170 
blame himfelf only, if through negligence 
and lazinefs he {utters it fo Ge hurried 
over ina flovenly and unfinifbed manner. 
If you will excufe a little technical 
language, Mr. Editor, I will ftate one 
or two cafes where taken-work is’ cbvi- 
oully beneficial to the farmer: it often 
happens that the farmer's dometftic fer- 
vants are employed in the fame job with 
his day- labourers; for inftance, duri ing 
the hay-harveft, when expedition is fre- 
quently, not to fay always, a matter of 
the utmoft importance. Two labourers 
‘engage to cut down a piece of erafs at 
two fhillings or halt-a-crown an acre: I 
fend, with their {cythes, two of my do- 
elie farm-fervants into the field; f can 
depend upon it, that their companions 
a keep thein up to their work; and 
hus J gain, in a time too, of particular 
Hees the 1ame additional hours of 
Jabour from my domeftic fervants, which 
are voluntarily devoted to it by my hired 
workmen. 
This advantage is {till more obvious, 
where not only the domettic fervants, but 
the horfes of the farmer, and his carts are 
employed in the taken-work of his la- 
bourers: this is the cafe where a. holl, or 
a pit, is to be feyed out and carted on to 
the land; it is alfo the cafe where manure, 
or muck, as it 1s provincially sfiled*, 
oe the farm-yard, is filled and fprea 
t fo much a load. At Gay wages, the 
farmer may depend on having precifely {fo 
many loads Paes ae leis, perhaps, 
there be a deficit of three or four—as at 
the common rate of filling and {preading, 
are equal to the common rate of day 
wages: on the contrary, if he agrees with 
his es # certain price per load, 
they will werk more hcuis, his own fer- 
vants who drive the teams will werk more 
hours; his horfes work meré Ee 
three fets of horfes, in all probability, ar 
employed inftead of two-—and his au 
are worked more hours. ‘The expence to 
farmers of all this extra-work is, perhaps, 
nine-pence a piece to his two day labour- 
ers; not more. 
The following cbjetion is to me unin- 
elligible: « rt F threthed by meafure,” 
re Sir Mordaunt, ** I. fhould not have 
the opportunity of turning my hedg- 


* Muyuck, furely is a Scotch werd: it oc- 
curs In the Gentle Shepherd. Whea Bauldy 
goes to Maufe for afiiftance to’ obtain Peggy, 
the old woman aiks, 
What brings my bairn this gate fae air 
at morn? 
ds there nae muck to leal—to threth, nae 
coral? 
CLfervations on Taken-Work and Labour: 
[Sept 
ers, &c. into the barn ina froft, and they 
would naturally refort to the ale-houfe.’” 
y, 
I threfh by meafure, precifely for the rea- 
fon which Sir Mordaunt alledges for thref- 
ing by the day, namely, that my hedgers 
may always have a fhelter to refort to in 
bad weather; as they are almo% always 
employed ia taken-work, they could 
never go into the barn for lefs than half a 
day, -unlefs they threfhed by meafure ; 
now when their work lies near home, they 
retire to the barn for one, twa, or three 
hours, as it may happen. -It is true 
that my corn fometimes lies in the ftraw, 
upon the floor, for two or three weeks : 
but this is optional; if I found inconve- 
nience, I could eafily remedy it. When 
IT with to fell, I pay them fo much per 
coomb, and part*of the money, perhaps, 
which they receive, may have been earned. 
a month. 
Now we are on the fubject of labour, I 
beg leave to recommend a plan for what 
may truly be called the facilitation of it, 
which I have long fince adopted much to. 
my own fatisfaction. Always lt two 
men work together. There are many farmers 
in my neighbourhood, who, trom harveit 
to narveft, keep one folitary, /ickly being. 
employed in the barn! ‘The poor crea- 
ture might as well be in the cell of a Be 
fon; he {carcely hears the ‘ound ot 
human voice, or any found but that of 
his own monotonous flail, from one year 
to the other! Cheerful LS fs 1, and 
variety of employment, lightens labour 
by buguiling time. ‘The jokes which. 
two workmen pais, and the ftories which 
they tell, are an amufement to the minds 
of both: and by a continual partnerfhip 
in the fame labour, they become attached: 
to each other, and form fome faint ideas. 
of friendfhip. But befides thofe reflec- 
tions, melancholy and painful,~ef forlorn: 
and folitary confinement, which always 
intrude upon me . hen I fee a man, ,as it 
were echtarndnieated from his fellow tae? 
bourers, and threfhing unnoticed in ~a 
barn; I cannot help contidering the un- 
wholefomenef{s of his employment. The 
threfher lives in an atmofphere of duft: 
the delicate and fine veffels of his ikin are 
almoft choaked up; and at every in{fpira- 
tion he receives into his lungs an irritat- 
ing injurious powder. For this reaforr 
alone, I never iuffer my workmen te la- 
beur in the barn above a week or two 
together: for the reafon before ftated, I 
never {uffer one man to labout in it alone. 
There is one clafs of people who ought 
on no account whatever to be employed in 
taken-work; the old andinfirm. ‘Thefe 
poor 
ei 
