asked the Minister for Lands if he will state the acreage mounded and drained by the tractor ploughs of the forestry division since their purchase and the cost per acre as compared with the cost if the work had been done by the old method.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Tractor Drainage Costs.
The area mounded and drained by the tractor ploughs in use by the forestry division to date is approximately 1,500 acres. Depreciation and the cost of repairs represent a high proportion of the cost of operating these machines and it is impossible at this stage to give more than a tentative estimate of the cost per acre of this work. This estimate is £2 per acre. The cost of similar work, done by hand, is estimated at £8 to £10 per acre.