On the Farming of Essex. 
9 
out the last furrow clean ; the next operation is to plough out 
the leaders or main drains at the lowest end of the transverse drains, 
and an opening to about every 100 rods of common drain is made 
into the ditch surrounding the field (which it is necessary to have 
well made previously to commencing the operation) ; these necks, 
as they are termed, to the main drain or leaders are cut into the 
open ditch, on whichever side of the bank it may happen to be : the 
workman then proceeds to dig out the main drain, which he does 
with a spade about 10 inches long and about 3^ inches wide at the 
point ; a boy follows with a small shovel and casts out the loose 
mould ; after having completed a few rods, he is followed by an- 
other drainer, or he returns and with another spade longer and 
narrower than the last cuts out the next spit or lower part of the 
drain, either leaving a shoulder or not on each side, as may be re- 
quired ; but for the ordinary mode of filling no shoulder is left, but 
the drain is cut with the utmost precision, not perpendicular but 
slanting about 3 inches ; the drain is cleaned out with a scoop, 
termed a hoe, and when the drainer arrives at one of the drains 
that enter the leader, he commences upon it by necking it in, be- 
fore taking out all the soil on each side of the point of intersection. 
This he does to prevent the edges being broken down by the 
operation, and thus proceeds with all the drains successively, taking 
care not to open more of the main drain than he requires to en- 
able him to proceed with the cross drains. The main drains are 
usually dug out to a depth of 22 inches, and the cross drains 
20 inches beneath the ploughing, so that their depth is about 
26 and 30 inches respectively. After his work has proceeded, 
so as to enable him to fill in with the materials necessary, which 
consist of wood covered with straw, or with thorns and straw, 
or straw alone, either twisted into long bands or not, or, in 
the absence of either, stubble gathered from the field ; but the 
work is considered best done when proper wood is selected, of 
which the common hazel-nut wood and sallow are best, or thorns 
that are long, clear, and straight; he then commences at the 
point where he left digging, and puts in the wood compactly and 
neatly at the bottom of the drain, cutting it into proper lengths, 
and weakening it " with a cut half through at the crooked parts 
so as to enable him to fill " the drain about 3 inches high, keeping 
the largest wood at the top and pressing it down closely piece by 
piece with a small crotch-stick, the ends of the last put in lengths 
lying upon those put in first, so that the whole may gradually 
overlap the last, as at B, that running water may meet with no 
obstruction by the ends of the pieces of wood meeting it, which 
would be the case if the filling commenced at the part first dug. 
The workmen prefer the latter mode, and unless watched closely 
will adopt it, as it gives them less trouble ; but an inspection of 
