Trunk Drainage. 
17 
of those rivers, l)cing either sympathetically or independcntly 
affccted to mischief, each in its own domain. The injuries to 
which I Iiave adverted are, therefore, chargeable in lesser degree 
against all natural drains and sewers whatever, when these are 
left unchecked or suffer from mismanagement. And here I 
would observe that, in addition to the fringes actually damaged 
by the swelling of these myriad streamlets, there are tlie far 
more extensive lands just elevated above the floods, — surrounding 
the base of the hills in upland districts, and spreading out to 
great distances on the plains, — which indirectly experience the 
evil by the damming-back of their drainage. The channels 
through which they immediately discharge are generally too 
feeble in character to be burdened by water-mills ; these nuisances 
to low land being commonly planted on the larger brooks into 
which the smaller are collected. Of course I am now referring 
to watei'courses passing beyond the precincts of the individual 
farms where they originate, carrying the drain-water of more 
than one estate. And these, instead of being considered as 
common or public sewers, over which individual landowners have 
no control, more resemble in their legal relations " occupation 
roads," through which there is a right of way but no compulsion 
of repairs. It is owing to the defective state of this class of 
conduits throughout very large tracts of the kingdom that com- 
plaints of inadequate drainage are becoming so prevalent, and a 
remedv is the more urgent when we remember that the lands 
thus dependent, lying between the large main streams and ground 
of higher altitude, are those most in need of perfection in their 
under-drainagc, and include some of the most valuable of our 
corn and pasture land. On these sloping fields of both tenacious 
and porous soil the subsoil-drainer's energies have been assidu- 
ously employed for a long series of years ; and as on the higher 
lands also the same operations are being carried on more exten- 
sively and with growing efficiency, the ditches are. being addi- 
tionally taxed with water thus saved from evaporation. This 
augmentation of their volume and current is so great, and the 
demand for more speedy delivery so pressing, that the cpiestion 
of enlarging and maintaining them in better order is becoming a 
very serious matter. Up to this time our eager under-drainers 
have laboured much as our Fen farmers did with their new wind- 
engines in the last century, when they commenced the drying of 
their own estates, or even separate farms, heedless of their neigh- 
bour's similar engagement ; thus, for lack of systematic plan or 
combined action, endangerins: and defeating: all. But attention 
IS now being thoroughly awakened to the correction of this error. 
We are beginning to understand that every river with its 
streamlets, and feeders, and ditches, nay, even the very under- 
VOL. XV. c 
