ISjo. 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



437 



ears, wherever I have been, (and I have been in 



most of the counties of the acljoiiiing States of 

 Maine and New Hampshire,) I have seen no suffi- 

 cient reason to vary tliis opinion. Essex. 

 June, 1855. 



For the NeiD England Farmer. 



FARM WAGES AND LABOR. 



Mr. Editor : — A writer in the last number of 

 the monthly Farmer finds himself much troul)led 

 on account of the high wages whicli farm lal)orers 

 are receiving. I shall attempt to show that good 

 workmen receive no more than a lair equivalent for 

 their labor ; if farmers wish to employ idle, igno- 

 rant, bigoted laborers, they may do so, and it will 

 continue to be difficult to obtain others. The for- 

 eigner when he first arrives, may be liired for small 

 wages, yet he is dear "help ;" but after he has 

 learned the ways of the country, lie demands and 

 obtains as high wages as the Yanlvee. Much of the 

 farm labor is performed by machinery, and less 

 hand labor is needed now than formerly, and more 

 intelligent labor is required. The farm workman 

 labors more hours than almost any other, and he is 

 much exposed to the weather. It appears to me 

 that the condition of the farm laborer, working 14 

 or 16 hours per diem, for $14 or $15 per month, 

 does not compare very well with that of the me- 

 chanic, working ten or eleven hours, for $ 1 ,50 or 

 $2 per diem. Working "by the month" wears out 

 the strength and constitution, so that no man with 

 average health can expect to hold out longer than 

 to the age of thirty-five or forty jears. 



Then farm labor is not constant employment, for 

 after the farmer has gathered in the products of the 

 soil, he does not require any extra help until it is 

 time to prepare the ground for another crop ; conse- 

 quently, there is, during the winter, but little em- 

 ployment to be had. 



There is so much exposure in farming that young 

 men Mho commence at the age of twenty-one, with- 

 out any property, and with the intention of getting 

 a living by working on a farm, and who have an 

 average fortune, usually end a short life as ])oor as 

 they began it. According to the doctrine laid down 

 by "E. U. L.," wages ought to l)e low when pro- 

 duce is high ; that is, the farmer cannot pay so high 

 wages when corn is $1,25 ])cr bushel, as he can 

 when it is only 75 cts. IIow is this ? 



Nothing has been said al)out that numerous 

 class called day laborers, men hiving large families 

 to support, and who are compelled to get their liv- 

 ing by working out l)y the day on I'arms. Employ- 

 ment is far from being constant with them, and 

 their condition is, if possil)le, worse than that of the 

 mechanic or the laborer for manufacturing compa- 

 nies, for they have great reason to hope that by at- 

 tending to their business they may get ])romoted ; 

 but the farm lal:)orer can have no such hope ; at the 

 age of twenty-one he is in his prime, and commands 

 as high wages then as ever, and considering the 

 short period in which farm lalior is really in de- 

 mand, I think th it l.il)orers in tliat business ought 

 to command the best of ])ay. E. N. 



Soulli Hadley, Aug., 1855. 



Remarks. — We cannot agree with all that 

 "E. N." says in this article, but arc quite willing 

 that he shall have a fair hearing. 



AGRICULTURAL EXHIBITIONS~1855. 



STATE SHOWS. 



Alabama Montgomery, Oct. 23, 24, 25, 26. 



California Sacramento, Sri>t. — 



Canada East Sherbrook, Sept. 11, 12, 13, 14. 



Canada West Coburjr, Oct. 9, lU, 11, 12. 



Connecticut Hartford, Oct. 9, 10, 11, 12. 



East Tennessee London, Oct. 23, 24, 25. 



Geor-ia Atalanta, Sept. 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15. 



Illiiicis Chicago, Oct. 9, 10, 11,12. 



Iiidiinia Indianapolis, Oct. 17, 18, 19. 



loHu Fairfield, Oct. 10. 



Kentucky Paris, S.pt. 23, 26, 27, 28. 



Maryland Last week in October. 



Michigan Detroit, Oct. 2, 3, 4, 5. 



Missouri lioonville, Oct. 2, 3, 4, 5. 



New Hampshire Manchester, S.pt. 12, 13, 14. 



New .Jersey Camden, S.pt. 19, 20, 21. 



New York Elmira, Oct. 2, 3, 4, 5. 



North Carolina Oct. 16, 17, 18, 19. 



Ohio Columbus, Sept. 18, 19, 20, 21. 



Pennsylvania Harrisburg, commencing Sept. 25. 



Rhode Island Providmce, Sept. 11, 12, 13, 14, 15. 



Tennessee Nashville, first week in October. 



Vermont Rutland, Sept. 11, 12,13. 



Virginia Richmond. 



Western Virginia Wheeling Island, Sept. 26, 27, 28. 



COUNTY SHOWS IN MASSACHLSETTS. 



Barnstable Barnstable, Oct. 10. 



Berk-hire Pittsfield, Oct. 3, 4. 



Bristol New Bedford, Sept. 27, 27. 



Essex Lawrence. Sept. 26, 27. 



Franklin Greenfield, Oct. 3, 4. 



Hampden Springfield, Oct. 3, 4. 



Hampshire Amherst, t)ct. 10, 11. 



Hampshire, Franklin and Ilampilen.. Northampton, Oct. 10, 11. 



Housatonic Great Harrington, Sept. 26, 27. 



Middlesex Concord, Sept. 26. 



Middlesex South Framingham, Sept. 19, 20. 



Norfolk Dedham, Sept. 26, 27. 



Plymouth Bridgewater, Oct. 3, 4. 



Worcester Worcester, Sept. 26, 27. 



Worcester North Fitchburg, Sept. 19. 



Worcester West Barre, Sept. 20. 



TOWN FAIRS. 



Lexington Tuesday, Sept. 25. 



Leominster Wednesday, Sept. 26. 



MISCELLANEOUS. 



Cheshire County, N. H Keene, Sept. 19, 20. 



Grafton County, N. H Wentworth, Sept. 21, 22. 



Hillsboro' County, N. H Nashua, Oct. 2, 3. 



Mass. Society for Promoting Agriculture.. .Worcester, Sept. 27. 



Rockingham County, N. H Keene, Sept. 27. 



Sullivan County, N. H Sept. 26. 



United States Agricultural Society. .Boston, Oct. 23, 24, 2.), 26. 



How MUCH Manure do we Use on an Acre ? — 

 An acre of land contains 43,560 square feet, 4,840 

 square yards, or 160 square rods. IJy those who 

 have used guano, it is said 300 jiounds is sufficient 

 to manure an acre; 302^ lbs. would just give one 

 ounce avordujjois to the square yard. A cubic yard 

 of highly concentrated manure, like night soil, 

 would, if evenly and proj)erly .spread, manure an acre 

 very well. A cubic yartl of long manure will weigh 

 about 1,400 ll)s; a cubic foot not far from 50 lbs, 

 A cord contiins 128 cubic feet; a cord and a quar- 

 ter would give about a cul)ic foot to the square rod. 

 If liquid manure be used it would t;ike 170 bbls. 

 to give one gill to a square foot ujjoa an acre, which 

 would be equal to al)out 50 ])i])es or large hogs- 

 heads. It would be quite useful if farmers would 

 be a little more specific as to the amount of manure 

 applied. 



How TO Make a Horse Carry his Tail 

 Straight. — I had a very fine colt, that carried his 

 tail on one side and was continually throwing it over 

 the driving line, wlien to cure him of tiiis liabir, I 

 braided a looj) in his fciil and tied it witli a string to 

 the trace on the same side on whicii he carried it, 

 and when he found it was tied, he would ])uli on it, 

 when I would let him up a little gradually on the 

 sitting until at length he came to carry his tail per- 

 fectly straight. — Boston CuUivalor. 



