34 
Oil Thoroi(gh-Draining . 
are various entries of payments for many hundred poles of 
" under-draining," beginning in 1743, and several following 
years, sufficient to show it was practised to a considerable extent 
at that time ; and I have every reason to believe it has been used 
ever since, as my own knowledge extends to about forty years, 
and when a boy I have heard old labourers speak of what was 
considered a good day's work when they were young men. 
Having thus shown that the system has been in operation in 
this the eastern j)art of the county of Hertford for a century, I 
will now state some of the particulars ; but perhaps I ought to 
state previously, that, unlike most of the strong land in many of 
the midland and other counties, in Herts the land lies nearly flat, 
and therefore it is usual to cut the drains directly across the shot 
(as we term the course of the plough), at least as much so as can 
be, to get a sufficient fall for the water. I would also observe 
our object is to get off the surface-water, as we are seldom 
troubled with springs on these soils. 
1. Depth and Width. — A bout is first drawn with the plough 
deeply, casting a furrow each way; then dug 22 inches the pa- 
rallel drains, and from 26 to 30 inches the leading drain ; the 
wedge shape — 10 inches at the top to 2 inches at the bottom. 
2. Distance. — 16^ feet from drain to drain. 
3 • Materials. — Thorns are preferred, but when sufficient are 
not to be had, we use the underwood cut from the woods : they 
should be laid as regularly as possible — one part lapping on to 
the next layer, in the way the straw is laid by the thatcher — 
enough to rise about 4 inches from the bottom of the drain when 
well pressed down, which is considered important ; then a thin 
layer of straw or haulm, sufficient to prevent the soil from getting 
to the thorns. The top spit, which is laid as near as possible 
when dug, is then put in with some of the surface soil, as being 
the more porous. The bottom spit, when dug, is cast some on 
each side, and beyond the other, so that it may be spread over 
the surface of the land. 
4. Expense. — The digging and filling in cost about 4^". per 
score poles of 16^ feet (Ss. per furlong), varying a little more or 
less according as the land works. There is a greater variation in 
the expense of the materials, but the average cost is about the 
same as the labour, which would be — 
160 poles, digging and filling . . . .£112 0 
Ditto, materials 1 12 0 
Making, per acre .... £3 4 0 
5. Dtirability. — On the strongest clays, when well done, they 
will last twenty years, and sometimes more. In some lands even 
the strongest clays are intersected with veins and small patches of 
