New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1860-05-05

cal Partnership in British Guiana, recommsnds
that these dame should be not less than thuty-slx
feet vide at bottom, with . step or parapes on
either side Of six feet, the main dam to be FIVE
let and q hall high, and sixteen feet wide
At the tnp. The first step in the construction Of
sach dam after lining off and clearing the ground,
10 REC pmeuded to be the digging Of ueach eight
feet wide, ard six feet deep through the middle of
the space 10 be occupied by the dam this treach t,
30 filed up with the ataest clay that can BE- had,
prddled and rammed in and this clay wall to be
carried up 10 the blight of the dam. II the dam il
hle TO be exposed to the roll of the ses pressure
upon it 10 be avoided il possible, but which tae
creacAment of the sea sometimes makes Inevitable,
it must have gradual slope towards the water,
Initiating q sea beach. The front and back dams
sIe always subjects of anxiety, and need constant
watchfulness and attention. the side lines, 90
called, Of two AUDITING plantations are consolidated
INTO q single dan, which serves the purpose
ia rosd The earth for the construction Of
these. dams, which soon become covered With .
thick coat of grass, is mainly furnished from
IT. nch dug Just inside the dams twelve feet wide,
ard FIVE deep Beside furnishing materials for
The dame, these trenches serve also the main
ceivDg drains for the plantations which they aclose.
Before the land IL brought into cultivation, other
drains are dug, two and half feet wide AID ~
many deep, leading perpendicularly into the SIDE
line trenches, whore waters at every ebb tide are
discharged into the sea by means Of slu'css, or
"kokerY," so called, through the front dam. These
sluices, according to the old method, which stu
prevails on many plantations, consist of pillars of
brick work, having grooves in which moves up aud
down wooden gate or door, hoisted, by means Of
| q staple wheel and axle, az soon as the water on
the outside gets below tho level of the water 10 the
trenches, and closed again when the tide rises 10
the level Of the draining water. These hOkers,
which Oh many estates are far in front OF the
| ex,tipg cultivation, are in charge OF SONS trusty
| old negro, who serves az Waterman. and has lit
tie dwelling, and perhaps provision ground, near
BY Another method in use on many estates dis.
pecsts with this wat hman, whose negligence might
at times be Of very serious consequence. The DIS
charge of the water is accomplished by means OF a
casr.Iron pipe Of large diameter, with sslfacting
valve, which the pressure of the inside water forces
opsn as soon as the outside water subsidies, aud
which closes again by the pressure of the external
water so soon as that rises above the inside level.
A. nothing is so essential TO the prodactveneso Of
the land as good drainage difficulties on tn IS score
are among the most serious embsrrawments which
the planters Dase to encounter The outlets of the
| d. insee trenches into the ocean are liable 10 be
suddenly stopped up by moving backs of sand,
shells, and dnft mud, thus threatening the plants
tons with overflow, and requir ng great amount
| of labor for their removal Among the improve
nepts introduced since the emancipation and now
in use on many OF the best estates, drsniog ma
chimes, in which steam powers employed to hit the
water out of the draining trench aud torow it over
| the dams. These machines are expensive, as tney
cost for their erection from fifteen to twenty thou
sand dollars, with an annual outlay to work them,
principally the cost of fuel, of several shoussad
more This expense varies with the period during
which they kept in operation for they are used
as an auxiliary to the oil system, rather than as
substitute for it But the superior drainage they
afford during The heavy wet weather, and the guar
sntee they furnish against the heavy expenses and
losses attendant upon sudden interruption to the
outflow of the drainage water are thought fully to
| warrant the expense.
In addition to The drainage trenches. there is
required on plantations to be cultivated in
sugsr another aud perfectly distinct set of
trenches to serve as q means OF Transporting the
canes to the sugar works. For this purpose two
canals, some fifteen feet wide and five feet deep,
are dug short distance apart, exteodiog through
the middle of the plantation from trent to back. The
earth thrown out of these canals forms entrench-
melt known as the d" middle walk" resembling the
side lines between two plantations, and Ike those
side.Des, serving as arOad Perpendcularly from
these central canals others extend to ward the side
liDes but not communicating with the lateral
trenches, by which the whole plantation is divided
| into fields of from fifteen TO twenty acres, these
fields being sgan divided into beds by the small
drains. Large fit bottOmed boats, squsre at the
drawn by oxen or mules, are employed 10 convey
ing the canes TO the sugar-mill.
| 1t was not, however, az We have already men,
toned with view to the cultivation of sugar that
the sea. coast plantations originally esablished.
The planters looked 10 the cultivation OF cotton,
which required lees elaborate system of drainage,
| and which might dispense with the Navigation
| trenches.
| simultaneously with the earliest attempts at the
reclamation of the seacoast another enterprise was
set on foot of no nconsiderable magnitude. That
was the bIiDgr into cultivation of series OF new
estates behind those already established on the
banks Of the Demerara River. For this purpose