840 ESTIMATES or JiAniiNGf LABOURS. 



The whole digging and throwing out of the marl, and assisting 

 the drivers generally to load (which assistance by one of the pit- 

 men was required always, but not always given to all of the extra 

 teams), was equal to 177 days' labour of a single pit-man; which 

 makes the average quantity of marl, dug, thrown out, and partly also 

 loaded, for each pit-man, 142.42 bushels. 



So much for the labours actually performed. I shall now proceed 

 to estimate their cost. For this purpose, the different kinds of labour 

 will be charged at the prices stated in the previous chapter. 



Estimate of the cost of Marling. 



Carting. The mule per working day, cents, . . 26.75 



Her driver, (boy of 15 years,) cents, 22 



Cart and gear, suppose, cents, ... 5.50 



For daily work, an average of 124.85 bushels, . 54.25 



Or, for the 100 bushels, cents, 44.26 



Digging and assisting to load. Pit-man, per day, 



cents, . 34 



His share of tools, suppose, cents, " 4.50* 



For his average daily work, of 148.42 bushels, . 38.50 



Or, for the 100 bushels, , 26. 



Throwing off overlay of eartli to uncover marl (its 

 thickness compared to that of the marl about in 

 proportion of 3 to 5), supposed to be one-half the 

 labour of pit-work of the marl below ; or per 100 

 bushels of marl dug, 13. 



Spreading marl (340 bushels to the acre,) per 100 

 bushels, V t 10 - 



Total cost of applying 100 bushels, 



* This charge includes all the use of tools for as much marl as one pit- 

 man supplies in a day, not only for his own digging and throwing up, but 

 also for the loading and subsequent spreading of the same marl. 



j- The spreading of this marl requires very unequal labour according to 

 its condition. When recently carried out, and still moist, and much of it 

 in firm lumps or otherwise, after mouldering by exposure, and then being 

 saturated by rain-water it is twice as difficult to spread as after being left 

 in heaps for some months of summer weather, or until dry after being fro- 

 zen. When in good order, a man can easily spread 60 heaps of 8 to 9 

 bushels, at 11 yards distance. When but in tolerable order, and in winter 

 days, I have had 50 such heaps spread by good hands ; and when in bad 

 order, barely 40 heaps. Thinner dressings, or more distant heaps, would 

 require more labour for spreading, in proportion to the quantity. The 

 charge above, a man (at 34 cents a day) is allowed to spread per day no 

 more than 40 neaps, of 8 bushels to the acre. This is very light work, 

 unless the marl is in bad condition. 



