The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1886-12-17

Hands might be employed to advantage in win
ter in getting out fencing stun and fire wood
Geo j. Finney's plan is to hire one man by the
year and another until Dec; LIST; Generally the
weather in winter is so bad that he can not find
work enough for one hand. He prefers TO hire by
the day for such work as he has done in winter
Jas. w. Hanna was of the opinion that most
hands would rather be employed by the day than
the month in winter. lie has rails cut by the
100 and wood by the cord
John Moores spoke of the necessity of having
good labor and said farmers stand in their own
light by not keeping their hands by the year
You can then teach them your methods and they
will suit you better than any other hands. He
employs the same hands winter and summer and
finds plenty for them to do: 81 lie has had one 1ne
hand for 40 years and another 20 years. In the
winter his hands split rails, hew posts. get fenc-
ing ready and dig and make bitches. Then there
is ice to be cut and hauled, logs to be cut and
taken to the saw MILL for future building, cat
tie, sheep and cows to be fed, &c. 1t costs but
little more to hire hands for II months than
months. Three months Of idleness discrepancies
hands; g. -,
not over $50 acres of arabic land, in good condi-
ton one man can do all the work necessary to be
done in winter. farmer Is pretty well tied up
in summer and il he has the same number of
hands in winter as in summer he is obliged to
stay at homo even more constantly than in sum
mer, to direct them. Besides fewer hands in
winter gives rest to the women folks. AT least
half of the farm hands don't want to work all
winter by the month. They can make more
David Il. Wilson has very little stock Tho
only advantageto him to have man in winter Is
that he can sit by the fire while the hand is
Judge Waters said he had always advocated
the policy of farmers employing hands by the
year 1t Is better for both employers and en-
poyes. Hands must live and IL Is the business
of the employer to help them. He did not mean
to say that the same rate should be paid for IL
months US for or monts, but it is better for
farm hand to take nearly the same for II
months as for9 months. There is always some
thing, to be. done in winter--,wood and rails to
get, fences to repair, sometimes stones to be
gathered, all of which can be done by regular
hands. A farmer who employs hands in the
summer must take care OF them In the WINTER
directly or indirectly.
The best hands are those who want steady en-
ployment and steady employment makes them
better hands. Ii you turn them loose in the
winter to hunt 'possums they will get into bad
habits.
hands than most people, and while it was prob
lem whether he was not losing money thereby,
ne could not do without them He always finds ds
more working by the day it certainly costs the
farmer more to hire him by the day. Yearly
hands are decidedly the best hands. He has
some hands who used to do nothing in winter
Now he employs them the entire year and finds
them better.
Thomas A. Hays said when he was farming he
could always find enough for his men to do in
winter. II a farm is in good condition not as
mer. The trouble with him had been to find
time to do all the work he wanted to do in win
ter. Hands get into bad habits If not kept en-
Hargraves Spaldng thought it wise to employ
as many hands by the year as you can give EN-
hands to do in winter.
S: W. Barnes is not farming but in his business
he keeps hands during the months when there is
very little to do so as to have them when the
rush comes.
VIM. f. Hays said much work can be put ahead
In the winter which If left until spring is neglect
cd altogether. 1t is cheaper to hire by the year,
If possible, such help as may be needed.
winter as in summer. He feeds ohead of stock
cattle and horses and it takes three men in win
ter to care for them, cut feed, haul out manure,
&c. In reply to question MIR. Lee said he
would not haul manure out on snow but does
not care how hard the ground is frozen.
n Benz ane SILVER H. Gd not think any b work xb Gap
is absolutely necessary. man in winter can
not do over half days work and expects the
hands needed through the summer say for nine
months, and when he has work to be done in
he divides 1t among those who worked for him
in the summer. He thought after three months
rest man goes to work in the spring with more
snap than yearly hands do.
Geo. E. Silver said he employs in the summer
from to hands by the month. He has them to
suPpOps an .ne year ro una ana t f question u.s.
FOR the entire IL months. Can we not find some
thing for our hands to do to support them in
winter? The man who loses months of the
year acquires bad habits, is always in debt and
has no heart for his work Hands should be re-
garded as members of the family and what is the
cheapest way to keep them and what is the best
way for them to be kept? If we could give them
work IL months it would be better for them and
for US; We should pay fair wages and demand
good days work.
VIM. Webster said It depended good deal on
circumstances whether farmer could hire
hands to greater advantage II months than 8
months.
Ordinarily one industrious man can run farm
of 100 acres of cultivated land by hiring hand
9months of the year, but II the man don't work
himself two hands must be hired. There is al
ways work to be done in winter and the more
work that is done then the less necessity there
will be for hiring extra hands. hand who is
kept through the winter and treated fairly is dis
posed to do a full days work in summer.
e. p. Moores never saw the day there was not
something to do on O farm. A corn shelter or
fodder cutter will always give employment
Men who will work all winter should be encour-
aged. If you keep your hands through the win
ter when spring blowing comes on you know
where to find them. Such hands take an interest
VIM B. Hopkins finds winter his busiest sea-
son. He tries to keep his hands as long as he
can,and finds that the longer he keeps them the
better he can get along with them.
Jas. +. kenly approved of giving men work in
cases. Mr.. Lee, who keeps 100 head of cattle,
finds three men necessary, but man on a small
farm could not find employment for so many in
winter. Some work may be done to advantage
In winter. On his farm $50 acres were cleared
chiefly in winter, but often our winters are such
VIM. Munnikhuysen said he always finds en-
ployment for one or two hands in winter. Year
y hands :, are e NOR, more satisfactory than monthly
them constant employment. They should be
paid promptly.
ter that will relieve him in summer, thereby CIV
ing hands constant employment. There is some
work which can be done to better to advantage In
winter than In summer-that is, hauling out ma
nure Observation and experience had taught
him this fact; Even with the loss of part of it by
the land in winter than in summer He had found
that yearly hands get more money in the course
OF the year than . those he hired r by the day
are now he has not found 1t paid him to hire many
hands during the rough winter weather. Ifhands
have little rest they will work better In the
spring. IL farmer has good hand during the
winter he isapt to sit around the fire go around
S.Martin Bayless employs but one hand by the
month and hires hands by the day when he wants
them. His one man attends to 28 or 80 head Of cat
Amos Bailey said it would not justify him to
keep hands during the winter, his farm being
small: but but. be would keep them the year around
Hosea Barnes thought hands employed by the
day can not be depended on. If you send
one of them out with your team and he is delay
ed until night returning, you are met with surly
LOOKS, whereas monthly or yearly hands expect
TO work night or day when 1t is necessary. On
almost any farm there Is enough to do all the
year. In winter there is timber rails and wood
20 oe cut, stone can be hauled, &c. Most Of the
ditching on his farm had been done in winter.
IL Is better for both parties to employ by the
month or year.
r.. John Rogers, tho President, said the proprie-
W OF employing the same force winter and sum-
mer depends upon the character of farming done.
where large number Of cattle are kept many
hands are required to care for them in winter,
but on farm of ordinary size, where two hands
are needed In summer there Il generally work
!or not more than one In winter. He had found
mat men who are employed months didn't care
70 work longer. He did not think that man is
worth any more on a farm than his board during
the other three months. He was opposed to
hauling out manure on frozen ground.
The next regular meeting of the club will be
held at the residence Of Benz. Silver, Jr., Janu-
airy 9Th, 1887.
A WATCH