5i2 Agricultural Labour in August. [sept.. 



The Board of Agriculture and Fisheries have been furnished by the 

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

 spondents in various districts, on the demand 

 Agricultural Labour for agricultural labour in August :— 



in England Employment was generally regular, but 



during August. day labourers and men on piecework lost 

 a good deal of time in some parts of the 

 country on account of wet weather, which often considerably hindered 

 work towards the end of the month. Harvesting and hoeing caused a 

 fair demand for extra men, but the supply was sufficient and frequently 

 tended towards an excess. Several correspondents referred to a smaller 

 demand for harvesters than last year. 



Northern Counties. — Nearly all reports from these counties mention 

 an interruption to work from wet weather, and day labourers were 

 consequently somewhat irregularly employed. There was generally an 

 ample supply of such men, but in the Morpeth Union (Northumber- 

 land) some scarcity was reported. A correspondent in the Patrington 

 Union (Yorkshire) states that there were more Irish labourers seeking 

 work than for some years past. 



Midland Counties. — Extra men employed on the corn harvest lost 

 some time through rain in most districts. The supply of such men 

 was generally ample, and a surplus was reported in certain districts. 

 There was generally a sufficient supply of men for permanent situations, 

 but a demand for carters was mentioned in the Pershore (Worcester- 

 shire) Union. 



Eastern Counties. — There was a fair demand for extra labourers in 

 these counties on account of the corn harvest, hoeing, hedge-trimming, 

 &c, and generally not much loss of time was reported. With the 

 exception of certain districts in Suffolk, where there was some scarcity 

 of men for hoeing, the supply of extra men was sufficient, and in 

 several districts, more particularly in Essex, a surplus was reported. 



Southern and South-W estern Counties. — Day labourers employed at 

 haymaking and harvesting lost some time through rain in most dis- 

 tricts. The supply of such men was generally equal to the demand, 

 and was reported to be more than sufficient in some districts in Kent, 

 Sussex, Hampshire, and Dorset. Some scarcity of men for permanent 

 situations was reported from the Godstone (Surrey) Union, the Pet- 

 worth (Sussex) Union, and the Axbridge (Somerset) Union, and from 

 several districts in Herefordshire, Gloucestershire, and Cornwall. 



The Report on the Agricultural Statistics (Part III.) recently pub- 

 lished contains the following observations on the prices of hops in 

 1909 : — Unfavourable weather in September 

 Prices of Hops delayed picking, and very little trade was done 

 in 1909. in new hops in London until the last week 



of the month, when the chief feature of the 

 trade was the heavy purchases by German buyers of green hops at 

 prices ranging from 110s. to 1305. per cwt. A limited but firm trade 

 in yearling and old hops was reported during the month. The shortage 



