Af/ricidturc of Nottirif/hctmshirc 
159 
strictly lollowlni^ the .advico which experience has enabled me to 
give with confidence in the foregoinj? pages, he may look for a 
fair share of success in his certainly somewhat arduous under- 
taking-. " It is not in mortals to command success." Let us, how- 
ever, endeavour to deserve it. 
MandaVs Town. 
IX. — On Improvements in Agriculture in the County of I 
Nottingliam since the Year 1800. By John Parkinson. 
The period of the last sixty years has been one of great and 
increasing outlay by owners and occupiers of land in the county 
of Nottingham. Most of tlie propi-ietors have expended large 
sums on buildings required either by the increase of feeding- 
stock consequent on improved cultivation, or in rebuilding farm- 
houses and cottages, of which the latter are generally in a better 
state than those of most parts of the United Kingdom. Much 
land has been effectually underdrained, the owners in some cases 
having paid the whole expense (excepting for team-work) and 
charged the occupiers a percentage on the outlay. In other 
instances tiles have been paid for by owners, and all other ex- 
penses by the tenant. But little effective and permanent under- 
draining was done in this county previous to the present century. 
The first great improvement was the adoption of Elking- 
ton's system of cutting deep drains to intercept the springs, 
and tapping the lower springs by boring with an auger, which 
in numerous instances has been very efficient. The former mode 
of using thorns and turf in making shallow drains has been 
gradually superseded, first by the use of elliptical tiles and flat 
tiles for soles on loose subsoil, and since by pipe-tiles and collars 
where the bottom of the diains is not quite firm ; but in numerous 
instances the drains were made too shallow, and many tiles have 
been taken up and relaid at greater depth. The making of all 
tmder-drains of a uniform depth of 4 feet, and of the distance from 
each other of from 6 to 20 or more feet, according to the nature 
of the subsoil, and using pipe-tiles and collars, has been strongly- 
recommended for the improvement of all lands which are injured 
by superfluity of moisture, and in numerous instances this system 
is found effective. 
It may, however, be proved that such uniform system is 
not in many cases fully efficient ; as if, by using an auger 
between the lines of drains so made, water can be raised to 
within 2 feet of the surface of the ground, and remain at the 
same height for a considerable time, the drainage of the land 
