OF SCOTLAND.

247

1(J convey an accurate idea of the real expehce of such ope-rations. For instance, a ditch or drain may be opened forIs. per rood, when in a different place of the very samefarm, another rood of equal dimensions, may be executed forhalf the money, and yet the labourer may make more wagesin the latter case, than he could do in the first; or a crop of

hay, at 100 stones per acre, may be cut for 2 s. 6d.,

when, perhaps, the adjoining field, at 300 stones peracre, will be a hard bargain to cut for 10s. Working bythe piece, however, in many kinds of work, is certainly

the most eligible plan. For, as it proves a stimulus to

exertion, it is more profitable to the labourer, and whileit gives the employer the advantage of having his work exe-cuted with dispatch, it increases the quantity of produc-tive labour in the country, and therefore must be a benefitto the community at large. Although the cutting of hay andcorn is noticed as work done by the piece, yet it is by nomeans a general practice. From the great advantage result-ing to the farmer, from having his crops cut by the very sur-face of the earth, and the difficulty of getting the labourersto go so low, when it is evidently their interest to get over theground quickly, many of the most intelligent farmers decidedlyprefer having their crops cut by day’s wages *. It is evi-

* Mr Dungeon of Prora states, that some farmers prefer cutting hay bythe piece, on the following grounds: 1. Because, by doing more work, fewerhands are required at a time when they are commonly much in demand ; 2. Be-cause there is no species of harvest work, in regard to which the fanner cansuffer less from hurried work than that done with the scythe in cutting grass;and 5. Because in consequence of such expedition, the object of securing thehay is much sooner accomplished, which is often of incalculable importance. Itis a fact universally admitted by every farmer of experience, that ever since im-provements in agriculture have taken place, an acre, (never less than three-fourths of an acre), of the best hay was commonly cut per day by one man onpiece-work; while now half these quantities is all wc can have done of suchhay in that time since day wages were introduced.

It is allowed by all experienced mowers, that it is more difficult to cut highthan low, if the surface is smooth. If it is not, the farmer is to blame. Whenthe land is well rolled, they give their scythe more sole , and sweep the surface