Dec. 1895.] 



GENEEAL AGRICQLTURAL NOTES. 



331 



time, on account of the quantity of drink necessary) and hours of 

 labour have a less appreciable influence, so long as there is no 

 overtime. 



On smaller farms, it appears that farm servants are preferred 

 to day labourers. The difference in this respect is said to be 

 noticeable among different nationalities, the Germans employing 

 servants to a greater extent than the Italians or Slavs. 



But little information is forthcoming as to hours of labour. 

 In most districts they appear to be, roughly speaking, from 

 6 a.m. to 6 p.m., with from 1| to 2 hours' interval for meals. 

 Nor are these liours universally shorter in winter ; although 

 generally speaking 12 hours daily appears to be about an 

 average of winter and summer. The most definite information 

 (taken from a work published by Dr. Pilat in 1882) is given as 

 regards Galicia, according to which the hours of labour in that 

 province were as follows : — 





Number of Political Districts in which the number of 

 hours usually worked (day labourers) was 





4 



5 



6 



7 



8 



9 



10 



11 



12 



13 



14 



15 



Summer : 



























Minimum 







1 



3 



24 



16 



21 



4 



5 









Maximum 













1 



3 



6 



28 



11 



19 



6 



Winter : 



























Minimum 



4 



24 



36 



9 



1 

















Maximum 







3 



7 



43 



15 



5 



1 











Payment by piece-work shows a tendency to vary, from one 

 district to another, according to the level of the general daily 

 wage. It is less frequent among women and children, and on 

 small farms : the larger the property the larger is the propor- 

 tion of work paid by the piece. It is more especially favoured 

 on farms where the crops grown are of a very uniform character, 

 such as beetroot, and in sylviculture. 



Agricultural Census in Belgium. 



The Belgian Government has, by a law passed this autumn, 

 provided for an exhaustive agricultural census to be taken at 

 the close of the present year. No information as to the areas 

 under the different crops in that country has been published 

 since 1880. At the new census it is proposed to ascertain the 

 acreage under different crops, the average yield of each crop, 

 the number and occupation of persons employed in agriculture, 

 .(the number of the principal farm animals, the number of 

 .births and deaths among these animals, the number of animals 



