873 



The Board of Agriculture and Fisheries have been fur- 

 nished by the Board of Trade with the following report, 

 based on about 210 returns from corre- 

 Agricultural Labour S pondents i n various districts, on the 



-in England demand for agricultural labour in 



during January. 



January : — 



Agricultural employment was fairly regular, on the whole, during January. 

 Many day labourers, however, were in irregular work on account of an in- 

 sufficient demand, which, in a number of districts, was less than usual through 

 the forward state of farm work. 



Northern Counties. — In Northumberland, Cumberland, and Westmorland 

 severe weather interrupted outdoor employment at the beginning of the month, 

 and day labourers lost time in consequence ; there was a surplus of this class 

 of labour in the two latter counties. Employment was generally regular in 

 Lancashire, with the supply of labour about equal to the demand. Threshing, 

 hedging, carting manure, &c, provided fairly good outdoor employment in 

 Yorkshire, but day labourers were in excess of the demand. 



Midland Counties. — Employment was fairly regular in Cheshire, but there 

 was only a moderate demand for day labourers. Similar reports come from 

 Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire. Threshing, carting manure, cutting hedges, 

 &c, afforded a good deal of work for day labourers in Leicestershire, where 

 employment was generally regular. Many extra labourers were reported as 

 in irregular work in Staffordshire, on account of the supply being greater than 

 requirements. There was only a moderate demand for day labourers in Shrop- 

 shire, and some were said to be in irregular work. Employment was fairly 

 regular in Worcestershire and Warwickshire, where threshing, hedging and 

 ditching, and carting manure offered a fair amount of outdoor work. The 

 supply of and demand for labour were generally about equal in Northampton- 

 shire and Oxfordshire. In Buckinghamshire day labourers were reported as in 

 excess of the demand, and there was a consequent irregularity of employment. 

 A correspondent in the Wycombe Union mentions a difficulty in finding skilled 

 men for permanent situations. Some irregularity of employment was reported 

 from Hertfordshire, though carting manure, threshing, &c, provided a fair 

 amount of work for day labourers. There was generally regular employment 

 in Bedfordshire ; a correspondent in the North Bedford Union mentions a 

 gradually improving supply of men for permanent situations. 



Eastern Counties. — Employment was generally regular in Huntingdonshire 

 and Cambridgeshire, but day labourers were in somewhat irregular work in 

 many districts, on account of an insufficient demand, due partly to frosty 

 weather and partly to the forward state of farm work. Threshing, manure- 

 carting, hedging, ditching, root-lifting, and potato-sorting provided fairly full 

 employment for extra labourers in Lincolnshire, where the supply of and 

 demand for labour were reported about equal. Day labourers in Norfolk and 

 Suffolk lost time at the end of the month owing to the severe weather, and 

 in several districts an over-sufficient supply of men of this class was reported 

 owing to the forward condition of threshing. Frosty weather interrupted 

 outdoor work at the beginning and end of the month in Essex, where there 

 was otherwise generally sufficient work for day labourers. 



Southern and South-W estern Counties. — Agricultural employment in Kent. 

 suffered but little interruption from the weather, but although threshing and 

 other work caused a moderate demand for extra labourers, many were in 

 irregular work. There was a plentiful supply of extra labourers in Surrey, 

 and in the Guildford Union more men were said to be in irregular work than 

 in December. A number of day labourers were reported as in irregular employ- 



3 K 



