CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MODE OR MODES TO BE USED FOR TRANSMITTING AND DISTRIBUTING LIQUIDS AND FLUIDS FOR AGRICULTURAL PURPOSES,. AND FOR APPARATUS CONNECTED THEREWITH
Year: 1849

page_text: TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, DION DE
BOUCICAULT, of Davies Street, Berkeley Square, formerly of the Quadrant,
Regent Street, in the County of Middlesex, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent under the Great Seal of Great Britain, bearing date at Westminster,
the Twenty-eighth day of February, in the twelfth year of Her reign, did give
and grant unto me, the said Dion de Boucicault, my exors, adññiors, and.
assigns, Her especial licence, full power, sole privilege and authority, that I,
the said Dion de Boucicault, my exors, adññors, and assigns, and such others
as I, the said Dion de Boucicault, my exors, adññiors, and assigns, should at.
any time agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all times here-
after during the term of years therein mentioned, should and lawfully might.
make, use, exercise, and vend, within England, Wales, and the Town of
Berwick-upon-Tweed, and in the Islands of Guernsey, Jersey, Alderney, Sark,
and Man, and also in all Her said Majesty's Colonies and Plantations abroad,
my Invention of "CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MODE OR MODES TO BE USED FOR
TRANSMITTING AND DISTRIBUTING LIQUIDS AND FLUIDS FOR AGRICULTURAL PURPOSES,.
AND FOR APPARATUS CONNECTED THEREWITH;" in which said Letters Patent there
is contained a proviso, that I, the said Dion de Boucicault, shall cause a
particular description of the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner
the same is to be performed, by an instrument in writing under niy hand and
seal, to be enrolled in Her said Majesty's High Court of Chancery within six
calendar months next and immediately. after the date of the said in part.

page_text: recited Letters Patent, reference being thereunto had, will more fully and at
large appear.
NOW KNOW YE, that in compliance with the said proviso, I, the said
Dion de Boucicault, do hereby declare the nature of my Invention, and the
manner in which the same is to be performed, are particularly described and
ascertained in and by the following statement thereof, that is to say:
may
My Invention consists in the combination and application of certain known
principles with certain known means, in such manner as to obtain a new mode
or modes of transmitting any liquid or fluid which it may be desirable to apply
to the soil or land for agricultural purposes, and in the mode or means used
for the purpose of applying or distributing the liquid or fluid so transmitted.
I would have it here understood that I make use of the term "fluid" with the
intention and for the purpose of comprehending under such head gases, as it
hereafter be found expedient to make use of gases or gaseous matter in
combination with my Invention for agricultural purposes. If the land proposed
to be irrigated-or-saturated-by my improved plan or Invention should be level,
I then proceed to cut certain trenches in the land in a manner similar to the
mode at present adopted in "thorough drainage." These trenches may be
cut to depths varying from twelve inches to thirty-six inches, according to the
nature of the soil, that is, according to the capillary attraction existing in
the said soil, and according to the nature of the culture, care being taken to
cut the trenches to a dopth below the reach of any implement as commonly
used in the culture of that soil. These trenches may be placed at distances
varying from six feet to twenty feet apart, or even less than six feet, or even
more than twenty feet apart, for in this matter the expence will be the chief
guide. Having cut these trenches, care must be taken that on a level soil the
trenches be all cut to the same depth, that is, if a depth of eighteen inches be
selected as a good and proper depth, then every trench must be exactly eighteen
inches deep, no more and no less. Having thus prepared the land by cutting
these trenches as described, I then propose to cut a main trench of a similar
depth with the aforesaid trenches, which main trench must be cut so as to
intersect all the other trenches. These trenches are to serve as conduits for
any liquid or fluid with which it may be deemed fit to irrigate or saturate the
soil in which the said trenches are cut. I then propose to lay down in the
said trenches or conduits ordinary drain or pipe tiles, or layers of coke, suc
coke being distributed in the trenches as stones are distributed in drains, o
are used in "thorough drainage ;" or I would use any other good and fittin
inaterial for making a good conduit. These conduits must occupy the botton
of the trenches, in a manner precisely similar to that employed in "thoroug

page_text: drainage." Having carefully completed this part of my process, the soil which
was removed in digging the trenches is to be returned to its original place (or
vacancy therein), and the land is restored to its original appearance. Where,
for the purpose of irrigating or saturing the soil, a liquid is to be used, a
reservoir is to be constructed upon any spot, being elevated above the level of
the bottom of the trenches, and being connected with the said trenches by
means of the main trench. By means of such connection between the said
main trench and the reservoir, any liquid contained in such reservoir would
naturally flow into the main trench, and from thence into the trenches which
branch from it. Where a fluid lighter than atmospheric air is to be used for
the purpose before mentioned, the reservoir should be constructed upon a spot
below the level of the bottom of the trenches, the connection between which
and the reservoir being made in a similar manner to that before described';
the fluid would then ascend, and be evenly and generally distributed amongst
and throughout the trenches. It will be evident, that upon any liquid or fluid
being admitted into the conduits from the reservoirs, as before described, such
liquid or fluid will lie on a level, and be subject only to whatever altitudinal
pressure may from the weight of matter exist in the reservoirs. The liquid or
fluid will escape into the land from the conduits, and will saturate and
irrigate the same; and the manner of its escape may be likened to the
manuer in which water escapes out of land into the conduits in "thorough
drainage," but by the means proposed to be used under my Invention hereby
described by me the action will be inverted. When the liquid or fluid finds
itself in the land at a certain depth beneath the surface, it will be drawn up to
the surface by what is commonly called the capillary attraction existent in the
soil and in vegetation, and by my improvements or improved arrangements,
and the said natural results, the saturation or irrigation of the soil is obtained;
but if the land requiring to be so saturated or irrigated should not be level,
then such land should be contour levelled at such vertical distances as will
afford a proper distance between the lines of trenching. Having contour
levelled the land, the lines of trench must occupy the lines of contour, for then
only will each conduit be disposed upon a level. But the main trench must
not be cut on any contour line, but must be drawn from the top to the bottom
of the incline in such a line as may secure a gradual and easy fall, and may at
the same time intersect all the trenches which lie on the contour lines. The
main conduit being fed from the reservoir, as before described, will conduct
the liquid or fluid to each of the contour conduits, in which the liquid or fluid
will lie on a perfect level and be generally distributed, and from whence it
will saturate or irrigate the soil, as before explained. If it should become

page_text: necessary to impede the flow or pressure of the liquid or fluid in any particular
line of conduit, then that conduit should be made smaller in diameter, and thus
nade capable of receiving less of the liquid or fluid; or if it be made of pipe
tile, it may be partially.choked with coke for a space, or the depth of that
particular trench in which such conduit is constructed may be made one inch
or two inches less deep than the other trenches (without detaching it or
breaking its connection with the main conduit); or if a gas be used, then the
same arrangements made one inch or two inches deeper than the rest of tho
trenches. I prefer the reservoirs in every case to be constructed on a spot
which would command the lines of trench, and from whence the contents
of the reservoirs might readily flow and be distributed into the conduits.
Having herein described the nature and particulars of my Invention, and
the manner and modes by which the same is to be performed, I would have
it understood that I do not confine myself to the details as herein described,
claim any portion of the same singly, only to that extent to establish
the peculiar character and features of my-Invention; but what I claim is, the
mode or modes herein described for transmitting, applying, and distributing
liquid or fluid for the irrigation or saturation of land used for agricultural
purposes.
In witness whereof, I, the said Dion de Boucicault, have hercunto set