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THE FARMER'S MAGAZINE. 



work of the farm ; aiiil, up to the present time, I do not 

 find they are more able to uudei-take skilled labour than 

 they were years since, except in some instances, when 

 they get the advantage of the alteration of masters able to 

 give them lessons in the several branches of such labour." 

 Another correspondent states : " As regards education, I 

 do not think the lower classes appreciate the efforts that 

 are being made throughout the country for their advan- 

 tage. Many might send their young children to school; 

 but they neglect to do so. I do not advocate a boy being 

 kept at school after he is eleven years of age, except the 

 Sunday-school, or perhaps twice in the week at evening- 

 school, if he is to earn his living by field-work. It is only 

 those who go to work young that make good labourers. A 

 highly-educated boy of fourteen would not like the ABC 

 of farm-work." Another says : " I am not quite sure that 

 the education going on at present is a step in the right 

 direction. So far as teaching reading and writing, but one 

 opinion can exist — that it is right; but here they are 

 taught, especially girls, every kind of torn foolery that can 

 be thought of — crochet, fancy needlework, geography, use 

 of the globes, and much else which is not useful." An- 

 other says that his experience goes to prove that the 

 system of education adopted, more especially at the Na- 

 tional Scheols, is set too high above the general minds of 

 the pupils ; and that, while efforts are made to bring out 

 the talents of the quick, the slow pupils are left behind. 

 Thus the masses are anything but well educated. Another 

 correspondent states : " I think I may say nearly every 

 parish has its good school accommodation — in many in- 

 stances in superfluity; for I call all beyond reading luell 

 and moral training superfluous to the pauper scholar — 

 firstly, that it unfits him for his calling in life ; and se- 

 condly, and chiefly, that ratepayers, to a very considerable 

 extent, are unable to educate their own children to the ex- 

 tent that they are called upon to contribute to the educa- 

 tion of children in the class beneath them. Yet, with the 

 facilities offered, a very great number of children (of 

 course, through the neglect of their parents) receive no 

 instruction." "Life in every shape," says a German 

 writer, " should be precious to us, for the same reason that 

 the Turks collect every scrap of paper that comes in their 

 way, because the name of God may be written on it." It 

 will be a great day, Mr. Chairman, four our covintry, when, 

 through the education of the intellect and the heart, our 

 agricultural labourers shall be prepared to have " God's 

 name" written on them. 



I now proceed to the next department of my paper, 

 in which we glance at two of the principal modes 

 by which an agricultural labourer can offer Ms services 

 to expecting or waiting masters, these being hiring 

 markets and statute fairs. In Scotland, hiring or feeing 

 markets are very general. They are usually held twice a 

 year, at the county or chief town of the district ; and as 

 on these occasions a large number of people assemble, 

 and old friends and cronies meet after months' 

 absence, drinking is carried on, and other vicious 

 scenes enacted. The consequence of this is, that 

 a very decided and somewhat warmly - carried - on 

 orusade has been commenced against these markets : 

 a warm discussion has been, and is now, going on 

 eliciting doubtless a great array of facts, very dreary and 

 melancholy, inasmuch as they show the evils attendant 

 upon these meetings. Far be it from me to ignore the 

 fact that these evils exist, or to in any way detract from 

 the importance of the measures which propose to get rid 



of them; but it appears to me that there is a fault in the 

 mode in which the discussion is carried on, by thus being 

 desirous of doing away with hiring markets. I refer 

 specially to the point wliich they generally assume, 

 namely, that all the evils are inherent in the system, that 

 it is in every way bad, and that it cannot by any possibility 

 be good; ignoring the fact, that these meetings simply 

 give the opportunity, and, I admit, supply in great measure 

 the temptation, which enables the labourers there assem- 

 bled to carry out their orgies. If with a full sense of the 

 dignity of labour and the worth of moral manliness, those 

 attending them would determine that they would not 

 drown their senses in a flood of drink, would not the evils 

 altogether or nearly cease? If our merchants can meet 

 on " change" and yet carry on no public exhibition of 

 vice and degradation, what in the nature of things pre- 

 vents our labourers from attending hiring markets and 

 statute fairs, their change, and displaying the same order 

 and decency? Nothing indeed, but the exercise of self- 

 control and of Christian principles. Seeing the evils 

 which undoubtedly arise from these markets as at present 

 carried on, and gladly granting that prevention is better 

 than cure, and that it is better not to lead our fellow-men 

 into temptation, I would be glad to see them abolished if 

 they cannot be improved, as some maintain they cannot. 

 But perceiving that several practical conveniences attend 

 upon their establishment, and not a few inconveniences 

 would follow their abolishing, I would gladly hail all at- 

 tempts on the part of the masters to lessen the opportuni- 

 ties which they afford for the carrying out of ^dcious 

 practices of the servant ; but at the same time I should 

 like to see those who are so eagerly denouncing them, as 

 if all the sin lay at the master's door, point out decidedly 

 to the servant that he has, at least* some influence in 

 bettering them ; that as it is his excesses which makes 

 them such evils, it is probable, to put it mildly, that his 

 forbearance and self-control would on the other hand 

 greatly mitigate these evils. So far as the practice of 

 liiring markets is concerned, I am free to admit that I 

 think it a wrong one, a clumsy, inefficient way of carrying 

 out the desired end. On this point one of the most dis» 

 tinguished agriculturists in Scotland writes to me as fol- 

 lows, as regards the hiring market in his own neighbour- 

 hood, " It has been most prejudicial to both masters and 

 men. Servants are hired not for their character, but from 

 their height and breadth of their shoulders; in fact, it is 

 impossible in a market to obtain a character. No con- 

 sideration would induce me to hire a man in a market. 

 You cannot be in contact with a man for 12 months with- 

 out affecting him or being affected by him, either for the 

 better or for the worse. He wiU do something to excite 

 your anger, or you wiU raise his wrath, without the most 

 judicious selection. When I want a man I let it be known, 

 and as yet have always had the offer of service to choose 

 from. I have seldom any changes, while those who go to 

 the market get new servants almost every year." A com- 

 mittee of the Highland and Agricultural Society was ap- 

 pointed to " consider and report as to the various methods 

 in use for procuring the engagement of farm labourers, 

 male and female, and whether it may not be possible to 

 dispense with hiring markets." Taking the information 

 supplied by correspondence, the committee reported that 

 the methods in use for procuring the engagements of farm 

 labourers appeared to he the following: 1. By private 

 hiring, which seemed a very common method of hiring, 

 and in many districts almost the only one. 2. By private 



