WARPING, a mode of improving land, practiced where rivers bring down large quan tities of mud, or where mud is brought up from estuaries by the tide. It is practiced in some of the valleys of the Alps; and the rich soil brought down frpm the mountains is thus arrested, and made to increase the fertility of fields. It is practiced also in Eng land, on the tidal waters of the Ouse, Trent, and other rivers falling into the Humber. There are not many places in Britain where the process of warping is capable of profit able application. The term warping belongs to the banks of the Humber. The name warp is there given to the large quantity of earthy particles held in suspense by the tidal waters. About a century asro warping began to be practiced by means of small tunnels made through embankments, the water being allowed to remain and deposit its sediment of earthy particles before the sluices were opened for it to flow off. Warping has now
long been carried on, upon a larger scale, with large canals, embankments, and flood gates. Many acts of parliament have been obtained for large warping canals, to lead tide-water over great tracts of land. Land previously sterile and worthless has been covered with good soil, and has become very productive. The "compartment" which is embanked around, in order to warping, is generally only fifty acres, or less; the farmer warping only one field in the season, because in the meantime it is unproductive. In some cases, however, 500 or 600 acres have been warped in one piece. In the rivers which flow into the Humber, the water coming down the river in floods is unsuitable for warping, and contains no such quantity of sediment as the tidal waters.