227
the numbers that are lost in camps and cities, and in tlievarious occupations of manufactures and commerce.
In regard to the payment of rural labour, it will alwaysbe found an advantage to both parties, to give the laboureran interest in the prosperity of the concern about which heis to be employed,, without allowing him, at the same time,any interference with that part of the business which proper-ly belongs to bis employer. On this principle, the modeof paying servants in the produce of the farm, is productiveof beneficial consequences. It is one great advantage at-tending this mode of payment, that servants, being but littleaccustomed to have much ready money in their possession,and seldom having occasion to go to market, either to pur-chase provisions, or for other purposes, are not liable tothe same temptations as those who are paid in moneyalone. Hence the habits of sobriety and economy, so con-spicuous among the farm-servants in Scotland virtues,the merits of which cannot be too highly appreciated. Ac-cordingly, the practice of hiring married servants for theyear, is general through the greater part of Scotland , al-though that class is more numerous in some particular dis-tricts than in others. They commonly live in cottages at-tached to the farm where they are employed, and receive theirwages, either wholly in kind, or partly in money, and partlyin meal, together with the maintenance of a cow, and otherperquisites to be afterwards enumerated.
The advantages of a cow to a poor man’s family, are ob-vious ; and the very prospect of enjoying such advantages, hasan excellent effect upon the morals of young unmarried ser-vants, who, in general, make it a point, to save as much oftheir yearly wages, as will enable them to purchase a cow,and furniture for a house, when they enter into the marriedstate; which money, under different circumstances, wouldmost probably have been spent in dissipation.
It has been objected to the payment of wages in kind, thatwhen years of scarcity occur, the servants paid in this man-