THE CULTIVATOR. 
April 
130 
opening the sluices which connect them, would be to 
submerge Amsterdam, and a large portion of the sur¬ 
rounding country. The principal outlet is through the 
sluices of Katugh, where also the Rhine discharges it¬ 
self into the sea. The annual cost of works of defence, 
is between $20 and $30,000. 
The depth of the lake is 14 feet, six feet of which 
only are water,- the rest is mud, an alluvial deposit 
brought down by the Rhine. This must be of a clayey 
character, as it is used very largely in the manufacture 
of those small, hard, Dutch bricks called clinkers, some 
specimens of which, I believe, are still to be seen in 
Albany. It is very likely that they came from the bot¬ 
tom of the Haarlemer Meer, and originally from the 
mountains of Switzerland, from whence their materials 
were washed down and deposited by the Rhine. 
It is now six years since the operations necessary to 
the drying of this lake were commenced. The com¬ 
merce which passed through it was very great, and it 
was necessary, therefore, to build a canal around it by 
which' vessels could pass, instead of going across. 
This canal will also serve the purpose of discharging 
the waters when pumped up. Of course, a double 
water-light rampart, or dyke was necessary, in itself a 
work of great magnitude. This was commenced in 
1840, and is now complete. 
The next step was to consider the best means of 
pumping out the water, the lake having no natural out¬ 
fall. It was decided to make the attempt by means of 
three enormous steam engines. One of these called the 
■ Seeghwater, is now finished, and in its place ready for 
work; the other two are in progress, and are expected 
to be completed and erected during the coming year. 
They are all made in England, and are remarkable spe¬ 
cimens of the perfection of English workmanship; being, 
I believe, much larger than any ever before made. 
The Seeghwater engine discharges the water which 
it raises into the sea by the sluices of Katwyk; the 
other two will discharge in different directions, and be 
located in other parts of the lake. 
This engine is erected in a circular house, from which 
radiate eleven balance beams, working as many pumps. 
These are all brought up at once by an enormous pis¬ 
ton, and then fall by their own weight. The weight of 
the piston and cross-head, with parts attached, is 90 
tons; this dead weight has to be lifted at each stroke, 
but of course aids greatly in bringing down the balance- 
beams. The engine is on the higli pressure expansive 
principle, and there are two steam cylinders, one of 84 
inches in diameter, within another of 144 inches. The 
weight of iron in the engine, pumps, &c., is 640 tons. 
It will not commence working regularly until Mai'ch 
next, but has been tried within the last few months, re- 
peatedlv. and found to answer every expectation; 112 
tons of water are raised 10 feet at each stroke, 1,000,- 
000 tons in 25-| hours. When the two others add their 
assistance, 2,800,000 tons will be discharged every 24 
hours. The quantity of water to be lifted is estimated at 
1,000,000,000 of tons, and allowing for rains and other 
contingencies,they expect to pump it out in 400 days. 
The cost of the Seeghwater engine, pumps, building, 
and all included, was £36,000, or about $170,000, and 
the total cost of the pumping, including that of engines, 
is estimated at not more than £140,000, or about 
$670,000. 70,000 acres will thus be rendered service¬ 
able to man—will at once be divided into farms and 
brought under cultivation. The annual cost, of keeping 
it dry, will be between $20 and $30,000, about the same 
as that of the present works of defence. This annual 
. drainage will probably amount to 54,000,000 of tons. 
’ The introduction of these powerful steam engines 
forms a new era in the history of draining. The ex¬ 
pense of pumping out this lake by wind, would have 
been £308,000, or about $1,500,000; it would have 
required 114 mills of the largest class, for four years, 
and the annual cost of keeping it dry by means of wind¬ 
mills, would be upwards of $30,000. 
The prospects of this undertaking are so auspicious, 
and the capabilities of this new method of draining seem 
so great, that a proposal is now before the government 
for draining the Zuider Zee, and it is confidently hoped 
that permission will be given. An enormous dyke must 
first be constructed across its narrowest portion, before 
reaching the Helder. It will enclose a space of about 
40 miles in length, and as many in wudth. Numerous 
rivers discharge themselves into this sea, and these must 
be carried across the redeemed country on double dykes. 
This undertaking, if carried into execution, will be one 
of the boldest that the' world has ever witnessed, and 
will be worthy of the ancient renown of the Dutch peo¬ 
ple, showing the world that in industry and perseve¬ 
rance they have not degenerated. They have not, how¬ 
ever, yet learned to move rapidly, and this subject will 
probably be only one for lengthened deliberations during 
some years to come. The resolve and the commencement 
are not so nearly simultaneous here as in England and 
America. Yours trujy, John P. Norton. 
FENCES ON FLOODED GROUNDS. 
Alluvial flats are justly regarded as among the most 
productive of all lands. But serious inconvenience and 
much vexation often result from the destruction and re¬ 
moval of the fences by inundations. There is no doubt 
that in most cases the evil might be greatly lessened. 
Whatever kind of fence may be adopted on such lands, 
one great and leading requisite, almost totally neglect¬ 
ed, is, placing the line of the fence, not perpendicularly, 
hut obliquely to the current. Logs, or other obstruc¬ 
tions, then, which may be floating in the current, strike 
it with much less force; and are soon by a gradual late¬ 
ral motion, thrown into the main current aifci swept off. 
Different kinds of fence may be adopted. A hedge 
of plashed willows sometimes succeeds well. It is more 
effectual when young if planted on a wide ditch bank; 
and such bank also affords protection during deep floods 
to the young trees. A board fence, if placed on such a 
bank will sometimes be sufficient ; if there is danger of 
the posts being drawn by the lifting of the ice early in 
spring, a two inch w-hite oak or cedar pin, at right 
angles through the lower end of the post, secured by 
filling the hole snugly with stones, will be of essential 
service. Where the Current is quite rapid, it will some¬ 
times happen that a bank and ditch cannnot be adopted, 
on account of washing. 
A mode ofbuilding board fences on such grounds has 
been lately described in the American Farmer, and may 
be of service w T here grounds are severely swept by 
floods, and might be placed near the main channel of 
water, where the oblique, fixed fence could not be adopt¬ 
ed, or would not stand. It is made nearly as the com¬ 
mon post and rail fence, but movable on a hinge joint 
at the bottom, fastened to short stumps of posts set 
firmly in the ground, so that the flood at most only 
prostrates it, but does not carry it off, and it may be 
easily and quickly righted again. About three lengths 
of the fence are connected together by a long pole run¬ 
ning through the bottom ends of the four posts forming 
these three lengths, and at the same time running 
through the upper ends of the stumps just mentioned, 
three inch holes being bored through each for this pur¬ 
pose. The lower pole turning in the holes in the stumps 
forms the hinge joint. A similar pole runs through the 
corresponding upper ends of the posts. The fence is kept 
in an upright position by slanting braces set on the upper 
pole. When a flood is so great as to sweep away a com¬ 
mon fence, this is only prostrated by the displacement ot 
the braces; and as soon as the water subsides, it is very 
quickly set up to its original position. T. 
