The Labour Bill in Farming. 
79 
can permanently reduce the regular staff of men in his service. 
Here is a statement of the earnings of his labourers during the 
last 12 months. I may pass over the bailiff, the shepherd (more. 
than 70 years old), with assistant, and the groom : 
j J. B., over 70 )-cars old, 2s. per day, extras when at piece-work ; cottage, 
21. 10s. rent. He has harvested on the farm for 48 consecutive years. 
J. W., over 70 years old, Us. per week all the year round, and extras for an 
odd job. 
1 S. D., eight years on fiirm, head man, r>Ol. Is. ; no rent. 
I W. J., four years ditto, second man, 48?. 10s. ; single man. 
W. S., 60 years ditto, general work, AM. 12s. ; 8Z. rent. 
J. B., eight years ditto, acre work, 50Z. 12s. ; no rent. 
H. L.. four years ditto, acre work, 47?. 2s. ; no rent. 
R. F., from a boy, thatching and general work, 48?. 6s. ; 21. 10s. rent. 
J. F., from a boy, machine, cart, &c., 49?. 10s. ; 3?. Is. rent. 
C. S., seven years on farm, general work, 45?. 17s. ; 3?. 10s. rent. 
I D. H., eight years ditto, machine work, &c., 47?. 5s. ; cottage in another 
parish, one acre of land. 
J. W., jun., life ditto, stockman, 48?. 9s. ; 3?. rent. 
C, about 30 years ditto, engine-man, 47?. 6s. ; no rent. 
W. from a boy ditto, general work, 44? 16s. ; 2?. 15s. rent. 
H. B., four years ditto, general work, 47?. 8s. ; single man. 
J. C, worked through winter upon estate work. 
J. S., worked through winter, and then left without giving notice. 
H. E., from a boy, now about 20, has had 13s. per week, and extra ia 
harvest, &c. 
W. C, about 18, has 12s. per week, and extra in harvest, &c. 
J. D., about 18, left and went to Leicestershire, returned again, did not find 
it answer, has 2s. per day, &c. 
C, age 16, 7s. per week, and extras, &c. 
G. F., age 15, 6s. diito, ditto. 
J. F., age 13, 4s. ditto, ditto. 
W. S., age 14, .=is. ditto, ditto. 
H. S., age 14, 6s. ditto, ditto. 
In looking through the labour books on the farm just mentioned, 
I find that nearly one-half the outlay for horse and hand labour 
is incurred during the spring and summer in growing food for 
stock. Again, during the winter months more than one-half 
the labour is employed in looking after the cattle and sheep on 
the farm and in preparing food for the stock. Modern farming 
differs from old-fashioned farming chiefly, perhaps, in the greater 
quantity of stock fed and sent to market. The farmer finds that, 
to make a living, he must not, in common talk, " look to the 
barn-door for everything." Wheat is not the remunerative crop 
it used to be. On some land in Suffolk perhaps the best barley 
I in England is grown, and the Burton brewers are ready to give 
' good prices for it. But, unless the soil is one peculiarly adapted 
for white-straw crops, the farmer now must breed or feed, or breed 
as well as feed. The increase of stock accounts to a great extent 
for the fact, that with the increased use of machinery has come a 
