340 
On the Drainage of Land. 
extent which requires it, perhaps in every county (I am certain 
there is in Gloucester, Warwick, Worcester, Wilts, and Berks), 
which would pay a great deal more per cent, than the purchase 
of land ; it may be very praiseworthy to reclaim bogs, inclose 
land from wastes or the sea, but what is the value of a few 
hundred acres more land added to the country in comparison with 
draining all the old tillage-land that requires it throughout 
England ? why but as a mere drop in the bucket. I have no 
doubt that I speak within compass in saying that it would pro- 
duce an increase of 4 bushels of wheat per acre, to say nothing of 
the increase of stock the land would be able to carry by improved 
culture of green crops instead of naked fallow, which is necessary 
before draining in order to keep it at all clean ; therefore however 
beneficial reclaiming bogs and wastes, &c., may be individually, 
it is not to be compared, as regards the country at large, with the 
benefits to be derived from a general drainage of the clay and wet 
land already in tillage, and such is the description I should say on 
which there is the most room for extensive efforts in draining, but 
in which counties they predominate I am not prepared to say, 
though beside the counties above mentioned, I have seen an ex- 
tensive district lying by the railway between Birmingham and 
Liverpool. 
Perhaps I have not answered all, if any, of the different heads 
quite satisfactorily, as there may be some soils different from any 
which 1 have seen ; but I am well satisfied that the principles 
above advocated are correct ; and as regards clay-draining, 1 would 
not object to try any clay-soil having a proper fall, not receiving 
the expenses unless it answered the purpose. It has been tried on 
the clay adjoining the Thames or I sis, on that at the foot of the 
chalk hills in Wilts, and on the clay-soil in the vale of Gloucester, 
all of different species, though all very tenacious. I do say, from 
the manner in which a great portion of the draining is executed in 
this country, it is quite necessary for our Society to lay down 
sound, plain rules, stating also where these can be deviated from 
with advantage. 
Stratton St. Margaret's, 
Swindon, Wilts. 
XXIV. — Account of Improvements on Linslade Farm 
By W. G. Hayter, M.P. 
In November, 1839, I took in hand a farm at Linslade, in the 
county of Bucks, of about 250 acres of convertible land, which 
had been for some years untenanted (the previous tenant having, 
