251 .

ON T1IE RURAL ECONOMY

they work, and being distant from home, carry their dinnerto the field, which is for the most part a bottle of milk orsmall beer, with such a quantity of bread and cheese as theyfind necessary.

In the Pastoral Division of the kingdom, the style of livingis, in some respects, similar to what is above described; onlyperhaps there may be less bread, and a greater proportionof potatoes used.

In the Manufacturing District, where farms are general-ly small, and servants boarded in the farmer’s house, themanner of living is considered to be fully as good, as inany part of the kingdom. The servants often eat with themaster, as well as work at the same labour in the fields ; andas they are often the children of neighbouring farmers, itmay readily be supposed, that fully as much attention willbe paid to the preparation of a comfortable dinner, as is donewhere the master and servants dine in different apartments.

In the Central Division of the kingdom, the manner of liv-ing among the labourers in husbandry, is nearly similar to whatis to be found among the same class in the Lothians, oatmealporridge, with milk for breakfast ; broth, or potatoe soup,with butcher meat at times for dinner, and porridge, or milkand potatoes to supper.

In the North-east Lowlands, the quantity of oatmeal insome instances is greater, and the proportion of butcher-meat uniformly less, than what is used by the labourers inthe more southerly districts. In the Mearns , particularly,oatmeal, prepared in different ways, and served up withmilk, forms two parts in three of their whole diet, therest being composed of potatoes, or barley-broth, mixedwith coleworts, cabbages, or other garden-stuffs. Cheap asfish is in that county, there is but very little eaten by farm-servants ; and even the variety of potatoes, and barley-broth,in many cases, is not attended to, but the people contentthemselves with oatmeal three times a-day. Farm-servants

in Aberdeenshire, like their brethren in the Mearns , are also

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