124 BOARD OP AGRICULTURE. [Jan., 



for the past two years my corn has stood the droughts (which 

 we all know have been very severe) very much better than 

 with hill cultivation. 



Mr. Augur. There is one point in regard to this labor 

 question, which has been so happily handled this morning, to 

 which I would like to refer, and which, perhaps, has not been 

 fully developed ; that is, the hours of labor on the farm. In 

 my earlier years, I was accustomed to extended hours of 

 labor, almost from sun to sun, but more recently we have 

 fallen back on the system of ten hours, and when we hear 

 the whistles of the factories in the neighborhood, we by com- 

 mon consent stop. The question is, whether it is not better 

 for farmers generally to adopt systematic hours of labor, and 

 when we do labor, have our men work continuously, and feel 

 that it must be continuous, well-directed labor ? I really 

 believe, that on the whole, it will lead farmers to be more 

 systematic, to have their plans better laid, and that we shall 

 accomplish quite as much, and perhaps with more satisfaction 

 to our help and to ourselves. 



Question. Can you quit work at six o'clock in haying 

 time, every day ? 



Mr. Augur. Of course, there may be some times when it 

 is impossible. 



Question. Do you keep up the ten hours in winter ? 

 Mr. Augur. In winter, we should hardly make that. 



Mr. Wetherell. I would like to ask Mr. Augur a ques 

 tion : Suppose a man has a dairy of forty or fifty cows, can 

 he milk them twice inside of ten hours ? 



Mr. Augur. I will admit that there would be a difficulty 

 there. 



Question. I wished merely to ask the question if, at this 

 season of the year, when the days are short, he kept his men 

 at work until the whistle sounded? 



Mr. Augur. I suppose not, but I think we can approach 

 nearly the system of regular hours by beginning work earlier 

 than farmers sometimes do, and continuing it later. 



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