870 SUCCESSFUL FARMING 



farm so that a married man can be employed. Such a man is less apt to be 

 dissatisfied, or, if he does become dissatisfied, he cannot pack his suitcase 

 and leave on a day's notice, and before lie can leave his dissatisfaction may 

 prove to be more imaginary than real. 



The better the housing facilities for labor, the better the class of labor 

 that can be secured. Laborers are always looking for good places, and the 

 farmer who can offer the right inducements generally has a number of 

 applicants from which to choose. 



Interesting the Farm Hand. — The average farmer is not satisfied with 

 unskilled labor or with labor of such a social status that it will prove 

 undesirable on the farm under the close relationships which must exist. 

 This is especially true when the laborer becomes a member of the farmer's 

 family. Men of fair intelligence will not take an interest in the work or 

 put forth their best efforts unless their employer shows an interest in them. 

 This lack of interest is quite as often the fault of the farmer as it is of the 

 laborer. Labor must be given as much responsibility as is consistent with 

 its intelligence and ability. It must be advised of the plans for the next 

 day's work, at least during the evening of the day preceding. Men are 

 seldom opposed to hard work, providing work is well arranged, runs 

 smoothly and something is accomplished at the day's close. The farmer 

 who gets the most out of his labor is generally the one that most fully 

 satisfies the labor and pays the best wage. 



Skilled and Unskilled Labor. — The degree of skill that the farmer 

 can afford to pay for will depend chief!}' upon the character of work to be 

 done and the degree of supervision. The man of mediocre intelligence who 

 is faithful and industrious will often give better satisfaction under good 

 supervision than the more intelligent workman. The man who knows more 

 than his employer should be working for himself. 



The immigrants from southern Europe, unskilled in most farm work, 

 may be used advantageously in types of farming where much hand labor is 

 required. The immigrants from northern Europe, on the other hand, are 

 more skilled, and are accustomed to driving teams and caring for livestock. 

 These men, with a little training and experience in this country, generally 

 make desirable farm hands. 



The rapid development of agricultural machinery and the adoption 

 of up-to-date methods, together with specialization in certain lines, call for 

 more skill on the part of the farm laborers than formerly. In general, 

 farm work requires more skill than that of most any other industry. In 

 the industries, labor is specialized. In agriculture, it is usually general. 



The most satisfactory farm hand is usually a farmer's son. His 

 natural training and his knowledge of local conditions and practices give 

 him a decided advantage over men from foreign countries or from cities. 

 A young man from an adjacent county is frequently better than one from 

 the immediate neighborhood. The latter is apt to have social attachments 

 that may interfere with his duties. A second choice will generally lie with 



