1850. 
THE CULTIVATOR. 
389 
considerable interval between each main gutter, it 
turns, and brings the stream back, at a lower point, 
across the face of the hill again, and somewhat par* 
ailel with the first line, but still descending, when 
it again turns, and so on till it reaches the bottom, 
when it is applied to the meadows on the flat, if 
required, and the excess carried away in its proper 
channel. Across these gutters, at proper intervals, 
are placed dams, which restrain the current from 
proceeding till it can surmount the dam, which it is 
not able to do, till the water attains a sufficient 
height to compel it to overflow at the lower side of 
the gutter, throughout its whole length. The water 
thus streams over in a continuous but gentle sheet 
all adown the meadow, thoroughly saturating it, 
and conveying its nourishment and fertilizingpower 
to all the grasses. Where requisite, from obstruc¬ 
tions arising from inequality of surface, &c., small 
gutters are cut transversely from the main gutters, 
to supply those portions of the field which would 
otherwise be left partially, or entirely, without. 
This is continued for a fortnight or three weeks, ac¬ 
cording to circumstances. When the water is turned 
off, the grass is allowed to grow till about March, 
when it is depastured generally with ewes and lambs, 
which, after feeding luxuriously below, are then 
driven to lie in the upper or unirrigated part, which 
their droppings and manure render as fertile as the 
part which is irrigated—one acre thus irrigated be¬ 
ing deemed sufficient to maintain another adjoining 
unirrigated acre in the best condition. After a suf¬ 
ficient interval, the water is again turned on, and 
so the process is repeated, according to circumstan¬ 
ces—viz, the quantity and quality of the water, the 
condition of the land, &c., till the season for irriga¬ 
tion expires. From the extreme value of the pas¬ 
ture, and the weight of the hay obtained, it is cal¬ 
culated that this process, at a very small expense, 
soon renders the land worth at least double its for¬ 
mer rental. 
From the opposite hill-side Mr. Turner pointed 
the attention of the company to his own fertile mea¬ 
dow in the bottom, and, a short distance off, to a 
field similarly situated, in which was growing 
a scanty crop of mangolds, intermingled with 
swedes, which had only quite recently come into his 
possession, and which had been drained in prepara¬ 
tion for the same process of irrigation. Two years 
ago a dog could not walk across that field; but in a 
very short time he expected to make it equal to his 
best bottom land, which was formerly in a similar 
condition. The three acres, properly irrigated, 
which they saw below them, kept the five acres on 
which they stood, in the way before described. 
In reply to a series of questions and observations, 
Mr. Turner said that, practically, he had never 
found the water diffused by irrigation settle and 
swamp the land; that in relation to grass seeds, he 
always made a point of getting the very best; that 
in Devonshire there existed a great variety of soil in 
immediate contiguity. He could show them valleys 
where the land on one side would be worth £2 per 
acre, while on the other it would hardly be worth 
more than 2s. an acre. That, according to the rent 
of the land, he belived no man grew more beef, mut¬ 
ton, corn, or food than he did. Some persons said, 
‘*'Oh, such a man is a good meadow farmer, such a 
man is a good tillage farmer, such a man is a good 
breeder,” &c.; but he did not consider any man a 
good farmer who was not a good meadow, tillage, 
and stock farmer combined. It was the adaptation 
and proper and economical rotation in every depart¬ 
ment, that made the truly good farmer. (This ob¬ 
servation gained general concurrence, as did also 
another, made by Mr. Turner, as follows): “Re¬ 
member, gentlemen, that the artificial watering of 
meadows robs no dunghill ; on the contrary, it 
raises one for the benefit of other lands.” 
Mr. Mechi and other gentlemen made several ob¬ 
servations on the use of artificial manures; in reply 
to which Mr. Turner generally stated that he did 
not profess to be a scientific chemist, nor any more 
than a practical man, whose practice he explained 
to them, and of the results of whose practice their 
own observation would enable them to judge; and 
proceeded to urge upon them strongly the advantage 
of availing themselves, where practicable, of the less 
costly fertilizing principles of water. The ave¬ 
rage cost of preparing land for irrigation varied 
greatly, according to the nature of the land, supply 
of water, &c., perhaps from £2 to £3 or more, per 
acre. The subsequent cost of use, &c., was but 
trifling; not more than 5s. a year per acre. 
Some difference of opinion was expressed on the 
part of several visitors, as to the advantage to be 
gained by denying the land water in the summer, and 
it was urged by some that the water might with ad¬ 
vantage be turned on after mowing. 
Mr. Turner replied that in 99 cases out of 100 
summer watering was found, not only to be of no 
use, but a positive injury; then (pointing to the wa¬ 
ter, which having been turned on into the hill side- 
gutters was diffusing itself over the whole meadow 
below, making its surface quite plashy) said, he had, 
in order to give them occular demonstation, turned 
on the water to the perhaps but slight detriment of 
the land, but he should be so'rry to repeat the experi¬ 
ment. He then explained that by summer watering 
the land became exhausted, being pushed beyond 
its natural strength. 
Mr. Turner expressed a general opinion that it 
was unwise to make such an attempt to thwart na¬ 
ture. One effect of summer watering would be to 
rot the sheep that fed on land thus watered. He 
remembered that many years ago, when he was but 
a little boy, his father bought many rams from the 
celebrated Bakewell, of Dishley. Now, Mr. Bake- 
well had a great objection to others getting hold of 
his breed, especially in any irregular way, and at 
certain periods of the year the butchers would come 
to buy his sheep, intending really to breed from 
them. In order to prevent this, a short time pre¬ 
viously to the sale, he would irrigate his meadows 
from an old mill stream, turning on the sheep, and 
then say to the disappointed butchers, “Gentlemen, 
you may try to breed from my sheep if you will, but, 
I warn you, if you do they will have the rot.” 
On its being put to Mr. Turner, whether, in very 
dry summer weather, it might not be desirable to wa¬ 
ter artificially, he said his experience was against it. 
They might force grass, but to the average and per¬ 
manent injury of the land. 
In relation to those who were inclined to com¬ 
mence irrigation, he recommended them to have a 
man who understood the subject, to put their land 
into proper order. As to the levels, they should be 
such as to produce a gentle rippling current. To 
allow the water to stand still would be injurious to 
the land. 
In reply to renewed questions, Mr. Turner said, 
the period of continuous watering, during the irri¬ 
gation season, must depend chiefly on the condition 
of the land, and the goodness of the water. If the 
water were warm and forcing,the period would not be 
so long. There could be no specific rule; from one 
week to one month was, perhaps, the two extremes. 
In conclusion, he must impress upon them all, as the 
great value of irrigation, that every acre of land thus 
