1869. 



^"EW ENGI^ND FAR:\iER. 



463 



of faithfu'ness, especially in those who are 

 empioyt'd in any of the numerous public works 

 in our cities. Their great study seems to be 

 to accomplish as little as possible during work 

 ing hours. This state of things is influencing 

 all departments of labor. The farmer comes 

 in for his share of the evil. His man knows 

 he can go to the city and find work to do, and 

 that there he can shirk his task, but while 

 under the farmer's eye he has not so good a 

 chance. Hence he becomes uneasy, and off 

 he goes, regardless of all engagements, or any 

 damajje he may cause his employer. The 

 truth of these statements, I presume, will not 

 be controverted. 



Another cause of the trouble is, the gen- 

 eral extravagance or want of economy among 

 all classes of our people — employer and em- 

 ployed. The business man, the farmer, the 

 mechanic, and in fact all the professional 

 classes, so called, find their expenses large, 

 and the calls upon them for money from every 

 side increasing. At the same time, every la- 

 boring man fiiids himself beset with the same 

 diiriculty. The consequence of this condition 

 of ihings, is an effort on the part of tliose who 

 employ labor to bring about a reduction of 

 price ; and those who labor, to gain an increase 

 of price for their labor. 



Another cause of disquietude is found in 

 the unceasing agitation of the question, as to 

 the number of hours that shall constitute a 

 day. So long as labor is in such demand as 

 it is at present and has been for some years 

 past, so long may we be sure that this agita- 

 tion will be continued. Much may be said in 

 favor of the abridgment of labor to eight 

 hours for a day's work. The same arguments 

 may with like propriety be urged for six hours, 

 or even less, as the legal time required. I 

 hardly think that many who have made man's 

 capacity for labor a study, will say that, in 

 most occupations in the open air, ten hours is 

 the limit beyond which he cannot labor with 

 safety to his physical system. About the only 

 reason of any force given for changes in this 

 respect is, that, by reducing the hours of phy- 

 sical exertion, we have more time to devote to 

 ment 1 culture and the Lke. This is true. 

 But how far this increased leisure time is thus 

 Uocd is somewhat problematical. However, 

 we will not discuss the aggregate gain or loss, 

 either to the employer or emfj4oyed ; for after 

 all, it will remain true, tha.t necessity knows no 

 law. So long as human nature is as we know 

 it ro be, so long will laws enacted to regulate 

 this matter of labor (where adults are the par- 

 ties) be comparaiivelv powerless. Demand 

 and supply are inexorable in respect to labor, 

 a-; to all other commodities. You cannot 

 kick the beam always in one direction. It 

 will inevitably recoil sooner or later, and 

 swing as far from the centre in the opposite 

 davctioa as it has been forced from the true 

 balance. It is, therefore, useless and worse 



than useless for guilds, trades' unions and all 

 other organizations to attempt to didute who, 

 and how many shall learn a particular business, 

 how long they shall work, or the rate of waees 

 they are to receive for their labor. Combi- 

 nations of this kind are sure to drive employ- 

 ers into the same tactics, and the time for 

 their action will be when labor can least with- 

 stand it, viz., when business is dull and labor 

 plenty. It is well for both parties to view 

 this question dispassionately, and with a wise 

 r'gard to all the exigencies of business and 

 of l,fe. 



So far as farm labor is involved in this 

 question, I have never had any misgivings but 

 that t..e farmer would ever be able to find la- 

 bor, such as he requires, at just and equitable 

 prices. As to the number of hours he wishes 

 them to work, that can in all cases be amicably 

 arranged. If jou deal with every man who 

 comes to you for work as you would wish to 

 be dealt with, all trouble can be avoided, ex- 

 cept in a very few cases of very bad men. If 

 I tell a man before I employ him how I work 

 my men, and if any extra time required is to 

 be paid for, pro rata, or any other condition, 

 and he engages to work knowing all the cir- 

 cumstances, you need not generally fear hav- 

 ing any trouble with him. But hire a man in 

 a hap-hazard manner, without his knowing 

 what to expect, and if you get on without 

 trouble you will be more fortunate than most 

 men are. 



Therefore, I do not think it is worth while 

 for the farmers of New Englxnd to be much 

 worried about the labor question. So far as 

 they are concerned, if they deal fairly with 

 their men at the time of employing them, and 

 adhere to the conditions stipulated all through 

 the term of service, they will find the ques- 

 tion of labor peacefully solved, as far as they 

 are concerned. K. o. 



July 23, 1869. 



For the New England Farmer, 

 TIME TO CUT GRASS. 



Much has been said of late on this impor- 

 tant subject, all writers agreeing that grass 

 has usually been cut too late. This is un- 

 doubt'^dly true. At the same time, is there 

 not danger of our going to the other extreme, 

 under the pressure of so much influence on one 

 side ? 



The question is, what is the proper time 

 to cut grass, in order to secure it in its best 

 condition ? 



There seems to be three stages in the 

 growth of the grasses, as of most (perhaps all) 

 annual plants. The first is before the juices, 

 the sugar and starch become matured. The 

 second is after the plant has taken up all the 

 elements required to constitute a perfect plant, 

 and to supply m full all the substances which 

 go to form the nutritive qualities of the grass, 

 with the exception, perhaps, of some of the 



