1921.] 



The Claying of Fen Soils. 



415 



met with varies greatly; where there is much to be contended 

 with it renders the operation difficult and expensive. 



The clay having been excavated and spread over the whole 

 field, the work of filling in the trenches is begun. Three 

 furrows are ploughed round each trench, usually with a 

 digging plough, to a depth of 8 or 10 inches. After the third 

 furrow has been turned the plough is followed by a gang of 

 men with spades, who remove about 12 inches of subsoil and 

 peat from the bottom of the furrow, and throw it into the open 

 trench. The plough follows and turns a fourth furrow, the 

 bottom of which is dug out and thrown into the trench as 

 before. This process is continued until the trench is filled in. 

 By this ingenious method, known locally as subsoiling, the top 

 soil remains on the surface, and the trench is filled with peat. 

 The whole field is then ploughed, the clay being buried 

 to a depth of 6 inches. The cultivator follows, and the land is 

 prepared for a crop of potatoes or mangolds in the usual way, 

 roots being usually the crop chosen to follow an application of 

 clay. 



Cost. — The digging of the holes and the excavation and 

 spreading of the clay is done by skilled "Toolmen " by piece- 

 work. The cost varies with the depth of the clay and the 

 amount of water present in the soil. Prices ascertained in the 

 winter of 1919 — 1920 varied from lis. to 15s. per chain of 

 trench dug. The cost of claying per acre in that particular 

 season was approximately as follows, clay being struck at a 

 depth of 4 feet, and water not being excessive: — 



£ s. (1. 



Setting out work with plough 060 



Cost of digging holes, excavating and spreading clay, 

 trenches 13 yd. apart, @ 12s. per chain, i.e., 17 chains 



@ r2s 10 4 



Cost of lining in (subsoiling), including plough ... ... .2 10 



£i:5 



The work is hard and requires a good deal of skill, and the 

 " Toolmen" earn from 9s. to 10s. per day of 7.1 hours. 

 Wages are always rather higher in the fen country than in 

 the surrounding districts, but most of the work is done by the 

 piece. In fact, the amount of piece work is a characteristic 

 of fen farming, the result being a more efficient and better type 

 of labour, as under thi system men earn what they are in- 

 dividually worth. A " Toolman," that is a skilled man, hi the 



