76 
Tlie Labour Bill in Farming. 
is that a quantity of malt or beer was in stock at the beginning 
of some of the years. The fairest way, therefore, would be to take 
the average of groups of years. It will be seen that, happily, since 
the maximum was reached in 1868, the quantity has been steadily 
diminishing. The following account, derived from the labour 
books kept at this farm, shows the fluctuation in the nominal 
rate of wages paid there during a period of 58 years : — Between 
1817 and 1821, inclusive, the wages paid were 10*. a week ; 
1822-3, 8s. ; 1824, 9s. ; 1825, 10s. ; 1826-30, 9s. ; 1831-3, 
10s. ; 1834, 9s. ; 1835-42, 10s. ; 1843-6, 9s. ; 1847, in May, 
12s. (Irish famine), November, 10s. ; 1848-9, 9s. ; 1850-2, 8s. ; 
1853, 9s., in December, 10s. ; 1854 (March), lis. ; 1855, lis., 
in December, 12s.; 1856, lis.; 1857, 10s.; 1858-60, 9s.; 
1861-2, 10s. ; 1863-5, 9s. ; 1866, 10s. ; 1867-8, lis. ; 1869-71, 
10s. ; 1872, lis., in October, 12s. ; 1873, 12s., in April, 13s. ; 
1874, 13s. At this nominal wage of 13s. an average able- 
bodied labourer on the farm earned the following actual wages, 
from May 3, 1873, to May 2, 1874. He enjoyed no advantages 
in day-work, for which extra pay is allowed as in some in- 
stances, and was never employed on Sundays in looking after 
horses and stock. During the year this man lost two and a half 
days through absence, besides a little time taken by him at his 
own request before and after harvest ; but he earned by day-work 
24/. 12s. 9Jc?. ; by piece-work, 13/. Os. 6^J. ; and by harvest- 
work, 8/. 15s. — total, 46/. 8s. 4r/., or rather more than 17s. 10c/. 
a week in cash. Then he had the following perquisites : — A 
house and good garden, for which he paid a shilling a week, but 
which was valued by the farmer at the moderate rent of 4/. 10s. 
In the outskirts of a town it would be thought a catch at 9/. 
The farmer, however, only put down as the difference between 
rent paid and actual value of cottage, 1/. 18s. The beer per- 
quisites came to 1/. 6s. ; fagots, 2s. 6d. ; coal, 10s. ; Christmas- 
box, 2s. 6f/. — value of perquisites, 31. 19s. Total value of earnings 
and perquisites, 50/. 7s. 
Here are some details respecting a farm of another, class, a 
small one of 200 acres, mixed soil, with 3 acres pasture, and the 
remainder arable, the estimate of waste being 7 per cent. The 
amount paid in labour during tlie year was 426/., or 21. 2s. Id. 
per acre. It will be seen that upon the farm nearly four times 
its size, just mentioned, the cost of labour was 8s. Id. per acre 
less. Besides men and boys, 8 horses are required to work 
these 200 acres. The rent was 335/. ; tithe, 83/.— total, 418/. 
The wages paid to ordinary labourers were 13s. for five weeks 
in the year, 14s. for 43 weeks, and then come the four weeks of 
harvest, which make the average earnings throughout the year 
17s. weekly in cash. The horsekeeper and stockman receive 
