8 ECONOMY OF FARMING. 



that they must also be employed in other services, and out of the time commonly 

 fixed on for the usual day-laborer. They reside in the farm house, are under the do- 

 mestic oversight of the proprietor, and with suitable treatment will do more for him, 

 and the interests of his husbandry, than the other laborers. If they will bat use 

 their collective force and time, their exertion will far outweigh that of all other 

 laborers. 



But three things he heavy in the opposite scale, and in many cases counterbalance 

 these advantages : — 



1. The almost universal corruption of morals common among them, and which 

 renders the regulation of the household difficult. 



2. The great burden of care in providing for them, and 



3. The difficulty of keeping them at work for the whole year." 



Of day-laborers, Veit also remarks, p. 146, " This kind of laborers possess great 

 advantages where one can have them according to his need, in any number and 

 time, and can dismiss them at his pleasure, if he wishes for their service no longer. 

 Since the greatest part and most important labors of farming are dependent on the 

 state of the weather, therefore they are very unequally divided as to time and neces- 

 sity. In favorable periods of time for sowing and harvesting, all kinds of labor press 

 together into a few days, whilst with sudden unfavorable weather, or in time of rest, 

 scarcely no labors are undertaken in the field. 



It is indeed charged on day-laborers that they spare themselves more in work than 

 other laborers, seek to cut short the time in every possible way, and daily labor only 

 a certain number of hours, whilst often the pressure of work calls for all the powers 

 of labor the whole day, in order to use the favorable moment offered ; in which case, 

 also, either the employment of day-laborers over the usual time of labor must be 

 reckoned at a higher rate, or every moment in part must be lost" 



Of the men who work by the job, called by Veit, accord-arbeiter, or accord-la- 

 borers, he observes, p. 151, "In order to give out labor by the job so as not to suffer 

 injury by determining the time of completion, one must accurately knoAV the expen- 

 diture demanded if it were to be performed by day's works. 



For such an agreement those works are usual, the results of which especially de- 

 pend on the amount of labor to be performed in a certain time, as is the case in 

 harvesting. The advantage of the gain of time here is especially important to the 

 husbandman ; because the security of the fruits are so much the more necessary, 

 the shorter time in which the works dependent on the state of the weather may be 

 completed." 



" One may either make as a condition the time of completing a particular work, or 

 the particular quality of work to be done in a certain time." 



" The advantage of the gain of time by the earlier completign of any work, is not 

 only for the advantage of the proprietor, but also to the man who works by the job, 

 because the shorter the time in which he completes the work undertaken, so much 

 tlie earher can he go upon another." 



" The eminent advantage of job work over others consists in the peculiarity of its 

 nature, according to which the advantage of the laborer increases with the increased 

 profit of the employer, and this gives a spur to this species of labor for wages, and 

 not by outward burdensome means, as by oversight, &c. ; consequently the most 

 difficult task in the employment of labor, namely, to be able to put the engaged la- 

 borer to the best use, is accomplished." 



The amount of wages for a Dienstboten in Germany, has already been given. 

 The w^ages by the day will of course vary according to circumstances. Among the 

 causes affecting it, Veit enumerates, as enhancing it: — 



Neighbourhood of wealthy farmers ; of cities and manufactories ; thinly settled 

 regions ; countries where the price of means of living is high ; labors which require 

 unusual strength ; longer time for the day's work, &c. Among those causes which 

 contribute to lessen wages, he mentions : — 



Vicinity to poor places ; where there are many who engage to work by the year, 

 &c. ; where the necessary means of living are cheap, &c ; where there are few per- 

 sons who prefer to employ day laborers. 



The usual time of labor for a day-laborer he gives in Germany on most estates : — 

 " in the Summer, or from the 24th of April to the 29th of September, from 5 to 11 A. 

 M., and from 12 M. to 6 P. M., and in time of harvest even till 8 P. M. 



In Winter, or from the 12th of November to the end of February, from 7 or 7^ to 

 11 A. M., and from 12 M. to 4 l or 5 P. M. 



In the intervening periods, from the 1st of October to the 12th of November, and 



