566 IOWA DEPARTMEMT OF AGRICULTURE. 



man who recognizes this fact and governs his demeanor accordingly, can 

 hold his place until he resigns of his own volition, assuming that he is pro- 

 ficient, energetic and trustworthy. He can command a maximum wage and 

 hold his job so long as there is anything for him to do. This is the farm 

 hand who prospers because he strives to make his employer prosper. He 

 succeeds because he deserves success. Faithful in small things, even-tem- 

 pered and loyal to the interests he is paid to promote, and master of him- 

 self, he can surely graduate from the hired help class and himself become an 

 employer. 



But there is another type of workman drawing farm wages. His char- 

 acteristics include an insolent aversion to some of the tasks he is asked to do 

 in daytime and everything of an emergency character required of him after 

 a given time in the evening. There are some farmers whose weakness of 

 character renders them tolerant of this unreasonable attitude, and they 

 encourage the eccentricities of their help by submission to many of their 

 caprices. Let an unprincipled man attain a niche in the affairs of his em- 

 ployer where he imagines himself indispensable and he becomes dictatorial 

 and marvelously fastidious. It should be understood that no employe is 

 ever indispensable to his employer, and the latter should demonstrate this 

 fact whenever the provocation is sufficient. 



Piles of recommendations written by friends of the bearer are not to 

 be taken as absolute proof of the fitness of a candidate for a position. 

 Endorsements usually relate to industry, honesty, sobriety and efficiency; 

 they rarely disclose information as to the disposition or temper of the appli- 

 cant for a position. As this information is of great importance to employers 

 of farm help, the farmer who is considering applications should not form his 

 decision until he has ascertained what he should know about their peculiar 

 traits of character. In selecting a man for a permanent position on a stock 

 farm the employer will do well to reject the man who has periodical fits of 

 wrath because he imagines his work is criticised; who assumes that farm 

 animals can be mastered most effectually by resort to the use of a hoe-handle, 

 pitchfork or stone— in short, the man who is a slave to his temper. If such 

 a man has already been employed the sooner he is released the better. Keep 

 him on the farm and maimed stock, broken tools and abused buildings will 

 be more conspicuous than the amount or character of his useful achieve- 

 ments. Farms are not reformatories for ill-tempered employes. Try to 

 secure a man with a happy disposition, even if he be deficient in some other 

 respects. The man whistles or siDgs while at work, has proper regard for 

 live stock and loves children is your ideal farm hand. You can scarcely 

 treat him too generously. 



