684 Agricultural Labour in October. [nov., 



and extra labourers are not reputed to have lost much time, in spite of 

 the wet weather which prevailed. Correspondents in Oxfordshire and 

 Buckinghamshire reported some considerable loss of time among 

 day labourers on account of wet weather. In both these counties 

 and in Northamptonshire there was some demand for men qualified as 

 waggoners, cattlemen, milkers, and shepherds. The supply of day 

 labourers was generally in excess of the demand in Hertfordshire and 

 Bedfordshire, though threshing and other work provided plenty of work 

 for these men when the weather permitted. 



Eastern Counties.— -Employment was generally regular in Hunting- 

 donshire and Cambridgeshire, with an equal supply of and demand for 

 extra labourers, who were required for getting up potatoes and mangels. 

 Work on the corn harvest, threshing, and potato lifting caused a good 

 and fairly constant demand for labour in Lincolnshire ; in the Brigg 

 and Lincoln Unions it was stated that the demand was greater than 

 the supply. Excessive rain caused farm work to be backward in Norfolk 

 and Suffolk, but, according to most reports, the weather did not to a great 

 extent affect the regularity of employment of extra labourers, who were 

 wanted for threshing, carting and spreading manure, ploughing, hedge 

 trimming, storing mangels, &c. ; there was generally a sufficient supply 

 of such men. Rain hindered outdoor work considerably in Essex, where 

 harvesting operations were still proceeding at the end of October in 

 certain districts. 



Southern and South-Western Counties.— Threshing, raising potatoes 

 and mangels, and hedge trimming provided fairly regular employment 

 in Kent, but rain caused some loss of time to day labourers in most 

 districts. Rain similarly interrupted employment in Surrey, where some 

 surplus in the supply of labour was reported. Much loss of time by day 

 labourers was reported in Sussex and Hampshire, where rain consider- 

 ably hindered farm work. In Berkshire employment, on the whole, 

 was fairly regular, but in Wiltshire a good deal of irregularity of 

 employment was reported, with some surplus of extra labourers. 

 Threshing, raising roots, and hedge trimming, when the weather per- 

 mitted, offered a fair amount of work for day labourers in Dorset and 

 Somerset, though in several districts there was much loss of time from 

 wet weather ; the supply of extra men was well up to the demand. The 

 employment of day labourers was generally very irregular in Hereford- 

 shire, and the supply was in excess of the demand. Employment was 

 interrupted to some extent by rain in Gloucestershire, but manure carting 

 and mangel pulling provided a fair amount of work for day labourers. 

 A good supply of permanent labourers was reported by several corre- 

 spondents, but there was still some scarcity mentioned in reports from 

 the Dursley and Stow-in- the- Wold Unions. Several days were lost by 

 day labourers in most districts in Devonshire on account of heavy rains, 

 and the demand for this class of labour was only moderate. There was 

 also some irregularity of employment in Cornwall, where, however, the 

 supply of and demand for day labourers were, on the whole, fairly good 

 and about equal. 



