AUTHOR'S EXPERIENCE IN IRELAND. 65 



four weeks prior to Lady-day, 1845, when we 

 left for our employer's residence in England, 

 305. and some odd pence. The expense of 

 the work in 1843 was Sd. per cubic yard for 

 excavation, and in 1845, 4r7. ; the materials exca- 

 vated being of the same quality. At the 

 generality of jobs, the difference is greater in 

 favour of the task-work system. 



On the comparative merits of task-work over 

 day-work, our limits will scarcely permit us to 

 offer a practical remark. In this country, a 

 labouring man is found able to perform about 

 one-fourth more work daily on task-work than 

 upon day-work, without being more fatigued. 

 The reason of this lies partly in the position of 

 the workman's body, and partly in the animus 

 of his mind. When at task-work he brings 

 himself better up to his work, so to speak, 

 acquiring thus a greater lever power, which 

 enables him to keep the muscles a shorter time 

 extended. A man who lifts two ordinary 

 spadefuls in a given time will not be so much 

 exhausted as he would have been by only lifting 

 one of them during the same time twice the 

 time being occupied in lifting the one spadeful 

 that was occupied in lifting each of the other 



F 



