The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1897-04-14
Farm Help.

to hire men for six or eight months,
from the first of April, to work |
upon the farm. They were strong,
robust class of men who expect
ed to rise at FIVE o'clock in the
morning, or earlier, and work continu-
ously until all the chores were done at
night, with only time for eating out.
They lived in the farmers family, ex-
pected to do as much work as the far
mer himself and entered into all the
work of the farm with an apparent rel
ish and a degree of interest that 10
scarcely ever excelled in the relations
between the employer and the en-
ployed in any line of industry. This
was partially due, without doubt, to the
fact that they were taken into such
close association with the farmer and
his family that there seemed almost
mutual interest in the business. There
was little inducement for the hired man
to spend money, for he seldom left the
located, and not one person in ten who
works for wages, either high or low,
has as much money at the end OF the
season to-day as this faithful farm hand
could show for his seasons work. This
class of men, with an occasional excep-
ton, cannot be had now, and in their
place has come farm machinery, the
substitution of horse power for a large
proportion of the manual labor previ-
ously employed, and the employment
of men by the year instead of for the
summer months. N' nSzs& H6a
The employment of men by the year
has resulted in securing better class
of help than could now be had in any
other way. Upon large farms there
are generally men with families, who
| live in houses owned and let to them by
the farmer, who furnishes them at
market prices with products OF the
farm, which materially reduces the
cash monthly payment, without disad-
vantage to either party. The farmer
who only needs days work OCCASION
ally or few days in the busy season on
the farm may be able to arrange for it,
but the farmer who needs man
through the summer season will find ii
to his advantage to make some arrange
ment to provide him with work through
the winter also and furnish him house
to live in. This will enable him to
secure steady, temperate men, and
| 9
reasonable assurance of permanent EN-.
ployment, they will be contented and
as interested in the work of the farm as
it is possible for hired man to be un'
der any other circumstances. 1t is the
only possible solution of the farm-hired
help question and the sooner farmers
adopt this system the sooner will they
avoid the unpleasant experiences OF
getting along with incompetent ano
unreliable men and the more annoying
and sometimes dangerous practice OF
having them at their family table and
associating with their children, for, at
we have already said, it is the rare ex.
ception when the moral and temperate
siugle man can be employed upon the
farm by the month as could once be
done.
The changed methods of farming
have made it much easier to arrange
work for the entire year than formerly
and instead of "denning up" for the
winter, as farmers were sometimes sale
to do, it is now about. the busiest season
of the year, under the system practiced
on many farms. The raising of beef
mutton and wool has in New England
been generally superseded by the dairy
and while the former required min
imum of labor in proportion to thu
product sold, the latter, when followed
as winter dairying, calls for consider
able hard labor that cannot be substi
tuted by machinery. The old-fashionet
practice of clearing out the barn Gel
lars and barnyards only spring and fal
has been changed and the progressive
farmer clears his barn celler and ma
nure sheds at least once week during
the winter season, thus relieving tn,
pressure of work in the spring. Thu
teams that are needed during the sum
mer must be kept at work in hauling
wood, muck, ice, lumber or fertilizers
and this furnishes work for the men
1t is not expected that much profit will
come from this outside winter business
but if pair OF horses and man can b.
made to pay for the feed of the horse
and the wages of the man during tn,
winter months, it will enable the farme
to secure bis summer work performed
at reasonable price.
We are aware that there are man,
farmers who do not have sufficient bust
ness to make it profitable to keep ever
one team and man constantly at worl
during the summer and perhaps canno
extend their farming operations profit
ably, and for these, probably, there i
no better way than 10 employ help b.
the day; but those who are employing
sufficient help to make it practically
will find that better men can be Sc
cured, who will take more interest il
the work and cause the farmers family
less annoyance, and the hired maj
greater comfort and contentment, b,
providing cheap, comfortable homes TO
the men and their families; and, il
fact, this is about the only way that sat
isfactory farm help can be secured a