Farming of Cumherland. 



287 



was begun to be written about in the periodicals of the day, and 

 the farming public, beginning to lose confidence in the experience 

 of the past, and being now a more reading and reasoning com- 

 munity, and willing to inquire into and adopt any system having 

 probability- to recommend it, readily fell into the conclusion that 

 the deep drain must be the most effectual remedy for the defects 

 of the shallow one. The 5-feet drain, as first recommended by 

 Mr. Parkes, was adopted by a few and forced upon others ; but 

 it was soon found that its universal application could not be a 

 general remedy. And now, no man who either values the opinion 

 of others, or regards his own interest, imll venture to 'prescribe the 

 dejith of his drams till he first ascertains the nature of the substrata^ 

 and has found in which of the strata the most water is retained, 

 the principle of deep-draining being still preferred. 



The improved draining tools are in almost general use, and the 

 narrow spade is much approved by workmen for taking out the 

 bottom spit. 



The cost of draining varies in the different parts of the county, 

 according to the supply of and demand for labour, the facility of 

 cutting, habits of living among the w^orkmen, and other con- 

 tingencies peculiar to the several districts. The common prices 

 of cutting and filling the 3-feet drains, at the present time, are 

 from 4ihd. to ^M. per rood of 7 yards ; 4-feet, Id. to ^hd. ; 

 5-feet, Is. Id. to \s. 3d. — varying according to circumstances. 

 The higher prices apply more to the western division of the 

 county, and the lower to the east, where the soil in general admits 

 of more spade-work. The tiles are, in nearly all cases, placed by 

 the day, and the acreable cost of the drainage varies from 31. 10s. 

 to 6Z., and more still in extraordinary or ill-managed cases. 



The price charged for the 3-inch arch drain-tile, by which the 

 prices of all the other sizes are adjusted, commenced in 1824 at 

 4:2s. per thousand, and has been gradually declining to about 

 26s. at the present period. The introduction of machinery in 

 moulding tiles bids fair to reduce the price still further ; and 

 Mr. Rome, of Carlisle, has been so fortunate in his selection of 

 an easy-working clay, and is so reasonable in his expectation of 

 profi ts, that he now offers the same sized tile at 195. per thousand. 



In the vicinity of the roofing-slate quarries, and within mode- 

 rate distances of the railways, where the cost of carriage is low, 

 a considerable quantity of offal slates * are used for tile-soles. 

 In other places wooden slabs are made use of; and where the 

 sandstone is found in thin beds, it answers the purpose. 



Pipe drain-tiles, with collars, are becoming more generally 



* At some of the quarries the offal slates are cut into suitable forms and sizes, 

 and are kept on sale for drain soles. 



