River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1879-12-11
Occupation During Winter.

As agriculture is at present conduct
ed in the prairie regions OF the west
farmers are virtually without remuner-
alive occupations from the first of
November till the first of April. A few
husk corn and smaller number do
little teaming, but as a rule there is
nothing done in the line of work ex-
cept to deal out food and water to a
stock of cattle. AT the time when
most farms were fenced with rails and
wood was generally employed as fuel
there was considerable work during
winter. Chopping down trees, splitting
logs into rails, cutting wood into suita-
hle lengths for kindling, drawing them
to the farm, and working the cord-wood
into sticks for the stove afforded en-
ployment during winter. But now
coal has taken the place of wood for
fuel and it requires little or no prepare
ton, while wire has superseded rails or
any kind of lumber for fencing.
Threshing grain is now almost entire
ly done by machinery and all the corn
shelled in the same manner. There is
no flax or hemp to be worked up. On
ly in few localities is there any tobac-
co to be stripped and prepared for
market. Drying apples and other
fruits is now chiefly done in large estab
lishments. In short, work in and about
the farm work is confined to the corn
and stock. Ii farmers have any other
employment it generally consists in
grumbling about the hard times and in
talking politics. Further south farm
ing operations continue later in the
fall and commence earlier in the spring.
There are also opportunities for earn
ing money in preparing tobacco. hemp,
and cotton for the market. Flowing
may be done almost any time during
the winter. In the states where there
are extensive forests there are general
ly opportunities for earning money by
doing teaming for others, if farmers
have none to do for themselves. In
many cases as much money is earned
during the winter as during the sum-
mer.
In no other occupation than farming
would person expect to succeed who
had no remunerative employment dur
ing five months of the year. Any mer-
chant and nearly every manufacturer
would be ruined were he obliged to
shut up his store or mandatory on
the first Of November and keep it
closed till the beginning OF April. But
this is substantially what every west
ern farmer does. Not only is he out
of employment, but his teams are.
His working stock as we'll as himself
are of great expense. They consume
a large portion of what they produced
during the summer. As to the other
animals they are generally entirely I'M
productive The mich cows do not
afford half milk enough to pay for
their feed. The other animals VIII
weigh less and be in poorer condition
in the spring than when they We're put
in winter quarters. Even the fowls Will
be kept at loss. The eggs they pro-
duce will not pay for the grain they
consume. In short, the gains of sum-
mer are largely consumed during the
| winter.
Among the labor problems that are
constantly presenting themselves for
solution Is How shall western farmers
| find profitable occupation for them
selves and teams during that portion of
the year when regular operation in the
| fields can not be performed? 1t is GER
| tain that some occupation should be
found whereby they can, at least, pay
expenses during the time they are I'M
employed in field work. At present
nearly every western farmer finds him.
self poorer in the spring than he was
the previous fall. In many cases the
live stock on farm are worth no more
in the spring than they were in the fail.
Still they have devoured fields of corn,
| fodder, stacks of straw, mows of hay,
cribs of corn, and bins of grain. The
subject of providing profitable occupa-
| tod for farmers and their teams during
the winter is a good one for discussion
at grange meetings and agricultural con-
yentions. As a rule farmers cannot
afford to be idle during half the year,
Who will suggest an occupation by
which they may render the winter
months profitable?