316 



The Buckeye " Ditcher. 



[July, 



be remembered that the machine had been in constant and 

 heavy use for the previous eighteen months. Certain delays 

 are to be regarded as of normal occurrence : the sides of the 

 digging wheel had to be cleared of clay from time to time 

 when excavating in wet patches; large stones had occasionally 

 to be dislodged from the buckets; V7orn links had to be replaced 

 in the driving chains; and on moving from one type of land to 

 another it would sometimes be necessary to substitute the, 

 cutting extensions on the rims of the buckets by picks, or 

 vice versa. 



Costs. — The total expenses incurred in connection with the 

 drainer during the trial may be summarised thus: — 



£ 8. d. 



Fuel :— 122 gal 22 14 8 



Cartage of fuel to drainer in the field (1 man + 1 horse 



for 2 days at 16s.) 1 12 



Luhricants : — 



Oil (22^ gal. at Ss. 2d.) 9 19 



Grease (7 lb. at Is.) 7 



£33 15 5 



Wages : — — — — 

 1 man and 1 boy (2f weeks at £7 10s.) £20 



To the above must be added capital charges. The machine 

 would probably not be running continuously throughout the 

 year; assuming that it is used for only 6 months each year, an, 

 estimate of the capital charges may be made by charging 

 interest at 7 per cent, and depreciation at 15 per cent. The 

 total cost of the machine, with spares, including freightage to 

 Scotland, was £1,414. Thus the annual charges are: — 



£ s. d. 



Interest at 7 per cent, on £1,414 ... 98 19 6 



Depreciation at 15 per cent, on £1,414 212 2 



£311 1 6 



that is, the cost per week, assuming 26 running weeks per 

 year, is £11 19s. 4d., and the cost for the duration of the trial, 

 -2§ weeks, was £31 188. 3d. For repairs and maintenance the 

 machine cost £10 3s. 9d. during the trial, of which £1 5s. Od. 

 was expended on a tile-mould and can fairly be deducted as a 

 permanent improvement. This leaves repairs at £8 18s. 9d. 



The summary below shows in the first column of figures 

 the actual costs of the machine for the full period of 2§ weeks, 

 from the time it entered the first field until the digging 

 operations ceased on September 7th. The second column 

 ^ives a calculation of the costs of operating the machine for 



