reach, on 

 easy terms, of every owner. Some few years back a really valid 

 and prudential reason did exist for the possessors of land 

 having only a life interest, and being under other disabilities, not 

 expending money in improvements which they might never 

 enjoy. But these difficulties and prohibitions (for such they 

 were in effect) are at length matters of history only ; and any 

 owner of entailed and settled estates, or tenant for life or lives, 

 may improve his property by drainage, inclosure, building, &c, 

 and his rent-roll at the same time, without any cost to himself, 

 and with the greatest benefit to his tenantry. " What," the pos- 

 sessor of some long-neglected and water-logged property may 

 exclaim, " do you seriously mean to tell me that without any 

 greater interruption to my accustomed ease than the execution 

 of a few forms and documents for the purpose, I can, at no abso- 

 lute cost to myself, so improve this unfortunate property as to 

 make it yield me a clear additional rental, and be the salvation 

 of my half-ruined tenantry?" We do — and will endeavour to 

 show how. 



Within the area of the clay districts already alluded to it would 

 not, in all probability, be difficult to find enclosed estates the 

 average rental of which does not exceed from 10s. to 15s. per 

 acre, and yet the occupiers barely able to live upon them. Now 

 I dare say you know that, under the General Drainage Act 

 (9 & 10 Vic, cap. 101), Government was authorized to advance 

 the sum of two millions for the drainage of lands in England and 

 Scotland, repayment being made by a rent-charge on the lands 

 drained of 6J per cent, per annum on the outlay, for 22 years, 



