The Russellville Democrat., 1884-05-29
Hired Help on the Farm.

The success or failure Oi JHc iainch Is apt to depend more on his skill in dealing with men than on any other single item in farm man. agement. On every farm much of the labor done must be hired. The farmer who understands human nature can se- cure more effective and cheaper help than he who does not. As rule, farm employcs are difficult set to deal with. I he more enterprising and intelligent are apt to get the Western fever early and seek homes for themselves. Occasion ally young man of good habits and intelligence works for others on the farm few seasons to get the capital to com mence farming on his own account. These make altogether the best help, and should be secured at almost any reasonable price they may ask. An ig- norant, unskilled blunderer will waste and destroy twice the amount of his wages in a single season. Good farm inc consists in carefulness in little things. When we consider how few farmers are able to stand this test, the wonder is that when much of the details of farm work is left to hired help, there should be as much good farming as there IS.
 When a faithful and intelligent hired man has been found, all his reasonable demands should be satisfied. Better use farm tools without oiling than have q hired man constantly grumbling. The friction will do less damage on the in- sensate iron than on the human temper and feelings. The hired man need not and should not be "boss, but good farmer will not hesitate to consult him at times, and listen to, if not follow, his advice. Two heads are better than one, and there are few men so ignorant as not to know more about certain things than their employers. It is common for farmers to resent any advice from their employees as impertinence; but the fact chat advice is thus resented shows that the farmer who does so is in some doubt as to his position. Young farmers and those having little experience in the business are most apt to have trouble with their hired men, and this mainly because they are afraid to lower their dignity by asking the opinion of their employees. If young man is intelli- gent he will not take kindly to such treatment, and this is one reason why so few of the better class of young men seek employment on the farm.
 It is essential to the best success with farm help that they should have the fullest confidence of their employer and be interested in their work. Men will not and can not work as well for poor IS for a good farmer, not alone because they have less 10 do with, but because the enthusiasm of interest will in one case impel the help to do their utmost, while lack of interest will retard every effort. When work is progressing fa- vorably it is easier to do a good day's 8 labor than when it is tagging, and the better the help the more difference this feeling will create. Poor help is of the kind that does things mechanically, and with such it may matter little whether the work is reasonable and effective or not A story is told of an English farmer, who, on hiring new man, first employed him in doing the most unreasonable and preposterous job of which he could think. The next day he set him to undoing what he had done before The man went at his task each time without a word of pro- test, or even seeming to care what he was set to do, so long as his pay was sure. The rich farmer at the end of the second day said he was satisfied, for he had found a man who would do exactly what was told him without thinking or caring for the result In other words, he was seeking mere machine, and had secured one to his liking. A man is not machine, however, even if he is farm hand hired by the month. Whoever seeks to transform him into a machine not only injures his manhood, but impairs his effectiveness as a worker.
 In every way possible hired help should be made interested in that which they are doing. If a farmer discusses his plans and calculations his employees will soon take an intelligent interest in the work they are doing. Then, if the employer is taken sick, or some unex- pected emergency calls him away, one among his employees will be able to take the lead and arrange to keep the work in progress. It may be necessary some times to employ men who do things mechanically, but where several men are employed one or more among them should be competent and be authorized to take CudTpt ol tilslIS WHtu tnc Sul- ployer is not present.
 The fact has often been noted that employees will work better and moro freely for rich man than for a poor one. In the days of slavery Southern negroes used to boast of the wealth and responsibility of their owners, as re- tlecting luster on themselves, and some- thing of this feeling is quite common among hired help with regard to their employers. Nothing succeeds like suc- cess, and no man can do his best when working on practical failure. A lazy, drunken farmer may often have kind. sensible and loving wife; but he can not keep good hired man two seasons in succession. As rule, the better the farmer the more thorough his culture, and the more promptly he keeps up with his work the better the class of help he can employ. Keeping in ad- vance of work is doubly important, for if farmer gets behind, his men see his helplessness and do about as they please. Generally a farmer will not have any trouble about help leaving him if he manages always to be so well beforehand that their leaving will not seriously distress him.
 As for payment, the old Mosaic rule not to let the sun go down without pay ing the servant his hire is good one for all day help. Hands hired by the month of course do not expect pay until