On the Breeding of Cattle and Sheep. 



29 



the great objects of that society is the diffusion of knowledge con- 

 nected every branch of farming. The best way in which it 

 can be enabled to effect this object, is by those of its members who 

 have paid attention to any of the divisions of farming operations 

 commmiicating to the Society the results of their practice and 

 experience. It will then be for the Society to circulate, by any 

 means in their power, such of these communications as it shall 

 appear to them are likely to be useful to those engaged in the 

 cultivation of the land. With this view I place this paper at their 

 disposal. 



III. — On the Deanston frequent Drain System, as distinguished 

 from and compared with the Furrow-Draining and Deep- 

 Ploughing of the Midland Counties of England. In a Letter 

 to the Editor. By the Rio^ht Hon. Sir James Graham, 

 Bart., M.P., F.R.S., &c. Read Feb. 20, 1839. 



Sir, 



A recent mquiry addressed to me by Lord Spencer relative to 

 the Deanston frequent Drain System," induces me to believe 

 that I may render some service to agriculture, if I am so fortu- 

 nate as to direct the attention of yoar readers to this important 

 subject at this particular time. 



The great object of our quarterly publication is, as I conceive, 

 the establishment of an authentic record of practical experiments ; 

 and by muliiphing facts and proofs of this description agri- 

 culture will be treated as a science, and will advance, and the 

 Transactions of our Society v^ill become the depository of useful 

 information, verified by the name and the address of the several 

 correspondents. 



jNIr. Smith, of Deanston, in the county of Perth, was examined 

 as a witness before the Agricultural Committee in 1836. He 

 gave a detailed account of his system of draining, which very much 

 resembles the furrow-draining of the midland counties of England, 

 except that at Deanston, stone being on the ground, the drains are 

 made with stones and not "v^ith tiles ; and at Deanston the cover of 

 the drain is '22 inches below the surface ; whereas in Leicestershire 

 and Northamptonshire the top of the tile in the furrow^ is not so 

 deeply laid. Mr. Smith, when his land is effectually drained, lays 

 it down without a furrow ; in the midland counties the furrow is 

 carefully preserved. 



Mr. Smith, after draining, for the first rotation at least, does not 

 bruig to the surface any of the subsoil ; but by a plough of his 

 own invention, which follows a common plough turning up the 

 surface, he penetrates the subsoil to the depth of 20 inches, and 



