574 
On Deep Draining. 
this year, stated, ' that he should be satisfied if, after twelve hours of 
continuous rain, all the water were carried off in forty-eight hours 
afterwards.' I have no doubt but the drains in the ten-acre piece, 
although this is their first season of action, will run the water out of 
the land in that time. The more instances I see of deejj-drainage, the 
more I am convinced of its efScacv." 
I shall now proceed to give you an account of the expense incurred ; 
stating sejjarately the cost of digging, and that of the pipes employed ; 
and then inform you of what the whole sum laid out on the ten-acre 
field amounted to. 
The expense of digging the drains has been 24/. \Qs. 6d. One hun- 
dred and thirty-one chains (-2882 yards) were dug at 3s. 6d. per chain ; 
and eight chains (176 yards) at 5^. per chain ; these eight chains being 
for a very deep main drain pierced through rock. 
The pipes cost 13/. 155., as will be seen in detail below : — 
1000 Main drain pipes . . .£l 15 0 
6200 Small do. at 25s. . . . "7 15 0 
4250 Small do. at 20*. . . .450 
13 15 0 
The whole cost of the drainage amounts therefore to 38/. I3s. Gd., or 
3/. 17*. 4rf. per acre. 
It v/ill be necessary for me now to explain why the expense has been 
so much beyond what, as I once told you I believe, I had anticipated. 
I remember your saying that extreme cases did occasionally occur, in 
which the expense would exceed the previous expectation ; and my ten- 
acre field, in consequence of rock, has been one of those cases. Had 
there been no rock to break ihrougli, as was the case in that part of the 
ten-acre field first drained, the cost of drainage would have scarcely ex- 
ceeded, digging and pipes included, the original estimate of about 30/. 
But as the work proceeded farther, it was found that rock was inces- 
santly to be removed by the pickaxe ; and at last there was scarcely any 
land dug without the intervention of rock. 
Tiie width between the drains is in most parts 45 feet ; but where the 
land is flat, there being also hollow places in tlie field, it was found ne- 
cessary to vary the width ; some drains being 15 feet asunder, and others 
placed at a much farther distance. I may here as well mention that 
the upper soil is of a clayey texture, and of a dark brown colour ; and 
the subsoil consists of a very strong clay. 
I had long been aware that shallow draining did not lay strong and 
wet land sufficiently dry. I was fearful that throughout the wliolc 
country great labour had been bestowed, and great expense incurred, 
without the intended eil'ect of drying the land being sufficiently pro- 
duced. 
You have the merit of introducing a system into public use which, if 
properly tried, will, I doubt not, be approved; and my conviction is that 
sooner or later all agriculturists will come to the same conclusion that I 
have. 1 am, dear Sir, 
Very sincerely yours, 
Woodford, 3rd December, 1845. Cuarles Aubuthnot. 
