DIVISION VII. 



Bounties of Argyll, Ayr, Bute, Caithness, Dumbarton, Dumfries, 

 Inverness, Kirkcudbright ; Lanark, Orkney, Renfrew, Ross 

 and Cromarty, Shetland, Stirling, Sutherland and Wigtown. 



ARGYLL. Temporary labour has declined to as great or even 

 greater an extent than resident labour. Mr. Hunter says: 

 " Corn harvest and potato-lifting are the only special seasons 

 here when extra hands are employed." Mr. Martin writes: 

 *' In Islay there is never any. difficulty in obtaining 

 occasional harvest labourers or peat-cutters, as so many are 

 employed in the distilleries here during the distilling season 

 and are available at harvest time for farm work." Mr. Camp- 

 bell writes : " Temporary labour is mostly supplied by members 

 of the families of resident labourers or small holders. It is 

 difficult to get labour for corn harvest, as the touring and 

 shooting season is on at the same time." 



AYR. Mr. Hannah writes : " Large numbers of occasional 

 workers used to be got for farm work during busy seasons 

 (harvest, potato-planting, gathering, weeding, &c.) from towns 

 and villages. These engaged themselves at other times in 

 handloom weaving and such like work. These industries are 

 now out of date, and in consequence such labourers are now 

 non-existent. They have been replaced by tramps and people 

 on the road and out of employment. Large numbers of Irish 

 labourers, principally girls, come over in June and are engaged 

 during the three succeeding months. I think the decline is 

 more among temporary and occasional workers than among 

 yearly and half-yearly servants." 



CAITHNESS. Mr. Davidson writes : " Corn harvest is the 

 principal season when we require extra labourers. There is 

 now not half the number required that was needed twenty years 

 ago. There is much less land in corn crop now and much more 

 work is being done by machinery." Mr. Miller observes : 

 " The women who were formerly employed in summer are now 

 all taken up with the herring fishery and the men by general 

 summer labour; the chief local industry however (raising and 

 preparing flagstones) is now less prosperous, and employs fewer 

 men." 



DUMFRIES. Temporary labourers have declined to a greater 

 extent than the resident labour. Mr. Moffat states that they 

 have almost entirely disappeared. Dr. Gillespie writes: 

 " Since reaping machines were introduced there have been 

 comparatively few outsiders coming into the county at par- 

 ticular seasons to assist in the work of the farm." 



INVERNESS. The labourers temporarily employed have de- 

 creased in consequence of the diminution in the cultivated area 

 and the use of improved machinery. Mr. Malcolm considers 

 the decline to be greater than in the resident population. 



