Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1873-09-19
A NEW SYSTEM OF IRRIGATION.


A Scotch farmer has invented and re-
dueed to practice . new system oil irrlgaung
pasture and meadow lands, which on ex-
animation of eminent stock growers fsml-
lar with the subject, and among Others, the
DIXIE of Somerset, Lord Gresham, Sir
Henry Montgomery, Sir Erskin Perry and
the Hon. Leslie Ruthven, commands their
undivided communication. The plan waters
grass not By affusion in body, but in
succession of artificial showers OF rain at
night which are the work Of a steam engine.
The extent of the rain is equal to an area IT
one acre and a.hslf, but so soon as that sur-
face is watered, the extension of iron pipes
enables the engine to rain good "seasOn"
on an equal area beyond indefinitely. The
grass grown in this way is mainly consumed
by grazing sheep in peculiar way, to pre-
vent the sheep from fouling the her
bage by their droppings and ct.
They do not walk over the ground any
faster than they eat the grass clean before
them by putting heals through an improved
rack and hurdle, for the contrivancs is both.
They are in the form of a cheUdllr de friSe,
and are turned over in advance Of the sheep
to bring fresh grass within their reach.
The gentlemen above named say in their
report that at this rate the six acres will
carry about 400 sheep from April to Octo'
Der, and the summer stocking for the whole
forty acres under the system would be nr
less than flock of 2, 900 tegs, sheSrlings, Oh
other fattening sheep. Without the water
ng, manuring and hurdling, it would prob
ably be overdone with 260. We copy from
the Country Gentleman the following state
ment without abridgement:
"For, if we are to fatteD sheep (and The
present 200 are improving fast upon tb'
succulent grass, without = taste Of cake o.
corn) upon tenth part Of the area of gras
land hithsr required, the supply of mutton
may become wonderfully increased. Ant
there is this merit In the plan, that Will
recurring a concentration Of large number
of fattening sheep upon small area,
leaves nine times IS much grass land to b
added he area used for breeding focks
The system, inatead of demanding an in
creasel supply of store sheep which ca
never be produced, provides surplus {
nasture upon which the additional stock {
lambs msy be raised. As to cost, the est
mate put before us reckons the rent at 80:
per acre; the manual labor 5s. per acre
Goals, l01. per acre; artificial manure, 100
Der acre; interest and maintenance upo
permanent plan, machinery and Ell
CINE power, 40s. per acre; intere:
and maintenance upon hurdles, 20!
per acre; total, ELL IS. per acre, f.
The season. The return is, the keep of 9
sheep for rs weeks, whiHn, at Cd. per hes
per week, would amount 10 14s. per sheel
or FAC As. per acrs. Mr.. ColemAn's y
head, only BALI as thick on the land, ougl
TO be realizing 323 per acre, or just douo
the total outlay, with the exception,
course, of the Interest upon the cost p'l
of the animals. Looked at another Wa
the sheep may reasonably be expected
make one pound weight OF mutton
head every week for Is weeks; and THIS,
say 81. per H., will be 18s. Sd. per bead !
the season, giving at Mr.. Coleman's rate
stocking, ESQ, or at the rate calcuias
upon in future, eco Per acre.
The working aud results up 10 this I'll
certainly warrant extended trial OF
shower watering and hurdling system
some man ofbusiness anxious to determi
how much can be done with it. The 10
consumers Of the XII gdom W Il wish
enterprise every success. Probably Tn
are water courses sufficient for the purp'
In a majority of the pasture valleys
Britain, and in drier localities rainfall u
be stored, as often proposed by hydraI
engineers"