1909.] Agricultural Labour in England. 



affected the demand for day labourers in Yorkshire, but haymaking and 

 turnip hoeing afforded a fair amount of work. 



Midland Counties. — Employment was generally regular in Cheshire, 

 and a good demand for labour was reported. Some irregularity ot 

 employment on account of bad weather was reported in Derbyshire and 

 Nottinghamshire. Finishing the hay harvest, commencing the corn 

 harvest, and hoeing roots provided fairly good and regular employment 

 in Leicestershire. There was a fairly good demand for extra labourers 

 in Staffordshire and Shropshire, but men of this class lost time in many 

 districts on account of wet weather and the lateness of corn harvest, 

 which was not ready to be commenced when other work was finished. 

 In Worcestershire fruit picking and the corn harvest caused a fairly good 

 demand for day labourers, which was generally met by the supply. 

 A scarcity of carters and stockmen was reported in the Pershore Union, 

 and of stockmen in the Shipston Union. There was a good and fairly con- 

 stant demand for extra labour in Warwickshire on account of the hay and 

 corn harvests. Day labourers were somewhat hindered by rain in 

 Northamptonshire and Oxfordshire, but most men found employment 

 in fine weather. Hoeing and haymaking, and latterly the corn harvest, 

 afforded fairly full employment in Buckinghamshire and Hertfordshire. 

 Only a moderate demand for extra labourers was reported from Bedford- 

 shire. 



Eastern Counties. — The corn harvest was delayed by rain in Hunt- 

 ingdonshire and Cambridgeshire, and there was some irregularity of 

 employment for day labourers in consequence. Day labourers in Lm- 

 colnshire generally had regular work at hoeing and corn harvest; the 

 supply of and demand for such men were about equal. In Norfolk the 

 demand for extra labourers was somewhat slack until the latter end of 

 the month, when the corn harvest became general. Rain interfered with 

 harvest operations in Suffolk and Essex, but the demand for extra 

 labour in these counties was generally balanced by the supply. 



Southern and South-Western Counties. — The corn harvest in Kent 

 was somewhat interrupted by rain towards the end of the month, and 

 some day labourers lost time. In several districts the supply of such 

 men was in excess of the demand. There was generally a full supply 

 of extra labour in Surrey, but work was plentiful when the weather 

 permitted. Rain caused some interruption to harvest work in Sussex 

 and Hampshire ; day labourers in these counties were generally in 

 demand for the corn harvest. Correspondents in the Petworth (Sussex) 

 and Droxford (Hants) Unions refer to a scarcity of men for permanent 

 situations. More labour than usual was required for the corn harvest 

 in Berkshire and Wiltshire on account of crops being laid by rain, but 

 many extra labourers were in irregular work through bad weather. 

 Hoeing and harvesting provided a good deal of work for day labourers 

 in Dorset and Somerset. The supply of labour was generally equal to 

 the demand, though bad weather, as elsewhere, caused some loss of 

 time. Employment was fairly regular in Herefordshire and Gloucester- 

 shire, with a sufficient supply of extra labour. Haymaking, hoeing, 

 potato digging, and the corn harvest generally maintained a full demand 

 Jjor day labourers in Devon and Cornwall. 



