The Newberry herald. [volume] (Newberry, S.C.) 1865-1884, 1880-06-16
JUNE.
DISTRIBUTION OF LABOR
ON THE FARM.

There are about as many kinds
of farm management as there are
kinds of men. To certain extent
this is natural, because there are
so many. different products Of the
farm, almost any one Of which may
be taken as the primary, and all
the others thus become of only Sec
ondary importance. If butter IS
the leading ''crop," the system OF
the farm will be of one kind; II
wheat IS the primary product, the
methods pursued will be different
from those for butter, and this
again will not,be the same as when
sheep are the main source OF the
farmers income. Circumstances OF
soil, climate, nearness to market,
personal tastes, etc., Will decide
these matters. But whatever the
system, whatever the leading crop
groWn-and we by no means be-
lie7e that in all cases, or even
in most cases, it is always bet
ter for 8 farmer to have a crop
that is the leading one-there are
certain general principles that
should be binding upon one so
soon as he becomes farmer. He
who by the soil would thrive, 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 COM
mon expression goes, to ''kill time"
Every worker of the soil, whether
he owns or rents the soil, and is,
therefore, working for himself,
should put definite market value
upon his labor. This very many
farmers fail to do, and overlooking
this important fact, it easily and
naturally becomes a source OF loss.
It is as much to the farmers ad-
vantage to have a 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 pro-
per distribution Of farm labor
throughout the season-yes, the
whole year-being accepted as
leading fact in profitable agricul-
ture-the question is, how to make
the most Of it? In the first place
it 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 290 days in a year-and
the work of each Of those days
should be of such a character as to
psy-not work to be done for the
sake of doing something, but sea.
sonable, profitable labor. This prin-
ciple at once points towards a va
riety Of farm crops, mixed farming,
a rotation of crops, the ideal farm
ing, and 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 of
putting his whole land into Swedes,
and that in early summer when
other labor is pressing, he can SOW
q portion of the land to Mangels as
early as the ground can be worked,
and later, after the Swedes are in,
a part of the field may be put into
Flat Turnips, which grow rapidly
and must be fed so soon as grown.
If soiling is practised the Flat
Turnips may follow the early rye
in July. In like manner there are
many cases where the work that
would otherwise come ''all in a
heap" can be distributed through |
the season, and Esall hands" can be
kept for several months and fur
nished with steady and profitable
labor. The farmer who can best
equalize his work and portion to
each week it's part, other things be- |
ing equal, will be most successful. |
IAmerlcan Agrlculturlst.