The Dawson news. (Dawson, Ga.) 1889-current, 1923-05-08
GERMAN ENJOYS SON
HIRES AS FARM HAND
QUIT AGRICULTURAL COURSE
TO GET REAL AMERICAN
METHODS, HE SAYS.

MADISON, Wis.-The son OF the
German ambassador to the United
States, Herman Wiedefeldt, is real
dirt farmer" Mr.. Wiedefeldt spent a
semester at the University OF Wis
consin. but left to do farm work. All
ter working on large farms near Mil
waukee he decided to try small
farm for change, and is now hired
out to Eugene F. Dietz, whose farm
is located two and half miles south
west of Madison.
While at the state university Mr..
Wiedefeldt enjoyed more luxuries
than most students are accustomed
to, but he has spent three years OF
apprenticeship on farms in Germany
and has had four years OF agricultural
training, and is considered by those
who have employed him as one of the
best farm hands they have had in
years. He is not afraid of any sort of
work, is extremely energetic and IS
able to do all kinds of farm work
When Mr.. Wiedefeldt left Madison
to get Job on the farm the first
farmer who considered employing
him, thinking that he was lad who
had lust come over from Germany,
offered him So per month for his ser
vices. This amused Mr.. Wiedefeldt as
it does those who are we'll acquainted
with his agricultural training, both
practical and academic.
When at the university Mr.. Wiede-
fe1dt was accustomed to taking
morning bath and dressing in immac-
ulately clean linen and was always ex-
tremely careful to keep his apartment
clean and in the best possible order.
One can imagine his surprise when on
his first evening as hired hand son
Wisconsin farm he was forced to
sleep with a foreman who did not re-.
move his overalls.
After several weeks on large farms
Mr. Wiedefeldt expressed his ideas OF
the manner in which these farms are
being conducted. In comparing the
farming methods of these farmers
with those on the farms on which he
served apprenticeship Mr.. Wiedefeldt
said:
Too Many Swivel Chair Farmers.
There are too many what you call
swivel chair jobs on American farms
on which | have worked. There IS too
much duplication of work in the field
and the work does not seem to be as
systematized as it might be. On Ger
man farms with which | am acquaint-
ed, the cost of production data IS
gathered and figured out by a man
who is intimately acquainted with the
field. He does not always wear stiff
collar. He will do any kind of work
himself.
The impression among many Wis
of
farms are small. This is not true.
Many of our farms are larger than
anv of Wisconsin's largest farms. |
served apprenticeship on 3,5OO-acre
sugar beet and wheat farm, on an
1,8O0-acre dairy7ng land seed-raising
farm, and on 1,000-acre farm which
was devoted to experimenting III fer
tilizers."
Mr.. Wiedefeldt said that his own
farm was only 400 acres in size, ard
preferred working on the smaller
rather than on the larger American
farms.
Asked what his daily routine was
on the farm on which he had been
workinging the past few weeks, Mr.
Wiedefeldt said: 81 got up at five
O'Clock in the morning and was kept
busy until p. m. | did everything
from milk COWS, chase pigs, haul hay,
to picking feathers off the chickens"
In response to question as to
what was the most important thing
he learned from his experience with
Wisconsin farmers, Mr.. Wiedefeldt
said:
ITO make a definite agreement be-
fore you pull on your overalls and
begin to work"