The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1904-08-29
LABOR NOW SCARCE
ON EASTERN SHORE
Agriculture at StaDdstill
for Lack of Hands.
NEGROES ARE NOT RELIABLE
Many Farmers Sell Out This Year and
Seek Some Other Means
of Livelihood.

QUEEN ANNE. Md. Aug 29-East-
ern Shore farmers complain that the
scarcity Of farm labor is a serious
menace to agriculture
This is the height OF tie fodder-sav-
ing season, formerly one of the most
important working periods on the farm.
when the tops" of the cornstalks were
cut of and the blades pulled. the
tops stacked and the blades carefully
cured and stored in barns 20 furnish
provender for horses and cattle during
the winter
For some years. however the lack Of
labor has wrought a change in farming
methods, and now. instead Of saving
fodder. many farmers either leave it
for the winds Of autumn TO blow away
or cut the stalks off close to the ground
and make long fodder" for the use Of
cattle
Fodder Causes Disease.
The prevalence of epidemic diseases
among farm stock has been claimed.
however. to be due to the use Of long
fodder" and this is not now in favor
for feeding purposes. Most farmers use
hay largely for feeding stock, either
raising it themselves or buying it dur
ing the winter. and the tomato crop has
The most noticeable change in farming
methods which has taken place on the
Eastern Shore. particularly in the mid
die section. is the abandonment Of large
farms
The impossibility of securing efficient
and dependable labor at the busiest sea-
sons of the year has led land holders
TO sell out entirely and seek other 1neaa rs
of making livelihood, or TO retain only
so much land as they can prodtably and
properly cultivate with the help Of their
own households.
The DunkaTds. Germans. and other i'm
migrants TO the Eastern Shore have
created a demand for small tracts. most
vegetable raising. and few Of them car
ing for more than fifty 20 a hundred
acres.
Negroes Grow Thriftless.
The negroes, upon whom the chief
dependence Of the farmers used to be
placed, have become so utterly unre-
liable and shiftless as to be Of little
or no value. They deserted the farms
for the packing houses when these were
first started. but their proneness to take
a vacation whenever they felt like It
and their entire lack OF responsibility
has led 70 their being dropped from
this employment. and now the Gamers
rely upon labor brought from Baltimore.
There are several thousand ''Bo-
henians.' as they are known. from that
city now at work in the canneries OF
Caroline and Queen Anne counties. They
live during the packing season in houses
and sheds near the canneries. and are
always at hand and as willing to work
at night as in the day.
Selling Their Farms.
a result Of the labor situation, the
native Eastern Shore farmers are
gradually moving into the towns or TO
the cities and dispOsing Of their farms
and stock
This fan there viii be hundreds of
sales Of personal property by those who
intend 10 discontinue farming" and
the number now advertised in half
dozen counties is larger than ever be
fore during August.
Plans for importing white labor by
establishing colonies or Italians. Ger
mans. and other natiOnalities have, been
talked Of. the isolation Of farm life not
appealing TO gregarious peoples I'm a
new country; but il has been suggested
that II some such scheme of agriculture
were 70 be put into effect as in France.
where the farm labOrers live in viii
lagos, plenty Of able and effective white
laborers might be had