418 BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. [P.D. No. 4. 



they are only too likely to fall into his ways. Much better 

 is it for the farmer to pay a few dollars more in the month 

 or year for a first-class man, than to employ at a lower price 

 a man whose evil influence or bad habits may leave their 

 marks where no money can efface them. 



For such places a few men can still be found worthy of 

 the old name of help, well worth searching for, and still 

 better worth keeping. Such places require men well trained, 

 industrious, and of good common sense ; but they are often 

 filled by men who fall far below this standard, or whose bad 

 habits make them a nuisance, simply because the farmer 

 tries to save in the wrong place, or is too careless to look 

 after his own interest. For such a farmer there is no cure 

 but the costly lesson of experience. 



The larger farms, where five or six men are employed, 

 require men of somewhat different qualities. Usually two 

 or three must be good milkers, and accustomed to cattle ; 

 two must be teamsters ; and the other two must be good all- 

 around men, who can milk a cow or drive a team if needed 

 in the absence or sickness of the others. For these places, 

 if men can be found who can be trusted to do a day's work 

 in a day, and who will do it for days in succession, the 

 better farmer will hire them in place of men he must watch 

 every day and all day ; and he will find the small difference 

 in wages well spent, just as the better farmer will find the 

 small difference in cost of full feed and the feed of support 

 for his stock the money which gives him the best return. 

 So the increased cost of trusty, faithful men is the best use 

 to which money can be put. 



Upon such farms, employing five or six men most of the 

 year, some extra men are usually employed six or eight 

 months. If among; these one is found more faithful than the 

 others, let him be kept for the year, and the chance of this 

 will stimulate the others to do well. In other words, let 

 faithful service be encouraged, and farmers will have less 

 reason to complain. 



