176 AGRICULTURAL ECONOMICS 



man in a dairy is to receive an extra wage if the bacteria count 

 is kept below a certain number throughout the month, the 

 bonus may prove helpful. The bonus may be used as an un- 

 promised reward of industry and ability. When wisely ad- 

 ministered this has a wholesome effect upon the organization. 



The piece-work wage is used on the farm in getting special 

 jobs done. Corn is often husked for so much per bushel 

 plowing is done by the acre ; threshing is paid for by the bushel 

 silos are filled for so much per foot, depending on the size 

 ditch digging is paid for by the rod ; and berries are picked by 

 the box. Many other examples of piece work will be noted 

 by the observing student. 



Piece work is advantageous in that it stimulates strenuous 

 activity at a time when there is an unusual amount of work to 

 do. It results in a greater justice in the payment of wages 

 than is secured from a standard daily wage, for each is paid 

 according to the work he has accomplished. The rate of pay 

 is usually much higher than the standard wage and is used in 

 agriculture to draw an extra supply of labor for a short time 

 as well as to speed up the work. 



The main difficulty in the piece-work system arises out of 

 the danger that the quality of the work will suffer. For ex- 

 ample, in husking corn by the bushel there is danger that the 

 unscrupulous workman will take the large ears and leave the 

 smaller and less accessible ears in the field. In this way the 

 workman may damage his employer more than the work 

 done is worth. To be a success the work done under 

 the piece-work wage system must be subject to inspection in 

 order that the quality of the work may not be slighted. 



The goal of the hired man is the position of an independent 

 farmer on a farm of his own. The possibility of attaining this 

 goal depends upon many things, all of which center about the 

 opportunity to learn how to farm for profit and the opportunity 

 and the inclination to save his wages. The young man who 

 receives a moderate wage and works for a successful farmer who 

 himself is climbing the agricultural ladder and is in the process 

 of paying for his farm, is more likely to succeed than the young 



