1040 Agricultural Labour during February, [march, 



regular on the whole. A few day labourers found occasional employ- 

 ment at hedging and ditching. Bad weather caused a good deal of 

 interruption to outdoor work in Cumberland, Westmorland and Lanca- 

 shire, and the demand for day labourers in these counties was 

 correspondingly affected. There was only a limited demand for day 

 labourers in Yorkshire (for such work as threshing, hedging, ditching 

 and manure carting), and there were generally more of this class 

 seeking work than were wanted. Some excess in the supply of men 

 for permanent situations was also reported in several districts, a 

 correspondent in the Bridlington Union remarking that young men 

 were more numerous than for some years. 



Midland Counties. — Employment was fairly regular in Cheshire and 

 Derbyshire, though a few day labourers lost time on account of bad 

 weather. Threshing, hedging, &c, provided a fair amount of work 

 for day labourers in Nottinghamshire, where the supply of and demand 

 for this class of men were generally about equal. Wet weather greatly 

 hindered outdoor work in Leicestershire, and there was loss of time 

 among day labourers in consequence. Day labourers were also in 

 irregular employment in Staffordshire, the supply of men being 

 generally in excess of requirements. Bad weather hindered farm work 

 somewhat considerably in Shropshire and Worcestershire, and some 

 day labourers in these counties lost a good deal of time. Employment 

 was also irregular in Warwickshire, where day labourers employed at 

 threshing and other work were affected by the bad weather. The 

 weather similarly interrupted work in Northamptonshire, where there 

 was a fairly good demand for day labourers when the weather per- 

 mitted. A limited demand for day labourers was reported from 

 Oxfordshire' and Buckinghamshire, and in several districts the supply 

 was in excess of requirements. Men of this class were generally in 

 irregular work in Hertfordshire and Bedfordshire, on account of wet 

 and stormy weather. A report from North Bedfordshire mentions a 

 demand for shepherds and men for tending cattle. 



Eastern Counties. — Employment was fairly regular in Huntingdon- 

 shire, though hindered somewhat by wet weather, in the case of day 

 labourers. Men of this class were not in much demand in Cambridge- 

 shire on account of bad weather. There was a fairly good demand for 

 day labourers, on the whole, in Lincolnshire. At the Candlemas 

 hirings in this county wages showed little change compared with a 

 year ago. Bad weather caused a certain amount of interruption to 

 the employment of day labourers in Norfolk and Suffolk, but threshing, 

 hedging, ditching and manure carting generally provided a good deal 

 of work, and but little excess in the supply of labourers was reported. 

 There was only a moderate demand for day labourers in Essex. 



Southern and South-W ' ester n Counties. — Outdoor farm work was 

 much hindered by rain in Kent, and the demand for day labourers is 

 reported to have been smaller ihan is usual in February. Hedging, 

 ditching, root-cleaning, &c, provided a moderate amount of work for 

 day labourers in Surrey and Sussex, but in these counties also there 

 was much unemployment among this class of men, on account of wet 

 weather, which rendered work on the land impracticable in many 

 districts. There was generally only a moderate demand for day 



