12 FARM MANAGEMENT 



to use in the Old Country. The farmer from northern 

 Europe is still useful on a farm ; he knows how to care for 

 live-stock, but little about machinery. Few farmers from 

 southern Europe know much about either. The man who 

 knows nothing but how to use a hoe, spade, and scythe 

 is not of much use now. Of course he can learn how to 

 use horses and machinery, but in the meantime he may 

 do more harm in a few minutes than he can pay for in a 

 month. Naturally he drifts into, work where he is of im- 

 mediate use. 



There are some kinds of farming where such labor is 

 valuable. Around some cities truck growing is passing 

 into the hands of Italians. Nearly everywhere Italians or 

 other cheap laborers are hired for growing vegetable crops. 

 The same is true of sugar-beet growing. Farmers near 

 cities often ship out such labor for temporary use in pick- 

 ing fruit, picking up potatoes, for ditching, and for other 

 operations where unskilled labor can be used. Some 

 cheap labor is used in dairying, but the demand for clean 

 milk makes it very hard to use ignorant labor. No 

 one can produce clean milk who does not have a clean body 

 and a clean mind. Cotton picking is the most extensive 

 farm operation using unskilled labor. 



Farm work is individual work. Each worker has to take 

 responsibility. It is not often possible to give such super- 

 vision as can be had in a factory, because the number of 

 workers that would be employed under one roof in a factory 

 may be scattered over half a county. Each worker must 

 be a foreman of his own work, and usually the owner must 

 work, because he cannot supervise enough workers to 

 justify him in being idle. The man who is afraid that he 

 will work overtime is of no use on the farm. A storm may 

 come up, stock may require unusual attention, or the 



