230

ON THE RURAL ECONOMY

Unmarried men-servants, hired by the half year, and ha-ving their victuals in their master’s house, receive at the rateof from L. 12 to L. 16 per annum; women-servants, alsohired by the half year, have always both their board andwashing in their master’s house, and receive of wages at therate of from L. 6 to L. 7 per annum; and in some instances,have half a peck of flax-seed, sown for the summer half year,in addition to the money they receive.

In the counties of Selkirk and Peebles, married men-ser-vants receive their wages in money, and oatmeal, with a cowand other perquisites, in all about L. 12 of money, 6 ', bollsof meal, the keep of a cow through the year, flax and pota-toes to the same extent as in Berwickshire, with the carriageof a necessary quantity of fuel. In those counties, where aconsiderable proportion of the land is in grass, the shepherdsreceive, in some instances, the whole of their wages in thefeeding of perhaps eighty sheep; but the more common prac-tice is, to allow about forty or forty-five sheep in place ofmoney and meal, a cow, flax, potatoes, and the carriage offuel, the same as a ploughman, which altogether will exceedthe amount of the ploughman’s wages. Unmarried men-ser-vants have from L. 12 to L. 18 per annum, with victuals; wo-men-servants, L. 5 to L. 7 and L. 8, with board and washing;but those who are employed in the milking of ewes, have fromL. 1, Is. to L. 1, 10s. more for the summer half-year.

In the south-western counties, namely, those of Dumfries,Lanark, Renfrew, Galloway, Ayr and Dunbarton, wherearable farms are generally of less extent than in the easterndistricts, farmers, in many instances, hold their own ploughs,and perform nearly the whole work of the farm, with the as-sistance of their families; and when not wanted at home, theirsons hire themselves out in the neighbourhood, frequentlywith a view of saving as much of their wages as to enablethem to commence farmer in their turn. Married farm-ser-vants are therefore not numerous in those counties, the regu-lar farm-work being performed by unmarried men, hired bythe year or half year, and maintained in the house of their