TRANSACTIONS OF THE SECTIONS. Ill 



A meat dinner is universally obtained on the Sunday, and in turns is renewed 

 four to six tinaes a week ; but in the countiy, if the farm labourer be poor, the re- 

 mainder is reserved for the husband diuiug the week ; and if less poor, and the wife 

 be a good manager, a morsel is obtained three or foiu- times a week, or even daily. 

 When the husband cannot return home to dinner, he takes his cold meat or bacon 

 with him, and a hot supper is provided on his return. The same occm-s when the 

 wife and other members of the family work in the tield* and cannot return to cook 

 food. In certain counties, as Somerset, Dorset, Norfolk, Suftblk, Essex, Bucks, 

 Herts, Himts, Cambridge, and Beds, pork is the sole meat eaten, and is generally fat 

 and pickled. In .\nglesea the animals are slaughtered in the summer, aud the whole 

 meat is salted for the winter. In the Highlands of Scotland the shepherds and 

 others have only braxy mutton — that of lambs and sheep fomid dead. The use of 

 the meat of calves <S:c' which have died a natural death is not uncommon in South 

 Wales and in many parts of England. Fish is chiefly eaten on the coast ; but red 

 herrings are a common food both in town and country, and especially in the winter, 

 and fresh hen-ings and other iish when very cheap. Herrings packed in barrels 

 and newlj' salted are a very common food in the Western Highlands of Scotland ; but, 

 generally speaking, tish is not an important article of food throughout England. 



The husband obtains the lion's share of the meat or bacon, and the wife says 

 that he wins the bi-ead and needs it. 



Meats were eaten among farm labourers by 99 per cent, in England, 84 per cent, 

 in Wales, 72 per cent, in Scotland, and 59 per cent, in Ireland, in quantities per 

 adidt weekly of 10 ozs. in England, 12f ozs. in ^N'ales, lOi ozs. in Scotland, and 

 only 4^ ozs. in Ireland, yielding a higher return in reference to England than was 

 expected, aud showing how low Ireland stands both in fi'equency and quantity. 



Of indoor operatives, silk-weavers obtained 7^ ozs., needlewomen 15 ozs., kid- 

 glovers 18i ozs., shoemakers 15f ozs., and stocking-weavers llf ozs. — quantities 

 relatively high, but on the average very slightly less than those of outdoor la- 

 bourers. 



3Iilk. — In a butter coimtrv the only kind of milk attainable is skim milk and 

 buttermilk, and when the former is cheap, as in Devon (one farthing per pint), the 

 latter is not eaten by the labourers. Skimmed milk is usually poorer than butter- 

 milk in fat. In hot weather it is kept so long that it turns on boiling, and cannot 

 therefore be cooked. Buttermilk is used largely in South Wales and in Ireland, 

 and in the foimer is often given to those who help to churn ; but, except in those 

 localities, it is not so highly appreciated as it shoidd be. In a cheese country only 

 whey can be had, aud the poor rarely regard that as human food. In arable dis- 

 tricts milk of every kind is exceedingly scarce, so that even the farmer cannot ob- 

 tain it for himself. lu some pasturage disti-icts the whole land is devoted to feeding 

 animals, and then no milk can be obtained ; but usually a district of pasturage is 

 favom'able to the supply of mUk to the labourer. New mUk is always attainable 

 in towns, but generally almost or quite unattainable in the districts and locsditiea 

 whence it is sent to towns. It is abundant in the Highlands of Scotland, and a 

 Scotch pmt, or 3i English pints, is the daily allowance to a labourer. In many 

 parts of England the farmer feeds his calves and hoimds with it, and denies it to 

 the laboiu-ers, because it is inconvenient to find some one to measure it out when 

 asked for. Many gentlemen distribute skimmed milk gratuitously, and others sup- 

 ply new milk at a low price. A few labourers keep a cow in the lanes of their dis- 

 trict, and then have plenty of milk ; but generally speaking, the supply of milk is 

 quite inadequate to the wants of the country. Some farmers who do not sell 

 milk, allow their labourers to have a quarter of a pint of cream on Saturday for 

 one penny. 



Of outdoor labourers 72 per cent, obtained milk in England, 100 per cent, in 

 Wales and Scotland, and 98 per cent, in Ireland ; and whilst the quantity per adult 

 weekly was only 32 ozs. in England, it was 85 ozs. in Wales, 124| ozs. in Scotland, 

 and 135 ozs. in Ii-eland — quantities greatly in favour of the Irish and Scotch 

 peasantry. The quantity obtained by indoor operatives was very small, viz. 22 ozs. 

 by silk-weavers (including those at Macclesfield), 7 ozs. by needlewomen, 18i ozs. 

 by kid-glovers, 18 ozs. by shoemakers, and 24f ozs. by stocking-weavers. The 

 amount wa§ very small in London. 



