Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1903-08-11

thus entailing loss to the farmers OF
New York state alone that is estimated
at upward of S3,000,000. Some of the
best orchards in the state were entirely
stripped of their foliage by the tent
caterpillar, and the crop was ruined. In
1902 farmers were very. seriously hinder
ed in their work by weather conditions,
and, while the rainfall was actually less
than in some other years, it was SO dis
tributed that the ground seemed always
too wet to work, so that planting and
sowing in season and in good condition
were impossible, and later the growing
crops could not be cleaned and cared for
I in way TO produce satisfactory growth
and yield.
| The present season started in with
drouth, which was unusually severe all
through the Eastern States, so that fit
| ting the land and planting the seed have
been very seriously interfered with, and
| the old rule, ''One extreme follows an
! other, seems to hold true in the present
instance, for the drouth has been follow
| ed by excessive rainfall, which has him
| dered crop cultivation and is now making
the work of curing and housing the hay
crop slow and uncertain. Worst of all
is the problem of help on the farm,
! which seems to be growing more and
more complex as the years come and go.
In many sections it is impossible to Sc
cure as much help as is needed To till the
farms thoroughly, and the quality OF
what help is secured is in many cases
very poor, too often being those men
who are too unsteady, too inactive or
unreliable to find employment in any
other kind of work. Large manufact-
uring establishments and public works
are employing greater numbers of labor
ing men than ever before, and in most
instances they get the best. In some
sections the men ON the farms are being
drawn into larger unions, and are de-
manding $50 a month for the season,
with board, washing and ironing, nine
hours for days work, half holiday on
Saturday, 80 per cent additional pay for
extra time worked and free keep for a
horse. Surely it seems to be true to-day
as when Job wrote: 1.-The servant
earnestly desireth the shadow" AS to
help in the house to provide meals three
times day, to do the washing and IRON
ing, to care for milk and make the but
ter, well, there isn't any in most houses.
Not because good help is not needed and
appreciated, but simply because there is
none to be had at any price. And the
entire labor of the farm house is too
otter thrown upon the housewife, who is
thus deprived of needed recreation, OF
the benefits of society and of any oppor-
tunity to enjoy life such as she is enti-
tied TO.
And the labor problem is growing
more and more complex year by year.
Cheap lands of the West are drawing
many of our young men away; public
works and manufacturing establish
ments are constantly demanding more
and more help, and il needs no power OF
prophecy to see still greater troubles Oh
this kind in the future. In my opinion
the only relief from these conditions
must be found in decreased demand
for help, and in SO managing the farm
that we NAV be able to distribute more
evenly the amount of work TO be done
throughout the entire year, for we must
all recognize the fact that TAR better
class of help may be secured on farms
when employment is given by the year
than can be had if the term is for only
eight or nine months, and the men are
obliged to remain idle through the win
ter months or find employment else
where. /
Altogether, the most satisfactory plan
is to have good, tidy tenant houses con-
veniently located, and hire married men
who can live at home and work through
out the entire year. Not only is 1t more
economical, bnt a better class of men
can be hired-men of experience and
Judgment, who will do better work, be
more contented living in their own
homes, and in this way the work to be
done in the farmers own family will be
very much lightened. The very best
men have ever hired have been those
who lived at home in the tenant house,
sometimes having children of sufficient
age to help in light work on the farm
and usually we have been able to arrange
with the mems wives to help in our own
house during extra jobs, such as thrash
ing, house cleaning, etc.
In a reduction of the amount OF help
needed ON the farm, without CORE
spending decrease OF income, the greatest
factor will be the growth OF more live
stock: pasturing more instead OF cutting
and selling hay; growing horses, cattle
and sheep instead of wheat, potatoes,
beans and cabbage, thus being able TO
get along with less hired help; increasing
the fertility and value of the farm year
by wear, and at the same time increasing
the net income; for it is true that for
wears past those products of the farm
which have cost us most have usually
sold at low price.
For wears past there has been an in
creasing demand for good horses, and
selling prices are such as leave iarge
margin of profit to the breeder. Meats
of all kinds have been high, and the
demand is keen for the best grades of
beef, mutton and lamb. But the
squire says he does not believe we
farmers in the East can compete with
the large farms and ranges out West
in growing beet and mutton; and us Tor
horses-nearly all the horses ON our
farms now are raised and shipped here
from the West. Yes; there is the trouD-
le. We hire and pay an inferior class OF
men high wages to help us grow gram,
potatoes, etc., all of which impoverlsh
the soil; and we pay the money they sell
for for horses and meats grown on the
Western farms. 1t is true that compe-
tition is keen in the livestock market;
but it is as keen in all other lines of
production, and there is not condition
| in reference to the growth and feeding
of livestock which may not be more
completely under the control OF the
| Eastern farmer than are the conditions
under which he is ut present laboring.
We are surrounded by the very best
markets in the world-markets which
are more and more demanding the very
best we can produce. In our great cities
and our mountain and seaside resorts we
NAV find ready market for all we can
F! furnish. The advantage of the Western
man is not that he has the benefit OF
more favorable climate, or a more Ter
tile soil, or better natural conditions, SO
much as in the fact that he is hustler;
he knows good thing when he sees it,
and is quick to take advantage OF owner,
ship. The highest quality OF pure bred
sires of Shorthorn, Hereford and Angus
breeding have done far more for the
( beef industry of the range country than
have natural conditions. The shepherds
of the range have very definite idea of
Just what style of sheep is best suited to
their needs, aud the sires used are the
I best of their kind. In many instances
have known of, the best rams have
been selected from Eastern breeding
tiocks for use as sires on the Western
range, while the culls were used in fiocks
hare