FARM LABOR 



873 



Winter Work.- — Winter, being the slack period in nearly all kinds of 

 farming, calls for careful consideration relative to the work that may be 

 done in order to relieve the work situation during the crop season. The more 

 nearly the winter work equalizes that of the summer, the less difficulty will 

 be encountered when employing laborers the year around. Such a plan 

 greatly relieves the labor problem on farms. Work that may be done 

 during the winter includes the repair of buildings, fences and farm imple- 

 ments, preparation of seeds-and the mixing of fertilizers, or any improve- 

 ments possible to make under winter weather conditions. 



The type of farming and the adjustment of farm enterprises may also 

 be made to furnish work during the winter. Winter lambs may be raised 

 and dairy cows made to freshen at the beginning of the winter, and other 

 livestock features so adjusted as to demand the major portion of the work 



This Form of Grain Rack Saves Labor. 1 



pertaining to them at this season of the year. B}- proper planning, crops 

 may be marketed and manure hauled in the winter season. 



A work-shop, suitably warmed, makes a place where harness can be 

 oiled and repaired during the coldest and stormiest weather. 



Work for Stormy Days. — In order that labor may be employed 

 during stormy days it is advisable to keep a memorandum of things to be 

 done. Oiling machinery, sharpening sickles, oiling harness and making 

 repairs are some of the items that can be done on rainy days, and are likely 

 to be overlooked unless a memorandum of this and other things is kept. 

 The barn, the hen-house and the pig-pens may be cleaned on rainy days. 

 Feed may be ground, rations mixed for cows and pigs, etc. 



Economizing Time. — Time is economized in many ways, but largely 

 through the arrangement of the fields and the position and interior arrange- 

 ment of buildings. It is saved also by the proper equipment, teams of 

 adequate size, by a careful planning of the work and by reducing the 

 motions required in the performance of work. All useless motions should 



1 Courtesy of The Macmillan Company, N. Y. From " Farm Management," by Warren. 



