The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1897-04-21
An Important Matter.

come. One of the important matters
that is frequently arranged at this sea-
son is the hiring Of farm help for the
summer, although, as we have stated in
q previous issue, this is now often ar
ranged for by the year upon more
basis for both employer and |
employed. For various reasons this
plan cannot always be carried out, and |
by the month to board IN the farmers |
family. 1t is not always best in this |
matter to hire the man who can furnish |
the most muscular effort for the money |
paid, because there are many more i'm
portant considerations than physical
strength, and the low-priced man is
often the most expensive for the farm
err to employ. There should be some
knowledge of farm work, and the hired
man should be of such disposition as
to admit of even cordial relations exist
ing between himself and the farmer.
We find the following in the Live Stock
Indicator upon this subject, which is
sensible and to the point. 1.-THE rela
ton of the farmer to the hired help is
a matter that does not trouble the
farmer in this locality yet, except to
getting a good man and not paying too
much for him. During the last few
wears the hired man has had the best
of the bargain if he got his pay at all,
and as a general thing the hired man
gets his money; in fact, he always
does except in rare cases, while the
farmer bosses for the honor and glory
he gets out OF it.
"a good hired man should know as
much about farm work as the man that
hires him, and should be able and will
ing to go ahead and do whatever he is
directed to do without the farmer hav.
ing to watch him and direct his every
movement.
"When farmer gets man that can
90 ahead and do the work as well as
the farmer himself can do it, or per-
haps better, he will be wise man il he
lets him 90 ahead and the farmer turns
his attention to other work entirely.
Where this can be done the farmer gets
the real benefit of his hired help, and
generally good returns for the money
It costs him; still the hired help does
not want to get too independent, but
should be willing to do just as the farm
er wants, and not think he is running
the place to his own responsibility, and
perhaps in opposition to the owner.
But when the farmer knows just how
far 10 trust his hired help and the help
knows just what and how much TO do,
and they have a mutual understanding
and live up to it, their relations will be
just as they ought to be.
sit is impossible to have the right
feeling between some men, however.
Some men who work on the farm are
not fit for any place but the railroad
section, where they have boss that
does nothing but watch them, tell them
what to do, and 'cuss' them. They do
not take an interest in anything they
are to do; their main and only object is
to put in time and draw their wages.
When these fellows hire to farmer
that is always "puttering around" try
ing to watch and direct everything
and tell just when everything is to
be done and just how to do it. things
get interesting. Such men, however,
are loss to any farmer, no difference
how good manager of hired help he
is, and the best farmers will not hire
them at all, or if they do, fire them as
soon as they find them out. Good hired
men will not work for some farmers
either.
different farmers hiring men for
the same purpose could not be satisfied
if they all got the same kind of men.
The trouble is to know when you get a
man that suits, but when you do keep
him, for he will not be apt to cost you
much or any more than poor one
would in wages, while in his work the
difference will be all the difference be-
tween profit and loss"
HELP IN THE HOUSE.
Difficult as it may be to secure COM
petent help for the farm it is much
more 80 for the house. Upon large
farms, where the farm help is boarded
in the family, it often becomes neces-
sary to have help in the house, and
those who have had experience in find
ing such help will appreciate the fol-
lowing clipping from Western ex-
change upon this subject. There are
faithful and competent women who
work for the interest of the family
where employed, and such cannot be
too highly appreciated. The paper re-
ferred to says:
"And now about the hired girl.
Verify, do not know her; she is hard
to find and harder to keep. She will
play the piano by the hour, but darn
stockings, nitl She has a separate beau
for each night in the week and two for
Sunday. As to independence, the Shah
of Persia is groveling vassal beside
her. She will rattle away about her
beau until she has talked the rice pud-
ding in the oven black in the face. She
will whisk around and hit each chair
with the broom and wave it few times
at the floor by way of sweep, and
then skip out, put on an array of ap-
parel which would make King Solo
mons hair stand on end if he saw il.
She will march down the street in regal
splendOr, sweeping the leaves from the
sidewalk with her flowing skirts, and
the cobwebs from the sky with her
tipped-up nose. She may be back in
two hours or two weeks, or never. She
is usually very generous, and is liable,
out of sheer pity, to marry sore-eyed,
knock-kneed peddler with seven chill
dren. The world would be better if
there were more of her in number, and
each one endowed with a good deal
more practical common sense" mirror