The weekly Shasta courier. [volume] (Shasta, Calif.) 1872-190?, 1873-07-12
FARM AND GARDEN.

Board of Examiners. At eighteen he
had followed the pillow, working from
six in the morning until ten at night
without having two-pennyworth of food
in him, and little sour cider, which
was called "perquisites." 1t was the
third runnings. The wages were seven
shillings a week. "The living was
tea-kettle broth for breakfast. Two or
three little pieces of bread were put in
the breakfast pot, which held three
quarts, and then the bread was soaked
with hot water. For dinner they got a
few potatoes and square inch of bacon
fried in the pan for family of seven,
the fat going on the potatoes, and the
meat being the fathers dinner. For
tea they soaked burned bread, and put a
little treacle on it, that being carried to
the husband in the field by the woman.
For supper they got little pieces Of
bread and skim-milk cheese. AS for
dwellings, have known thirteen hud-
ding together in one room on what
they called 'shakedown,' like hounds
in kennel. Last week l spoke to an
old man at Yeovil, whose master told
him he could not give him more than
five shillings week, and who said he
was then literally starving. l will do
my best to elevate my countrymen, and
run the risk of the horse pond."
This arrow which Mitchell let fly
referred to the speech which the Bishop
of Gloucester and Bristol recently made,
in which he advised the farmers to
=" duck in the horse-pond' any agitator
that came into their neighborhood to
make their laborers dissatisfied. 1t is
now called :" the bishops baptism"
An investigation in Somersetshire
presented a gloomier picture even than
that which the farm hand drew. At
one of the meetings held in that coun-
try, Charles Wright, described as an
elderly man, was examined and cross
examined, as follows:
Question. Have you been farm la
borer all your life
Q. Do you remember when the stand
ing wages for the best men were seven
shillings week?
A. Yes. "A voice g" 1 do; six shill-
ings.")
@. The laborer twenty years of age
had only seven shillingse
4. Yes.
Q. Did you ever have parish relief:
A. When my wife died had lit
tie. She left me with seven children.
Q. Your wages some ten or eleven
years ago were raised to eight shillings
a week.
4. Yes; and last summer they were
ten shillings.
Q. After harvest did your master say
to you, '' There's five shillings a week
for you if you continue to live with me;
if not, 60 home :" Is that true:
A. Yes, it is.
O. How much house rent did you
pay out of that:
A. One shilling and sevenpence half
penny week.
Q. On wet days were your wages
paid
A. No; 1 lost the time.
Q. When you were at harvest till ten
or eleven o'clock did you get any thing
extra:
A. No. Ga voice: " A quart of sour
cider!'')
Here the chairman asked if any one
wished to put any further questions.
A gentleman called out that his father
had once worked for nine shillings a
week, and was now worth $4,000.
Abraham Burt was next examined. His
experience repeated that of the above
as to wages. He was then asked how
many children he had?
A. Six.
Q. How many bedrooms have you !?
Il. One.
Q. How many bedsteads ?
4. Two.
Q. Do you all sleep in one rooms
4. Yes.
THE BANANA TRADE. of all the
many trades in New York the banana
trade is perhaps the most curious. 1t
is in the hands of single house, to
whose energy and enterprise is due the
present large importation of the fruit.
Ten or twelve years ago not one-fftieth
part now consumed in the city was sent
thither, and the cost of bananas was
then quite out of reach of the poorer
classes. The firm which imports them
is composed of three brothers, one of
which superintends their farm at Aspin
wall whence the stock is shipped.
Two of the brothers conduct the bust
ness in New York. They receive con-
signments from Aspinwall by every
steamer. The fruit is put on board
without being packed, and being in
warm temperature, ripens considerably
during the passage. For this reason
the stock is plucked while the fruit is
yet green. Thus in a partially ripe
condition the fruit arrives in the city.
1t Is then taken and hung in room ar
tifcially heated. A temperature of Is
degrees brings it to maturity in very
short time. The bananas are sorted,
and those nearly ripe are, of course,
placed in cooler atmosphere. By this
means the fruit can be ripened for any
day smarket. To-morrows fruit is now
fast becoming bright yellow, and to-
morrow morning, when it is exposed for
sale. it will be in perfect condition.
The banana, before it finds its way to
the retail purchasers. has been subjected