The Abilene reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1883-1888, 1885-10-29
FARM WOaK IN WINTER.
Though Season OF Comparative Leisure
1t Should Not be a Period of IdIeness.

It Should Not be a Period Of IdIeness.
The necessary work to be done on
every farm occupies considerable por-
ton of the short winter days, while the
long evenings and some part of the re-
naming daylight may be more profit
ably devoted to reading, study and
planning the bus ness of the ensuing
year than in severe manual toll. The
average farmer gets, in the course of
the year, more muscular exertion than
is for his best good. The mind will not
act as freely when the body is wearied.
and it is undoubtedly lack of good
headwork that necessitates much of the
severe toll of which most farmers COM
plain.
So important do we regard time for
thought that we believe it would be
money in the pockets of all farmers if
they would take an hour or so every
day, even during the bus est season.
and that in the morning, when the mind
is most active, in planning and thinking
of what they should do and devising the
best methods for do nc it. They surely
can not afford TO let their minds lie idle
at a time when study, reading and re-
Election are the most important duties
which they can perform. Not that
farmers should not work to some extent
during every winter. for they can think
and plan better while around the farm
seeing for themselves what needs to be
done. If they observe intelligently they
will find a great deal more to be done
than they should think of attempting
without help.
So, while the farmer himself should
take time in winter for visiting other
farmers. comparing notes and learning
as much as he can about his business.
he VIII also. because of this increased
mental activity, discover enough work
to keep at least one hired man buslly
employed through the winter. and
on large farms two or more. This Is,
perhaps, as great shock as we can
well give to old-fashioned conservative
ideas on this subject We fancy we
hear many farmers who have read thus
far exclaiming in mingled surprise and
disgust: Would YOU have farmers III
these times keep one or two hired men
through the winter to do chores and get
up firewoOd for the following seasons?
Most certainly we would not. IL no
more than this is to be done. the farmer,
unless he has other occupation, can
well do it himself. He will need for
health as much exercise as these traGi-
tional employments will give him.
Winter is a season when many things
can be done more cheaply than at any
other time of the year. Most farmers
do not think so, because what little they
hire is at day rates, which for short
winter days are prOpOrtionately much
dearer than day help is during the
busy summer season. This is of neces-
sity the case, that workingmen may
make both e2ds meet during The winter
season. Most of them get a days work
so infrequently during the winter that
they are obliged to charge one dollar
for it, and this is dearer than 81 30 in
summer. But give these men steady
employment and they can well afford to
work for wages that will little more
! than assure them a living and the
| saving of their summer earnings.
| Many single men can be hired through
! the winter for their board and from five
| to six dollars per month additional.
And if 4 farmer finds an unusually
active and handy man for the winter he
can we'll afford to pay something more.
1t is not good policy at any time to
! drive hard bargains with hired help in
! the matter of wages. This is especially
| true in winter. when more than ever de-
pends on the zeal and interest VIII Gu
| help take in their work. The board is
neces sarily large portion of the wages
| that can be afforded in winter for work
on a farm. But it is unfortunate that
| the phrase dong chores for their
| board was ever invented. Doing the
chores is rarely, if ever, an equivalent
! for home in winter, and unless
! hired man is able and willing to do
more than the chores, the sooner he IS
! off the farm the better for his employer.
| On the other hand, if the winter is an
open one. the hired help are able to
| perform a great variety of farm opera
| tons and they should be made to I'M
derstand that they will be well repaid
for all that they can do. This under
standing that the laborer is sure to
have whatever he can fairly earn is
best for all parties. 1t is essential to
securing good help on the farm at any
| season.
With favorable season, if farmer
can not devise means to keep one hired
help proftably employed through the
winter he is not fit for his business.
Did YOU not miss last summer, perhaps
in the busiest time, some convenienceS
about your barns or gates that you have
found at your neighbors' You could
not possibly do the needed work next
summer. or at any other time when
labor was hurrying you to your utmost.
Such Jobs must often be done in winter,
or not be accomplished at all. What
ever can be done at this season of COM
parative leisure to facilitate next
| summers work, or to make next year S
crops better, is clear gain. 1t is not an
infrequent experience with those who
understand this fact, that the labor
they employ during the winter pays
better profits than that they hire at
dearer wages during the busy season.
In the summer they work at routine
Jobs. many of which must be done,
though half of them do not pay. In
the winter hired help do the extra jobs
which every farmer knows would be
profitable. could he find time to do
them. but which stand to-day, as they
stood ten years ago, without being
done.
In an open winter low places may be
underdrained, taking care to finish as
rapidly as the ditch is dug. Fence rows
may be cleared out that have been an
eye-sore for years. and the land brought
under cultivation. Halfeleared rlaces