Af/ricullure of North Wales. 
579 
flow through deep gullies, so that the water would require to be 
conducted by a wooden or iron trough from its original course to 
the adjoining land intended to be irrigated ; this in many in- 
stances would require an outlay of labour, skill, and expense 
beyond the means of the mountain farmers. As the streams ap- 
proach the base of the hills, the inequality between their surface 
and the inclosing banks gradually lessens, at the same time flowing 
more equably and gentle, thus better adapted to the supply of an 
irrigated meadow. I witnessed several faint attempts at irri- 
gation in various parts of Wales, from the bad construction and 
management of which little or any benefit could be derived ; in 
some instances they only served the purpose of forming incipient 
peat mosses: besides, when an irrigated meadow is being formed, 
it ought to be on land in the highest tilth, and laid down with 
appropriate grass seeds. That there are immense capabilities for 
this kind of improvement is certain ; but the construction of 
water-meadows should not be left to the unaided efforts of ill- 
informed persons ; a professional person is indispensable to give 
the first instructions. 
The best irrigated meadows that I saw whilst in Wales were in 
the vicinity of Chirk. 
The farming pursued in the vales of secondary quality, placed 
between the ranges of hills of more moderate elevation than the 
districts just noticed, is capable of being greatly improved. Catch- 
work irrigation is generally applicable to the lower lands; ihe 
band of arable and pasture lands of inferior quality, say from 4s. 
to 125. annual value per acre, a zone of which lies between the 
fertile arable land of the vales worth from \5s. to 255. per acre 
per annum, and the uncultivated heath is generally well adapted 
to the alternate system of husbandry. Were such soils cultivated 
with rape and turnips, drilled with portable manures, such as 
bones, guano, &c., it would supply more winter food for stock 
than the richest pasture, and a crop of grain at intervals would 
raise suthcient straw. In this manner the land would maintain 
the largest amount of stock, and yield the greatest pecuniary 
return to the farmer. I found it a general complaint with indi- 
viduals whom I conversed with on agricultural matters, that 
there was no analogy between English and Welsh farming, and, 
like all others who contend for the beaten track, stated that there 
was a peculiarity respecting the management of Welsh farms ; 
this peculiarity was — what ? that the farms varied so much in the 
quality of the land, each farm possessing every description of soil 
from the fertile vale to the barren heath. The fact I admit, but 
not the inferences drawn from it; neither does it justify Welsh 
farmers for following the course they do. Instead of such a cir- 
cumstance being a drawback on improvement, it is the greatest 
