APPENDIX. 79 



It has been already obferved, that the prices of tafk- 

 \vork muft be governed by thofe of commoo day- 

 Jabour. Old eftablifhed rules, fuch as the prices of 

 ditches, drains, &c. are eafily afcertained from long 

 habit and experience ; but it is not eafy to determine 

 the value, which fhould be fixed for many other 

 works, which may occur in an extenfive improvement, 

 and it requires both ingenuity and addrefs to be able to 

 deal fairly with labourers, who are in general very 

 keen with refpeft to the making of bargains favour- 

 able to their own views. 



. In order to fettle any doubts, which may arife with 

 refpeft to the fair value to be given for any job of taflc- 

 work, which at firft view may be found difficult to de- 

 termine, the labourer fhould be kept ignorant of the 

 mode of payment ; that is, whether by day-labour, or 

 by taflc-work. A few days, or perhaps a few hours, 

 may determine what may be thought a reafonable 

 price by taflc-work. It is needlefs to remark here, 

 how very neceflary it is to have a trufty confidential 

 perfon to fuperintend any bufinefs of this nature, and 

 efpecially at the commencement of it. If labourers are 

 kept ignorant, during the whole time of executing any 

 job of work, of the manner in which they are to be 

 paid, they will, of courfe, work diligently, becaufe, if the 

 payment fhould be made in confideration of talk-work, 

 without working diligently they would in the end find 

 themfelves much difappointed. It is, however, by far 



u the 



