No. 4.] FARM HELP PROBLEM. 139 



THE FARM HELP PROBLEM. 



BY BURTON W. POTTER, ESQ., WORCESTER, MASS. 



The scarcity of farm help during the past decade has seri- 

 ously affected the agricultural interest of this State. During 

 that time it has been no unusual occurrence for a farmer to 

 quit his business because he could not hire competent help at 

 the wages he could afford to pay. This state of affairs has 

 injured our agriculture. Sometimes when a farmer gives up 

 and moves away, his homestead becomes an abandoned farm ; 

 and if he continues to live upon his farm, but engages in 

 other business, it becomes an uncultivated farm, and deterio- 

 rates rapidly in value and fertility. 



The scarcity of farm help also affects farming disastrously 

 in other ways. It retards farm improvements. The farmer 

 who finds it difficult to do his ordinary farm work with the 

 help at his command, is not likely to undertake the job of 

 cleaning his rough land of brush and stone. Drainage is 

 postponed. Brush cutting in the pasture and around the 

 fences is neglected. The buildings are not painted or re- 

 paired. Grain raising is curtailed. The horses and cattle 

 are neglected. The ability to raise good calves, lambs and 

 colts is becoming a lost art. The swine industry is waning. 

 The farmer is becoming tired and discouraged. And this 

 state of affairs is attributed in large measure to the scarcity 

 of efficient farm help. But it may be said you are begging 

 the question, as you have not shown that there is any scarcity 

 of farm help. I think it is a self-evident proposition to every 

 farmer who has been dependent the past few years upon hired 

 help. He knows that it has been impossible to secure capable 

 and intelligent help at any price. There being few native 

 Americans in the farm help market, lie lias been obliged to 



