Farming  of  Gloucestershire. 
171 
of  the  enclosure,  two  new  drains  were  cut,  commencing  at  the 
lowest  point  of  the  parish.  These  were  to  drain  an  extensive 
tract  of  flat  mpory  land,  some  of  it  under  the  level  of  the  river 
adjoining.  It  answers  the  purpose  ; keeping  it  much  drier  than 
before  the  enclosure,  when  it  used  to  run  into  the  river  in  several 
places  at  a much  higher  level.  It  was  awarded  to  be  kept  clean 
by  the  several  occupiers,  for  which  and  other  purposes  a court  is 
held  annually  to  enforce  it.  By  this  drain  and  the  ditches  round 
the  fields  being  kept  clean,  this  flat  land  is  perfectly  drained. 
Being  on  a subsoil  of  clean  gravel,  it  drains  the  whole  land  with- 
out any  underdrains,  in  the  same  manner  as  mentioned  in  the 
Journal,  vol.  vii.  p.  522,  by  Mr.  Pusey.  Nothing  of  this  kind 
could  have  been  done,  had  there  not  been  a command  of  distance, 
without  the  aid  of  Parliament.  I think  some  power  should  be 
granted  to  magistrates  or  other  authorities  to  compel  parties  to 
cleanse  their  present  watercourses,  and  authorize  the  cutting  of 
others  where  required.  I know  lands  which  are  now  suffering 
for  want  of  the  exercise  of  such  power. 
In  the  vale  above  Gloucester  this  cause  makes  it  impossible  to 
do  much  good  by  draining  in  some  parishes,  until  a more  general 
system  of  opening  and  levelling  the  watercourses  be  obtained. 
The  proper  drainage  of  this  district  is  a much  more  urgent  case 
than  the  one  mentioned  on  the  moory  soils  adjoining  the  Thames. 
The  want  of  proper  drainage  must  materially  affect  the  climate 
and  forwardness  of  the  season,  especially  after  a wet  winter  or 
spring  months.  In  fine  seasons  hay-time  and  harvest  are  as  for- 
ward as  on  the  gravels  of  Kempsford  and  Down  Ampney;  but 
after  a wet  winter  or  wet  spring  it  is  not  so,  yet  the  gravel  district 
is  200  feet  above  the  vale.  This  would  practically  indicate  that 
a warm  soil  properly  drained  makes  a difference  in  situation  of  at 
least  200  feet  on  the  scale  of  elevation. 
A great  improvement  has  been  made  in  the  erection  of  farm- 
buildings  for  the  convenience  of  stock  by  many  landowners  who 
have  or  have  had  farms  in  hand.  Improvements  of  this  kind 
have  been  made  at  Forthainpton,  Dumbleton,  Southam,  Bod- 
dington,  Haresfield,  Frampton-on-Severn,  Tortworth-court,  and 
Whitfield-farm.  Many  spirited  and  truly  patriotic  gentlemen 
have  liberally  come  forward  and  set  the  example,  which  has  been 
followed  by  many  active  intelligent  farmers.  On  the  hills  and 
vale  of  Thames  the  improvements  in  building  have  still  made 
greater  progress,  because  of  being  more  general.  It  has  ex- 
tended to  almost  all  farms  of  any  size.  At  Tortworth,  Weston, 
Birt,  Cirencester,  Fairford,  Down  Ampney,  Southam,  Withing- 
ton,  Coombend,  Sherborne,  Donnington,  and  elsewhere,  both 
ow  ners  and  occupiers  have  made  great  improvements  within  the 
last  twenty  years.  Some  of  them  have  almost  entirely  rebuilt 
