Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1902-10-14
FARM MANAGERS WANTED.


We doubt if there is greater demand
in any business for managers or execu-
tive officers than exists among people
owning large farms or having large hold
ings of real estate, which they desire to
have managed in progressive and up
to-date manner We do not refer to ex-
tensive areas, where a manager would
only have to direct the work, but to farms
where the manager has not only the
oversight, including the hiring of other
help and selling the products, but also is
expected to go into the field and lead in
the various kinds of work carried on
there. In fact, he must do as thousands
of successful farmers are doing to-day
upon their own farms in looking after
everything and anticipating the various
emergencies that are liable to arise in
the growing of crops and feeding stock
and being prepared to meet them.
The qualifications required to fill such
places are good knowledge of the prin-
cipleS of agriculture so far as their gen.
eral application is concerned and the
stricteSt integrity and sense of honor. In
order TO fill such place man would
need TO take the same interest in the
management of the farm that he would
were it his own and would need to re-
gard his employers interests his own in
terests. The use of improved machinery
and improved methods of farming make
it necessary that such man work no
more hours in day than the managers
in other industrial enterprises are re-
quired to work and less hours than many
people work who are engaged in busi-
ness requiring their attention a portion
or all the evenings.
The demand for such men has been
greatly increased through the purchase
of farms by city people, for these pur-
chasers as a rule know little or nothing
about farming matters. In some in
stances such purchasers have become
discouraged in the management of their
farms from the difficulty in securing re-
liable men to carry on the work. These
men do not expect to make their farm
operations profitable, neither do they
expect to have things done in Shiftless
and Shipshod manner. The money they
possess which enabled them to purchase
farms, has generally been obtained
through close application to a business
or profession in which every detail was
looked after with the greatest precision.
Their experience in these matters teaches
them that the details of any business
need close attention to bring success,
and an important requisite of their
farmer and manager must be thorough
ness in such matters.
We do not advise any young man who
has a good farm to leave it and accept
position upon some other mans farm,
however well he may be adapted for the
position. By such action he might have
more money at the end of the year than
he would have been able to save in farm
operations upon his own farm, but he
would have lost an opportunity to lay
the foundation for farm home upon his
own soil, which is the best thing a young
man can do if he intends to follow farm
ing as life work, and, as we have said,
owns farm. There are, however, a
great many farmers sons who have not
inherited or been able to purchase a
farm and who expect to engage with
some employer for time at least. Such
Young men, whether married or single,
can do no better than to fit themselves
for farm managers and enter upon their
duties as such as soon as possible. There
is no difficulty in finding an opening, for
there are hundreds of farmers and prop
erty owners who are now anxiously
looking for such men. They must, how
ever, have the disposition and ability to
make themselves useful and valuable to
their employers in order to get good
prices.
In making these suggestions we do
not underestimate the demand for
trained specialists in various agricultural
positions and the opportunity for men
who have fitted themselves for these
positions. The agricultural experiment
stations of the country are to-day unable
to secure such men as are needed to
direct the work, and there are many
wealthy men owning vast estates who
require the services of specialists in di-
recting their farm operations. 1t re-
quires several years Of study and train
ing to fill these positions. The matter
to which we are directing attention is
a very different affair. 1t requires
honest, intelligent, energetic men with
some knowledge of and liking for
farming and for such there is an opening
as farm managers and workers that is
far from being filled. Such qualities as
bring success in other occupations will
bring success here and in more desirable
conditions and with wider opportunity
| To Law aside wages for use in the pur-
chase of farm or engaging in other en-
terprises. and Farmer.
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