No. 6. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 5 



Hay was short, but the rains during and after harvest, brought 

 lorvvai d the second crop to exceed the first in quantity. 



Tobacco has proved a fairly, good crop a-ud was housed in good 

 condition. 



The apple crop was large in some sections, and of good quality. 

 Peaches were only a partial crop. Pears were plenty, well developed 

 and of good flavor. 



Prices of farm produce and wages have been maintained, as will 

 be seen, by rerLicnce to the table presented elsewhere in this report. 



FARM HELP. 



The securing of efQcient farm help is becoming more and more 

 serious each year. The wonderful development of the manufactur- 

 iLg, mining, commercial and transportation industries, has drained 

 the country of help until, in some localities, it is impossible to hire 

 labor at aoy price which the farmer can afford to pay. More women 

 have been working in the fields this year, than perhaps ever before in 

 the history of the State. 



In suggesting a solution of this problem, I can only reiterate that 

 which was stated in my report last year, viz: "Smaller farms, gang 

 plows, wider harrows, mowers, horse rakes and drills; fast walking 

 horses; conveniences for the watering, feeding and stabliog of ani- 

 mals, and, in general, economy of effort in every direction.'' 



It is also becoming a question, as to whether we should not return 

 to the grazing and feeding of animals more extensively than we are 

 now doing. This system of husbandry economizes labor, and if 

 judiciously pursued, will be as remunerative, in the end, as many of 

 the methods, which require greater expenditure of effort, and a 

 larger force of hired help. The supply of first class beef is not likely 

 to be greater than the demand, for years to come, and Pennsylvania 

 is well adapted, in most of its area, to beef production. The rearing 

 of beef, swine, poultry, sheep and horses suggests, therefore, a means 

 of at least temporary relief, from the burden of labor which is now 

 imposed upon the Pennsylvania farmer, and at the same time in- 

 creases the fertility of his land, through the manufacture of barn- 

 yard manure from the feeding, at home, of crops raised upon the 

 farm. 



DOMESTIC HELP. 



The same dearth of help which embarrasses the farmer in caring 

 for bis crops, is found in securing domestic help to assist in his 

 home. 



So many avenues of occupation are now open to women, which 

 require only from six to eight, or at most, ten hours, of their time 

 in a day, after which they are at liberty to do as they please, that 



