( 40 ) 



tive. She would be much more effective if she replaced an 

 able-bodied, farm-reared man now working in a factory and 

 his efforts were transferred to food production. 



There is an acute shortage of young, well-trained male 

 help on farms. The average age of farmers is above normal. 

 These older farmers lack the physical endurance necessary 

 during the heavy work of planting, haying, and harvesting. 

 Normally the problem solves itself through the hiring of 

 extra men and the exchange of neighborhood help. With the 

 farmer, his wife, and children working practically at capacity, 

 there is an opportunity for Federal, state, and particularly 

 local agencies to provide small amounts of skilled, mobile 

 workers to assist such farmers at the time of peak labor loads. 

 This is not a job for farmerettes or the $26,000,000 land army 

 drafted from inexperienced city folks. 



There are only a few ways of effectively increasing the 

 farm labor supply: 



1. defer skilled farm workers; 



2. discharge from the army skilled farm workers already inducted; 



3. draft workers now in cities who have had farm experience; 



4. depend more upon farm woman labor; 



5. shorten the school year and release farm children for spring and fall 

 farm work. 



There is another phase of the farm labor problem that re- 

 ceives scant consideration. There must be a constant succes- 

 sion of men taking over the farms relinquished by aging op- 

 erators. These men may be farmers' sons working as hired 

 men on their fathers' or other farms, accumulating capital. 

 This has been called the first rung of the agricultural ladder. 

 There are also many young married men with farm training 

 who are working in non-essential urban industries, accumu- 

 lating capital to start farming. Because of the high propor- 

 tion of old men now operating farms, great care should be 

 taken that Selective Service does not deplete this reserve of 



