278 



cuted, at the rate of 9d. or lOcl per Scotch fall (which is 

 about one fifth part larger than the English pole or rod,) or 

 Z,. 8 per acre. This calculation can be made only on the 

 supposition, that spadable soil is in question : but should the 

 pick be called in, somewhat extra must be charged by the 

 workman, as above stated, and the amount will depend, of 

 course, on the nature of the obstacles of stone, for example, 

 gravel, or obdurate clay, that present themselves during the 

 work. From the passages, however, just now referred to, 

 and the notes, it clearly appears, that trenching or double- 

 digging for groups and open dispositions, if executed on 

 proper principles, will, besides other advantages, raise the 

 value of the land, by the one half at least ; and moreover, 

 in most cases, it will save the labour of mounding, or bring- 

 ing extra earth from a distance. In these circumstances, no 

 reasonable person will say, that it would be equitable to 

 charge the cost entirely to the account of transferring wood. 



At pp. 179 — 181, the preparation of the ground for close- 

 woods and plantations is next described. This being a work, 

 usually executed on a more extensive scale than groups and 

 single trees, should, generally speaking, be done by contract. 

 The trenching should in no case exceed the rate already 

 mentioned, for open dispositions of wood. But, as it dis- 

 tinctly appears, by many years' experience, that the abun- 

 dance of the potatoe-crop, which follows trenching, never 

 fails to pay both for the execution of that work, and the 

 manure, and sometimes rent besides, the land is thus ready 

 for the operations of the planter, without the burthen of pre- 

 paratory cost of any sort. 



All the above works I can say that 1 have, at different 

 times, executed by contract, at the prices here stated, or 

 nearly, according to the nature of the soil, and the rate of 

 labour at the time. I have likewise, on other occasions, done 

 it by day-labour ; and I am obliged to add, that the differ- 

 ence of the expense between the two is so insignificant, 



