1908.] Agricultural Labour in England. 139 



exception of winter barley which is not so good. Wheat and rye are coming up well, 

 and also summer barley and oats. 



Germany. — The report on the condition of the crops in the middle of April issued' 

 by the German Statistical Bureau, states that the autumn-sown crops have generally 

 come through the winter satisfactorily. The weather in the spring was less favourable, 

 the continual low temperature, cold winds and frequent night-frosts having retarded 

 growth. Crops sown early are showing strong shoots, but, late sown kinds have 

 suffered more or less from the weather and are rather thin. English varieties of 

 wheat have again shown themselves less able to withstand frost than the native kinds. 

 The condition of wheat is a little better than , the average at this time of the year 

 during the past 15 seasons. 



United States. — The Crop Reporting Board of the Bureau of Statistics of the 

 Department of Agriculture, states that the average condition of winter wheat on April 

 1st was 91*3 against 91*1 on 1st December, 1907, and 89*9 on 1st April, 1907. The 

 mean of the averages for 1st April of the past ten years was 86*2. 



The Board of Agriculture and Fisheries have been furnished 

 by the Board of Trade with the following report, based on 

 returns from over 200 correspondents in 

 Agricultural Labour various districts on the demand for 

 in England agricultural labour in April : — 



during April. Employment during April was generally regular 



until towards the end of the month, when rain and snow 

 caused some loss of time in most districts. The supply of day labourers was generally 

 sufficient, but a scarcity of men for permanent situations was reported from several 

 Unions. 



Northern Counties. — In Northumberland, Cumberland, and Westmorland wet 

 and stormy weather interfered with outdoor work, and employment was somewhat 

 irregular. In some districts there was a fair demand for day labourers to assist in 

 potato planting, manure carting, &c, and the supply of this class of labour was 

 quite adequate. A correspondent in the Hexham Union states that at the annual 

 hirings in the first week of April higher wages were given in some instances, and that 

 boys were scarce. Employment in Lancashire was fair, and day labourers were 

 generally fully employed in sowing corn, planting mangolds and potatoes, and making 

 the land ready for turnip-sowing. In the Fylde Union a scarcity of men for perma- 

 nent situations was reported. In Yorkshire employment was somewhat irregular, 

 owing to wet and stormy weather. The supply of day labourers was generally 

 sufficient for requirements. A scarcity of men for permanent situations is reported 

 from the Driffield and Skipton Unions. 



Midland Counties. — According to correspondents in Cheshire and Derbyshire, 

 ihere was a good demand generally for day labourers, but the supply was sufficient. 

 Outdoor work was but little hindered until the end of the month, when rain, snow 

 and frost caused some time to be lost. Employment in Nottinghamshire was some- 

 what irregular, owing to the unfavourable weather. Day labourers were in demand 

 in some Lnions, particularly for threshing. In the Southwell Union the supply of 

 men for permanent service was reported to be insufncii nt. In Leicestershire rain and 

 snow caused some loss of time, but employment was fairly plentiful. In the' Melton 

 Mowbray and Market Harborough Unions a scarcity of men for permanent situations 

 was reported. In Staffordshire and Shropshire day labourers lost time owing to 

 inclement weather, but employment was plentiful in threshing, sowing spring corn, 

 planting potatoes, and preparing the land for cereal and root crops. The supply of 



