598 Agricultural Labour in England. [oct., 



Midland Counties. — Correspondents in both Cheshire and Derbyshire 

 report some irregularity of employment, and in the Hayfield Union in 

 Derbyshire a surplus of labour is mentioned. The demand for extra 

 labourers in Nottinghamshire was largely intermittent on account of 

 wet weather. In Leicestershire the corn harvest kept most men busy 

 when the weather was fine, but rain prevented work on 

 several days. Most day labourers lost some time through rain 

 in Staffordshire and Shropshire, while generally there was an 

 ample supply of this class of labour, two correspondents in 

 Staffordshire mentioning a surplus. The corn harvest, fruit picking, 

 and potato lifting caused a fairly good demand for extra labourers in 

 Worcestershire, but there was much loss of time in some districts on 

 account of wet weather. There was similar irregularity of employment 

 in Warwickshire, where, in fine weather, the supply of and demand 

 for labour were fairly equal. Day labourers were also reported as much 

 affected by the weather in Northamptonshire, Oxfordshire, and Buck- 

 inghamshire, harvesting operations suffering frequent interruption in 

 many districts. Some excess in the supply of extra labourers was 

 reported from Hertfordshire and Bedfordshire, and irregularity of work 

 for these men was further increased by the wet weather. 



Eastern Counties. — The corn harvest generally provided plenty of 

 work in fine weather for extra labourers in Huntingdonshire and 

 Cambridgeshire , but there was much loss of time through wet weather 

 in these counties. A correspondent in the St. Ives Union mentions 

 some scarcity of men to meet the extra work on laid crops. 

 The harvest was much interrupted by rain in Lincolnshire, and many 

 men lost time in consequence ; the supply of labour was generally suffi- 

 cient, but a correspondent in the Brigg Union mentions a difficulty in 

 securing Irish labourers for potato lifting, on account of the demand 

 for the corn harvest. There was a good demand for extra labourers in 

 Norfolk and Suffolk, when the weather permitted of the corn harvest 

 being proceeded with, and some difficulty in getting men for work 

 other than harvest was reported ; in these counties, however, and in 

 Essex rain seriously hindered harvest work, and many labourers who 

 had contracted to work for a fixed sum during the harvest period 

 suffered in consequence, although in a number of cases farmers gave 

 out other work at ordinary daily wages or by the piece when it was 

 impossible to proceed with the harvest. 



Southern and South-W estern Counties. — Hop-picking and the corn 

 harvest provided a fair amount of work for extra labourers in Kent, 

 but in several districts the demand was only moderate, while the supply 

 was generally abundant; the corn harvest was much delayed by bad 

 weather, and some corn was still uncut at the end of the month. The 

 weather also caused much interruption to harvest work in Surrey. 

 In Sussex and Hampshire the corn harvest, hoeing roots, &c, provided 

 an intermittent demand for extra labourers, but the supply was well 

 up to requirements. Day labourers in Berkshire and Wiltshire had 

 much irregularity of employment on account of wet weather, and in 

 several districts in Wiltshire some surplus of labour was reported. 

 There was some interruption to out-door work in Dorset and Somerset, 

 but generally not many men in these counties were reported as in 

 irregular work. Fruit and hop-picking, and the corn harvest, provided 



