19*22.] Labour Organization on East Midlands Farm. 453 



increases. Here, however, a limit is set, for it would appear 

 that when the size is such as to be unwieldy, having regard to 

 the capacity of the individual farmer, his efficiency as manager 

 may be reduced and the manual labour requirements become 

 stationary or may even rise. 



On the other types of farms — dairy, cattle-rearing, cattle- 

 feeding, and mixed farms — the problem is more difficult. It 

 would seem that the fertility of the soil which determines the 

 stock-carrying capacity of the farm will be the limiting 

 factor in labour requirements, but in the absence of sufficient 

 data definite pronouncements cannot be made. 



It is true that the larger the farm the greater the tendency to 

 have specialised departments with workers more or less skilled, 

 but here again the departments are never clear cut. If we refer 

 to Fig. 1* it is easy to see that men are shifted from one 

 department to another as required. In the case of sheep a full- 

 time shepherd was employed, but there were very few months 

 in the year in which he alone was able to overtake the work. 

 The demand for labour from October onwards, when the sheep 

 were on roots, was doubled, with a still greater demand at lamb- 

 ing time in March. Even in the early summer when the shep- 

 herd did the bulk of the work himself, additional assistance was 

 necessary for washing, shearing and dipping. Similarly with 

 the other stock of the farm. During the summer and autumn 

 when the stock are on grass the labour requirements are at a 

 minimum — an average of little over the time of two men being 

 required during this period. Immediately the stock are brought 

 into the yards and the cows housed for the winter the labour 

 requirements rise at once, falling again as soon as the condition 

 of the weather improves and the growth of grass suffices to 

 maintain the stock out of doors. 



What in fact happens on the larger farms is that a skeleton 

 organization of skilled workers in each department is obtained. 

 Outside these a number of general labourers are necessary who 

 may be transferred from one department to another as occasion 

 requires. On the smaller farms the employed man must neces- 

 sarily be an all-round man. 



Horse Labour. — With regard to horse labour the position is 

 more clearly defined. On each type of farm the demand varies 

 considerably, but within each, size is the determining factor in 

 horse labour requirements. The demand per acre varies in 

 inverse proportion to the size of the farm. 



* See this Journal, July, 1922, p. 322. 



