CONTINUITY OF EMPLOYMENT. 41 



have a small garden, which he will turn to good account 

 in the same way. But his small holding does not require 

 all his time ; and so he can put in odd days for the 

 farmer, and is generally available at especially busy 

 times. The " hedger and ditcher, " too, except in very 

 large farms where that particular kind of functionary 

 must be kept " in stock," so to speak is frequently 

 an odd man. He works for different small farmers, 

 and can often turn his hand to almost anything. A 

 good worker at this species of labour can often earn very 

 good, special wages. His " forte " is the spade, the 

 pick, the hook, and very often the scythe for he can 

 mow well and with these tools, and expert ability in 

 handling them, he can put in a day now and then for 

 private residents in or near a village, and get a little 

 better pay pro rata than the more knowing farmer will 

 pay him. He, of course, like everybody else, has his 

 " rainy days," during which when day after day 

 sometimes it is- " soaking wet " he must perforce 

 remain idle and, when no under-cover work is available, 

 remain wageless. The thatcher, too, is often an odd 

 man, and sometimes is very much in requisition by the 

 small farmer. 



The " odd man," in fact, is quite an institution in the 

 agricultural world, and, in a small-farm region, especially 

 serves as a most useful complement to the regular 

 staff : and as to the latter, their position is often assured 

 even during slack times, because if the farmer lets 

 many of his men go, he may not be able to get them back 

 when he urgently needs assistance ; and hence it " pays " 

 him to suffer a little temporary loss. 



