DIGGING is performed by the solid yard of 27 cubic feet.
In soft ground, where only emitting with the spade is necessary, a man will throw up a cubic yard in an hour, or 10 cubic yards in a day. Ifut if hacking be necessary, an additional man will be required ; and very strong gravel will require two. The rates of a cubic yard depending thus upon each circumstance, they will be ip the ratio of the arithmetical numbers 1, 3. If, therefore, the wages of a labourer be 2•. 6d, per day, the price of a yard will be 3d. for rutting only ; 6d. for cutting and hacking; and 9d. when two hackers are necessary.
In sandy ground, when wheeling is requisite, three men will be required to remove 30 cubic yards a day, to the distance of 20 yards, two filling and one wheeling ; but to !TIMMe the same quantity in a day, to any greater distance, an additional man will he required for every twenty yards.
To find the price of removing any number of cubic yards to any given distance: Divide the distance in yards by 20, which gives the number of wheelers; add the two cutters to the quotient, and you will have the whole number employed ; multiply the sum by the daily wages of a labourer, and the produce will be the price of 30 cubic yards.—Then, As 30 cubic yards is to the whole number, so is the price of 30 cubic yards to the cost of the whole.
Example.—What will it cost to remove 2,750 cubic yards, to the distance of 120 yards, a man's wages being three shillings per day ? 2,0)12,0 6 number of wheelers.
2 fillers.
S men employed.
3 shillings per day.
24 price of 30 cubic yards.
2750 X 24 30 : 2750: : 24 : = £110.
30 See farther under EXCAVATION'.