The curious bonnets worn by the field workers are called 'uglies'. Made of a cane framework with cotton stretched over it, they were used to protect the wearer from the sun. They were worn both in Scotland and south of the border, and were still in use well into the twentieth century.The artist has used the square brush and short horizontal strokes that were characteristic of many of the rural naturalists. Walton was one of the group of Scottish artists that included Guthrie, Lavery and Hornel, who were known as the 'Glasgow Boys'. They exhibited at the NEAC as allies of the Impressionist clique, but resigned after an argument.