FARM LABOR 65 



chanics and the care of implements taught to him. He 

 thus takes a pride in his machinery. 



Last autumn when it was time to cut the corn, as I 

 was going to the field I was amazed at discovering three 

 of my cultivators standing in the furrow. These were 

 one-horse cultivators used for the last cultivation, when 

 it was not possible to straddle the row. What had hap- 

 pened ? Before the cultivation of the field was finished 

 a rain storm had come on, and afterwards the work 

 was not resumed. The implements were left in the 

 furrow. Of course this was contrary to instructions, 

 and when I inquired about it the head farmer was as- 

 tonished to think that I made so much objection to this 

 disreputable practice. He said, " It was a custom 

 where I worked always to leave the implements in the 

 field." Yes, that is true. You can see it yet all over 

 this country, agricultural implements left exposed to 

 the vicissitudes of the season simply because the men 

 who use them have never been taught how to care for 

 them. Not only do I require all my agricultural im- 

 plements to be put under shelter, but further than this, 

 that they shall be cleaned and dusted before they are 

 put away. Moreover, the machines which are neces- 

 sarily left in the field while the work is going on, such 

 as harvesters, et cetera, are covered with a tarpaulin in 

 an approaching rain or when left over Sunday. 



I have been amazed to see how quickly men who have 

 been taught to neglect machinery become interested in 

 caring for it and in taking a real pride therein. I 

 would say, then, that the first great problem in labor is 

 the lack of skill and interest in the laborer. But these 

 are not the only conditions of labor that I find are 

 difficult I realize, I think, that the farm laborer is 

 underpaid. At the same time I believe that he is paid 



