River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1880-07-08

breaking. 1t is a good crop to grow
with partial view of subduing Il tough
grass sod. The amount of seed may be
sown broadcast and covered with cul-
| tlyator or harrow, or put in with a seed
er IN the same way as is practiced with
wheat and other grains. So far as the
expense of seed and labor is concerned,
1t is the cheapest crop that can be rails
ed on farm. The fact that it can be
sown and harvested at times when other
farm work is not pressing is enough to
commend it to farmers.
Travellers affirm that the people ofno
| foreign country do as much out-ofdoor
labor during the heat of the day as the
inhabitants of the United States. In
| all the countries about the Medittenan-
can sea a long season Of rest for man
and beast occur during the middle Of
the day. Among the Spaniards the
| practice ofsleeping at noon is almost as
common Us Liiat of sleeping during the
night. In northern Europe Il shorter
time is given tie rest ut noon, because
the temperature is lower, and the rays
of the sunlight fall so as TO produce
less injurious effect upon laborers. Still
the time for rest is longer in this part
of Europe than in the United States.
With us there is no stopping work for
the sake of taking rest ut noon. Labor
ers suspended only to allow men and
animals to take food and drink As
soon as eating and drinking are finish
ed work in the open sun is resumed.
Without donbt we should be gamers,
If Ian1tl 4
wealth, if we gave considerable time
during the middle of tho day to rest.
More sickness occurs among farmers
Immediately after haying and harvest
ing than any Other season of the year,
and the cause of it may be attributed,
in a great majority of cases, to expos
ure to the heat of the sun when it Is al
most directly over the heads of work
men engaged in the fields The num-
Der of cases of sunstroke increases every
year Many who are not Frustrated by
the heat are greatly injured by it. What
is true of men in this respect is also
true of animals. A long rest at noon
would prevent exposure to the sun at
the time when injurious effects are
most likely to follow. 1t would also
put both men and animals in condi-
ton to do more work during the cooler
portions of the afternoon.
Most farmers put confidence in the
maxim: "All work and no play makes
Jack a dull boy" Still they never put
the spirit of maxim in practice in the
management of the men and boys en-
ployed on their own places They ex-
pect them to work from sun till sun, F"
from one Sunday to another. Some farm
ers will "lie awake nights" contriving
ways to keep the farm help employed
at times when there is little to be done
in the fields. Men and boys are disgust
ed with the idea of working against time.
They are generally willing to do their
level best" during the seasons of hurry
when they see that their extra eXertiOns
are productive ofgreat good to their en-
ployers But they dislike to be kept
constantly at tasks, he performance of
which results in no apparent benefit.
There is no good reason why men and
boys employed on a farm should not
have an occasional day for rest and
recreation. Persons engaged IN other
occupations have it and profit by it. In
old times in the south many masters
allowed their slaves to have Saturdays
for themselves if they worked faithfully
during the other days of the week. An
exception was made to this rule during
the hurrying seasons, as those in which
tobacco plants were set out and the
ground prepared for the cotton crop,
Not onlyjwere they allowed their time
ON Saturday but they We're also allowed
teams to take fuel to town to sell on
their own account. Intelligent hired
men should certainly be allowed some
privileges that slaves enjoyed. They
would not only appreciate them but
would actually perform more labor and
do it in n better manner.
From this time till after grain is har-
vested and sent to market, the majority
of western farmers are accustomed to
hire extra labOrers to work in the fields.
They do this during the season of hay
ing and harvesting and threshing. Not
unfrequently from five to twelve men
are employed to help men in their hard
work When farmers employ n large
number Ofmen to assist them in their
work it is but simple justice to EN-
ploy extra female help to assist in doing
the work in the house. 1t is hard work
to cut grass and to secure grain in
scalding sun, it is also hard work to pre-
pare food over red-hOt stove. Machines
have rendered most kind of field work
comparatively easy, but no machine
has yet been invented for doing ordin
airy homework.