T7
open casts, from one to two feet deep, may be cut at every 50or 100 yards from each other, a year or two at least before themoss is laboured: and when the ridges are afterwards formed,the furrows, about ten or twelve inches in depth, may be madeto empty themselves into these deeper drains : and, if streams ofwater run through the flow, a cast still larger and deeper maybe cut, to receive it and the water from the other drains. In allcases, he observes, drains of some kind or other must be openedin sufficient number, and of proper dimensions, to carry off everydrop of stagnant water from the surface of the moss. If themoss be nearly level, these drains or channels must be deeperand more numerous; but if the field has declivity sufficient tofacilitate the escape of moisture from the surface, no other drain-ing is necessary, or can be of the least use, except to form theridges from 30 to 50 feet broad, raise them eight or ten inchesin the centre, make their surface as regular as possible, free fromheights* and hollow's, the furrows a foot wide, and eight or teninches deep, with proper and uninterrupted outlets. Draining tothat extent, he says, is indispensably necessary ; but all fartherdraining is labour lost; and trenching is injurious, in renderingthe moss soil too dry.
On Flooding Waste Lands.
By the Rev. R. Rennie, D. 1 ). Minister of Kilsyth,
Of all methods of reclaiming waste lands, flooding is one ofthe most expeditious and the least expensive. Though practisedto a great extent over the continent of Europe , it has seldom beenattempted in Great Britain j and I know of no Treatise on thatsubject in any language.
The following Essay is therefore submitted to the Board of A-griculture. The novelty of the subject, it is hoped, will securetheir indulgence, and plead my excuse, for any errors that mayoccur.
The following are the general outlines of this Essay.
Section I. Evidences of the salutary effects of flooding wasteland;
-- II. The plan to be adopted in flooding waste land ;
--HI. The manner in which flooding operates;
---IV. All kinds of water, not equally adapted for this
purpose, and which are the best;
•-- V. We have it often in our power to improve the qua*
lity of the water used ;
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tol. ii.