14 BULLETIN 300, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 
In the same general locality as the foregoing case, and under the 
same soil conditions, a 1-yard dredge which was, except in respect to 
capacity, equipped similarly to the above-described machine, was 
operated in the construction of ditches which averaged 30 feet wide 
and 5 feet deep. The cost of the dredge, erected, was $11,000. The 
average output per 12-hour shift during a 2-years' run was 1,000 
cubic yards. The cost per shift was as follows: 
Labor (4 men) $10. 00 
Fuel, 5 barrels oil, at $1.75 8. 75 
Repairs, oil, and grease 5. 50 
24.25 
Cost per cubic yard, exclusive of interest and depreciation, $0.0242. 
In another drainage project in southern Louisiana several ditches, 
each 3 miles long, were constructed by a dipper dredge installed on a 
5 J by 18 by 70 foot hull. The power was obtained from a 60-horse- 
power internal-combustion engine. The dredge had a 1 J-yard dipper, 
40-foot boom, and convertible power spuds. The total cost of the 
outfit, including house-boats and small towboats, was $12,000. Two 
shifts of 10 hours each were run for 26 days in each month. The 
crew were furnished subsistence, and each shift consisted of: One 
runner, at $125; 1 craneman, at $65; and 1 engine tender, at $40 
per month. One cook, at $35, and one general utility man, at $60, 
were also employed, making a total labor cost of $555 per month. 
The average dimensions of the ditch were: Top width, 25 feet; bot- 
tom width, 18 feet; and depth, 8 feet. The ground was nearly level 
and the water stood about 3 feet below the ground surface. The 
excavated material was a stiff, sandy clay. About 3.4 miles of the 
work consisted in cleaning old channel, which required frequent mov- 
ing and gave small yardage. The total excavation in five months was 
about 216,000 cubic yards. The cost was as follows: 
Labor and board $3, 555 
Fuel and oil 2, 300 
Repairs 980 
Interest and depreciation 2, 050 
8,885 
Cost per cubic yard, $0,411. 
A steam-operated floating dipper dredge, mounted on a 5 by 15 
by 60 foot hull and equipped with a 1-yard dipper, 38-foot boom, 
and inclined telescopic bank spuds, was used in the excavation of 
about lOf miles of ditch in North Carolina. The cost of the dredge 
is stated to have been $6,613.82. One shift of 10 hours per day was 
run. The actual number of days of operation was not recorded. 
The crew and rates of pay were as follows: One engineer, $125 per 
month; 1 craneman, $2 per day; 1 fireman, $1.25 per day; 1 watch- 
man, $1.50 per day. The crew furnished their own subsistence. 
