The Carbon advocate. [volume] (Lehighton, Pa.) 1872-1924, 1880-06-19
FARMERS COLUMN.
Tho Distribution of Labor on the

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There arc about as many kinds of farm /
management as there are kinds Of men. To !
a certain extent This is natural, because there
are 50 many different products of the farm,
almost any one Of which may be taken as
the primary and an the others thus become
of only secondary importance II butteriis
the leading crop the system Of the farm
will be-of one kind; il wheat is the primary |
product, the methods pursued will be differ
ent from those for butter, and this again will |
notbe the same as when sheep are the main
source Of the farmers income. Circumstan
ces of soil, climate, nearness to market, per-
sonal tastes, etc., will decide these matters.
But whatever the system, whatever the
leading crop grown-and we by no means
believe that in all cases, or even in most
cHses, it is always better for farmer TO have
q crop that is the leading one-there are GER
tain general principles that should be bind
ing upon one so soon as he becomesa farmer.
He,wbo by.the soil would thrve,n no matter
what he is to make that soil produce, should
so plan his work that there will be the least
number of idle days, in fact this means that
there should be no days when the farmer
has as the common expression goes, to 'ldll
time" Every worker of the soil, whether
he owns or rents the soil, and is, therefore,
working lor himself, should put definite
market value upon his labor. This very
many farmers fail to do, and overlooking
thisimportunt fact, it easily and naturally
becomes a source of loss. 1t is as much to
the farmers advantage to have full supply
of labor for each and every work day, as for
the day hand that gets his living from his
daily labor.
The vital importance of the proper distri-
button of farm labor throughout the season
yes, the whole year-6eing. accepted as a
leading fact in profitable agriculture-the
question is, how to make the most of it? In
the first place 1t demands a careful planning
Of the whole seasons work, if not the work
for several years. This plan should account
for work for not less than 200 days in the
year-and the work of each of those days
should be of such character as to pay mot
work TO be done for the sake of doing some-
thing, but seasohable, profitable labor. This
principle at once points towards a variety Of
farm crops, mixed farming, rotation of
crops,the ideal farming,an the one towards
which substantial agriculture is tending.
A single example will suffice to illustrate
and enforce the point. Let it be supposed
that farmer is growing roots and that it is
to his advantage TO have the labor Of the
care of his roots distributed along through
the season. Instead ofputting his whole
land into Swedes, and that in early summer
when other labor is pressing, he can sow a
portion of the land to Mangels as early as
the ground can be worked, and later, after
the Swedes are ina part of the field may be
put into Flat Turnips, which grow rapidly
and must be fed so soon as grown. If soil
ing is praeticed the Flat Turnips may fol-
low the early rye in July. In like manner
there are many cases where the work that
would otherwise come call in a heap" can
be distributed through the season, and "all
hands" can be kept for several months and
furnished with steady and profitable labor.
The farmer who can best equalize his work
and portion to each week its part, other
things being equal, will be the most success
ful.-Americaa AgriculturiSt ~ ...