MACHINE FOR CLEARING R6AD3. 33 



Clark, and Mr. John Baily) and pther<;, by which it appears. Machine for 



clearing ro; 

 from mud. 



that two miles, by meafure, on the road to Reading, were^'^^'''"S''oads 



cleared from mud, to the extent of 18 or 20 feet wide, by 

 two machines, in the fpace of two hours and a half, by the 

 watch ; and the work was judged to be eqiial to the labour of 

 more than eighty men in a day. 



The fuceefs of this experiment was fo fatisfaclory to the 

 above-named trufiees, for I was not prefent on the occafion, 

 that they direded, without my knowledge, the remainder of 

 •our diftrict on this road, extending feven miles, to be cleared 

 in the fame manner; and I can now declare, with fome 

 degree of pleafure, that this was actually completed by two 

 machines in one day, viz. on the following day, the 26th of 

 February. Of this day's work I have heard it affirmed, by 

 an experienced furveyor, that it could not have been done ia 

 one day by 400 men. 



I confefs that I am myfelf unable, from the want of prac- 

 tical knowledge on this fubjedl, to form a comparative eftimate 

 between the work done by this machine and by hand : I have 

 therefore fought for information from perfons of refpectable 

 characters, who have been furveyors, or renters of roads for 

 many years : and I have been alTured, as welLby thofe who 

 were prefent at the experiments, as by others who examined 

 the roads afterwards, that it would require fixty men a mile, 

 to do the work in one day, which a fingle machine will ac- 

 complifh at four lengths ; and it has been already fliown, that 

 three miles can, without difficulty, be cleared in a day : one 

 machine will therefore do the work of one hundred and eighty 

 men. But I have taken the average at only two thirds of this 

 eftimate, viz. at forty men per mile inftead of fixty, being 

 more willing that the power of the machine fliould at prefent 

 be under-rated, than that the public fliould be deceived or dif- 

 appointed concerning it. 



The trufiees of the London and Bath roads, being defirous 

 of having tiiefe two machines, which had been conftruded on 

 my account, and under my own infpedion, for making the 

 experiments, I have confented to difpofe of them: and as far 

 as I am now able to judge, the price of a machine complete 

 will be about ten guineas. 



Finally, I mufi: beg leave to advife thofe who are inclined 

 to make a trial of this machine, to be careful whom they in- 



Vox. VilL—IVlAY, 1SG4-0 D tend 



