64 BRITISH RURAL LIFE AND LABOUR. 



We have rearranged in the alphabetical order of 

 counties the information given by the Board of Trade. 



CAMBRIDGESHIRE. 



In the east of the county 



Breakfast. Bread, butter, cheese, tea. Dinner. Meat, 

 puddings, pork or bacon, potatoes and vegetables, cheese, 

 perhaps beer (on Sundays, beef or mutton, pudding). Tea. 

 Bread, butter, cheese, tea ; perhaps herrings or a little cold pork. 

 Supper. Bread, cheese ; perhaps a glass of beer. Note. 

 Most of the cottages in this district have gardens, and great 

 interest is taken in the annual village flower shows, which have 

 done a great deal of good, and some excellent vegetables are 

 now grown a great addition to the labourer's food. There are 

 a fair number of allotments ; and when the labourers have 

 allotments they are almost sure to keep pigs. Most of the men 

 now belong to one of the large benefit societies, and look to 

 their " club " for relief in sickness. 



In the west of the county 



Breakfast. Cold meat (generally pork or bacon), or eggs when 

 fairly cheap, or if hens are kept; bread, butter, bloaters, tea, 

 skim milk. Dinner. Flour-and-water pudding with meat in 

 (this is very general) ; or pastry, or part suet pudding, with jam, 

 apples, or currants in ; or batter pudding. Meat is very seldom 

 eaten by itself, but nearly always in a pudding. What may be 

 described as dinner " accessories " are rice and sago puddings, 

 potatoes and other vegetables, tea, or ginger beer. Note. 

 feeer is not kept in the house, but men who drink go to the 

 public-house at all times, morning (even before breakfast), 

 between meals, and at night. When the children take dinner to 

 school, the chief meal is at 6 p.m. They take cold tea to school 

 in bottle, with their food (on Sundays, fresh meat). Tea. 

 Women have a cup of tea and sometimes bread and butter. 

 Supper. Tea, milk, or cocoa, bloaters, syrup, bread and jam or 

 butter ; perhaps a little meat or cheese, and cake. Note. 

 The following is a description of the food eaten by a family in 

 this district. There are five children, whose ages vary from 

 two to twelve years. Both the man and his wife are described 

 as extremely industrious, and the wife an excellent manager. 

 Both are teetotallers. For breakfast the man has a cup of tea 

 and bread and butter at 6 a.m. He takes away food for two 

 meals bread, meat, and pudding made of apples, currants, 

 flour and water, or suet ; or cheese, instead of pudding. The 

 woman and children have bread sopped in hot water, with either 

 sugar or salt and sometimes butter. For dinner for the woman 

 at home and the children who take theirs to school, home-made 

 buns or bread and cheese, or bread and jam (Sundays, fresh 

 meat). For tea and supper for the whole family, pudding of 

 flour and water, or pastry, or part suet with jam, apples, or 



