D R A 
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n'only originate from rain-water failing upon fuel) po¬ 
rous and ab'forbent furfaces, and fubliding downwards 
through Inch, till, in its palfage, it meets a body of clay 
or other impenetrable fubfiance, which obftrufts its far¬ 
ther defeent, and here, forming a refervoir or confidera- 
ble collection of water, it is forced either to filtrate along 
fuch body, or rife up to fome loofe part of the furface, 
where it oozes out in all thole different appearances that 
are fo frequently met with. This hypothefis is evident 
from the immediate dif'appearance of tire rain-water, as 
it falls, on fame parts of the ground, while it remains 
flagnant on others, till carried off by evaporation ; and 
from the ftrength of thefe land fprings being greater in 
wet than in dry feafons. Hence, after inceffant rains, 
they are obferved to break out in higher fituations, and, 
as the weather becomes drier, ceafe running, unlefs at 
their lowefl outlets. The ftrength of thefe fprings alfo, 
or quantity of water vvhich they ilfue, depends chiefly on 
the extent of high ground that receives and retains the 
rain, forming large refervoirs, which affords them a more 
conftant fupply. Hence bog-fprings, or thofe that rife in 
valleys and low fituations, are much ftronger, and have 
a more regular difeharge, than thofe which break out on 
higher ground, or on the fides of hills. Independent of 
thefe, there are certainly immenfe fprings contained in 
the bowels of the earth ; otherwife, how could the many 
rivers that interfeCt it be fupplied with fuch vaft quanti¬ 
ties of water as they difeharge, the rains falling on its 
furface, or the dews thatdefeend, not being adequate tor 
thatpurpofe? But, as this may be confidered among 
thofe arcana of nature which we have not yet explored, 
and lying at too great a depth to affedt the furface, it 
comes not within the limits of the prefent enquiry. 
Where fprings break out in the mannerabove deferibed, 
running over a flat furface of clay, and cannot get off with 
lufficient rapidity, or are not confined to a narrow chan¬ 
nel ; the fuper-abundance of water rauft caufe the diflo- 
lutionofall the courfe vegetables it produces, which, 
together with part of the natural foil itfelf, is formed 
into a peat earth, every year increafing in depth ; and 
the extent of fuch bog or morafs is according to the 
quantity of water, and to that of the flat ground on 
which it is formed. The great objedt of Mr. Elking- 
ton’s fyliem is, that of draining fuch bogs, by cutting off 
entirely the fource of the fprings or lubterranepus wa¬ 
ters that caufe the wetnefs. If the fprings have a natu¬ 
ral outlet, the object of the drain is, to lower and enlarge 
it, which, by giving the water a more free and eaiy 
channel, will fooner difeharge and draw it off, or will 
reduce it to a level fo far below the furface, as to prevent 
its overflowing. Where the fprings have no apparent 
outlet, but are either confined fo far below the lurface, 
as to injure it by conftant moifture, or by oozing out im¬ 
perceptibly through any fmall pores of the upper foil ; 
the object of the drain is, to give a proper vent to that 
water, and to extract more quickly and more effectually 
what has before been pent up in the bofom of the foil. 
The application of the auger now becomes neceifary, 
which is (imply to reach or tap the fpring, and to give 
vent to the water thus pent up, when the depth of the 
drain does not reach it, or where the level of the outlet 
will not admit its being cut to that depth, and where the 
expence of cutting fo deep would be very great, and the 
execution of it very difficult. As the whole depends upon 
the lituation of the ground to be drained, and the nature 
and inclination of the ftrata of which the adjacent coun¬ 
try is compofed ; as much knowledge as pollible fhould 
be obtained of thefe, before the proper courfe of a drain 
can be afeertained, or any fpecific rules given for its di¬ 
rection or execution. 
The firft thing to be obferved is, carefully to examine 
the adjoining high grounds, and what ftrata they are 
compofed of, in order to judge at what place the level of 
the fpring comes neareft to the fpet where the water is 
intended to be difeharged. The belt time for afeertain- 
N I N G. . <$/> 
ingthe true direction of drains, and likewife for execut¬ 
ing the work, is, when the ground is in pathire, becaufe 
then the nifties make their appearance on the wet pare 
of the furface : or, when the ground is in fallow, be¬ 
caufe the water is then feen oozing up in the furrows, 
along the line in which the drain (liould be cut. It is 
of material consequence to afeertain which of the diffe¬ 
rent outlets of water that may appear on the furface is 
the main fpring, or that from which the other outlets are 
fupplied ; for, by cutting off that, the others become 
dry, and is therefore the principal circumftance upon 
which the true direction of the drain depends. If, on 
the bank or (loping furface from whence the fprings pro- 
ceed, they be found to break out at different levels, ac¬ 
cording to the wetnefs of the feafon ; and if thofe lowed 
down continue running while thofe above be dry, it is a 
fare fign that all the different outlets are connected with, 
and proceed from, the fame fpring ; therefore, along the 
level of this the line of the drain (liould be directed, 
which, if properly executed, all thofe above would af¬ 
terwards continue dry. This is called the main fpring, 
and thofe above, the overflowings of it. If the drain 
was to be cut along the line of the uppermojl of thefe out¬ 
lets, and the depth of it not reaching the level of thofe 
below, the overflowings would only be carried off; and 
the main (pring, (till continuing to flow, would injure 
the ground below the bottom of the drain, as having a 
natural vent lower. Such has been the practice of drain¬ 
ing ground in this lituation, before Mr. Elkington’s me¬ 
thod was iniderftcod ; and which was reckoned the mod 
effectual and approved mode. Wherever the upp.ennolt 
fprings made their appearance, there a trench was cut, 
between the wet and the dry, as it is termed, which not 
being fufficiently deep to intercept the water, others of 
the fame kind were cut, one below another, the whole 
way down the declivity ; and being tilled with loofe 
(tones fiearly to the top, each carried off a portion of 
furface water only, without ever affecting the main fpring 
that caufed the mifehief. The confequence of fuch 
drains is, that they render the furface drier while they 
continue to run ; but loon choaking up, and burfting out 
in different parts, the ground becomes worfe than before 
they were made. It frequently happens that the upper- 
moft (if the (trongeft outlets) are the main fprings, and 
thofe below only leakages. Therefore the fame caution 
is neceffury to afeertain this, before proceeding to mark 
out the drain, becaufe from the main fpring only the 
level ought to be taken. 
When the main fpring rifes in a deep bank or hill, a 
confiderable height above the level of the brook, or 
place where the drain is to difeharge itfelf, it is unne- 
ceffary to cut a deep trench, or to lay a covered dr A in all 
the way from the brook up to it ; for the defeent being 
too rapid, and if deep cut, by crofting veins of fand that 
are always met with in fuch fituations, the materials with 
which the lough or conduit of the drain is laid,, would 
be undermined by the rapidity of the current, vvhich 
would allb carry down a great quantity of the loofe land ; 
but it ftiould be begun only fo far down the bank, as, by 
cutting in level, the drain may be fix or feven feet lower 
than the outlet of the fpring, or whatever depth is neccf- 
fary for drawing down the water to fuch a level, as it 
may difeharge itfelf without riling to the furface, or in¬ 
juring the ground adjoining it. If the expanfe of the 
valley or bog lie betwixt two banks, fo narrow that the 
ftratum of rock or fand containing the fprings unites 
within reach of the auger, below the clay, one trench up 
the middle, with auger holes, will do the bufinefs, with¬ 
out any crofs drains whatever. See this plan projected 
in fig. i, of the annexed engraving, where all the fprings 
and furface-water draw into the main fpring in the cen¬ 
ter, down which the drain is laid. 
Although fprings that injure ground in this lituation 
often break out of hills all round, nearly on the fame 
level, yet live refervoir from whence they proceed may 
2 poffibly 
