1056 The Corn Markets in February, [march, 



Northern Counties. — Some time was lost by extra labourers at the 

 beginning of the month on account of bad weather. There was other- 

 wise, in many districts, a moderately good demand for such men to 

 thresh, cart manure, clean ditches, and mend fences. In Northumber- 

 land and Durham, however, the demand was generally but small. 

 Such men were in excess of the demand in the Penrith (Cumberland), 

 West Ward (Westmorland), Bridlington, Driffield, Howden, and Sher- 

 burn (Yorkshire) Rural Districts. The usual Candlemas hiring fairs 

 took place in Cumberland, but no general change in wages was 

 reported in this county. • 



Midland Counties. — Extra men were principally employed at thresh- 

 ing, hedging, ditching, and spreading manure. Frost and rain 

 hindered work somewhat in the early part of the month, but generally 

 the demand for such men was fair for the time of year ; some excess 

 in the supply was reported in the Tamworth (Staffordshire), Evesham, 

 Shipston-on-Stour, and Upton-on-Severn (Worcestershire), and Bucking- 

 ham Rural Districts. Some scarcity of men for permanent situations 

 was reported in the Leek, Lichfield, and Uttoxeter (Staffordshire), 

 Banbury (Oxfordshire), and Wing and W T y combe (Buckinghamshire) 

 Rural Districts. 



Eastern Counties. — There was, on the whole, a fairly good demand 

 for extra labourers in these counties. With the exception of a few 

 days at the beginning of the month, but little time was lost by such 

 men through bad weather. The demand was again reported as 

 adversely affected by the failure of the root crops in Norfolk and Suffolk. 

 There was some surplus in the supply of such men in the Downham 

 (Norfolk), and Cosford, Mutford and Lothingland, and Thingoe (Suffolk) 

 Rural Districts. The supply was said to be somewhat short in the 

 Chesterton (Cambridgeshire) and Orsett and Rochford (Essex) Rural 

 Districts. No general change in wages was reported at the Candlemas 

 hiring fairs held in Lincolnshire. 



Southern and South-Western Counties. — Rain or frost caused 

 some irregularity in the employment of extra labourers in most dis- 

 tricts. When the weather permitted, there was generally a fair demand 

 for these men for such work as threshing, hedging, ditching, and 

 manuring land. There was a plentiful supply of such men, and some 

 excess was reported in the Elham (Kent), Epsom and Farnham (Surrey), 

 Hartley Wintney (Hampshire), and the Cricklade and Wootton Bassett 

 and Devizes (Wiltshire) Rural Districts. A scarcity of men for per- 

 manent situations was reported in several districts, including the 

 Godstone (Surrey), Petworth (Sussex), Blandford (Dorset), Durslev, 

 and Stow-on-the-Wold (Gloucestershire), Axminster and Kingsbridge 

 (Devon), and Truro (Cornwall) Rural Districts. 



THE CORN MARKETS IN FEBRUARY. 

 C. Kains-Jackson. 



Wheat. — The month of February saw the advancing tendency in 

 wheat first emphasised, and increased by severe cold, then arrested 

 by a change to springlike weather, and finally converted into a move- 

 ment more or less in buyers' favour. The period has been one of 



