Drainage of WIdttlesea Mere. 
143 
mined tlu; ;vtloption of the jilan on sucli ,a sralo as would enable 
works, such as buildinji^, road-niakinr:;, and the like, to precede, if 
necessary, the so-called "dry warpinj? " of the bog. 
The original scheme embraced 2h miles of rail, a stationary 
steam-engine of 25 horse-power, wire-rope proportioned to the 
length of railway, 200 trucks, &c. ; the estimate for the whole 
})lant and for every contingency being all but 5000Z. 
'J'akins 1500 as the number of acres to be covered with soil G 
inches deep, it was calculated that the cost per acre would amount 
to 14Z. 4s. ; from this would have to be deducted the incon- 
siderable sum that the plant would sell for at the expiration of 
the work. 
For the smaller operation \^ mile of iron railway, 1000 yards 
of portable wooden flanged rails, 50 trucks, and 10 horses, are the 
principal items of the plant employed, the cost of the whole 
amounting to about 1500/. It is found that with this force, in 
favourable weather, an acre and a half can be covered to the 
depth of 4 inches ; and a calculation, made in September last, as 
to what was the actual cost of the work at that time, showed that 
at 4 inches it was 12/. \s. 5d., and at 6 inches deep it was 
14/. 17s. 6c?.* In this calculation, however, the acreage over 
* Computed Cost of Dry- Warping, per Acre, on Holme Fen, the property of 
William Wells, Esq., as obtained from the Audited and Certitied Accounts, 
allowing 200 acres more only to be done with the present Plant, or 270 acres 
altogether. 
From Statement Ko. 2: 
£. 
s. 
d. 
£. 
s. 
d. 
3 
19 
8 
126 
7 
6 
22 
0 
0 
3 
16 
7 
1 
16 
3 
39 
18 
6 • 
142 
0 
0 
339 
18 
6 
From Statement No 3 : 
105 
0 
8 
73 
7 
6 
35 
13 
6 
214 
1 
8 
Estimated to he required : 
230 
0 
0 
50 
0 
0 
100 
0 
0 
380 
0 
0 
934 
0 
2 
Deduct estimated Talue of plant at completion,! 
233 
10 
0 
700 
10 
2 
Estimated 
