HARVESTING.

Auckland Star, Volume LXIV, Issue 233, 3 October 1933, Page 10

HARVESTING.

OLD ENGLISH WAY.

APPRENTICESHIP DAYS

AUCKLANDER'S MEMORIES,

Apprenticeship days wlien he worked', without pay, from 0 a.m. to 8 p.m., were recalled to-day by Mr. R. G. Laking, of Oneliunga, who is celebrating the fiftieth anniversary of his marriage.

Mr. Laking said his earliest recollection was of leaving his home at Grainthorpe, in Lincolnshire, while the stars were shining in the early morning, to pick potatoes, for a farmer at 4d a day. He left school at 12 years of age and was apprenticed for seven years to the village tailor, without pay. His hours were from 0 a.m. to 8 p.m.. The first year he lived at home; after that he went to live with his master. At harvest time he was let off the tailoring for about six weeks to work in the field, making bands for binding the sheaves. He was employed by two men who were pal tners in cutting the corn with a scythe, binding it into sheaves, and stooking it. They took it in turns to cut and gather the sheaves. The mower cut a swathe in towards the standing corn, and his mate followed with his back towards him, and raked it into sheaves. The boy picked up a handful of stalks with which he made the band. When the sheaf was ready it was lifted 011 to the band already placed 011 the ground. The two ends were brought together and twisted into a knot then tVicked under the band.

The boy left home at 0 a.m. and returned about 9 p.m., and was paid 1/6 per day. He had to walk to and from work. Since then, in the same county, wheat has been cut with a reaper and binder, ground into flour and baked into bread in one day. On Sundays Mr. Laking attended the Anglican Sunday school and village church in the morning. In harvest time he was allowed to rest in the afternoon. On other Sundays he went to the Methodist Sunday school in the afternoon and the Methodist Church at night.

After three years the village tailor retired through old age, and Mr. Laking went to serve the next four years in London with the tailor's eldest son, who gave him a good home, clothes, and a tall hat, but no money. His hours were from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. The only money the apprentice received in London was from the sale of cloth clippings made in the workshop. These he sold at 4d per lb.

Mr. Laking left England on his twenty-first birthday for New Zealand.