Farminrj of Cumherland. 



291 



Henry Howard, Esq., of Grevstoke Castle, Sir Wilfrid Law- 

 son, of Brayton, Henry Curwen, Esq., Lieut.-Gcneral Wyndham, 

 Sir R. H. Vane, and most other large proprietors resident in the 

 county, are setting praiseworthy examples of extensive and im- 

 proved draining : and indeed, few who have the means, or can 

 obtain them, by Government grants or otherwise, omit draining to 

 the extent of their ability. 



At the rate draining is now proceeding, Cumberland must in a 

 few vears, with the blessing of Providence and the continued 

 exertions of her cultivators, be capable of producing very much 

 miore from the land than has yet been witnessed. Whether the 

 producers are to be remunerated for the unwonted competition of 

 the present day, and of that which m.ust follow, remains for a 

 future period to develope. 



VI. Whether Hill-side Irrigation has been tried, and to 



VrHAT EXTENT IT WOULD BE APPLICABLE. 



Considerable pains have been bestowed in different parts of 

 the county, to turn the streams to account in irrigating meadows, 

 and much expense incurred in preparing them for that purpose. 

 In some instances the benefit has been very great ; and in a few 

 others, — arising from defective under-drainage, or from mis- 

 application of clay water to clay meadows, or of water which 

 brings down and deposits a fine and poor sand, as is the case in 

 some of the sandstone districts, disappointment has followed. 

 One of the most successful experiments in this way was that of 

 the late Rev. Mr. ^Matthews, of Wigton, whose meadows were 

 judiciously laid out for watering, and, favoured by position, the 

 seuerage of part of the town is applied with great advantage. 



i\Iost of the towns are placed in such low situations, that the 

 sewerage cannot so well be applied without machinery, which has 

 not yet been resorted to for that very desirable purpose. But 

 two or three of them, which are better situated in that respect,* 

 send the fatness of their streets and sewers into the nearest 

 stream, with only feeble attempts to arrest their fertilising pro- 

 perties. 



The irrigating! department of the county is at present in this 

 anomalous position. A thinking farmer here and there may be 

 seen carefully conducting his valued stream over every available 

 portion of his meadow, fearlessly watching it during heavy rains, 

 with spade in hand and drenched to the skin, leading it to places 

 where his tiny dry-weather rill could not reach, and not suffering 



i * Penrith, for instance. 



t " The only attempt ve (Bailey and Culle y") sa%T of this species of improvement, 

 that had the least resemblance to a watered meadow laid out by art, was at Bleatai-n, 

 about sLx miles east of Carlisle." 



