102 
Tlie Labour Bill in Farming. 
to the stack is done by four men in the same way, and is paid' 
for at the same rate, the farmer finding a man to stack the hay.. 
Of the four men, one would be on the waggon and three on the 
stack. 
Hoeing is also done by the piece, but on a different principle. 
The custom around Harling is to let the work to a gang-master. 
The whole of the hoeing at Knettishall, upon 127 acres of wheat,, 
has been taken this way at 2s. 10c/. per acre. A large proportion 
in Norfolk is also hoed by contract, as well as some other farm- 
work, such as " mucking" and getting up mangolds and swedes ; 
and it is thought that the gang-system will make progress in 
Suffolk, as it enables farmers to dispense with some regular hands 
and to save time in hoeing, while the work is also more cheaply and 
on the whole better done. In the gang employed at Knettishall 
about 20 men and boys were employed, the men earning about 
'2d. a day more than if thev were working as ordinary farm hands. 
The gang-master or his deputy looks sharply after the men to- 
keep up the " stroke," and prevent idling. Somehow the farmer 
cannot get the same " stroke " or rapid work from his men, even 
when the hoeing is done by the piece, probably because the men 
in the gang are picked, experienced hands. The gang-master 
makes money. He finds a horse and van to take the people to- 
and from their work, and can provide employment for them 
pretty nearly all the year round. What with this certainty of 
employment and high wages he has never any trouble in getting 
men, and good men ; and there is constant emulation among the 
younger ones to work quickly and well, because they know they 
will earn more money as soon as they can keep up in their stroke 
with the leading men. The supervision of the gang-master or 
his deputy is chiefly in the quality of the work, for as to quick- 
ness the men need little urging. They are jeered at if thev lag 
behind, and the^- do not like to get a character for being slower 
than their neighbours. Indeed they would be very soon turned 
out of the gang if the gang-master or his sharp foreman saw they 
were reducing his profits and not giving money's worth. 
Sanfoin, a favourite crop at Knettishall, used to cost for mowing- 
55. an acre, yielding about three tons an acre. It now costs for 
mowing with the machine lOr/. an acre. This is one economv 
effected by machinery wliich has helped the farmer in the hav- 
harvest more, perhaps, than in any other kind of labour. Here 
the hay is now put on the stack at the same price per ton as it 
used to cost for mowing. While the regular wheat-hoeing is 
done by gangs, such other hoeing as remains is left for odd jobs, 
and is either done as day-work or with the horse-hoe at 3^/. an 
acre. The turnip-hoeing is done chieflv bv old men who are 
not equal to harvest-work. For swedes and wliite turnips the 
