The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1902-07-08
HARVESTING THE KANSAS WHEAT
CROP.

July Review of Reviews what the Kan
sas farmers have done toward solving
the problem of labor supply in the
wheat harvest. The article is sugges-
tive, and full of fresh, frst-hand in
formation. That the problem is real
ly serious one may be guessed after
reading this press dispatch sent out
from Wichita, Kansas, a few days ago:
Fifty tramps were captured by
four farmers living near Pratt yes
terday, and the tramps are now at
work under shotgun guard. They
have made several attempts to escape,
and the guards have ben forced to in
jure two of them to keep them within
bounds. The tramps were going
through Kansas, bound for Colorado.
The freight train upon which they
were riding, was wrecked near Pratt,
and the tramps were captured and put
to work. Hundreds of acres of wheat
are going to ruin for want of harvest
hands. The farmers are blaming the
State agency for keeping the harvest
hands out of Kansas, and claim it is a
political scheme. The tramps are be-
ing paid 50 day for their work"
From Mr.. Draper's timely and in
teresting article, we make the follow
ing extracts:
In the past five years the wheat
acreage has been doubled in Kansas,
Oklahoma, and Nebraska. With the
increase in yield, there is a demand
every summer for extra help in the
harvest season. Farmers who own
the land, or can secure a lease, SOW
from two to five hundred acres. The
farmer with one hired man, four good
horses and a gang plough and drill
can do this; but. to harvest the crop
requires seven men, ten head of horses,
and an extra woman in the kitchen to
assist the housewife.
Importing labor into the wheat belt
during the period of harvesting has
caused a new and serious problem to
the grower-that of obtaining the ex-
ira workers at the right time and at
reasonable prices.
This is the era of large wheat fields
in the prairie West. There are many
places in Kansas where one can stand
,,,,o, . ly,,o11 onJ oo,,p+ FrO,,o o1o1,or
to fifteen manifestations in one
field. The harvesters employed by
one man often number a hundred or
more. The labor problem of a COM
munity given over almost exclusively
to wheat-raising is made more compli
Gated from the fact that few if any
Iaborers from the towns can go to
work in the harvest fields. Abundant
crops infuse the towns as we'll as the
country with prosperity and bustling
life The towns boom while the far
mers are gathering in their crops,
townsman. As few farmers employ
more than three helpers the year
throughout, a supply must be imported
from outside the State. Kansas
boasts Of being the only community
where a small army of harvest hands"
are imported annually, to the satisfac
ton of both the farmer and the labor
er. Indeed, the plan is quite new to
the Sunfower State.
Wheat-growers pay the laborers
from $3.50 to $3.50 a day. Some, more
expert than others, earn 81 day. The
cost of growing an acre of wheat is
divided as follows: twine, 25 cents;
ploughing and narrowing, 81; drilling,
40 cents; seed, so cents; cutting $1.25;
hauling, $3.50; threshing, $1.75; total
$685.. If sold at 80 cents bushel, the
farmer doubles his money. Machinery
saves much to the farmer, but the day
laborer yields him even a greater
profit. A binder will cut Is acres a
day. The twine costs 25 cents an acre,
the binder driver is paid $3.50, and
the hire of the team is $3.50. In some
sections the header is used instead Of
a binder, thus eliminating the cost of
twine.
The total expense in cutting 1000
acres is 5000, of which $40 goes for
horse hire and-twine. However, the
farmer pays larger wages to those who
do the harder work of the harvest
field. The binder driver sits under a
sunshade, riding upon his machine.
His work is frequently given to young
women when there is a scarcity of
men in thelfeld. Those who shock the
bundles of grain, tramping through
the wiry stubble all day long, are paid
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