The Labour Bill in Farmimj. 
11 
cacli 2.«. a week extra. The beer perquisite is not included in 
this calculation. The farmer here had allowed his books to be 
examined by an independent person, from 1862 to 1871 inclusive, 
lor the purpose of estimating profits, and during these ten years 
the profits amounted to 2G71/., or an average of 267/. for interest 
on a capital of 2500/., and also as the return for no common 
skill, and for constant care and oversight. INIy informant argued 
that a net profit of 267/. afforded very little margin for allowing 
an increase of wages, and upon such returns as the farming of 
1874 produced there is no margin at all. Since 1871, as will 
be seen by the Table just given, agricultural wages have risen 
3s. weekly — from 10s. to 13s. The labour on this 200-acre farm 
during the ten years (1862—71) amounted to 3236/. — an average 
of not quite 324/. per annum ; but in 1873—4 the labour bill was 
426/., showing an increase of 102/. If this 102/. can be replaced 
by higher profits than were shown from 1862 to 1871 the farmer 
cannot complain, but at present prices he can have no such 
expectation. The sum of 102/., then, must be viewed as a per- 
manent deduction from the average yearly profit, bringing it 
down to 165/. per annum; "and I ask you or any reasonable 
being," said the farmer, " whether that is a fair remuneration 
upon my 2000/. capital, and for a fair average amount of skill 
and strict personal attention ? " The good faith of the farmer in 
this instance is undoubted ; and his statement throws some light 
on the question as to the margin of profit out of which farmers 
can afford to satisfv the demand for increased wages. In refusing: 
to increase wages the farmer does not always withhold something 
which he can well afford to pay. 
The following figures refer to a heath farm of 950 acres, of 
which about 525 are arable and 130 pasture. It was taken by 
the father of my informant in the year 1834. At that time there 
was not a machine on the farm, excepting such as were worked 
by hand. Shortly afterwards, however, the occupier bought a 
horse-power chaff-cutter. Some of the farm books between 1834 
and 1842 are lost, and therefore the separate amounts under the 
subjoined heads for those years cannot be supplied. It may be 
stated, however, that the labour bill for the year 1835 did not 
amount to 500/. — less than 20s. an acre upon the arable land 
alone, and between 1834 and 1842 the outlay for wages may be 
lirly put at an average of 550/. The farm has been cultivated 
. l ictly on the four-course shift, so that the same acreage of corn 
has been maintained, except during the last five years, when the 
present occupier has been farming upon a system which involves 
the growth of less corn and the substitution of green crops. On 
t!ie other hand, in the year 1867, 147 acres of arable land were 
added to the farm, which is now larger by that acreage : — 
