who may never have attempted any operation of this fort, I fhall let them know what I have found it to be. It will readily occur to every one, that the expence of performing this operation muft vary, according to the height and breadth of the ridges. The breadth, in a particular manner, increases the expence; because, as the earth has, in that cafe, to be thrown very far, it tires the labourers fo much, that they are not able to do near fo much work as if they were narrower. But, on ground where the ridges are fo high as that they would require to be cloven, or laid from the middle towards the furrows five or fix times, and as many times crofs harrowed, before they could be brought to a level, by means of these implements alone, I find that ten or eleven men will, in the manner above defcribed, level the ground as fast as one plough can turn it over, if it goes at an or dinary dinary pace. Now, as a man can work during the time of two and a half ordinary double yokings in the day, eleven men in one day will level as much ground as could be ploughed at two yokings and a half of one plough, even where the ridges are as high as they can ever be met with; and, where the height is more moderate, five or fix men would be fufficient to perform the fame quantity of work. From which data any one who chufes to do it may make a comparison of the expence of performing this operation in either of these two ways, properly adapted to his own particular fituation for this must neceffarily vary very ; much in different places, as the expence of labour and other circumftances may different. be very But, for the fatisfaction of fuch as may wish to avoid the trouble of making this calculation, I fhall attempt it in the following manner: Let us suppose, that the price of labour labour in Scotland varies in different places from fix-pence to one fhilling, and that the medium price may be fixed at nine-pence per day; and that the hire of a plough, with four horfes and two fervants, (for fo many, in general, will be requifite to labour properly ground in the condition that this is fuppofed to be in), varies in like manner, from three to five fhillings per yoking; and that the medium price of this fhould be called four fhillings; in this cafe, the comparative expence of levelling, by these two different modes, would be as follows: Levelling by the Spade. For wages to eleven labourers one day, at nine-pence each, For the hire of a plough 2 yoke L. 0 8 3 ings, at four fhillings each, O IO O Total expence of one day's work, o 18 3 Levelling 1 Levelling the fame by the plough and har rows. For 2 yokings of a plough as above, For harrowing ditto, fuppofed at of the ploughing, L. i 10 2 6 0 12 6 Total for once ploughing, &c. Total expence of levelling by plough and harrows, Total expence of levelling by the fpade Difference, 2 6 3 15 0 © 18 3 L. 2 16 9 So that the expence of levelling by the plough, is above four times as great as performing that operation by the spade, at the rates rates above mentioned; which is a difference fo very great, as no variation of the rates of labour, from what is supposed above, could in any cafe nearly compenfate. It will poffibly be objected by fome, that I here lay the whole expence of the fix ploughings and harrowings to the accompt of levelling; whereas, they ought rather, in a great measure, to be confidered as a fummer-fallow, and charged of confequence to that head; which would reduce the expence of levelling confiderably. But, if they confider the matter with due attention, they will find that this plea cannot be admitted. It must be remembered, that each fucceffive ploughing, when performed in this manner, buries a part of the good earth that was meliorated by the former ploughings, and turns up fome of the inert earth in the middle of the ridge; which, by the next ploughing, is made to cover another parcel of good earth, and have its place fupplied by other earth E e |