on certain strong Clay Subsoils. 
245 
same time Lord William Douglas stated that the turnips on the shallow 
drained land at Balcaskie weighed about 3 heavier than on the other. 
I am quite aware that at this meetings instances were brought 
forward of deep drains being successful, but I am now showing 
the failure of such drains on retentive clay subsoils, and not going 
into the question why they have succeeded on certain spots. 
This I shall be happy to do at some future time. 
Returning southward by a western route we will let the moss 
lands of Lancashire detain us for awhile. What I stated as the 
opinion drawn from observation among the best farmers of the 
Lincolnshire fens, is as true of those who cultivate the peaty 
soils of this county. Thus respecting Rawcliff, the property of Mr, 
Wdson Ffrance, near Garstang, where upon LOOO acres of what 
a few years ago was a bog is now a most thriving tenantry, Mr. 
Ffrance told me as one of the most familiarly known facts, that 
deep draining upon that soil is extremely injurious — the land, as 
moss land, is actually ruined by it. If the soil, indeed, be altered 
in its texture by the application of clay or marl, it will then bear 
deeper drainage ; but even in that case drains beyond 3 feet are 
not found advantageous. Testimony to this effect is borne by 
William Alton in his valuable treatise on the Cultivation of Moss. 
"Whenever a moss," he says, "is either by nature or art 
rendered drier than such furrows or shallow drains would make it, 
instead of being benefited, it is thereby greatly injured. Proof 
of this may be seen at every plough moss." And again, at p. 197, 
" At Paisley, where a number of deep furrows had been cut, they 
were found to be hurtful — they were filled up." And in another 
place : " All the moss improvers 1 have met with have owned to 
me that they had injured their mosses by making them too dry; 
but none ever could say to me that they found any want of drains 
where no water stood or stagnated on the surface." 
The late William Roscoe, of Liverpool, stated in a letter 
written to Mr. Aiton, in 1807, that, having undertaken the 
improvement of a large portion of that moss, he began by cutting 
drains 5 feet deep, but afterwards changed his plan to drains 
about 1 foot only, which he said answered as effectually as the 
larger drains. His letter concluded thus: " My workmen even 
insist upon it that the shallow drains carry off more water; but 
this may appear so from the water being confined. In sudden 
rains they carry off a great quantity, so that the moss is sooner 
freed from surplus water than any other land, and is now passable 
in any direction, although it was lately not only difficult, but dan- 
gerous to go upon it." Mr. Alton, as the result of his extensive 
experience, finishes his remarks by saying, "All future drain- 
ing (on moss land) beyond a moderate depth ought to be guarded 
against as the sin of witchcraft." But to leave the moss land and 
