176 [Assembly 



oally with the art. We will give a few specimens for a better 

 understanding of the subject. Mr. Carmichael as much relied on 

 as any, stated they cost per acre £6 7s l|d, about $32 ; X7 13s 7^dj 

 about $38 ; c£4 9s 8d, about $21 . 50 ; the diiSerence of expense is 

 owing to the depth and number of lateral drains. This was in 

 1845 or 1846. Since this they have made improvements, and 

 drain some cheaper. Labor for this work would be in England, 

 from 2 shillings, to 2 shillings and 6 pence per day and found ; 

 the commonest laborers Is 3d to Is 8d ; in our country much 

 more. Yet with us, the few gentlemen who have done anything 

 at it say they do it considerably cheaper, but whether as tho- 

 rough may be questioned. Mr. Colman, in his last book, enti- 

 tled, " Travels in Europe," gives estimates of the expense of tho- 

 rough draining on the estates of the Duke of Bedford, in 1841, 

 2,3,4, £9 1 2s Od, about $46; to X5 Is 0d,about$25. Mr. Colman 

 states generally, that great agricultural improvements have been 

 made of late in every branch, and among others the important 

 one of draining, that the tile and pipe are now almost exclusive- 

 ly used, and that it is done for nearly or quite one half the ex- 

 pense it used to be ; he gives no other estimates of any lower in 

 actual practice, than those extracted from the records of Wo- 

 burn Abbey, of the Duke of Bedford's estate. Perhaps he 

 means that these are a specimen of the great reduction of ex- 

 pense in the art of late years, as '44, '45, and 46, are not a great 

 "while since. Cheap as these may be considered by Mr. Colman 

 and some others, of our countrymen, they are by far too high for 

 our farmers generally to adopt, and would be if they were re- 

 duced one-third, or even one-half from the highest estimates. 

 There are other reasons besides the great expense, although this 

 of itself is of sufficient weight, why, underdraining will not be 

 adopted generally in our country probably for many years to 

 come ; first, as we before stated the far greater quantity of hot 

 sun we have here during summer, and a part of spring and fall, 

 than they have in many parts of Europe, and especially Great 

 Britain, it follows that much more moisture is exhaled from our 

 soil, and we are less likely to have a surplus of it, and make it 

 necessary to convey this ofif by artificial means, and certainly 

 not by means so expensive as underdraining ; secoud, we have 



