BOTANICAL WANDERINGS IN THE SOUTH. 22/ 



and Coldstream, where the inhabitants were " terrible wi' 

 the burr," which, however, he understood, though their 

 speech was " a bit o' a rattle." He also went some distance 

 into Northumberland. 



He generally travelled south and returned home again 

 on foot. Sometimes the harvesters went in a party on 

 board ship or steamer to the place where they were to be 

 employed. On occasions, he took steamer home ; but 

 he most frequently came back by land, doing weaving 

 on the way, and often passed through Fettercairn, and 

 home by the old hill road across the Cairn-o-Mount, down 

 into Deeside, and so over to the Don. 



In the harvest-field, John either worked at cutting the 

 grain with the sickle or at binding the sheaves. His usual 

 wages were only two shillings a day. Women also were 

 hired to go south along with the men. Once or twice, the 

 contractor who farmed the party in which he was, ran 

 off with the earnings of all, a loss John felt very much. 

 In this way and by non-payment of webs, he lost " guid 

 puckles o' money noo and nan " (now and then), for he was 

 " ower simple wi' them." 



The style of life and work in such harvesting parties 

 is well indicated by the narrative of a cousin of Mr. 

 Beveridge, of the Craigh in Tough, who accompanied John 

 to a harvest in Fife. The party that year was hired by 

 a well-known contractor, John Angus, of Turriff. They 

 assembled at Dundee, and crossed the Tay to Newburgh, 

 in Fife, where they were met by the farmer's carts and 

 conveyed to their destination, the Mains of Dunbog, some 

 miles inland to the east. They arrived there about mid- 

 night, and had to take refuge for a time, late though 



