Economical Water- Meadow, 



347 



cipal receiver for all the drains in the meadow. The accompany- 

 ing plan will show the form of the meadow^ and point out all 

 the various conductors, feeders, and floats, with the main drains 

 and small drains for lettin^^ the water on and off. During the 

 time the work was in hand I attended my labourers four or five 

 hours each day, or as much time as I could spare ; which I am 

 convinced tended much to lessen the cost, as my object was to 

 execute the work in the cheapest and most simple manner. 



I or-ave for dio-o-ing- all the main conductors and lar<2:e drains 4J. 

 per rod ; for the medium drains 2d. ; and for the small floats and 

 drains Id. per rod : the whole cost of this was 271. lOs. ; 10/. the 

 sluices, and 5/. making the dam across the brook ; making the 

 whole cost 42/. 10^. 



In the beginning of the present year I began to float the mea- 

 dow, and had not applied the water long to the land before I ob- 

 served an evident improvement. I wish also to state that, on 

 some of the worst parts of the meadow, w^here the flag-roots and 

 aquatic plants were so blended with the soil, I dug the vvhole 

 and laid the top downwards. I did not lay the spits too close 

 together, but left sufficient room betvveen each for the grass to 

 shoot up ; and, to my great surprise, the whole of the flags and 

 aquatic plants disappeared, and an entire fresh herbage of good 

 Cjuality sprung up in their stead. If there were any difference in 

 the crop, I think this spot had the advantage ; the whole hovv'- 

 ever produced the best crop I have ever seen, and which was cut 

 in June last, and yielded more than 2 tons per acre, which w as of 

 double the value of any crop which I have had from any part of 

 the said meadow, in any season, these last 20 years. As soon as 

 the grass was mowed and the hay cleared off, I let on the water 

 again ; and, in about 5 weeks, there was another crop fit for the 

 scythe ; but^ having had enough hay-making in such a wet and 

 trying season, I was afraid to encounter the second crop for hay ; 

 consequently, I turned in my cattle, consisting of horses, cows, 

 and sheep, all of which appeared to do well : but when the work- 

 ing horses were taken up again to their work, they each and all 

 were seized with a relaxation to such a degree that I was fearful 

 some of them would die. This leads me to doubt whether the hay''' 

 or grass produced from water-meadows is proper food for working 



* The Duke of Richmond, having applied to the Duke of Portland for his 

 Grace's opinion on the effects of water-meadow hay as food for horses, has 

 received the following communication: — 



" There is reason to beheve that water-meadow hay is not good for 

 horses working on wind ; but, for all other purposes, it is quite good. On 

 account of its succulency, the grass is difficult to be made into hay, and 

 requires much time. — Horses of every description, and cattle, thrive greatly 

 on the meadows themselves : and I should say that, unless they give the rot 



VOL. I. 2 B 



