40 BRITISH RURAL LIFE AND LABOUR. 



during the winter months, that is to say, after the corn 

 harvest, and after the usual autumn ploughing and 

 sowing have all been done, and all roots have been taken 

 up and stored away. The difficulty is still greater 

 after poor seasons showing a diminished " yield " of 

 corn and roots. 



As far as possible, the difficulty is met by endeavour- 

 ing to find employment under cover especially in 

 very wet weather, when outdoor work cannot be per- 

 formed but there is, of course, a limit to this kind of 

 under-cover work. It is not so easy when the general 

 system of employment is piecework. The work under 

 cover, therefore, is usually offered at a weekly wage 

 and not by piecework. This plan is especially adopted 

 in the counties of Cambridge, Essex, Lincoln, Norfolk, 

 and Suffolk. 



There may, of course, be found, throughout the 

 agricultural districts of England, a sort of floating 

 population of agricultural labourers resident in or 

 near villages, and not " casuals " from outside that 

 are not attached to the staff of any particular farm. 

 The best designation for these is " odd men." They 

 may be said to fill up gaps in the work of the farms. 

 They are especially available for doing odd jobs under 

 cover. Such occupations may very often occur when 

 the regular men, having their quota of daily work, are 

 not available for these occasional jobs. To give just 

 one illustration : a farmer might find something wrong 

 with his root stores, requiring that they should be picked 

 over. This would find a day or two's employment for 

 the odd man. That particular individual has what 

 might be called a tiny farm of his own ; a good-sized 

 allotment, which he cultivates chiefly for supplying 

 his own needs, although he will often " spare " a sack 

 or two of potatoes (or other produce in excess of his 

 own needs), which he will sell. He may keep a pig and 

 fowls, ducks, or even turkeys. His cottage also will 



