191 1.] Agricultural Labour in August. 525 



Sweden {month of July). 



Anthrax, Blackleg, Swine-fever. 



Switzerland (week ending August 20th). 



Anthrax, Blackleg, Swine Erysipelas, Glanders and Farcy, Foot- 

 and-Mouth Disease (502 "etables" and 262 " alpages-paturages " 

 entailing 29,412 animals, of which 140 "etables" and 28 " alpages 

 paturages " were declared during the week). 



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 August : — 

 in England Employment was generally regular through- 



duriug August. out August, the weather being unusually dry. 



A short corn harvest and the check given to 

 weeds by the drought caused a smaller demand for extra labourers than 

 is usual at this season of the year. There does not appear, however, 

 to have been any marked surplus in the supply of men, which was, 

 generally speaking, about equal to the demand. 



Northern Counties. — Employment was but little interrupted by bad 

 weather in these counties. There was a fair demand for extra labourers 

 for the hay and corn harvests, and for hoeing late turnips, although it 

 was somewhat reduced on account of the short harvest. Several corre- 

 spondents state that fewer labourers offered for the corn harvest than 

 usual, and in the Longtown Rural District some scarcity of men was re- 

 ported ; but, on the whole, the supply was just about sufficient. 



Midland Counties. — Extra labourers were generally able to find 

 regular work in these counties until towards the end of the month, 

 when a number of men became irregularly employed, owing to the 

 early completion of the corn harvest and to there being little or no hoeing 

 required on the root crops. There was usually a plentiful supply of 

 harvesters, though a shortage was reported in the Melton Mowbray 

 (Leicestershire) Rural District. Some scarcity of men for permanent 

 situations was reported in the Bucklow (Cheshire) and the Upton-on- 

 Severn (Worcestershire) Rural Districts. 



Eastern Counties. — The corn harvest was completed in an exception- 

 ally short time in these counties, and the corn standing well for the 

 "binder," less labour than usual was required. Except in the North 

 Witchford (Cambridgeshire) and Thingoe (Suffolk) Rural Districts, how-, 

 ever, few men were reported as out of employment. The drought ren- 

 dered little or no hoeing necessary on the root crops, but a fair amount 

 of work was found for men at the conclusion of the harvest for threshing, 

 manure carting, &c. 



Southern and South-Western Counties. — Extra labourers were fairlv 

 well employed, and mention of any surplus was exceptional in the 

 reports from these counties. The demand, however, was affected by the 

 short harvest and by the small amount of hoeing to be done, although 

 fruit-picking and hop-picking afforded a good deal of employment in 

 certain districts in the latter part of the month. Some scarcity of men 

 for permanent situations was reported by correspondents in the Petworth 

 (Sussex), Chippenham (Wiltshire), Stow-on-the-Wold (Gloucestershire), 

 and Axminster (Devon) Rural Districts. 



