104 



Changes in 



System 

 and Special 

 Industries. 



Mr. Lander says : " Vegetable growing is on the increase in 

 this district and gives more employment at certain seasons." 



WORCESTER. Mr. Wheeler (Tenbury) writes : " In my im- 

 mediate neighbourhood where fruit and hop growing have 

 considerably increased, the demand for labour has also in- 

 creased, and at times in the summer it is difficult to get a 

 sufficient supply, the casual tramp being seldom of any use. 

 But on the poorer land where hop growing is somewhat dying 

 out and fruit is not cultivated, very little labour is required." 



GLOUCESTER,. The very poor thin arable and also the stiff 

 clay lands are not cultivated, and carry very little stock ; some 

 are not well-fenced or watered and thus find little employment 

 for labour. Pea picking and fruit and vegetable growing have 

 increased. 



WILTSHIRE. In some districts dairying has extended, in- 

 creasing the demand for milkers. Mr. Smith considers that 

 scarcity of labour stimulated the invention of machinery 

 which has now to some extent permanently displaced hand 

 labour. Mr. Stevens states that poultry farming is certainly 

 on the increase but does not affect the labourer in any way. 

 Mr. Squarey writes: 'The passing of the poorer and heavy 

 clay land into more or less inferior pasturage, and the adoption 

 of machinery in every direction have undoubtedly lessened the 

 demand for manual labour. To a moderate extent, fruit farm- 

 ing, poultry rearing, and vegetable growing have tended to 

 keep a certain number of the more energetic and capable men 

 on the land, where they have had an opportunity >of getting 

 small hoi d img s . ' ' 



MONMOUTH. There is a good demand for hay in the mineral 

 districts, so that more haymaking is done. There has been a 

 greater tendency amongst farmers to grow potatoes, cabbage, 

 fruit, &c., but the change has not been sufficiently marked to 

 affect the population of the rural districts. 



HEREFORD. The soil and climate are extremely favourable 

 for fruit growing, and good markets are within easy reach; 

 in the districts where fruit or hops are cultivated the demand 

 for labour has not declined so much as in those parts where 

 corn was formerly grown. Mr. Eiley writes : " I have some 

 96 acres in fruit of various kinds, and some neighbouring 

 farmers are now growing strawberries, which largely increases 

 the demand for labour. In my own case, with intensive 

 farming, I spent about 305. an acre in labour, but on my fruit 

 farm I spend nearly <10 an acre." 



(b.) Counties of Somerset, Dorset, Devon and Cornwall. 



SOMERSET. Referring to the effect of machinery in reducing 

 the demand for labour, Mr. Berry writes : " The harvester does 

 more thoroughly with 3 horses, 1 man, and 1 boy the same work 



