The system of feeing markets and term-time flittings was still flourishing in the north east well into the 20th century, although as time went on you started seeing jobs advertised in the newspapers as well.
Single men tended to be engaged for six months at a time, either staying in a bothy and doing their own cooking, or more usually in the north east, living in the chalmer and getting their meals in the farmhouse kitchen. On engagement the farmer gave the worker 2/6d in arles. He got his wages at the end of the six months.
Most married men engaged in May for a year at a time and lived in a cottar house. If they engaged for a year, their arles were 5/-. There were some, however, who flitted every term. My grandmother's parents were at a total of seventeen different farms before leasing a croft.
When the term time approached, the farmer would ask the workers he wanted to keep if they wished to stay for another term. If so, they would agree on wages. If you weren't asked, you knew you had to go to the feeing market and bargain for a new place.
In rural school log books, there is often an entry at term time noting the effect on the school roll as workers with large families moved in and out of the area.