A.D.M. Phillips

The Underdraining of Farmland in England During the Nineteenth Century

A.D.M. Phillips

Synopsis:
Over half of the agricultural area of England is subject to waterlogging and is in need of some form of underdraining, rendering the improvement both technically and economically basic to much of English agriculture. By removing excess soil water, the object of underdraining was to reproduce as far as possible the conditions of free-draining land, which was workable all year round, and to create an optimum soil-moisture content for both plant growth and cultivation. Despite the necessity for the improvement, a wide-ranging debate has existed on the extent, effectiveness, and agricultural importance of underdraining in the nineteenth century. This study attempts to resolve the debate by examining the public and private draining loans and the accounts of estates in Devon, Northamptonshire, and Northumberland.

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Other editions: Hardcover - 2010, Softcover - 2009, 1975