Commissioner of Agriculture 1G3 



much better satisfaction to their employers than those sent hereto- 

 fore is gratifying to the bureau. This was due largely to the fact 

 that experience in the work of selecting men for this purpose has 

 made those directly connected with the work much better judges 

 of human nature, and also that aliens who were sent out in 

 previous years had acquired sufficient English, and learned the 

 way agricultural work is performed in this country to better tit 

 them for that occupation. The wages paid during the year were 

 on the average about $2 per month more than during previous 

 years and ranged from $18 to about $25 per month, and occasion- 

 ally first-class hands received $30 to $35 per month. Of the large 

 number of men who applied for farm positions during the year, 

 only about one-third were found to be suitable. Many of them 

 would, no doubt, have been satisfactory had we been able to find 

 employers willing to accept them. Very few requests for help, 

 however, were for other than experienced hands, many of them 

 requiring qualifications that the employees of the department were 

 unable to guarantee. 



The nationalities of those furnished were in order of numbers 

 as follows: German, American, Scandinavian, Dutch, Polish, 

 Russian, Irish, with a small number each of several other nation- 

 alities. Fewer recently arrived immigrants applied for positions 

 than formerly, owing, probably, to the great decrease in immi- 

 gration, which has taken place during the past two years. 



Reports from all parts of the state were to the effect that native 

 help was difficult to obtain, due mainly to the starting up of 

 manufacturing and other business enterprises, and when obtain- 

 able was frequently unsatisfactory. This bureau has endeavored 

 to circulate information throughout the state relating to the exist- 

 ence and purpose of this branch of the Department of Agriculture, 

 organized to assist the farmers in securing necessary farm help, 

 but a large proportion of the farmers of the state seem to be still 

 in ignorance of the fact that such a bureau is in existence. The 

 following circular explaining the purpose of this bureau was sent 

 to all the granges in this state, with a request that the matter 

 be brought to the attention of the members, and was also sent to 

 individual farmers applying for information or assistance in 



