78 Labourers in Husbandry. 



allow many necessary jobs, that daily occur, to lie over ; or 

 if these are performed by the ploughmen, the horses must 

 often be completely idle. Wherever agriculture, therefore, 

 is carried on in any thing like a perfect system, it is always 

 a matter of essential importance for the farmer, to Jiave at 

 his command, a sufficient number of such useful assis- 

 tants ( 47 ). 



This interesting subject of labourers in husbandry, in- 

 cludes the following particulars: 1. The division of labour- 

 ers in regard to their possessions ; 2. The distinction be- 

 tween day-labourers, and those who work by the piece ; 3, 

 Female labourers ; 4. The hours of working ; 5. The rate 

 of wages; 6. The practice of giving grain, &c. at a cheap 

 rate to labourers; 7. The effect of high wages; and, 8. The 

 advantages of labourers being trained to diligence and activi- 

 ty- 



1. Classes of labourers according to their possessions With 

 a view to the possessions held by labourers, they may 

 be divided into five classes ; 1. Those who have a house, but 

 no land ; 2. Those who have a right of common ; 3. Those 

 who have a garden, or potatoe ground ; 4. Those who have 

 some arable land ; and, 5. Those who have grass land. 



1. Where a labourer has only a cottage to protect him 

 from the inclemency of the weather, he cannot have the same 

 attachment to his dwelling, as if he had some land annexed 

 to it, nor is such a state of the labourer so beneficial to the 

 community. jWhen a labourer has a garden, his children 

 learn to dig and weed, and in that manner some of their 

 time is employed in useful industry. If he is possessed of 

 a cow, they are taught early in life, the necessity of taking 

 care of cattle, and acquire some knowledge of their treat- 

 ment. But where there is neither a garden to cultivate, nor 

 any cow kept, they are not likely to acquire either industri- 

 ous or honest habits ( 48 )4 



So strongly were theseudeas formerly prevalent, that by 

 the 43d of Elizabeth, no cottage could be built on any waste, 

 without having four acres attached to it. This is now by 

 far too much. If the quantity were reduced to a garden of 

 moderate extent, and if no person could gain a settlement 

 who was not a native, or, if a stranger, who did not fairly 

 rent, in the same parish, for the space of three years, a 

 house and land worth twenty, instead of ten pounds per an- 

 num, both the poor and the public would thence derive 

 very essential benefits ( 49 ). 



2. In-many cases in England, cottagers have no land or 



