Black- Sluice Drainage. 



121 



These Washes, like Whittlesey Washes, which contain 3500 

 acres, are mown when the season is dry enough, producing some 

 most excellent hay, but are often covered with water 6 or 7 feet 

 deep. This reservoir is not needed ; and if the passage of the 

 river were better through Spalding, or a new cut made behind 

 "* the town in order to ease the river, or perhaps the mere embank- 

 ing of the Washes might suffice, the upland stream would force 

 its own way through, and thus deepen and improve the river and 

 outfall, leaving a breadth of good land to be brought under the 

 plough. 



Within the last seven years some small extent of under-draining 

 has been done, both with tiles, thorns, and even stubble, with 

 good effect. The drains (on the higher lands, — the low lands are 

 some of them partially done in several places, but have a bad outfall) 

 are generally about 30 inches deep, straight across the field, the 

 distance apart being regulated by the retentiveness or friability of 

 the soil. This operation has proved of great benefit on the 

 higher peat soils, taking away the water, keeping the surface dry, 

 and leaving the moor more compressed and solid, which is so 

 necessary to the production of corn and seeds. Within the recol- 

 lection of most farmers this district, now so much improved by 

 artificial means, was under water during the winter months ; but 

 with the assistance of wind-engines and a tolerably dry spring, 

 they could manage to sow oats by the end of April, though the 

 greater part was not sown before the middle or latter end of 

 May. The aspect of the country was at that time wretched 

 indeed, with bad roads, miserable houses and farm buildings, and 

 the land almost covered with water ; now there are comfortable 

 houses, a good turnpike road, excellent farmsteads, and a beau- 

 tiful church in the centre. 



A little below Pode Hole is an engine of 20 horse-power 

 throwing into the Yernatt's drain, draining a district called Pinch- 

 beck Fen. This contains about 1700 acres, lying north of Deep- 

 ing Fen, — a small district and very expensive tax, yearly about 

 4s. or 55. per acre. The soil is a shallow loam with a subsoil of 

 silt, but yields fair crops of coleseed, wheat, and seeds, few beans 

 being grown. 



The parish of Spalding, with part of Pinchbeck, is drained by 

 a steam-engine of 20 horse-power, throwing into the " Blue 

 Gote" drain. This district runs up to the reservoir, but though 

 so near to the sea, it was very wet, until the engine was built in 

 1832, and great numbers of sheep caught the rot; it is now a 

 beautiful district of good rich land, of clay and silt, containing 

 between 4000 and 5000 acres. 



Black- Sluice Drainage. — Northward of Deeping Fen, and 

 divided from it by the River Glen, is a tract of fen, called the 



