76 BRITISH RURAL LIFE AND LABOUR. 



sheep or cattle ; but the farmer and his family "join 

 in " ; and no distinction is made as to a selection of 

 work the employer working as hard, and at all sorts 

 of labour, as the employed. In these cases the entire 

 staff, farmer and engaged farm hands, are all placed 

 on an equality, the employed having the same con- 

 sideration as the members of the employer's family. 



On large estates in Wales, as elsewhere, in the agri- 

 cultural districts, there are bailiffs or foremen, and 

 shepherds, stockmen, carters, and spademen, but in a 

 general way no special work is given to the general 

 labourer, and hence the difficulty of classifying them in 

 accordance with their special occupations, as in England. 

 The employment of women in agriculture in the open 

 fields is dying out in Wales as elsewhere ; but those 

 who still follow this occupation are, as a rule, unmarried 

 women, and these are engaged by the half-year or the 

 year, and are lodged as well as boarded in the farm- 

 houses. The field occupation of women has lingered 

 in the counties of Cardigan, West Carmarthen, and 

 North Pembroke ; but even there it is being discontinued. 

 Elsewhere, and generally, women's work on the farm 

 takes its proper course, and is concerned with such 

 labour as a woman can properly perform work in and 

 about the farmhouse and sheds feeding pigs, calves, 

 cows, poultry, milking, and inside cooking, and domestic 

 work of different kinds. They, however, join in with 

 others in assisting at the usually urgent work of harvest 

 both hay and corn ingathering. 



There is not a large number of casual or odd men 

 employed on Welsh farms ; although they are to be found 

 in some districts where piecework is obtainable, and 

 especially during harvest, for which they usually make 

 a special arrangement. It often happens on farms in 

 remote districts away from towns and railway com- 

 munication, that farmers cannot get odd men, and have 

 to rely upon those hired by the half-year or year. Wales 



