Page 328 - Panjek, Aleksander, Jesper Larsson and Luca Mocarelli, eds. 2017. Integrated Peasant Economy in a Comparative Perspective: Alps, Scandinavia and Beyond. Koper: University of Primorska Press
P. 328
integr ated peasant economy in a compar ative perspective
in 1868 does not seem to have affected the farm much. The main acti-
ons to compensate the consequences of the crop failure were, harvest of
leaves for winter fodder in 1868, and increased transportation work in
1869 and 1870 (40 loads of ore and other goods, compared to, on avera-
ge 25 loads the years before and after). The diary doesn’t mention the li-
vestock, but the increase of transportation work may indicate a need to
increase other sources of income, when livestock needed to be reduced
at Matses as in the rest of the parish, resulting in reduced incomes from
the barn.
In all, the narrative of the diary gives the impression that the farm ac-
tivities continued as usual. Almost all work on the farm was performed by
the family members, one maid, and around 20 workdays by temporary la-
bour. The need for income was thus low and possible to cover with the nor-
mal incomes from charcoal and transportation, both being weather-insen-
sitive resources.
4.2.3 Hyttbäcken – keeping up by using cash reserves
Just like Backåkers, Hyttbäcken was dependent on an inflow of cash,
here, for paying the many workers necessary to run the big farm. The ma-
jority of the total working capacity was hired (three out of five males and
on average four out of six women), and such labour costs constituted one
third of the farm’s expenses during 1860–1870. Despite lower incomes
from grain and milk, the farmhands and day workers together perfor-
med 3.2–3.3 years of work (yearly) during 1866–1868 and even more, 3.7
years, in 1869.5
Female hired labour (mainly full year employed maids) varied signif-
icantly in number 1865–1870, but not in a way that can be connected to the
crop failure and the reduction of milk production. For example, the num-
ber of maids increased from two to four after the number of milking cows
had been reduced. The conclusion must be that the need for maids was not
related only to livestock husbandry and milk production, but also to oth-
er important female tasks that are missing in the sources, e.g. textile pro-
duction.
Due to decreased production, fewer working days were used during
harvest and the threshing of cereals which was reduced by half in 1867. In
1868, only 19 days were spent on harvesting hay compared to 28 in the years
5 For comparison, day workers was converted to full year-work.
326
in 1868 does not seem to have affected the farm much. The main acti-
ons to compensate the consequences of the crop failure were, harvest of
leaves for winter fodder in 1868, and increased transportation work in
1869 and 1870 (40 loads of ore and other goods, compared to, on avera-
ge 25 loads the years before and after). The diary doesn’t mention the li-
vestock, but the increase of transportation work may indicate a need to
increase other sources of income, when livestock needed to be reduced
at Matses as in the rest of the parish, resulting in reduced incomes from
the barn.
In all, the narrative of the diary gives the impression that the farm ac-
tivities continued as usual. Almost all work on the farm was performed by
the family members, one maid, and around 20 workdays by temporary la-
bour. The need for income was thus low and possible to cover with the nor-
mal incomes from charcoal and transportation, both being weather-insen-
sitive resources.
4.2.3 Hyttbäcken – keeping up by using cash reserves
Just like Backåkers, Hyttbäcken was dependent on an inflow of cash,
here, for paying the many workers necessary to run the big farm. The ma-
jority of the total working capacity was hired (three out of five males and
on average four out of six women), and such labour costs constituted one
third of the farm’s expenses during 1860–1870. Despite lower incomes
from grain and milk, the farmhands and day workers together perfor-
med 3.2–3.3 years of work (yearly) during 1866–1868 and even more, 3.7
years, in 1869.5
Female hired labour (mainly full year employed maids) varied signif-
icantly in number 1865–1870, but not in a way that can be connected to the
crop failure and the reduction of milk production. For example, the num-
ber of maids increased from two to four after the number of milking cows
had been reduced. The conclusion must be that the need for maids was not
related only to livestock husbandry and milk production, but also to oth-
er important female tasks that are missing in the sources, e.g. textile pro-
duction.
Due to decreased production, fewer working days were used during
harvest and the threshing of cereals which was reduced by half in 1867. In
1868, only 19 days were spent on harvesting hay compared to 28 in the years
5 For comparison, day workers was converted to full year-work.
326
