354 Condition of the English Agricultural Labourer, 1871. 
Yorkshire, viz., giving a portion of the wages — 7s. or 8s. per 
week — in money, and the rest in food, or, as it is locally called, 
" meating" the man. It is very probable that by this custom the 
labourer himself is no sufferer, but it is v«ry hard on the family, 
as the surplus for their maintenance, already small, is too often 
still farther diminished by the Saturday night's visit to the 
alehouse. 
In considering the remuneration and position of the labourer, 
we cannot exclude the share which the women and children of 
his family bear in supporting the household. On this question 
of employment of women and children in agriculture the 
greatest differences of opinion exist. There is an almost un- 
qualified testimony to the healthiness of the work, except in the 
case of boys employed with horses, whose hours of work are 
cruelly extended, and of very young children employed in Aveed- 
ing wet corn in the fens, who often have to travel long distances 
to and from work. But on the moral aspect of this labour we 
find very considerable variance of feeling. In North Northum- 
berland and Scotland the employment of female labour is carried 
to a great extent, but the women workers are almost always 
adult and unmarried. Thus in Glendale Union, Mr. Henley 
found that of 373 adult women workers only 29 were married ; 
and this is a district which in respect to the education of the 
poor, the material prosperity of the labourer, and the healthiness 
of tlie people, will compare most favourably with any other in 
England. In the Fourth Keport of 1870, at page 68, is an 
instructive table comparing the employment of labour in England 
and Scotland : — 
iJi&tiict. 
Acreage. j 
Arable. 
Pasture. 
1 
Total. 
Between 
8 and 10. 
Between 
10 and 13. 
Between 
13 and 18. 
Over 18. 
Total. 
Jfales. 
South - East ■) 
ol Scotland . J 
55,090 
5,519 
60,609 
1 
52 
190 
1130 
1373 
South Midland,) 
Englaud . . j 
43,071 
13,108 
61, na 
36 
285 
605 
1884 
2710 
Females. 
District. 
Betweeti 
8 and 10. 
Bi'twepn 
10 and 13. 
Between 
13 and 18. 
Over 18. 
Married. 
Over 18. 
Unmarried. 
Total. 
Females. 
South - lOast ■) 
of Scotland . 5 
South Midland, ) 
liugUind . . 3 
3 
2D 
5 
193 
33 
260 
436 
631 
49 
941 
526 
The five English counties are thus represented in the acreage : 
