Vermont farmer. [volume] (Newport, Orleans County, Vt.) 1870-1877, 1874-01-16
Reported for the VERMONT FARMER.
EAST ST. JoHNSBURY FARMERS
CLUB,

Subject discussed docs Il pay to hire
farm lRbOrers at present prieesr
$. lluse shall take the ground that at
present prices, farming does not pay. Sup
pose a man has $1,000 to invest in a farm,
tools and stock. If he does this, and then
hires all the labor necessary to carry it on,
how much interest will he get on his capt.
tall He will not get 4 per cent, and |
doubt his getting over 2. This is on the
surposition that everything is well managed,
otherwise, of course, he would lose part Of
his capital. In making these estimates we
must not throw in our own labor, but reckon
it in at the usual price, then, If under ordi-
nary management, We DO not get the worth
OF our capital, it shows, Of course, that il is
not we'll invested. Such men as d. Goodall,
do not buy farms and hire help to carry
them on. simply because they can do better
with their money at 6 per cent. interest.
There are some things in favor OF farms that
do not overlook. They are good to bring
up family or children on, for one can usu-
ally manage to get some sort Of living,
and find employment enough for the boys
and girls as fast as they are able TO work
We see few rich farmers around US, and it
would seem, at first Thought, that the prop
erty was accumulated by the profits Of farm
ing, but much of it came from the rise Of
real estate and perhaps the slow earnings Of
lifetime.
A, II. Hovey: The question is not strict
ly whether if man has $1,000, it would be
best to invest it in farm, and hire it carried
on, but person having farm, whether il
is better to hire help, or let it run down.
think it pays well to hire at present prices
IL we 90 into the field and work with, and
oversee our men, but without this supervis'
ion and oversight We cannot make anything
pay. l see where the trouble is. During
war times We got to being extravagant, and
INDUCED too much in ease and luxury. We
bought nice and expensive carriages, and
then left our men to work alone on the farm,
while we rode out to display them. Now
when times arc harder for farmers, and
money rather scarce, they want to lay the
blame anywhere except on themselves. Let
US compare the prices now, with those OF
1860 remember very distinctly how
things SOLD that year Labor was Sl5 per
month, and now we may call it S25. But
ter was II cents, against 80 cents at the
present time Two-years-olds, sold at $3.50
per hundred, that brought $500 last fall
Wool was 81 cents per pound, against Az
cents. Lambs $3.50, against 81 per head
Now, in summing up the whole, the increase
of per cent. 10 labor is per cent less than
the average of the increase Of farm produce
This seems to argue in favor Of hiring help,
aud that it ought to pay as well as it did III
1860, when we complained less.
s. Owens 1t is not necessary for me to
show figures, that having been done already
by others, but think it pays to hire, if Ia
Dor is properly directed. have employed
farm laborers more or less for 20 years, ant
always fnd they do better if | am witt
them certainly, two can work to better ad
vantage than one. When we hire, We mus
lay out more work, aud if we plan for lit
tie more than we can do, it is just as well
1 think real estate, properly managed, at the
present time will pay 6 per cent. interest
Aud then, farms are excellent places t
bring up boys. Keep them well at work
and you know where they are. They viii
learn habits OF industry that will be Of yalu'
to them all through life. | think there i
no business SO much neglected as farming
but however this may be, it usually furnish
cs a good home,
r. Cobleigh; In making our estimate
we must reckon every item OF debt aud cred
it. The interest on the farm. labor OK
penses, ETC., on one side, theE the income OF
the other, and after summing up everything
we can easily see how much We make, Of
lose, / have hired all the labor, for thu
past year, on my small farm, and find it hai
paid 10 per cent. interest.
@. Potter A man can get rich farming
ii he lives long enough, but it is very SLOW
operation. The high price of help compared
with prices of produce is the great cause
You may reckon capital labor and every
thing connected with farm, and you viii
not get $3.50 day for your own time anC
labor, and less than per cent, for capita
invested. Some years | have done prett,
we'll on my farm, but it was lucky hit
Some are better adapted to manage hell
than others. am one Of the "others." l
man has large farm to manage he mus
hire, for it certainly does not pay to lie
much real estate lie idle, at the rate a
which it is priced now.
A. Cheney The question depends
great deal on the quality Of help hired
Sometimes it pays, in long run, to max
improvements which are not felt so much q
first.
E. l., Hovey 1t is annoying to mo +
repeat the same thing, and as nearly ever
aspect Of this question has been treated thi