228
ON THE RURAL ECONOMY
ner have too much; and that in such seasons, all classesought to bear a share of the general calamity. This objec-tion might be obviated, by making it a part of the bargain,that in scarce seasons, masters may pay their servants in anymeal that is wholesome, as in that of barley, peas or beans,mixed with oatmeal, as should be found most expedient. Butcertainly sound policy points out the labourers in husbandry,(upon whose exertions the whole nation so obviously dependfor sustenance), as a class, whose strength for labour shouldnever be lessened, by the want of a sufficiency of food.
Unmarried servants, both men and women, are generallyhired for the half-year, and have their bed and board in theirmaster’s house.
Both married and unmarried men-servants, are occasional-ly employed about all the different by-jobs upon a farm;but their principal business is, to work horses, two of whichis the constant charge of one man during the whole year.
In East-Lothian , Berwickshire, and Roxburghshire, thegreatest proportion of farm-servants are married men, whoere hired by the year. They receive their wages generallyin kind, and are in a much more comfortable state, than thosewho receive the same rate of wages in money, as in otherplaces. Perhaps there is no where to be met with, more active,respectable, and conscientious servants, more faithful to theiremployers, and, at the same time, more attentive to the in-terest of their own families, than this class. Not an instanceoccurs, of any of these people soliciting relief from the pub-lic, unless when by some accident they are disabled for la-bour, or overtaken by the infirmities of age. The wages ofsuch servants, who are usually called hinds, are somewhatdifferent in these counties, and even in the same county. Insome cases they are paid altogether in land; in others, theyhave a certain quantity of oatmeal, and so much money;and in all, they have other perquisites to be afterwards men-tioned.