1884.] FARM LABOR IN NEW ENGLAND. 105 



sidered, but in the entire farm economy, the question of labor 

 comes in to dictate our theories and direct our practices. Why- 

 then the laborer himself should receive so little true consideration 

 from those who employ him upon the farm, I am at a loss to 

 explain. It would seem, in numerous instances, as though he was 

 from the beginning to the end of his service nothing more than a 

 free slave, a drudge, to be fed and lodged, and worked to the limit 

 of his ability. As though the idea that he could or would appre- 

 ciate kindness, and requite it with more willing and efficient ser- 

 vice, was only an impracticable theory, at least for those who 

 would employ his labor at a profit. I have known farmers who 

 would subject themselves to any amount of discomfort, rather than 

 have those in their employ enjoy an hour of leisure, who always 

 planned an amount of labor wholly disproportioned to the num- 

 ber of men employed, and thought it shrewd management. But 

 the wisdom of such a policy was absolute folly, and resulted in 

 loss instead of their fancied gain. 



There ought to be between the employer and the employed the 

 most cordial sympathy, and the most complete community of 

 interests, and there must be in order that the largest profit may 

 result from the relation. Fortunately there are many employers 

 who understand this, and treat those in their employ with true con- 

 sideia-tion, sometimes from the motive which is spanned by dollars 

 and cents perhaps, but often from genuine impulses of sympathy 

 with those who are by necessity their servants. I hope you will 

 pardon me for introducing, just here, a bit of my own experience, 

 for as a hired man I became intimately acquainted with represent- 

 atives of both classes which I have described, though I wish to 

 speak of only one, and would gladly forget the other. It was 

 my good fortune once to be employed by a farmer who was, to my 

 mind, an ideal employer, agriculturist, and gentleman. He carried 

 on a large business and by his skillful management won the 

 admiration of his employees, and by his kind regard for their com- 

 fort won their devotion. His keen judgment of men's labor 

 enabled him to adjust the matter of labor and help with great 

 accuracy, so that everything moved on from spring to autumn with 

 systematic regularity and finish, such as I have never seen else- 

 where. And the service required for this was almost as much a 

 pleasure as a task. There was no grumbling about overwork, 

 though now and then there was occasion for all hands to crowd 



