THE COMMERCIAL ASPECT OF HARDY FRUIT GROWING. 303 
surface soil one spit deep and two spits wide to the end of the 
plot to be trenched, then turning over the next spit with a fork 
or spade, completely breaking it up, but keeping it in the same 
relative position, the next top spit being turned on to that. 
This may be performed by a man and a youth at 6d. a square 
rod for the former and dd. the latter, or it may require two, and 
even three, men at 6d. each a square rod, the total cost being 
thus Is. 6d. a rod. In very tough, heavy land, men will some- 
times work in gangs of three or six, the payment being by 
measurement as much as Is. Sd. a rod ; but, except in regard 
to hastening the work, day labour is quite as economical as the 
latter rate, if good workmen are engaged and well superintended. 
Payment by the day for men in rural districts is from 2s. to 
2s. Gd., but near towns and for more skilled labour it is from 8s. 
to 8s. 6d. a day, with 4s. for a few experienced useful men for 
special work or as foremen. Women are paid from Is. 6d. to 
2s. a day, and boys or youths from 6d. to Is. dd. a day, in 
proportion to their age, strength, and usefulness. For any large 
market garden and fruit farm combined, a regular staff of men 
and boys is essential, so that they may become accustomed to 
the routine work. 
Manure. — When manure has to be brought a distance it is 
a considerable addition to the expenses. Where it is not to 
be had in the immediate neighbourhood, and the produce has 
to be taken by carts into large towns, the cheapest plan is 
to arrange for the carts, having discharged their load of 
produce, to be at once filled with manure for the return journey 
home. The same thing may be done where produce is sent off 
by rail, if the trucks of manure have been previously ordered 
to be at the station from which the fruit is to be despatched. 
In the former case it may not cost more than 2s. to 3s. a ton, 
or even less under special arrangements for taking a quantity. 
In most populous cities particular firms undertake the collecting 
and redistribution of stable manure, and then it costs from 5s. 
to 8s. a ton in trucks from yard to station, 20 to 60 miles 
by train, the only further cost to be reckoned being the 
carting on to the land, which will be determined by the 
distance from the station and the utilisation or not of the same 
carts, &c., which have taken the produce to the station. The 
cost per day for man, horse, and cart hired may be 6s. or 7s. 
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