The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1886-11-26
Farming ira 1903.

The condition of the white farm
laborcrs in the North in the first half
century of our national existence was
not much better than that of the negroes
ut the South ut the present time. II is
stated that in 1898 the Schuylkill and
Susquehanna Canal Company adver-
tiscd for workmcn, Offering 80 Il month
for the winter months and Sc for sum-
mer. with board and lodging. The
next year there was Il debate in the
House of Representatives which brought
out the fact that soldiers rot but 50 4
month. AVermont member. discussing
the proposal to raise il to 81, said that
in his state men were hired for Els 4
year. or 81 month. with board and
clothing. Mr.. Wadsworth, of Penn
sylvania, said: ''In the states north of
Pennsylvania the wages of the common
laborcr are not, upon the whole, SUI
perior to those of the common soldier"
In 1897 Rhode Island farmer hired
n good farm hand at S3 Il month, and
50 month was paid to those who got
employment for the eight busy months
of the farmers year. A strong boy
could be had at that time in COnnecti-
cut ut 81 month through those months,
and he earned it by working from day
break until 8 or O'Clock ut night. He
could buy a coarse cotton shirt with the
earnings of three such months. The
farmers could pay no better, for the
price they got for produce was wretch
ed. Butter sold at cents a pound,
and when it rose suddenly to 10 cents
several farmers wives and daughters
went out of their minds with excite
ment Women picked the wool off the
bushes and briers where the sheep had
left it, and spun and knit it into nit
tens, to earn 81 year by this ioilsome
business. They hired out us help for
% cents month and board. BY Il
days's hard work at the spinning-wheel
woman and girl together could earn
II cents. AS late rs 1881 the best farm
hands could be had for % cents a day,
or twice as much in moving time.
At the beginning of the present CEN
fury the New England and Middle
States each raised wheat, and India
corn enough to supply its own wants.
Now the greater part of the flour and
corn consumed in those states is brought
from the far West. In later years much
of the beef consumed was raised near
the slaughter house where it was killed,
and the raising of fat cattle was a
profitable branch of rural industry.
When the railroads were extended into
the distant West and down into Texas,
cattle began to be transported over
them, and now many of our markets
are supplied with what is known as
''embalmed beef" This Western meat
is very wholesome food, but there are
those, and butchers tell me that the
number is increasing, who prefer to
have beef raised and Killed near them,
and not brought hundreds of miles,
either alive or dead.
This renders it desirable for farmers
to raise oxen and cows that they can
fatten as they grow old. True, the best
mixers are generally raw-boned ami
mails, for the taking on of flesh is incom-
patible with copious secretion of
milk. The quantity of nutritive matter
eaten by a COW is, of necessity. limited,
and it cannot perform two offices, form
ing flesh and fat, and also being Sc
creted in the form of milk. There are
few deep mixers. however. that will
not, when the secretion of milk is sus-
pended, take on flesh rapidly. This /
have found TO be the case with the vel
low-skin, white shorthorns that | have
raised for many years. Beef cattle may
be low just now, but the time is not far
distant when they will command good
prices. -Bcn: Pcrtey Poore.