10 ECONOMY OF FARMING. 



his own people and teams, or to agree with the Frohner, as to the quahty 

 of the work, and recompense them for the greater exertion of their powers 

 by lessening the day's work. Less important work must be done by them 

 until a just legislation has broken these bonds. 



[In the preceding division of laborers, our Author has not mentioned slaves held 

 as the property of their masters, of which there is so large a class among the labor- 

 ing force in our country. There are also other species of laborers, such as inden- 

 tured ones ; which, with the exception of wages, and the usually longer term of 

 residence, seem to resemble the Dienstboten, as in some respects do the slaves of 

 our country, except that the Dienstboten are freemen. There is another mode of 

 labor which may fall under the class of those who work by the job, or the Stiick- 

 arbeiter of our Author. I refer to those who cultivate land on shares, or who under- 

 take to gather the harvest, or perform any other piece of work on the same principle. 

 The common mode of hiring laborers in our country is by the day, the week, month, 

 or year ; and as in Germany, either with or without board. Those who are inden- 

 tured are usually taken at an early age, and are bound over, as it is termed, by 

 certain indentures to the master ; at the age of twenty-one, they are at liberty to go, 

 and if they have not broken their indentures by bad conduct, are usually entitled to 

 receive money or clothing, as the agreement may be. It is frequently part of the 

 stipulation where this practice prevails, that the boy shall go to school a portion 

 of his time in his earlier years. They are also usually entitled to good treatment, 

 instruction in the business of the farm, and their support and clothing while the 

 indentures last ; though in this last respect there is a difference of practice. The 

 exchange of labor among farmers, can perhaps hardly be considered as a particular 

 mode of labor. — Tr.] 



15. If we know the amount of labor which domestics (Dienstboten) and 

 day-laborers can perform in a given case, their number in the household can 

 be easily fixed beforehand. 



16. If horses are used for labor, for every team, if it consist of two ani- 

 mals, one domestic is necessary ; though this one can, not only fodder but 

 also plough with and drive the same. Should the team consist of four or 

 more animals, one domestic will still answer for foddering and taking care of 

 them, as well as for driving them, but he needs an assistant in ploughing and 

 harrowing. 



[Veit says : — " For taking care of horses for labor, one domestic is necessary for 

 four or five head, who likewise performs the day's work with a team. The prepara- 

 tion and weighing of hay, bundles of straw for the horse, and the chopping of straw, 

 &c., are usually assigned to another who works by the job, or for a smaller number 

 of horses is done by the man himself" He elsewhere gives as a computation, that 

 one man can in a day bind and weigh out hay, in the usual bundles of 10 or 12 lbs., 

 about from 15 to 25 cwt, or from 150 to 250 bundles, equal to from 1800 to 3000 

 lbs.— Tr.] 



17. If oxen are kept for labor, it is reckoned that one man should pre- 

 pare the fodder for from 16 to 20 oxen, and could suitably attend to the 

 same. In ploughing with 2 oxen only, one man is needed ; with 4 or 6 

 oxen, 2 men are necessary. 



[Veit's estimate respecting the number of oxen differs somewhat from the pre- 

 ceding one ; he says, p. 156, " Of working oxen, one man can usually attend eight 

 head, who is likewise employed during the day with a one-yoked team. If there are 

 12 to 20 head or more, one assistant is needed to take care of them, who also is en- 

 gaged with one spare team during the day.' As with the working horses, so too it 

 is profitable with working oxen, if one can so divide them among a suitable number 

 of men for the care and employment of them in labor, that the good keeping and 

 safety against injuries may be placed under the special responsibility of the same 

 man who usually labors with them." Thaer says, p. 89, " For working oxen on some 



