86 
On Reclaiming Heath Land. 
be applied to the reclaiming of the remaining 90 acres, or to any 
other extent of ground ; observing always to pay attention to its 
access when selecting the next or any subsequent plot for reclaim- 
ing ; and, if possible, so to dispose each field that all may have 
access to water. Some degree of attention must also be paid to 
the various qualities of the soil, particularly if the field is to be 
hereafter used for tillage land. In this case it is very desirable to 
select each successive break as nearly as may be of the same 
quality throughout. The inconvenience of having three or four 
different kinds of soil in the same field, requiring as many dif- 
ferent kinds of treatment, both as to manuring and cropping, is so 
well known to the experienced farmer, that it requires no further 
comment, but to those who have not been in the habit of reclaim- 
ing heath land a hint may not be out of season. 
I will now proceed to make out a statement of the cost of re- 
claiming and preparing for a first crop 10 acres of heath land, of 
an average description, according to the system recommended; 
and in so doing will adopt what I consider a fair medium, as re- 
gards the cost of lime and labour, as well as the nature of the 
ground : — 
£. s. d. 
Cost of fencing 65 rods of stone fence (7 yards to the rod) 
where stones can be conveniently obtained, including 
stone getting, cartage, &c. . . . . . 26 0 0 
Say 60 rods of drain (7 yards to the rod), either stone or 
tile-drain, cost of materials, cartage, &c. . . , .5 10 0 
Paring 10 acres, at 14«. per acre . . . . .700 
Burning ditto, at 3?. per acre . . . . . 1 10 0 
180 imperial bushels of lime per acre, at 3d. per bushel . 22 10 0 
Cartage of ditto 2 miles, at \d. per bushel . . .7100 
Spreading lime and ashes, at 4j. per acre . . .200 
Ploughing 10 acres, at \0s. per acre . . . .500 
Grubbing stones after the plough, and clearing off ditto . 2 0 0 
New gate, jjosts, hanging, &c. &c., probably . . .10 0 
£80 0 0 
It will appear i'rom this statement that the total cost per acre is 
8/., which at first sight may to some appear rather heavy ; but, when 
it is taken into account that the land is peifectly and thoroughly 
reclaimed, and rendered capable of producing two or three successive 
crops without any additional nianuio, I think tlic system recom- 
mended will bear a comparison with other methods, which at first 
sight may appear cheaper and more economical. Setting aside the 
straw to compensate for seed, harrowing, reaping, and marketing 
the grain, I have frequently known the first crop of grain tlo more 
than pay for the whole outlay, including rent and taxes, which I 
have omitted to take into tlic foregoing statement. These, how- 
