Middletown transcript., 1918-09-14
FARMERS EXERCISED
Those Around Middletown Do Not
Know Where
TO GET THE NECESSARY HELP


ercised concerning the new registration
of men between the ages of 18 and 45
years. What concerns them is how to
secure enough help to do the necessary
autumn work. AS the registration will
include all able-bodied and dependable
farm help the question is serious.
Farm work on large grain farm,
such as this section includes, is one of
the hardest lines of work imaginable,
and only the negroes are able to stand
the hard work in the hot weather. when
the work is the hardest and the average
life of even good temperate negro for
the actual hard working part of farm
work is between the ages of Is and As.
The previous drafts have worked
havoc among the farmers here, as
seemingly the majority of the negroes
drafted have been amon- the best of
the farm help. while the idle, worthless,
vicious. no-account negro, who will only
work two or three days in the week,
has been left ut home With this class
of help to depend upon, the farmers
have just cause for worriment. There
are some negroes who have not missed
day at work for from two to three
years. without the actual permission Of
their employers, and. exemptions have
been asked for them and refused, while
about the town can be seen men just as
able to work, who will not engage on
any farm by the month. They will only
take their chances With day work, and
work from two to thl. days a week
and loaf the balance of the time.
1t is difficult matter for the "Work
or Fight" law to get at this class of
the farm help. The, inspector will be
notified and in the course of his duty
will make an investigation, and by the
time the case is investigated he will
find the man at work on one of his two
or three days Of the week.
The harvesting of the corn crop and
seeding of wheat are the two important
tasks for autumn. With the farmer in
this part of Delaware the success or
fai.i of these two staple crops, much
depends. The corn must not be cut too
green lest it is marketed in bad shape,
and the fodder moulds. The wheat
must be seeded at just the right time.
or the yield will be short. as was the
case here this year. The country at
large had the largest crop of record
for the past fifteen years. and DeIa-
ware, of which this IS the "wheat
belt" had less than two thirds Of
crop. The shortage of last year can be
attributed to the late cutting of the
corn and incidentally the soil being late
in being prepared for wheat.
The Virginia negroes have come to
this section to the number-from 200 to
4O0-to help in the autumn harvest of
the corn, and seeding of wheat, but
this year Virginia has been drawn on
heavily for the strength Of the army
and will not be able to send the neces-
gary help: Thus the Delaware wheat
and corn crops will suffer. Many farm
ers who have sons of draft age are in
clined to quit farming and trying the
munition factories. From the present
outlook they cannot do justice to the
farms of their landlords. At the same
time they cannet see how an army,
such as is proposed by the draft laws.
can be fed without every acre Of ground
being titled to its utmost. This cannot
be done if very many more Of the farm
hands are taken away by drafting and
by the high wages at the munitlon
plants.