THE AGRICULTURAL LABOURER.

Waikato Independent, Volume V, Issue 324, 15 January 1907, Page 6

THE AGRICULTURAL LABOURER.

A small company of agricultural labourers, seated under the shade of a huge tree, were finishing their midday meal of broad and bacon in the corner of a field, with cold draughts of refreshing, cider. They were earnestly discussing the management' of pigs—an important matter where bacon appears at the breakfast of all classes. “I've a bred hundreds o’ pegs mcaster,” said Hurditch, “an’ tha da never do better nur on barley meal.” “Barley meal be all varry well,” said ''Stevens, “but we da thenk maize better ; do go furder, an’ como cheaper, too.” “Both on ’em be good in thur waay„” struck in a squint-eyed man called Rogers, “but arter all nothin’ den’t como up to becuns, speshly when the pegs be runnin’.” “That be varry true,” said Curry, a short, quiet man of few words, “thur beaut.” The first two speakers admitted the fact, and Curry emphatically, “Depend upon’t thur bean’t nithin’ better for pegs nur a few beeuns.” It seemed tjiat silence was about to give consent to the proposition, when Sharp, a long, lean, shrowdlooking old soldier, with the star of a sword cut across his forehead, remarked incisively, “Thur bean’t eh ? I da knouw somethin’ as is better.” All stared in silence, till Rogers dpubtingly replied, “Ya doan’t neither ?” “I do,” retorted Sharp, with quiet emphasis. “What be it then ?” “Don’t gie ’em a few beens,” answered the old man, with a twinkle in his grey eye, “gie ’em a passlo—gie ’em plenty.” A stare—a broad grin—a .loud laugh, and a cry of “You be right, Sharp, you be right,” and theihnotion was carried, ncm. con.