The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1868-03-06
From the American Agricultural.
Paym Laborers-prospects.

The time is NJ hand in the North,
for securing labor for the approaching
season The hired man, in the good
Old times, began his work on the LIST
Of April, and the :erm OF service was
for 6 pr 5 months. \ longer term
did not suit his convenience. or that
Of his employer. He could teach
school in the winter, or strap on his
franks and peddle. tend saw-mill.
or butcher pigs. and snake more mo
ney than he could on the farm. And.
then, in the days Of homespnn. with
nil due allowance for the many virtues
81 our fathers. .here Was not quite so
much enterprise in winter AS now. and
comparatively little was done npcn the
farm. Tie hired man got 9 or -
dollars a month Tor his summer labor.
ind thought he did pretty well. Nov
the averaga price OF labor in the
Eastern States i aS dollars Il month,
and for the Whole country, 2s. as laat
reported by the Commissioner u AZ
yicn.ture. We think there nuSt b. Il
little reduction from these prices the
present wear. There ha- been u large
accession 70 our population from En-
rope, the most Of them males, lit the
.y'rime Of life. who have come 10 this
country seeking labor. They have
strong hands and willing hearts. in
tent upon improving their fortunes
and in due time getting homes Of aheir
own. Manv OF these 20 West. but
m~ultitudes linger at The East. and can
be employed at reasonable prices upon
the farm. Then it il ITO he considered
that our manufacturing interests are
fomewhet depressed, and wages are
reduced from ten to twenty per cent.
and some establishments are stopping.
This will throw some out OF employ
ment, and they will seek support mp
on the iarn. which alone has bread
bread enough, and work for all.
The prospects Tor agriculture the
coming year are exceedingly promis-
ing everywhere. except in the Cottor,
states. We have raised. the past year.
the best wheat crop ever produced IN
the couutry..and the prices are salts
factory. The corn crop. short in some
states. a on the whole. an average,
and the prices high. Potatoes were
avery short crop, and the prices high
er than for many wears. With a iew
exceptions, everything the farmer pro
duces brings Il good round profit on
the cost Of production, showing, that
the business can he safely extended
rub a along. Just supporting their fam.
ilies, when they might do this and
have a handsome surplus bv using
more labor. 1t costs very little more
irin.work TO direct the labors OF six
men than the labor ot one man. II
there is a profit in hirin. one man,
there is elk times the profit in hiring
elk, other things being equal. .!
course, it requires more capital and
more care. There can be no doubt
that farming pays with present prices.
and We hold that land is profitable
just as we eypend labor and capital
upon il. If any man has any doubt
upon that point, let him plant an acre
Of corn. applying fifty dollars worth
Of stable manure, and giving thor
ough cultivation, end compare the re-
suit with little or no manure and poor
cultivation. Labor is much higher
than it used to be, but farm crops sci
onongh higher to make the difference.
and leave a margin for profit. We
have no doubt that the multitudes o
.killful farmers would greatly i'm
prove their fortunes by using more
labor and charging their business
They have skill enough aud capita
enough, if it were put in the RICH
place. The markets show %clearl,
enough, that We want more hay an(
grain, more beet and butter, more pc
tatoes and poultry, and that all farm
crops pay well for raising. The man
ufacturer and merchant are very mucI
in doubt about their ventures now
and some are failing. The farme
has no eolicitude Of this kind. II
may extend his business and thrive
Get skilled labor il it can be had
but if not, use emigrant. Many VIII
come over have been trained to farm
labor and very soon adapt themselye