Improved System of lay in rj out Catch-Meadows. 177 



employed in assisting Mr. Ellis, and I lent one of mj own horses 

 for tlie work. The plough was the property of jNIr. Ellis. 



It wdll be observed that, in these meadows, the carriage gutters 

 had already been partially laid out ; this, of course, saved a great 

 deal of labour. The ground is, however, remarkably uneven, and 

 the expense of the level gutters was consequently greater than 

 would usually be the case. Some new carriage gutters were cut, 

 and a good deal of labour was bestowed on reducing the size of 

 the old gutters, which have been diminished from 3 feet wide by 

 2 feet deep to 1 foot 9 inches wide by 1 foot deep. (They are 

 still larger than is desirable.) Taking all these circumstances 

 into consideration, I am of opinion that water-meadows similarly 

 situated might be completely laid out at an expense not exceeding 

 £1 per acre. The annual expense of cleaning them, or of cutting 

 fresh gutters by the side of the old ones, may be taken at \s. an 

 acre ; and for these very lov,^ sums the land may be as fully, and 

 more fully, benefited than by the old system, under which the 

 cost could not be taken at less than £4 or £5 an acre ; while the 

 annual expense of cleaning the gutters amounted to fully 2s. an 

 acre, or double the sum now required. 



As an instance of the advantage of this system of watering, 

 where only a limited supply of water can be obtained, I may 

 mention that my steward has recently availed himself of ]Mr. Ellis's 

 services in laying out two meadows of about 15 acres in extent, 

 which are watered from a pond estimated to contain something 

 like 50 hogsheads. In this case the water is carried along a level 

 ridge by a carriage gutter, in which two breaks and sharp turns 

 (as above described) occur. When it is desired to w^ater the first 

 part of the meadovf , a stop is put at the first break, and the water 

 overflows, and is caught by the level gutters below. 



To water the second part of the meadow, the stop is put at the 

 second break, and the water, therefore, runs out of the first part 

 of the carriage gutter, and fills the second till it overflows. 



To water the third part, the stops are removed, and the water 

 runs, without overflowing, into the third portion of the carrier, 

 w^hence it is distributed over the ground below. 



Stafford H. Northcote. 



Py7ies, Exeter, Jime 29, 1852. 



Note by Mr. Pusey. 



The importance of the subject will plead my excuse for once 

 more offering to the Society a few remarks upon the principles 

 of irrigation, especially as some misconception m.ust still prevail 

 respecting them, otherwise watering- gutters would not have been 



VOL. XIII. ^- 



