Tlie Acjriculture of Worcestershire. 463 



soda), and for half the corn consumed by his stock. The 

 great object to be sought is to get him to expend his money 

 and cultivate his land as if he were going to keep it ; and 

 that is the best agreement which makes it his interest to do 

 so; for if he exhausts his farm, it costs the incomer double 

 the money to get it into proper condition again. The land- 

 lord also loses by his farm being in a poor and impoverished 

 condition when he tries to let it to a new tenant, whilst if the 

 outgoing tenant knows he is to be remunerated fairly for his 

 expenditure, and also get a further benefit in his crop, he will 

 be sure to avail himself of his chance ; the extra straw and 

 the manure left will be for the benefit of the farm, as only the 

 corn is sold off. 



The Laboueee. 



The labourer's condition is better in Worcestershire than in 

 some of the adjoining counties ; indeed in some districts his 

 condition and intelligence are quite superior ; this may be 

 accounted for by his contact with his manufacturing brethren. 

 His wages vary from 9^ to lis. per week, but they are swelled 

 by perquisites and extras to 145. or 15^. The bailiff, carter, and 

 shepherd have cottages rent-free. 



The system of task-work is gradually gaining ground, and we 

 should be glad to see more done in this direction ; it stimu- 

 lates the good labourer to do his utmost, whilst the slothful 

 man must do a fair day's work to earn his wages, or suffer the 

 penalty of indolence ; another advantage which is often lost 

 sight of is, that when labourers are scarce, it leads to more work 

 being done by each man, by his working overtime. The only 

 drawback or disadvantage that I know of is, that the farmer 

 himself must thoroughly understand the work to observe whether 

 it is properly done, and to insist upon its being so done. This 

 requires some firmness on his part. 



Another point of great importance to be here discussed, is 

 the system of giving the labourer drink. This varies from two 

 quarts of cider per day in the winter to three quarts in the 

 summer, with four at harvest and hay-making time, and when 

 extra labour is required. 



I have heard both sides of this question discussed, and I must 

 confess that I see no good result likely to arise from the abolition 

 of the existing system, unless the men voluntarily assent to it, 

 or that all the beer-houses are shut up ; for I have seen numbers 

 of instances, where the men, having received only money pay- 

 ment, consider themselves entitled to spend the extra sum they 

 obtain in drink ; this leads to their visiting the beer-house, where 

 they spend a great deal more than they should, besides acquiring 



