FARM LABOR 805 



of farms employ more than one person, so the majority of farms employ 

 no help other than members of the family. 



The development and introduction of farm machinery have more than 

 offset the increased need of farm workmen, resulting from more intensive 

 agriculture. This has increased the difficulty in keeping farm labor contin- 

 uously employed. 



Solution of Farm Labor Problem. — It is not possible to settle once for 

 all the labor problem on farms or in any other occupation. Changed 

 economic conditions will raise new questions and result in new phases of 

 the old problem. The problem is not to be solved by having more and 

 cheaper labor, but by a better direction of the efforts of labor, and by 

 providing homes and a continuous employment for it. 



Many farmers have reported favorably on the employment of married 

 men. This necessitates a tenant house in which the man and his family can 

 live. This arrangement relieves the farmer's household from the housing 

 and feeding of farm workmen, and often enables the housewife to secure 

 assistance. Often children, members of the workman's family, can assist 

 in the household or on the farm during rush seasons. Often, too, the wife 

 of the farm laborer is glad of the opportunity to furnish meals, lodging and 

 do the work of the laundry for extra day labor at reasonable compensation. 

 Such an arrangement usually calls for the allotment of a small parcel of 

 land to the laborer for a garden. Milk, butter and eggs may be supplied 

 by the farm. These, together with the home, constitute the perquisites in 

 addition to the monthly wage. 



The distribution of labor throughout the year will aid materially in 

 the solution of the problem. Continuous and effective employment 

 enables the farmer to pay wages equal to those of other industries. 



Since so large a part of the labor on the average farm is performed by 

 the farmer and his family, his income is largest when labor is high-priced. 

 Under these conditions, much of his profit is on the labor of himself and 

 family. 



Demand for Labor. — The farm labor supply is not equal to the 

 demand. In many sections of the country, and at rather frequent intervals, 

 good land lies idle or crops are not harvested when they should be because 

 of insufficient help. Such conditions necessitate long hours of labor on the 

 part of the farmer and his inadequate supply of help. This condition often 

 creates dissatisfaction on the part of labor and tends to aggravate rather 

 than relieve the situation. 



Many farmers become discouraged and sell or rent their farms and 

 move to town. In other cases, they adopt a type of farming that will 

 enable them to remain on the farm without hiring help. Often their farms 

 are better adapted to more intensive agriculture than the type into which 

 they are forced by the scarcity of labor. 



Less than a century ago, more than four-fifths of the population of 

 this country in gainful occupations were engaged in agriculture. At 



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