Neceffity of removing fuperfluous moisture from the foil-Of Springs-A philosophical ac count of the origin of thefe Of Spouting fandy foils-method of draining these Of wet foils arifing from an under-ftratum of clay-method of draining thefe High ridges on such a soil pernicious and why Drains in the furrows of fuch ridges of no utility-and why-Of the bog or quag mire—Manner in which this is formed An efficacious method of draining bogs des fcribed, as practifed with fuccefs by the author. N the preceeding Effay, I have showed, great utility to the farmer; yet, as there are few few things more prejudicial to him than a fuperabundance of it, when too long continued upon the ground, it behoves him to guard against this evil as much as he poffibly can; and, at almost any expence, to free his ground from it, if he hopes to make any confiderable improvement thereon. For, unless this be firft done, all his other operations will turn out to little account. The methods of drawing off ftagnant water, which may be accumulated in any low fituation for want of a proper outlet, are in general fo obvious to every man of difcernment, who examines the fituation of the ground, that I fhall not tire the patience of the reader by enlarging upon that head; but fhall proceed immediately to treat of the moft proper methods that I have ever experienced of draining fuch ground as is hurt by springs oozing out upon them, (usually diftinguished by the name of wet, or Spouting ground) ground) and bogs*, as this is a matter of much greater difficulty than the former, and the principles upon which it should be conducted, far lefs generally understood. Springs are formed in the bowels of the earth by water percolating through the upper ftrata, where they are of a porous texture, which continues to defcend downwards till it meets with a stratum of clay that intercepts it in its courfe; where, being collected in confiderable quantities, it is forced to feek a paffage through the porous ftrata of fand, gravel, or rock, that may be above the clay, following the course of these strata till they approach the furface of the earth, or are interrupted by any obftacle which occafions the * It will appear to the reader, that the term bog is here employed in its most unlimited acceptation, denoting any kind of quaggy ground arifing from too much moisture; and not according to the ufual meaning of the word in Ireland, where it, for the moft part, only denotes what is in Scotland called Feat-mofs, |