156 BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. [Pub. Doc. 



I remember the last I had I had a year, and when they left 

 I was owing them each $3 GO, so it shows what confidence they 

 will have in you after they become acquainted with you. 



Professor Shaw. I was greatly interested in the paper 

 given by Mr. Potter, which I think was ably handled. The 

 same difficulties confront us in the west, but I think to a less 

 extent than with you people here in Massachusetts. Labor 

 probably is not quite so scarce with us as it is with you, but 

 it is difficult to get enough of labor ; in fact, it is so difficult 

 that a good many farmers who are grain growers are trying 

 to do without labor almost altogether, and to do their work 

 themselves by the aid of such machinery as they can intro- 

 duce. 



There was one point that he raised, that I think is one of 

 great importance, and probably does more than almost any- 

 thing else to drive the right class of labor away from the 

 farm, and that is, employing the laborer for six to eight 

 months in the year and allowing him to go idle during the 

 remaining portion of the year. It isn't fair to expect any 

 class of men to spend their time in working for us six to 

 eight months of the year and going idle the other four. 

 There may be some callings that necessitate that to a certain 

 extent, and I think fruit growing has been mentioned as one; 

 but isn't it a possible thing to combine fruit growing and 

 dairying, or to combine two interests, so that the man who 

 comes to work on the farm, or to engage in agriculture, will 

 have employment for twelve months instead of eight ? Let 

 us remember this difficulty ; and I think it must be remedied 

 before the labor question will be upon a proper basis. 



In one respect the labor problem is worse in the west than 

 here. One-half the State of Minnesota, and I might say all 

 of North and South Dakota, are devoted entirely to the grow- 

 ing of grain ; and the men who do that only are occupied only 

 four or five months of the year, and employ hired help only 

 during that time, and the rest of the year don't hire help or 

 do any kind of fanning. They get the railroads to bring 

 men in by the thousands, I might say tens of thousands. 

 They help reap the grain, and then their farming is done. 



Secretary Ellsworth. I think farmers furnishing cheap 



