Sutherland Reclamation. 
467 
often thrown up in wild confusion, but the ordinary result of 
the ploughing is that the surface is left covered with broad 
furrows of turf, laid obliquely with some approach to regularity', 
and divided by layers of sand of varying thickness ; the total 
depth of soil moved is about 20 inches. 
Occasionally, an acre or two of deeper peat occurs in the 
middle of a field, and here both the first and the second furrows 
are much deeper, and a total depth of 30 to 36 inches is attained. 
Care must be taken in these spots to break up or burn the black 
peat thus brought to the surface, or it will seriously interfere 
with the subsequent cultivation of the field. 
The peat that is least fit for cultivation is best fitted for 
burning. Advantage has been taken of this fact in digging 
drains through the occasional pieces of deep peat that occur on 
these Kildonan farms. Where peat is cut by contract, in the 
ordinary way it costs Is. ?>d. to \s. 6c?. per cubic yard, measured 
after it is stacked dry. By marking out the line of the drains 
a year or two before the land is ploughed, the two top spits of 
the drain can be dug out and dried at the ordinary price of 
peat digging. Thus in No. 11 field of farm No. I., peats were 
dug in 1878 in the line of the drains for Is. Ad. per cubic yard, 
and are now stacked on the spot ready for use by the engine. 
In 1879 peats were dug in the line of drains and stacked for 
Is. to Is. ?>d. per cubic yard. The peat will be consumed by 
the engines, the whole cost is therefore charged to the trenching 
account. As there is no cost of carting, the peat thus obtained 
costs absolutely less than ordinary peat would do, while a consider- 
able part of the draining work is thus done for nothing. There 
is a further advantage in this plan : the surface of the ground is 
laid dry, and becomes more consolidated, so that some sub- 
sidence takes place, and, when the drains are completed, they 
can with greater ease be cut down to the solid bottom. 
A pair of 14-horse engines will, on an average, burn about 
15 cubic yards of fair peat ; this, at Is. ?>d. per yard, will be 
18s. 9f?. When the peats have to be carted, we must add to 
this 6s., making the total cost 1/. 4s. 9f/. per diem. 
Brora coals cost 12s. 6J. per ton, delivered at the Kinbrace 
station, and a pair of 14-horse engines will consume 3 tons 
per diem, at a cost of 1/. 17s. 6f/. ; to this must be added 4s. 
for carting, making the total cost of coals 21. Is. &d. per diem — 
from 16s. 9f/. to 1/. 2s. 9c?. a day more than the peat. When it is 
added that peat possesses a decided advantage in burning without 
smoke or fouling the flues, it will be seen that wherever peat can 
be cut beforehand in the line of the drains, a very important 
advantage and saving may be obtained. Peat for burning 
should be cut in the months of May, June, and July. 
It has been mentioned that much of the water for the engines 
