8 



Continuance 

 of the 

 decline. 



Casual 

 labourers 



and graziers had decreased in forty counties and increased 

 in forty-eight counties. Farm bailiffs and foremen had in- 

 creased in fifty-six counties and decreased in thirty-one ; while 

 agricultural labourers had decreased in every county except 

 Anglesea and Flint. No very great significance is, per- 

 haps, to be attached, for the reason already given, to the 

 changes in the number of farmers or graziers, while the appa- 

 rent increase of " Farm bailiffs " in 1901 may be attributable 

 in some degree to the inclusion of "Foremen" with them. Some 

 increase of the farmer class in consequence of the splitting up 

 of large holdings into smaller is noted in Bedfordshire, Kent, 

 Surrey, East 'Sussex, Lincolnshire and Inverness, and the fact 

 that farms in many districts are stated to let more freely now 

 than in 1901 may have tended recently to increase the number of 

 farmers and diminish the number of farm bailiffs. On the other 

 hand, instances are given, as in Lincoln, the East Hiding, 

 (Brecon, and Aberdeen, of separate farms being grouped into a 

 single holding and bailiffs or foremen in such cases replacing 

 tenant farmers. 



Opinions as to the continuance of the decline in agricultural 

 labourers since 1901 differ somewhat widely, and correspon- 

 dents in the same county sometimes express contrary views. 

 In one or two counties it seems to be thought that the rate of 

 decline has been accelerated, while in others, such as Middlesex 

 and Ayrshire, labourers are said to be more numerous than in 

 1901. On the whole, however, the tenour of the majority of the 

 reports indicates that since 1901 there has been some further 

 reduction in the number of men employed on farms, but that 

 the diminution is proceeding at a slower rate than during the 

 ten or twenty years preceding that date. 



The total number of persons employed at one time or another 

 in agricultural labour is not represented by the Census returns 

 of those who so describe themselves. At the " busy times " of 

 the farm year for the corn and hay harvests, for turnip 

 thinning and hoeing, for potato-lifting, for hop-picking, for 

 fruit-gathering, and the like the permanent staff is inade- 

 quate, and was at one time very largely reinforced 

 by immigrants, of whom a considerable proportion would 

 not describe themselves as agricultural labourers. It will 

 be seen that the attention of the correspondents was 

 directed to the question of the extent to which such extraneous 

 help is now utilised. From almost every county the reply is 

 received that there is a greater reduction of casual than of per- 

 manent labour. The use of labour-saving machinery is ^ the 

 main cause assigned. One correspondent observes that "the 

 use of self-binders, &c., has practically done away with 

 at least three-fourths of the extra staff that used to foe required 

 for harvesting operations." It is noted in several counties 



