935 
remain too long on the land. The idea of 
taking the water off the land at will, and 
bringing it on again at will, is the effect of art; 
and the knowledge of the proper seasons to 
do this, is the eitect of observation. 
Suitable soils lor water meadows are such 
as are ofa sandy or gravelly nature, especially 
in the nearest sub-soii. A bed ol Hints, or 
loose gravel, is the most desirable. It is also 
observable, that whatever may be the most 
abundant grasses in a meadow before irriga- 
tion, those kinds will always predominate 
which best agree with the soil and the water, 
provided the supply of water is regular and 
constant every winter. 
There are two distinct methods of water- 
ing land, according as a - less or greater 
quantity of water can be commanded. If 
the water is taken from a streamlet, near to 
the spring head, and the quantity small, only 
a small portion of land can be irrigated at a 
time, the water carriages and floating sluices 
are laid out, and cut in a form which (pro- 
vincially) is by some called catch-work, by 
others trame-work. But where a river or 
large stream can be commanded, the work 
assumes another appearance, and being of 
greater power than the foregoing, is called 
nowing-work. 
It is necessary, before entering upon works 
of this kind, to consider whether the stream 
of water to be employed will admit of a tera- 
.porary weir or dam to be made across it, so 
as to keep the water up to a proper level for 
covering the land, without flooding or injur- 
ing other adjoining grounds; or if the water 
is in its natural state sufficiently high without a 
weir or dam, or to be made so by taking it 
from the stream higher up more towards its 
source, and by the conductor keeping it up 
nearly to its level till it comes upon the mea- 
dow or other ground. Further, if the water 
- can be drawn off the meadow or other ground 
as rapidly as it is brought on. 
This is to be done by the use of a spirit 
level, beginning from the highest part of the 
land that the stream can be commanded 
from, where the grounds on the different sides 
are the property of the same person, and 
weirs, or other works, as has been just ob- 
served, can be carried across the 'streams for 
the purpose of forcing the water, either 
wholly or in a partial manner, into a different 
course. After it has been raised as high as 
possible in this way, the level is to be formed 
flora the surface of the water, carrying it on 
what is termed the dead level, allowing some 
small degree of depression for the flow of the 
current. 
After this has been done, the land on the 
different sides of the stream, below the lines 
set out by the level should be minutely ex- 
amined and inspected, as the whole maybe 
irrigated if the command of water is suffi- 
cient. The extent that can be properly per- 
formed must however depend much on the 
degree of fall or descent from the entrance of 
the water and its out-fall, as well as on the de- 
clination of the more elevated parts of the 
.ground. 
The next circumstance of importance is 
that of deciding where to commence the busi- 
ness. T his must depend on various points, 
which can only be settled by the judgment of 
the operator. If there is' a full supply of 
water, the whole should be covered ; but in 
Jtiie contrary case, the expense of cutting the 
HUSBANDRY, 
mains or carriers on such levels in a sufficient 
manner should be considered ; and where one 
sum of tiie stream is better adapted to the 
pin pose than the other, that on such side 
should be the first executed. And if the land 
most adapted to the purpose of waterin'* is 
at much distance from the place \vhence°tl;e 
water is first taken, and there is not a supply 
for the whole of the land below the line of 
level on one of the sides, the expense of form- 
ing tne carrier should be put in comparison 
with the greater advantage of irrigating the 
most suitable grounds, in preference to others 
tnat are nearer, without possessing equal ad- 
vantages. It mostly happens that the bene- 
ficial consequences of irrigating at command 
are such as to overbalance that of formin'* 
the mains or carriers. Besides, though the 
supply of water may be insufficient in such 
seasons as are very dry, as it may be abun- 
cltini in the winter time, the simply covering 
tne land at that period may be more than 
adequate to the expense of the business, 
which is a circumstance that may render it 
nioi e beneficial to lengthen the carriers, than 
by having them shorter to be confined to the 
watering of such lands as are less proper for 
the purpose. It is probable also, that in par- 
ticular cases the winter irrigation may extend 
through tiie whole of the level that has been 
set out. 
Where it can be done, it is best to berin 
ivith such parts as are contiguous to, or ap- 
proach the nearest the mains or carriers; 
and alter having passed the water over them,’ 
to mark the lowest places, where it can be 
carried off to the best advantage; and from 
such parts it should then be seen to which 
other lands the water can be conducted with 
the greatest facility and benefit. Where the 
natural shelving of the ground is consider- 
able, less care is necessary ; but where this 
is not much, it may often be requisite to 
convey the water in a slanting direction for a 
considerable way, before lands sufficiently 
low for being covered by it are met with ; as 
m this sort of business it is invariably neces- 
sary, m order to prevent the waste of water 
to proceed with that which is first made use 
of to its final outlet into the river before the 
works on other divisions are commenced. 
YY hen the piece of ground to be floated is 
so much upon the level that the descent can- 
not easily be determined by the eye, it will 
be necessary to take an accurate ‘level, and 
compare the highest part with the stream in- 
tended to be used, by which the degree of 
fall from the surface of the water to the highest 
point of the land will be ascertained ; and in 
order to convey the water to this point, 
should it be distant from the stream, the sides 
of the ditch or canal should be sufficiently 
raised for the purpose not to keep the water 
in a dead level, but with such degree of de- 
scent as the two points will admit of. In tiie 
operation of cutting this canal or main feeder, 
it . w | 1 ! be eas 7 to preserve the proper degree 
ot tail, having previously ascertained the 
ieiigth, for instance, in cutting 50 yards with 
a tall ot five inches, it will be obvious that in 
every ten yards a descent of one inch should 
take place, this is necessary to keep the water 
in a constant lively motion. In some cases it 
may be necessary to have two main feeders, 
in order to effect a more equal distribution 
of the water ; the depth and width of which 
feeders must be regulated by the supply re- 
quisite for the smaller gutters. Near to the 
mouth of the canal or feeder it will be proper 
to have a flood-hatch or clow, by which tin; 
water may be admitted or excluded at plea- 
sure. 1 
In forming the floating gutters, it is per- 
haps tiie best method to cut them at right 
angles, or nearly so, to the feeders; however, 
where the surface is uneven, in order to pre- 
serve a regular descent, a different direction 
must be given to them, the distance from 
each other being about ten yards, and the 
gutters becoi mg, as has been observed, gra- 
dually narrow eras they recede from the main 
canal or feeder. I he object in view bein'* 
to throw the water as evenly over the surface 
as possible, these gutters should be so con- 
stiucted that the water which has been intro- 
duced may overflow their little banks rather 
than run rapidly along the bed. Obstructions 
may sometimes occur, such as low parts, or 
deep ditches, over which a pipe or spout 
may easily be made to continue the progress 
ot the water; and sucli as proceed from 
ridges, roads, or small eminences, bv trunks 
or other contrivances made to convey the 
water underneath them. 
It has been observed, that there are two 
distinct methods of watering lands, catch- 
work and flowing. The methods of mailin'* 
such works may be thus described. From 
the spring at A, Plate Husbandry, fin. 13, 
take the level towards C, to include as much 
of the meadow BCDE as possible. Cut the 
trench or main drain AC ofa width and depth 
sufficient to take ail the water issuing from 
the spring, and convey it to the proposed 
meadow. Cut also the carriage gutter of 
a sufficient depth to take oil all waste water 
which may fall into it; and also float 
sluices & c . laid out by a level, placing 
sods taken from the sluices on the lower 
side. Was the meadow' small, of a smooth 
surface, and regular declivity, the water 
might be let out of the main drain at different 
places, and so water the whole at once ; but 
as these favourable circumstances seldom oc- 
cur, recourse must be had to the floatin'* 
sluices above mentioned, which must be cut 
at proper distances, such as 10 or 12 yards 
according to the declivity of the land; the 
catches or frames may lie about 30 yards 
apart. J 
If the meadow is large, it must be divided 
into catches or frames, by several carriage 
gutters, as in Jig. 14 , and a frame or two wa- 
tered at a time, according to the body of 
water which can be commanded; and when 
the water is withdrawn thence, it may be con- 
veyed to other frames. 
In meadows thus watered from springs or 
small streams, it is of material consequence 
that the w'orks should be kept as dry as pos- 
sible between the intervals of watering ; and as 
such situations are not affected by floods, and 
geneially have but little water, they must be 
rewatered the more frequently ; and as the 
top w’orks of each frame will be in the way of 
getting more of the water than those lower 
down, care must be taken to give the latter a 
longer time, so as to make them as equal as 
possible. 
Flowing meadoivs described. The other 
kind ot water meadows, viz. those usually 
called “ flowing meadows,” require much 
moie labour, and system, in their formation 
