101 



after stock. The culture of fruit and vegetables pushes farther Changes in 

 out as the suburbs of London extend, and growers pay high System 

 wages to competent men. Mr. Rankin remarks that the im- and Special 

 proved methods of farming in the neighbourhood have increased 

 rather than decreased the demand for labour. 



HERTFORD. Mr. Milne writes, with special reference to the 

 Hit chin district : " Potato growing and dairy farming have 

 been on the increase for a number of years wherever -the land 

 is suitable, and is within two or three miles of a railway 

 station; on such farms more workmen are employed, but tak- 

 ing the district as a whole the number of farm labourers would 

 be rather less "than 20 years ago ; labour-saving machinery is 

 used as much as possible. There is very little fruit growing or 

 market gardening in this district." In the Sawbridge- 

 worth district, several large industries have arisen, 

 such as nurseries for grapes, tomatoes, and flowers, 

 and poultry rearing is considerably on the increase. Mr. Rae 

 writes : " The large increase of intensive farming under glass, 

 and also fruit growing, has increased the demand for labour 

 enormously. Wages have increased quite 25 per cent, during 

 the past 15 years, and the supply of labour has been drawn 

 principally from the more rural parts of the county/ 5 



MIDDLESEX AND LONDON. [See under Question 2, p. 33.] 



(b.) Counties of Norfolk, Lincoln and York (East Riding). 



NORFOLK. Beyond the laying of land to grass, no particular 

 alteration in the system of farming is reported as affecting 

 the demand for labour. 



LINCOLN. In the Holland Division there are many small 

 occupiers who get a living in growing flowers, fruit, and vege- 

 tables, and this has greatly, if not altogether checked the 

 decline in agricultural labour. Over the greater part of the 

 county, however, there appears to have been little development 

 in this direction. 



YORK (E. RIDING). Mr. Pearson writes : " Fruit and vege- 

 table growing and poultry rearing are not on the increase, 

 though the latter has much improved." 



DIVISION II. 



(a.) Counties of Kent , Surrey, Sussex, Berks and Hants. 



KENT. Poultry rearing is but little practised in the county. 

 Fruit growing has extended, and has in a slight degree tended 

 to check the decline in population. In some districts vege- 

 table growing requires considerable labour at certain periods, 

 but hardly affects the agricultural labourers. In Sheppey the 

 land is too wet and cold for poultry farming or market garden- 

 ing to any extent. 



