470 
Sutherland Reclamation. 
No. 2 (38 a. 2 r.), Sutherland-ploughed in 1877, and " disced" 
in 1878. The eastern side of this field is much deeper moss than 
the rest, running from 3 to 5 feet deep. Here some of the earliest 
drains were cut by a contract made in the expectation that solid 
ground would be reached at less than 4 feet deep. The pipes 
were laid 4 feet deep without reaching in some places the 
bottom of the peat ; subsequent tillage with heavy implements 
shifted these pipes, and the drains became useless. Since then 
Mr. Greig has made it a part of the contract that in deep peat 
the drain should be carried 6 feet deep, without extra pay- 
ment, 6 feet of peat being more easily cut than 4 feet of gravel. 
Wherever the peat is likely to vary much in depth, a plan has 
been adopted of first marking out parallel lines, a chain apart, 
over the field, then sending a man with an iron rod to sound the 
depth of the peat every chain-length along these lines. These 
soundings are marked down on a plan. A careful inspection of 
this plan enables the final lines for the drains to be laid down to 
the greatest advantage. Occasionally a deep pot-hole of small 
dimensions is thus discovered beneath the surface of a compa- 
ratively level field. Wherever it would be too expensive to cut 
a drain to the bottom of such a hole care is taken to carry the 
drains outside it. Any drain carried directly over such a hole 
would be sure to sink, and become useless. In some places of 
this sort the drain is excavated below its true level, and broken 
stones are thrown in until a solid foundation is obtained for 
the pipe at the proper level. In draining land of this descrip- 
tion it is necessary to take special care that sludge and sand do 
not get into the pipes before the drain is properly finished and 
covered in. For this reason the whole length of the leader, or 
main drain, is first cut about 4 inches short of its full depth, 
and left open. The minor drains are then dug, and the pipes 
laid in them, beginning at the highest end of each. The 
men then clean out the leader to its full depth, and the super- 
intendent sees the pipes laid in from top to bottom. In this 
way the sludge is driven before the pipes, instead of » being 
allowed to run into them. 
No. 3 (38 a. 2 r.). This was all Sutherland-ploughed in 1877 ; 
drained in 1878. In June an<l July 1878 about 30 acres were 
"disced." The " discer " was driven by 8-horse engines. For 
want of speed the work was not so well done as it might have 
been if more powerful engines had been employed. Tlie land 
disced " received 5 tons per acre of the ErriboU lime, was chain- 
harrowed by horses, top-dressed with 8 cwt. superphosph(jto 
and 4 cwt. kainite, and then drilled with 2 acres of swedes and 
25 acres of Aberdeen yellow turnips. Though rather late sown, 
the turnips are growing well. The swedes will not have time 
to grow into a crop. 
