( 178  ) 
IX. — On  the  Cheapest  and  most  Effectual  Mode  of  Repairing  the 
Banks  of  Tidal  Rivers  flowing  through  Alluvial  Soils.  From 
G.  S.  Poole. 
To  Mr.  Puseg. 
Sir, — Most  of  those  who  own  estates  abutting  on  rivers  which 
flow  through  an  alluvial  district,  have  experienced  the  enormous 
cost  of  repairing  the  banks.  As  an  instance  of  this,  I may  men- 
tion that  a lady,  who  owns  eight  acres  adjoining  the  River  Parrett, 
in  Somersetshire,  lately  told  me  that  the  rent  of  these  eight  acres, 
20/.  per  annum,  had  for  several  years  been  spent  in  repairing  the 
bank,  and  that,  in  the  past  year,  the  expenditure  on  the  same 
bank  had  exceeded  60/.  As  this  is  by  no  means  an  uncommon 
case,  I think  I shall  be  rendering  some  service  to  persons  simi- 
larly circumstanced  by  suggesting  a plan  for  repairing  river-banks 
of  this  description,  which  I have  found  cheap  and  effectual,  and 
which  is  within  almost  every  one’s  reach. 
Some  years  since  the  agency  of  an  extensive  estate  near  Bridg- 
water, with  a frontage  of  about  two  miles  in  length  against  the 
River  Parrett,  was  intrusted  to  me,  and  in  the  first  year  I had  to 
deal  with  a serious  slip  of  the  bank,  which  occurred  in  one  of  the 
reaches  of  the  river.  The  ordinary  mode  of  repair  was  adopted. 
Layers  of  thorns  were  placed  on  the  surface  of  the  mud  at  low 
water  parallel  with  the  stream,  which  were  secured  by  pegs  passed 
through  the  heads  of  two  rows  of  piles,  one  on  each  side  of  the 
thorns ; and  which  piles  were  driven  into  the  mud  to  the  depth  of 
from  7 to  9 feet.  A second  layer  of  thorns,  similarly  secured, 
was  placed  higher  up  to  support  the  towing-path.  As  this  was 
not  successful,  it  became  necessary  to  load  the  thorns  with  many 
tons  of  stone,  and  to  alter  the  position  of  the  work.  After  a time 
the  work  settled,  but  it  moved  more  than  once  afterwards,  and 
needed  occasional  repair,  and  the  collection  of  mud  upon  it  was 
but  trifling.  I did  not,  therefore,  consider  this  a successful  mode 
of  repair,  and  the  expense  of  it  frightened  me.  On  examining 
other  works  on  the  river,  I found  that  the  low-water  works 
generally,  whether  loaded  with  stones  or  not,  were  unsuccessful, 
and  frequently  stood  out  in  the  bed  of  the  river,  the  tide  having 
formed  a channel  between  them  and  the  bank.  I further  ob- 
served, that  wherever  there  was  a division  between  two  fields  with 
bars  running  down  the  river-bank,  the  bank  was  almost  invariably 
gaining  on  the  river.  The  cause  of  this  was  evident.  The  tides, 
which  rise  in  this  river  sometimes  more  than  20  feet,  and  flow 
with  great  rapidity,  hold  a large  quantity  of  mud  in  solution,  the 
stream  being  extremely  turbid,  and  the  weeds  which  collect  on 
the  bars  check  the  current  of  the  stream,  and  cause  a deposit  to 
take  place.  I therefore  determined  to  contrive  something  which 
