952 



Agricultural Labour in January. 



[FEB., 



men than usual were in irregular employment. The demand for day 

 labourers in Warwickshire was fairly good until the end of the month, 

 when it was affected by the severe weather. Threshing and other work 

 provided fairly regular employment, also in Northamptonshire. There 

 was a plentiful supply of labourers in both these counties. In Oxford- 

 shire the supply was in excess of the demand in several districts, and 

 there was some irregularity of employment among day labourers in 

 consequence. A number of such men were reported to have lost time 

 in Buckinghamshire on account of bad weather. In Hertfordshire and 

 Bedfordshire several able-bodied men were reported in irregular work. 



Eastern Counties. — Threshing and other work generally provided 

 regular employment in Huntingdonshire and Cambridgeshire, and the 

 supply of and demand for day labourers were about equal. Employ- 

 ment was regular on the whole in Lincolnshire, where there was more 

 work than usual on account of the late corn harvest ; correspondents in 

 the Lincoln and Sleaford Unions mention a scarcity of extra men for 

 threshing. Stormy weather somewhat interrupted outdoor work in 

 Norfolk and Suffolk at the end of the month, but generally there was 

 a fairly good demand for day labourers in these counties ; the supply 

 was sufficient, and in several districts there was a surplus. In Essex 

 threshing, manure carting, hedging, &c, provided a fairly constant 

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



Southern and South- W estern Counties. — Some surplus of day- 

 labourers was reported in Kent, but the demand for this class of labour 

 was fair for the time of year, and there was not much irregularity of 

 employment until towards the end of the month, when severe weather 

 hindered outdoor work. Threshing, manure carting, hedging and 

 ditching provided a good deal of extra work in Surrey and Sussex, and 

 the supply of and demand for day labourers were generally about equal ; 

 several correspondents in Sussex refer to the sodden state of the land 

 as considerably hindering such operations as ploughing and carting. 

 Some time was lost through bad weather by day labourers in Hampshire; 

 there was a full supply of such men. Men for permanent situations 

 were somewhat in excess of requirements in certain- unions. Few day 

 labourers were reported in irregular work in Berkshire. Threshing and 

 other work provided some employment for day labourers in Wiltshire, 

 but the demand suffered on account of continuous wet weather, and 

 there was a surplus in the supply of day labourers. There was only 

 a moderate demand for such men in Dorset. In Somerset most men 

 of this class were reported in fairly regular employment. Bad weather 

 interrupted outdoor work somewhat considerably in Herefordshire. 

 There was a plentiful supply of day labourers in Gloucestershire, where 

 a moderate amount of work was found at threshing, manure carting, 

 hedging, and ditching. Day labourers in Devon and Cornwall were 

 in fairly, regular employment, though in these counties, as in most other 

 districts, a few days were lost on account of wet weather. 



