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•will do very well. This plan I have adopted when the water wastaken through a high bank, and the feeder but small:—The earthis put upon the trunk, and the bank made up again above it. Thisprevents an excess of water from coming out in floods, where ithe stream is fluctuating.
Sect. I .—General Directions.
When a meadow is formed on the principles of any of the fore-going plans, and the principal feeders and drains, with the floating-gutters and small drains cut out,feeder-banks made up, tumps tak-en down, hollows filled, and the most of the drain stuff wheeled.and otherwise disposed of; then let in some water with cautioninto the feeder and gutters : By this means you may rectify thestops in the feeder and gutters, by making them tighter or slacker,more or fewer in number, until the water is properly sized. By'the water you will also see whether there is any deficiency in thefeeder-banks; in their being either too high or too low in anypart; which it is best to remedy while you have drain stuff to dis-pose of, and the work is new. When the feeders are got right,then try the gutters, and correct any faults you happen to see;then cut notches through the sides of the feeder-banks, two orthree inches wide, and also through the sides of the gutters. Thisdone, increase the water; and it will flow over the sides of thebeds, by means of the notches and the obstruction of the stops,and the diminishing of the gutters. This done, it will be seen ilthere is any tump that the water does not go rightly over, or anyhollow that it stands in; which defects may now be rectified, andail made smooth by the help of the water, which is the truestcriterion for finishing a meadow by. I have always found thatin levelling rough land, the sooner the water was admitted thebetter, as it prevents any useless work. When the surface is allgot smooth and all the stuff disposed of, and the feeder bankslevelled, as above; a little more water may be admitted, but al-ways with caution ; because if a great force of water be admit-ted before the work becomes firm, it will endanger it, or wouldrun down some of the feeder or gutter-banks, particularly if itwas formed from recently ploughed land, or if there was mud)levelling upon it. This shows the use of the notches for the firstyear or two, which I have introduced in Plate I, both in thefeeder and gutters, and also in the feeders represented in the suc-ceeding Plates, the scale being too small to show them in thegutters. After the work has stood for one year, and is grownfirm together, more water may be admitted, and used more free-ly ; and in two or three years it may be made to flow over thebanks, in.general, without notches, as the banks will then bearit; and, the quantity of water being increased, it will naturallydo so, if the stops are kept to a right pitch. After the work isfinished, observe if any of tire feeders or gutters carry too lit*