76 Farm Servants. 



cient, not only to replace themselves, but also, from their 

 surplus population, to supply the demand, and even the waste, 

 of the other industrious classes of the community. Such a 

 system, there is no reason to believe, is brought to a higher 

 degree of prefection, and carried to a greater extent, in the 

 more improved districts of Scotland, than perhaps in any 

 other country in Europe ( 43 ). 



Nothing can be more destructive to the good conduct of 

 hired servants, than the English settlement laws. No pru- 

 dent farmer will hire a servant for a whole year, or from one 

 year to another, because such a hiring, and consequent ser- 

 vice, would entitle the servant to a settlement in the parish, 

 where he has four months resided. Hence farm servants, male 

 and female, are continually changing places ; and as they 

 generally have ten days or a fortnight idle time every year, they 

 attend public statutes, as they are called, or hiring markets, 

 where they too frequently spend their money in dissipation, 

 and contract vicious habits, not afterwards to be easily sha- 

 ken off. Their minds are thus vitiated, good servants are 

 liable to be corrupted by the bad, dissipation is promoted, 

 a cessation of country business is the result for some days, 

 and an awkwardness in it for some time afterwards. 



When hiring servants, it would be extremely important, 

 if possible, to get rid of any injurious perquisites, which are 

 often prejudicial to the interests of the master, without being 

 of any advantage to the servant. For instance, in York- 

 shire, and in other districts, it is a custom to give farm ser- 

 vants liquor, both morning and evening, whatever is the na- 

 ture and urgency of the work. Nothing can be more ab- 

 surd, than permitting a ploughman to stop for half an hour, 

 in a winter day, to drink ale, while his horses are neglected, 

 and shivering with cold ( 44 ). 



3. Apprentices. In several parts of England, particularly 

 in the western counties, a number of farm servants, from 

 the poverty of their parents, lay the basis of their education, 

 and training in husbandry, as parish apprentices. This is 

 founded on the act of the 43d of Elizabeth, but it is not so 

 generally enforced as it ought to be. It is in some cases 

 extended to females, though, when young, they have not 

 strength for many of the common labours of agriculture. 

 But nothing can be urged against boys being so instructed 

 and trained ; and such are uniformly found afterwards, to 

 make the best servants, and to be the steadiest and best la- 

 bourers ( 45 ). 



In Scotland, the plan of apprenticeships, with a view of 



