48 EUROPEAN AGRICULTURE. 



The following, which is a specimen of the half-year s account 

 between a large fanner and one of his laborers in a part of North 

 umberland, is worthy of observation : 



Dr. to 



. s. d. 



Jane Thompson, (the bondager.) 12 1J days at 10d., .513 

 Catherine Thompson, (a child,) 24 harvest days at Is. 1 40 



Do., 73J days at 5d., 1 10 7J 



Elizabeth Thompson, (a younger child,) 7J days, . . 1 9J 

 Isabella Thompson, (a dress-maker at other times,) 



35J days at Is., 5 ] 

 Do., 20 harvest days at 2s. 3d., ... 2 5 



Wife, 9 harvest days, ....103 



His old father, 52 days, 3 18 



John Thompson s half-year s cash, 2 10 



19 6 8* 



This account, it will be seen, with the exception of the last 

 item, does not include any portion of the laborer s own service, 

 but that of his family only. The difference in the price of 

 harvest work at different periods, as between one shilling and 

 two shillings and threepence, is probably owing to labor becom 

 ing more scarce, on account of the general ripeness of the crop, 

 or the hurrying state of the weather. 



The Scotch laborers seemed to me, from a very limited obser 

 vation, strongly attached to their employers. On one farm, where 

 I had the pleasure of visiting, one of the laborers had been in 

 the employment of the same family forty years, and another 

 sixty ; to each of whom, although their labor now was of very 

 little value, the farmer continued the same rate of wages, which 

 they had in early life. This indeed would seem to be no more 

 than just, that the honest laborer, whose life had been spent in 

 the service of another man, should not be turned adrift in his old 

 age ; but, alas ! how rare is justice ! 



Of the extraordinary frugality with which some persons in 

 humble life live, even where prices are high, I may give an 



* Parliamentary Report on Employment of Women and Children in Agri 

 culture. 1843. p. 297. 



