_Of_ RIDGES.
The Method of plowing Land up into Ridges is a particular Sort of
Tillage; the chief Use of which is, the Alteration it makes in the
Degrees of Heat and Moisture, being two of the grand Requisites of
Vegetation; for very different Degrees of these are necessary to
different Species of Vegetables.
Those Vegetables commonly sown in our Fields, require a middle Degree
of both, not being able to live on the Sides of perpendicular Walls
in hot Countries, nor under Water in cold ones, neither are they
amphibious, but must have a Surface of Earth not cover’d, nor much
soak’d with Water, which deprives them of their necessary Degree of
Heat, and causes them to languish. The Symptoms of their Disease are a
pale or yellow Colour in their Leaves, and a Cessation of Growth, and
Death ensues as sure as from a Dropsy.
The only Remedy to prevent this Disease in Plants is, to lay such wet
Land up into Ridges, that the Water may run off into the Furrows, and
be convey’d by Ditches or Drains into some River.
The more a Soil is fill’d with Water, the less Heat it will have.
The Two Sorts of Land most liable to be overglutted with Water, are
Hills, whereof the _Upper Stratum_ (or Staple) is Mould lying upon a
_Second Stratum_ of Clay;
And generally all strong deep Land.
Hills are made wet and spewy by the Rain-water which falls thereon,
and soaks into them as into other Land; but being stopp’d by the Clay
lying next the Surface or Staple, cannot enter the Clay; and for want
of Entrance, spreads itself upon it; and as Water naturally tends
downwards, it is by the incumbent Mould partly stopp’d in its Descent
from the upper towards the lower Side of an Hill; and being follow’d
and press’d on by more Water from above, is forced to rise up into the
Mould lying upon it, which it fills as a Cistern does a Fountain (or
_Jet d’Eau_). The Land of such an Hill is not the less wet or spewy for
being laid up in Ridges, if they be made from the higher to the lower
Part of the Field; for the Force of the Water’s Weight continued will
raise it so, as to cause it to issue out at the very Tops of those
Ridges; the Earth becomes a sort of Pap or Batter, and being like a
Quagmire, in going over it, the Feet of Men and Cattle sink in till
they come to the Clay.
There are two Methods of draining such a wet Hill: The one is to dig
many Trenches, cross the Hill horizontally[217], and either fill them
up with Stones loose or archwise, through which the Water, when it
soaks into the Trenches, may run off at one or both Ends of them into
some Ditch, which is lower, and carries it away; then they cover the
Trenches with Mould, and plow over them as in dry level Ground.
[217] For if they are made with the Descent, and not across it,
then they will be parallel to the Rills of Water, that run upon the
Surface of the Clay under the Staple (or upper _Stratum_ of Mould),
and would be no more effectual for draining the Hill, than the
digging of one River parallel to another, without joining it in any
Part, would be effectual for draining the other River of its Water.
This Method has been found effectual for a time, but not of long
Continuance; for the Trenches are apt to be stopp’d up, and then the
Springs break out again as before: Besides, this is a very chargeable
Work, and in many Places the Expence of it may almost equal the
Purchase of the Land.
Therefore ’tis a better Method to plow the Ridges cross the Hill almost
horizontally, that their parting Furrows, lying open, may each serve as
a Drain to the Ridge next below it; for when the Plough has made the
Bottom of these horizontal Furrows a few Inches deeper than the Surface
of the Clay, the Water will run to their Ends very securely, without
rising into the Mould, provided no Part of the Furrows be lower than
their Ends.
These parting Furrows, and their Ridges, must be made more or less
oblique, according to the Form and Declivity of the Hill; but the more
horizontal they are, the sooner the Rain-water will run off the Lands;
for in that Case it will run to the Furrows, and reach them at right
Angles, which it will not do when the Ridges (or Lands) are oblique;
and therefore the Water’s Course cross the Lands will be longer[218].
Every one of these horizontal Trenches receives all the Water from
the Rills, or little Gutters, wherein the Water runs betwixt the Mould
and the Clay; these are all cut off by the Trenches, which receive the
Water at their upper Sides, and carry it away, as the Trunks of Lead
plac’d under the Eaves of a House do carry away the Rain-water.
[218] The natural Course of Water being downwards, it would always
run by the nearest Way to the Bottom of the Hill, if nothing stopt
it; but the Water runs from an Hill in Two Manners; _viz._ Upon the
Surface of the Staple, and upon the Surface of the Clay that is under
the Staple; that which runs under keeps its strait Course from the
Top to the Bottom of an Hill, under a Ridge that is made exactly with
the Descent of the Hill, except that Part of the Water that rises
up into the Mould, and a very little that soaks into the Furrows,
for when the Furrows are not made exactly with the Descent, the more
oblique they are to the Descent, the longer will be the Water’s
Course under the Ridges; and the shorter, as they are nearer being at
Right Angles to the Descent. ’Tis also the same with the Water that
falls upon the Surface of the Ridges; for the more horizontal they
are, the shorter its Course will be from them to the Furrows, which
carry it off; and the less of the Water will sink into the Ridges,
the less oblique and the nearer to Right Angles to the Descent they
are made.
If there were no other Manner of plowing Ridges on the Sides of Hills
than what is commonly practised on the Plains, this Method of leaving
open Furrows (or Drains on Declivities) would be impracticable; because
the Plough could not turn up the Furrows against the Hill, and against
the Ridge also, from the lower Side of it: But the easy Remedy against
that Inconvenience is, to plow such Ridges in Pairs, without throwing
any Earth into the Trenches, and then the Ridges will be plain a-top,
and the Rain-water will run speedily downward to the next Trench, and
thence to the Head-land, and so out of the Field. These Trenches will
be made, as well as kept always open, by this plowing in Pairs; and
is abundantly more easy than the Way of plowing Ridges singly. This
plowing in Pairs prevents also another Inconveniency, which would
otherwise happen to these horizontal Ridges; and that is, they being
highest in the Middle, the Rain-water could not run freely from the
upper Half of a Ridge towards the next Furrow below it, but would be
apt to sink in there, and soak thro’ the Ridge; but when Ridges lie in
Pairs, the Water will run off from a whole Ridge, as well as off the
lower Half of a Ridge that is plow’d singly, and highest in the Middle.
_Note_, That every time of plowing, the Pairs must be changed, so that
the Furrow, which had Two Ridges turned towards it one time, must have
Two turned from it the next time: This Method keeps the Surfaces of all
the Ridges (or Lands) pretty near even[219].
[219] _Note_, This cannot be done on an Hill, whose Declivity is
so great, that the Plough is not able to turn a Furrow against it.
But in this Case, perhaps, it may be sufficient to plow the Ridges
obliquely enough for the Furrow to be turned both Ways.
Farmers are at more Trouble and Pains to drown such Land (it being
common to break their Horses Wind in plowing up Hill) than they would
be at, if they laid their Ridges in the abovesaid Manner, which
would effectually make them dry. Many hundred Acres of good Ground
are spoiled; and many a good Horse, in plowing against the Hill, and
against all Reason, Demonstration, and Experience too; which might be
learned even from the _Irish_, who drain their Bogs, and make them
fruitful, whilst some _English_ bestow much Labour to drown and make
barren many of their Hills, which would more easily be made dry and
fertile.
I have observed, that those Places of such an Hill, that, when plowed
with the Descent, were the wettest, and never produced any thing that
was sown on them, became the very richest, when made dry by plowing
cross the Descent. This shews that Water does not impoverish Land, but
the contrary; tho’, whilst it stands thereon, it prevents the Heat
which is necessary to the Production of most Sorts of Vegetables: And
where it runs swiftly, it carries much Earth away with it; where it
runs slowly, it deposits and leaves much behind it.
Though in all Places, where this Way of making the Ridges cross the
Descent of Hills is practised, the Land becomes dry; yet very few
Farmers will alter their old Method[220]; no, not even to try the
Experiment; but still complain their Ground is so wet and spewy, that
it brings them little or no Profit; and if the Year prove moist, they
are great Losers by sowing it[221].
[220] But some of late are convinced, by observing that an Hill
of mine has been made dry by this means for Fourteen Years past,
which before was always more wet and spewy than any Field in the
Neighbourhood; and from the time of inclosing it out of an Heath (or
Common), and the converting it to arable, which was about Seventy
Years ago, it had been reputed as little better than barren, on
account of its Wetness; and that it has been the most profitable
Field of my Farm ever since it has been under this new Management.
I have also another Field, that lies about a Mile and an half from
me: It doth not belong to the Farm where I live, but was thrown
upon my Hands, no Tenant caring to rent it, because great Part of
it was full of Springs, and barren: This also, having been kept in
Lands plowed cross the Descent (which is but a small Declivity), is
become dry: And now the most prejudiced Farmers agree, that keeping
the Lands or Ridges of wet Ground always cross the Descent doth cure
its Spewiness. Hereupon some have attempted to put this Method in
Practice on their wet Land; and, after it has been well tilled up
Hill and down, have plowed it the last time for sowing of Wheat in
flat Lands cross the Descent; but by Mismanagement their Furrows are
higher at each End than the Middle, so that none of the Water can run
off either downwards or sideways, or any other Way.
Had the Furrows carried off the Water at both or either of their
Ends, it might have been effectual, notwithstanding the broad Lands,
because their Ground hath a much less Declivity, and is much less
spewy, than my Hill was: They will doubtless find their Mistake, and
amend it, having a Precedent before their Eyes; but if they had none
within their own Inspection, I question whether this Mismanagement
might not discourage them from prosecuting their Project any further.
[221] Remember, in making Ridges of all Sorts, and of whatsoever
Figure the Piece is, that no Ridge ought to have any more Furrows
at one End, than at the other End; for if there be, the Plough must
be turned in the Middle of the Piece, which will cause the Land to
be trodden by the Horses; but if each End have an equal Number of
Furrows, the Horses in turning will tread only upon the Head lands,
which may be plowed afterwards; or if design’d to be Horse-ho’d, the
Head-lands should be narrow, and not plowed at all.
The Benefit of laying up strong deep Land into Ridges is very great;
tho’ there be no Springs in it, as are in the Hills aforementioned.
This Land, when it lies flat, and is plowed sometimes one Way,
sometimes the other, by cross-plowing, retains the Rain-water a long
time soaking into it; by that Misfortune, the Plough is kept out Two
or Three Weeks longer than if the same were in round Ridges; nay,
sometimes its Flatness keeps it from drying till the Season of plowing,
and even of sowing too, be lost.
The Reasons commonly given against such Ridges are these following.