44 .
A DISCOURSE
For earth which is too light, there is nothing better than pond-mud,after a winter has pafsed over it.
Earth over rank (for there be some too fat as well as too lean) sand andashes will take down, but still have regard to what you design to plant
spade, takes out the turf, or sods, eighteen inches wide, (the drains being before markedout) and lays them carefully on one side; the second man, with a common spade also,digs out two, three, or more spits of earth (laying it on the other side of the trench)till he has cut through the soil, or staple, and come to the under-stratum of clay, marl, orother hard and solid body of earth. The bottom and sides of this trench must be cleanlywrought; and, allowing for the sloping of the sides in working, should, at the bottom, beclear sixteen inches wide.
“ In this trench the frame, fig. 5. plate 1. is laid; and, in the middle of it, the thirdman, who ought to be the strongest and most expert, works the long-narrow-draining spadein the body of the clay. By taking care to work it at its full depth, he is always sure of hislevel, If the drains are properly laid out. The wooden frame is of great use; it gives a firm
Support to the feet of the workman, keeps the bottom of t the trench smooth and clean,
and serves as a purchase to the wings of-the narrow tool. Fig. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, /date 2.
“ When thirty or forty yards have been cut out by the draining spade, the fourth mancleans the bottom of the drain with the scoop, Jig. 6. plate 2. and works it quite smooth;he then covers it with the sods, laying the grafs side downwards. In this part of thework too much care and attention cannot be used. The sods should be sound and dry,cut even on the sides, and fitted closely to each other. No broken or rotten pieces shouldbe put in; and if any of the sods taken out, in cutting the trench for the narrow drains,are bad, good ones, firm and full of roots of rushes, strong grafs, &c. should be got inthe other parts of the field, and their place supplied with the decayed ones. In marshybad fields, where sound turf cannot be had, little sticks may be placed acrofs the trench,and the loose and tender sods safely laid upon them. The narrow drains being thuscovered, the earth must be thrown in again, taking care that the clay, &c. brought outby the narrow tool, be not mixed with it. No greaier length of these drains should be cutthan can be finished the same day. The price varies with the depth. For the main drainscut thirty inches above,and thirty-eight deep, laid with bricks, covered, See. I give aboutninepence per rod (eight yards). For the narrow drains, constructed and completelyfinished according to the foregoing directions, their whole depth (including that ofthe trench, and that of the draining spade) being thirty-two or thirty-four inches, I givefivepence halfpenny per rod (eight yards' 1 .)
“ From my much-respected friend, the Rev. Mr. Whatelcy, of Nonsuch-Park in Surryf,
I first .received an account of the Hertfordshire and Efsex method of draining; at the sametime he obligingly sent me a set of the tools made use of there, with very particulardirections.
(< The great price of stone and brick in my neighbourhood rendered the Flertfordsire
* At this price my labourers, after they were a little acquainted with the work, earned, evenin winter, two shillings a-day each.