324 COSTS OP MARLING. 



sures, was carried on by first cutting down the exposed and nearly 

 naked marl, which required but little labour for uncovering. The 

 next succeeding stretch reaching higher up the hill, had perhaps 

 as much overlying earth as of good marl beneath. The next had 

 much more overlay ; and indeed it was not worth uncovering so 

 deeply, when other places could be more cheaply worked. This 

 last stretch formed the subject of the first estimate. In reference 

 to the four divisions of the labour and expenses 



I. The removing of the overlay of earth was here unusually 

 heavy, compared to the thickness of the marl, rising to 16 feet 

 where thickest, and averaged 11 to 12. 2. The digging and load- 

 ing, and also the spreading, were very easy. 3. The carriage easy 

 as to distance (997 yards average from pit to field), but bad in 

 having a hill to rise of about 40 feet perpendicular height, and 

 also a valley to cross, of about 30 perpendicular depth. 



One-fourth of the uncovered marl Was lost by the falling in of 

 a large body of earth from above; so that only 4J feet of marl 

 was actually carried out, thus increasing the before heavy cost of 

 the uncovering, for the quantity of marl saved. 



Under these circumstances, the total costs, obtained by noting 

 every day's work, and its elements, and at the foregoing prices 

 (omitting the details), were as follows : 

 Expense of removing overlay of earth (11 to 12 feet thick 



on an average) ....... $24 70 



Digging, loading, and carting marl (3844 heaped bushels) 26 18 

 Spreading, at 50 cents the 500 bushels . . . 3 84 



Total, $54 72 



Which makes the cost per 100 bushels, $1.42 ; and per acre, as 

 applied, at 572 bushels, $8.12; or if for 300 bushels, $4.26. 



The quantity actually applied was "much too heavy; and by the 

 excess increased, by one-third, the otherwise heavy expense. The 

 thickness of the dressing, however, made the spreading cheaper 

 for the quantity, the heaps being so much the closer to each other. 



II. The second job followed on immediately, but on the opposite 

 slope (across the narrow ravine), where the overlay was 8 J to 9 

 feet average depth, and all the 6 feet of good marl was used. The 

 average distance from pit to field (over the same hilly road), was 

 887 yards. The marl being precisely as in the first job, the facili- 

 ties for digging, loading, and spreading were the same. But the 

 loads (for a single horse or mule-cart), which before were 5J heaped 

 bushels, were now 5f the marl weighing 101 Ibs. 



Removing overlay ...... $14 15 



Digging and carting marl (4036 bushels) . . 25 75 

 Spreading, at 50 cents the 500 bushels . . . 4 36 



Total, $39 26 



