Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1903-04-01
To Get the Most Out Of the Hired MAJ

Ses~ 80 w.
Farmers are almost universally COM
planning of the high price of farm labor
and many of them complain of its in
efficiency. This is nothing new. We do
not ever remember time when farm
ers did not utter similar complaints,
nor is 1t likely that except for brief
season following q panic, there will
ever be any less complaint, at least
not In our day. During the forty years
or more that we have been familiar
with farming and farm hands, farmers
have been decreasing the amount OF
farm labor that they employed by the
use of improved machinery, and as
machinery is improved and the farm
ers learn how to use this improved ma.
chinery, the number of hands employed
on the farm will grow less and less.
One Of our readers In Illinois employed
six hired men during the last year and
with these he broke up 800 acers of sod,
grew 1000 bushels of oats, 5000 of
wheat, and $4,000 bushels of corn. he
says he can buy and own all the mules
he has money to pay for and they stay
with him as long as wanted, which is
not the case with the hired man. He
economies labor by having his men
use all the mule power that he can de-
wise ways for them to handle. For
example, he puts eight mules to 30.
It. harrow, and six mules to one of his
disks. This is q sample of the way to
pay high wages to the very best hands,
and at the same time cheaper the cost
of production. The farmer has no
control over the selling price of his
products. but he can control to some
extent the cost of production and only
when he gets the cost of production and
marketing below the current price can
he hope to make any money.
This is 9 subject which we have dwelt
upon at times for two or three years.
It ts up to the farmer to-day to put bis
brains to work to figure out how he can
get more effectiveness out of his hired
man BY the use of improved machinery
Of all kinds and by doing the planning
so as to get the greatest possible
amount of efficient work with the least
cost OF time and labor. Farmers are too
apt to retain an Ineffective machine
simply because they happen to have 1t
and because 1t is not altogether worn
out. Even If it were new, if. by getting
9 better machine, you could save In la
Dor the cost of new one, then 1t is bet.
ter to cast the old one into the iunk
pile or put 1t up at sale. There are al.
ways plenty OF men who will buy old
machinery.
The point we wish to emphasize ia
that the farmer must either invest
money in improved machinery or in
labor. 1t does not take more than five
minutes consecutive thought to con-
Vince any one that it is cheaper to buy
the machine than buy the increased
help. This may be subject new to
some Of our readers, but If they will
think about 1t minute they will see
there is room for great economics on
the farm in this direction. Why fool
with an SIT. harrow when you can use
9 loft; or q 16-ft. when you can use a
32-ft. Why fool away your time with
q stirring plow that will plow two acres
or three, day, when, with the same
power and q different machine. such AZ
9 disk or gang plow, you can plow
five acres? Why monkey with har-
row IN narrowing corn, when with a
good weeder, under suitable conditions
you cover twice as much ground and do
1t as well or better2 Why fool awav
your time by hauling out manure
and spreading 1t with fork when by
using a manure spreader you can get
nearly twice as much value from the
manure and get it out In about two.
thirds the timer These are Illustrations
OF the way in which we can get more
labor out of the hired man.
Farmers have got away from the
sickle, the cradle. the self-raking reap.
or, but there are some other things Il
would be just as well to get away from.
Think this over, friends, and see If Won
cannot get more work out Of the hired
man than you have been doing. or bv
working q little harder yourself possibly
get along without him, by using these
chines.-Wallsce's Farmer