Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1881-12-28
Journeyman Mechanic, or Farm Hand 2
A young farm laborer in Massachusetts
sends us n letter as follows:

young farm laborer in Massachusetts,
sends us a letter as follows;
"As frequent reader of your columns would
like your opinion on matter that may interest
others as well as myself. My question is this:
Can an intelligent young man afford to work on a
farm at ordinary wages until he obtains sufficient
capital to buy him farm?
"Skill does not seem to count here rs II does
in other trades but muscle seems to be the chief
requisite. | have been studying high culture in
practice and detail with one Of the foremost
farmers of New England, and think am as well
able to manage farm economically and profta-
bly, as the average graduate of an agricultural
college, and yet probably could not get much
more as farm hand than raw lrishman who
could do the same manual labor.
"On the other hand, cannot see much profit
in farming on borrowed capital in Vermont at
present rates of interest or rents. have thought
some of going west; also OF learning trade
(blacksmithing for instance), and Of going to
work in one Of the large cities. Would you
advise man to work on a farm IL he could lay
up more money at some other occupation in five
or ten years.
This young farmer further says that his
present wages are 5000 year and board, for
which he works from five A. NJ. to seven p. NJ,
Except meals) and five hours at chores on
Sunday. The same hours are kept the year
round.
The questions of this letter are no doubt
such as frequently arise in the minds of
ambitious young men engaged in farm labor.
We feel it to be a compliment that such
young men should seek our advice but
when we come to answering their questions,
we cannot but feel the difference in the re-
spective points of view of the young farm
hand and the old farmer. If we speak can
didly, much that we say will seem to the
ardent mind of youth hard and discour-
aging, and will be likely to be charged to
lack of sympathy. Yet having been ground
through the same mill,-having not only
abandoned the farm for mechanical trade,
learned that and left it, to return to the
farm; but having studied and practiced a
profession, and again returned to the farm,
in every case finding the farm both the most
satisfactory and proftable,-we ought to be
able to give our young friends who ask our
advice some ideas of advantage to them.
On the side of sympathy, we are of that
temperament which led man to write;
my heart must beat while it beats at all,
For the under dog in the hght."
We shall begin to reply by saying that
our correspondent is mistaken in thinking
that intelligence, skill and fidelity have no
tba ;a ~ 49,,
according to our experience, that man
possessing these traits cannot command
higher wages in the employ of farmers than
the raw hand Irrespective of nationality
who has only muscular strength and the
mastery of few simple tools. If we were
what he claims to be, and in his place, we
would advertise for another situation on
farm. We believe that there are hundreds
of farmers who, if this young man can bring
to them certificate of competency equal to
his claims from his present employer, would
give him considerably better wages. On
dairy and stock farm, especially, the differ
ence in value to the employer between a
coarse, clumsy, careless and unskilled man
of ill-regulated temper and unreliable char
acter, and such one as we suppose our cor
respondent to be, is very great, and there
are plenty of men who know and are will
ing to recognize the money value of that
difference. Even between what might be
called good hands there is often difference
in the value of their services of many dollars
year. In our business (Which involves,
besides the growing of fruits, nursery stock
and seeds, the selling of these products to
customers upon the FARM, between two
young men equally good in the manual opera
tions, in one of them pleasant address and
tact in showing visitor about and making
customer of him in our absence may al
most or quite double his value to us. We
should not perhaps want to double such a
mans wages, because we expect to make
profit on all our investments; but we GER
tainly should pay him more, and should not
wait until he demanded it, either. Yet
with young men especially, there is danger
in doing this. A manufacturer whose mill
is near our farm, and who is iberal-minded
man, says he hardly ever raises hands
wages without spelling him. The unset
Ting effect of a little prosperity is dis
couraging feature in such cases.
Though farm wages average somewhat
lower than the wages of mechanics, espe-
cially in the metal trades, yet the difference
is not SO great as it seems, and mechanics
do not, as rule, save any more than farm
hands In good times the mechanics wages
rise faster than those of farm hands, though
the prevalence of strikes shows that there is
dissatisfaction on that point. But in hard
times it is the other way, with the added
difference of more difficulty in getting EN-
ployment. If our correspondent goes to learn
blacksmithing, he cannot expect to make
better wages for some years than he is now
making, and when he has become expert
enough to command the wages Of full
journeyman he may find himself landed in
the midst of such times as prevailed between
1873 and 1878, when thousands of me
chanics were glad to work for their board
In the mean time he has had his attention
withdrawn from the farm, and his interes
drawn to other things, and he will not b,
worth as much to a farmer as before, ever
if he has acquired none of the bad habit
which are so common amongst the trades
He will at least have become thorough
convert to the ten hour SYSTEM" which
utterly ruins farm hand. A man on tn
farm who wants to work by the factor,
whistle is perfect nuisance. Farm labo
is much more healthy than labor in shops
and consequently more time can be devote
to it without injury; but besides thai
neither shop-work nor teamwork can
adjusted to any system of whistle-blowing.
AS to the demand for muscle, in tn
metal trades at least, muscle counts for q
much there as on the farm. We hay
"served our time" in machine shop, an
for hard bodily labor e. bone labor" as on
OF our mates used to call it) the machin
shop is far ahead Of the farm, and the blacl
smith or foundryman finds it the same wa.
We certainly shall not advise any youn
man who means eventually to be farmt
to leave farming for any other business fC
five or ten years. We do not believe b
could do so with any real advantage. Farm