4 STUDIES OF OCCUPATIONS IN AGRICULTURE 



ing is a well balanced occupation, requiring both mental and 

 physical effort every day; the real importance of the farmer's 

 contribution to community and national service. 



4. Disadvantages: The comparative isolation of farm life; the 

 difficulty in some localities of obtaining the necessary com- 

 forts of life; the hard labor in house or dairy usually put upon 

 the farmer's wife; the long hours of labor usually necessary; 

 the wide range of duties and the need of constant and often 

 arduous physical labor; the need of capital or income outside 

 of the average farm, especially in making a beginning of farm- 

 ing; the lack of educational opportunities in many country 

 localities; the difficulty of securing needed farm help; the 

 seasonal nature of most farming, and the long deferred returns 

 in some lines, such as orchard planting. 



5. Preparation: The great proportion of workers on the soil have 

 always learned by experience. Boys upon the farm have first 

 done chores out of school hours, then become helpers in garden 

 and field, and then full workers in the occupation or farm 

 owners. In recent years, however, agricultural courses in high 

 schools, separate and county schools, and colleges have been 

 established. In this movement the United States has taken 

 the lead. Such schools train for scientific farming in general 

 and for farm management. Consult the accompanying historic 

 treatment of the subject for farm management, fairs, farmers' 

 institutes, and so on. 



6. Other requirements: Love for the soil, and for domestic 

 animals; good health and strength for active field work; ver- 

 satility, to be able to do effectively the many tasks found upon 

 the farm; patience to wait for harvest time or for animals to 

 become salable or to reach maturity; habits of thrift and in- 

 dustry; good judgment and unmistakable business ability for 

 farm management, which usually determine success in farming. 



7. Income: The farm laborer* usually working by the month, 

 now often receives as high wages as the shop worker. In the 

 harvest season the daily wages vary from three to six dollars or 

 more in various parts of the country. Often a home, or room 

 and board, is provided in addition. The foreman, manager, or 

 superintendent receives from $1500 a year up to several thou- 

 sand dollars. The owner of a farm usually makes a living for 



