238 . THE BOOK OF THE LANDED ESTATE. 



all thoroughly fit for cropping, it will have to be broken up with the 

 cultivator twice over that is, once each way. This will cost about 

 1 per acre, which will increase the expenditure to 195, 3s. To this 

 will have to be added the sum of 11, being interest at the rate 

 of 5 per cent upon 110 for two years, and also interest at the same 

 rate upon 85 (the expense of the last cultivation) for one year, or the 

 sum of 4, 5s., making a total of 210, 8s. or at the rate, in round 

 numbers, of nearly 2, 10s. per acre. 



A good portion of this land will have to be drained, part of which is 

 now being done. We can now compare the separate expense of reclaim- 

 ing the land by paring and burning the turf, and also by ploughing it 

 without first being pared and burned. The cost of paring and burning 

 will therefore stand thus : 



Burning heath, proportion per acre, . 3 



Paring per acre, 100 



Burning per acre, with cartage of branches, . 3| 



Spreading of ashes per acre, . . . 010 



Ploughing, 10 



Cultivating, 10 



Coal, . ....... 3 10 



Carting coal, 2 l 



Assistance per acre, 018 



Carting water, 020 



2 11 2* 



This gives a total of 2, 11s. 2Jd. per acre, and the land is fit for crop- 

 ping. Taking the other portion ploughed, but not pared seventy-five 

 acres by itself, gives an almost equal expense per acre ; but it must be 

 kept in mind that in the latter case there is a year's produce lost, and 

 to the landlord a year's rent. 



It may be interesting to many to know that the two engines, in 

 working twenty-nine days, only required an outlay of 26s. in repairs 

 and these consisted chiefly in broken socks and used ten gallons of oil, 

 which cost 3. 



Besides the methods described of improving the waste lands of this 

 country, great extents of our moorlands could be very much increased 

 in value as pasturage by having the heath burned on them, and the 

 surface then slightly broken up by a scarifier or even with harrows, so 

 as to slightly open out the surface-soil for the purpose of receiving the 

 seeds of the finer grasses suited to the situation. This might be advan- 

 tageously done in situations which may be thought too expensive to 

 trench. The herbage of all such lands is also very much improved by 

 a topdressing of lime. 



