The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1877-03-30
Deer Creek Farmers Club,


Messrs Ball (President,) Silver (Secretary,
Rogers, Archer, Bayless. Glasgow, james Lee,
VIM. D: Lee, Lochary, Munnikhnysen, Moores
Willis, Webster and Janney, active members
and Messrs. Baker, Ohio S. Lee, James Hanna
and Lee NJ. Whistler, honarry members and
visitors.
Messrs. Archer, Janney and Munnikhnysen.
appointed Il committee to inspect the buildings
and premises, reported that they we've greatly
pleased with the appearance of the farm, which
looked as wei as that of any member of the
club. Several Improvements had been made
since the club last visited the place. The ar
rangement for watering the stock with cistern
water, by means of pump, were good Mr..
Rogers stated that his horses and cattle pre-
ferred the cstern water to any other, The com
mittee reported all Mr.. Rogers's stock in rood
condition, but spoke in warm praise of the ap-
peararce of his cattle, which had been
wintered in the stable yard, and fed on straw,
with every day half bushel of corn in the ear
to nine steers. Some of them were already fn
enough for the butcher.
The committee regarded the fact as a confirm
alton of the experience of other good farmers
that the proper way TO feed corn to cattle is un.
ground.
Mr.. Rogers informed the committee that he
could see great difference in lambs gotten by
an inferior buck and those by a good one-whici
the committee thought went to prove that ii
pays farmers to keep good stock always
mat portion of the committees report in re-
latlon to feeding cattle on corn in the car crea-
ted considerable discussion Mr.. Moores said
he Joined issue with them on this point. The
subject had heretofore been discussed by the
CLUB, and it had been conceded that meal is
better for cattle than unground corn.
Mr.. Silver remarked that he found his sheep
preferred cracked corn TO meal or anything else,
and believed it would be better also for cattle
MIR. Ball was in favor OF feeding meal, because
in feeding whole grain much of it passes through
the animal without being digested.
Mr.. Munnikhuysen said that one of the best
feeders i'll this county was the late VIM. Smith
son, who never would have a grain of corn
ground He fed it whole to his horses and milk
cows. His horses were always fat, and he said
his cows gave more milk when fed on whole
grain.
Mr.. Moores prefers to grind corn and cob with
oats as finely as possible.
Messrs. Janney and Webster favored feeding
ground corn
Mr.. Rogers was decidedly in favor of feeding
work horse on chop, us there is less risk than
in feeding on whole corn. Has chop made of
corn and cob, and mixes it with oat chaff, cut
hay or straw. Bearded chaff is dangerous. -
Feeds ordinarily half gallon of chop at time,
or one gallon if his horses are working hard
Mr.. Munnkhuysen was in favor of feeding
whole corn. He had once nearly lost valuable
horse by feeding upon chop.
Mr., Lee NJ. Whistler, Of wilma, Hartford
county, was then introduced to the club and
made some interesting remarks on the subject
OF farmers buying the materials and making
their own phosphates Mr.. Whistler is agent
Tor the sale of materials for the manufacture OF
fertilizers
The question for discussion was then announ.
ced as follows: Is it better to employ labor by
contract or by the day or month?
Mr.. Rogers said ii had been his custom TO have
work done by contract whenever il was possible
For regular farm work he hires hands by the
month, and seldom employs labor by the day.
,Srn lt,.l 4,
and had found ii cheaper and more satisfactory
to let hands on such work board themselves -
Has had harvesting done by contract, paying 81
per acre for cutting wheat. Prefers TO have
carpentering done by contract
| Mr.. Glasgow never had much work done by
contract, but employs labor by The month OF
day. Fencing he has done by the panel Build.
| ing he has done by contract.
Mr.. o. s. Lee said lie has fencing done by the
panel, and also found it more satisfactory to have
| building done by contract.
| Mr.. Willis was in favor of having work done
by contract, but in getting out rails for instance
| you must supcriDtend the work and see that
they are not made too small 1t depends, how
ever, upon the kind of hands you employ. II
| you can get good hands, would employ them by
the day. Would rather have his corn cut up by
the day, as he thought you could have the work
| better done.
Mr.. Whistler said lie preferred to have work
done by the day. Would keep one hand at least
| by the year, and believed it economical to EN-.
ploy the rest of the labor wanted by ;he day.
Mr.. Hanna believed it would pay better to
have work done by the job, except general farm
work, which should be done by The month
Mr.. JAS. Lee has had fencing, building and
cutting and husking corn done by contract, for
the last year or two, and finds it cheaper than
employing labor by the day.
Mr.. Munnikhuysen said his ideas agreed with
those expressed by Mr. Jas. Lee.
Mr.. Moores said he knew of but little work
on tue farm which could be better done by con-
tract than by the day. Fencing, ditchine, &C.,
OF course you can have done to more advanta age
by contract. If you want good building, how.
ever, get good, competent men, and pay them a
good price and you will get good work He
would not give out farm work in general by con-
tract. On farm of 100 acres all the work that
ought to be done except harvesting can be done
by a man and boy. Every farmer ought to have
one boy on his farm to educate as a farmer. Ii
is duty he owes to the community.
Mr.. Archer thought that on farm nearly
everything can be done by contract, even to the
feeding of stock. In Lancaster county, Pa,
many farmers pay man 81 a month per head
to feed cattle, and they are well cared for. We
can have apples picked by the barrel, wheat cut
by the acre, and we all have wheat threshed bv
the bushel. Flowing is an exception, and for
putting in wheat we must hire hands by the day.
farmer must understand the business to have
work done by contract. On 200 acre farm it
the month.
Mr.. Janney agreed with Mr. Moores in think
ing nearly everything on a farm will be better
done by the day or month than by contract
Building houses by contract he regarded as al
most throwing money away. If man takes n
contract too low, you have no way of finding
out when the work is sighted unless you are
practical mechanic. Would much rather paw
a man liberal wages and see that he does his
work.
Mr.. Webster agreed with Mcssrs Moores and
Janney that 1t is more satisfactory to employ
labor by the month or day. for the reason that
you can then have your work done at such line
and such manner as you want it, Had had some
experience in having corn husked by contract,
but it was not husked clean, and he lost more
than if he had employed labor by the day,
Mr.. Lochary said lie likes to have labor done
by the month or day. There is certain way of
managing men by which you can get great
deal of work done 1t is by feeding them well,
keeping them in good humor and giving them
good tools to work with. If you can get a hand
for nine months at SIS u month, he will be better
satisfied if you give him $50 for one month dur
ing harvest, and 3amonth the rest of the time.
He believed in letting man go whenever he
wanted to, and reserved the privilege on his
part of discharging him at any time when his
work was not satisfactory.
Mr. Hayes was in favor of getting out posts,
setting them, ditching, &C., by contract. In
building would rather get good man and pay
him by the day. Would have corn huskcd BY
the BARREL never by the shock. General ia rm
work can not be done by contract. In hiring
by the month prefers married man, because
he is not apt to run about at night. If you
want man for only II short time hire him by
the day.
Mr.. Ball said farmers ought TO have as little
work done by contract rs possible. If you hire
q man to dig q ditch and he finds he has taken
the work at too low price he becomes dissatis-
fled. In building house you had better have
it done by the day. You can not specify every
thing, and if you make any alteration in the
plan, which is almost sure to be the case, you
must then pay the workman his own price. He
prefers to have farm work done by the day or
month, rs it is frequently eXpedicnt to change
hands from one work TO another.
Mr.. Silver related the experience of his father