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Jan 1 72

In the same field as before we measured the depth by stretching a string from edge to edge transversely to the furrow placing a walking stick in the furrow & pressing it down so as to get the average level of the furrow & measur [ing] the depth from the string to the furrow.

We began by measuring a furrow transverse to the hill in the steepest part & following it up the slope towards the point of the 'Spoon' until the slope nearly died away; in the upper part (near the point of the Spoon) the furrows might be said to be more up the hill wh. was a gentle slope than transverse.

The measures were taken about every 10 paces & were (beginning at the steep & transverse part)

5 3/4 6 1/2 7 1/4 7 6 5 1/4 4 1/4 5 1/4 5 1/2 5 3/4 inches

In the next furrow but one nearer to the centre line of the Spoon, where the hill to which the furrow in its lower part ran transverse was not so steep, the numbers taken in the same order were

5 1/4 4 3/4 6 1/2 5 1/4 5 4 3/4 6 6 1/2 inches

In a furrow which ran almost up a very gentle slope nearly flat at top the numbers were (beginning at the lowest point

6 4 3/4 5 1/2 5 6 1/2 6 5 1/2 5 1/2

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And on a part of the field which was quite level the depths of 8 parallel furrow measured in the same place — (Thus in the figure A B C D &c were the places of measurement) were

6 6 8 14 6 12 6 5 14 5 6 14 inches

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Observations on the results

If the worm theory is true one wd expect to find the furrows more filled up where they are transverse to the hill than when they run down it. The 1st & 2nd furrows might [roughly] be considered as one half being transverse & the other half down the hill

Now average depth of 1st or lower 5 measures in 1st furrow is 6.50 inches of the 2nd or upper 5 measures in 1st furrow is 5.2 inches

Thus in per furrow the furrow was actually deeper by more than an inch where it run most transversely

The same operation for 2nd furrow gives 5.44 inches for depth of transverse part & 5.56 longitude.

Here it is as was expected & the upper part is deeper by .12 inches

Again the average depth of the whole 1st furrow is 5.85 inches & that of whole 2nd furrow is 5.50 inches

Thus the 1st furrow altho' situated

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more on the slope of the hill was actually deeper by .35 inches

The average depth of the 3rd furrow was 5.72 inches that is almost of the same average depths as the 1st and 2nd furrows wh. were 5.85 & 5.5 respectively

The average depth of furrow in the flat part is 6.15 inches — that is deeper than any other furrows except the lower part of the 1st furrow — I am thus inclined to think that the lower part of the 1st furrow is abnormal — since it ought not to be deeper much on the level under any circumstances

The mean error in 1st set of measures is .67

2nd .62

3rd .46

4th 62

That is the measure deviate on either side of the average by over 1/2 an inch & thus goes to show that no great reliance can be placed on the figures as the measurement give such uncertain results.