1909.] Agricultural Labour in England. 683 



United States. — The Crop Reporting Board of the Department of 

 Agriculture states that the preliminary returns of the production of 

 maize in 1909 indicate a total yield of about 2,767,316,000 bushels, or an 

 average of 25*4 bushels per acre as compared with an average of 26*2 

 bushels in 1908. The total yield in the past three years has been as 

 follows : — 2,668,651,000 bushels in 1908, 2,592,320,000 bushels in 1907, 

 and 2,838,423,000 bushels in 1906. The general average as to quality 

 is 84*2 per cent., as compared with 86*9 in 1908, 82 8 in 1907, and 89*9 

 in 1906. 



The preliminary estimate of the average yield per acre of potatoes 

 is 106*5 bushels, against an average yield of 85 7 bushels in 1908. 

 The indicated total yield is given as 367,473,000 bushels, against 

 278.985,000 bushels in 1908, 288,884,000 bushels in 1907, and 298,674,000 

 bushels in 1907. 



The Board of Agriculture and Fisheries have been furnished by the 

 Board of Trade with the following report, based on returns from 

 correspondents in various districts, on the 

 Agricultural Labour demand for agricultural labour in October, 

 in England Agricultural employment in October was 



during October. much interrupted by continual wet weather. 



and there was a consequent loss of time for 

 day labourers in most parts of the country. The corn harvest was 

 prolonged in a number of districts and farm work was generally 

 backward, but there was a good demand for extra labour when the 

 weather permitted. 



Northern Counties. — Day labourers were in irregular work through 

 rain in most districts reported on by correspondents in Northumberland, 

 Cumberland, and Westmorland. There was similar interruption to 

 employment in Lancashire, where in certain districts the wet weather 

 considerably hindered men employed on the potato crop. There was a 

 fair amount of employment offered in Yorkshire on the corn harvest and 

 potato and root crops, but rain interrupted these and other operations, 

 and the supply of labour available was often in excess of the demand. 



Midland Counties. — Rain delayed outdoor work in Cheshire and 

 Derbyshire, and a number of day labourers were in irregular employ- 

 ment in consequence ; the supply of these men was ample. 



Threshing, and raising the potato and mangel crops provided a fair 

 amount of extra work in Nottinghamshire, and, except on several wet 

 days, the supply of and demand for day labourers were about equal. 

 Some surplus in the supply was reported in Leicestershire. There was a 

 good deal of interruption to outdoor work in Staffordshire ; the supply 

 of labour was generally sufficient, but in the Market Drayton, Tarn- 

 worth, and Cannock Unions some difficulty was experienced in 

 obtaining men for such work as potato lifting. Employment was fairly 

 regular in Shropshire, though affected to some extent by the bad 

 weather. There was, on the whole, a fairly good demand for extra 

 labourers in Worcestershire and Warwickshire ; in the Evesham Union 

 the demand was said to be greater than the supply. Harvest work, 

 threshing, &c, afforded a good deal of employment in Northamptonshire, 



3 B 2 



