64 



XEW ENGLAND FAR:MER. 



Feb. 



The first floor, as will be seen by the plan, 

 consists of a drive way or floor 12ix75, two 

 bays, one 12^x00, and the other 15x64: feet, 

 with corn and oat rooms, «S:c. The barn is 

 situated on level land, but with an inclined 

 bankment of 30 feet in length at each end we 

 find no difficulty in surmounting the rise of 

 six feet necessary to enter the floor. The 

 large door at the east is hung on rollers on 

 the outside of the barn, while that at the 

 other end is hung inside, and slips in behind 

 the stairs at the riglit. The dotted lines 

 across the bays indicate the position of the 

 beams 12 feet from the floor, and not parti- 

 tions. There are only two bays. The barn 

 is covered by a "two-thirds" roof, ribbed and 

 shingled with sawed hemlock 26 inches long, 

 the whole supported by purline plates. The 

 hay for the sheep is thrown down the stairs 

 into the "feeding place," and is distributed 

 from that place to the feeding boxes in the 

 different pens. P. & O. L. Fisher. 



Westminster, Vt., Jan. 1, 1870. 



Remarks. — We regret that we cannot give 

 a perspective view of this barn, as we are as- 

 sured by the wife of one of the owners, to 

 whom we are indebted for a portion of the 

 foregoing description, that it is not only a 

 comfortable and convenient building, but 

 that it "looks well." 



I'or the New England Farmer, 

 FAKM HELP. 

 In reading what others write and in listen- 

 ing to what they say, I am often reminded of 

 the fact that we are all liable to "jump at con- 

 clusions." I think that Mr. Jameson did so 

 in his remarks about foreign help, and I thank 

 "D. M. n." for what I regard as his just crit- 

 icism of Mr. Jameson's article. But as Mr. 

 J. gave us Lis name, I should have been bet- 

 ter pleased if D. M. H. had done the same. 



City gentlemen who retire to the country 

 after having made a fortune in business con- 

 ducted on principles of punctuality, order and 

 system, experience much difficulty in securing 

 such farm help as will conduct their farming 

 in the same neat and orderly manner in which 

 their city business was man^ged, and few men 

 either foreign or native born, can be found to 

 suit their ideas of good help, oi efficient man- 

 agers. And I agree with D. M. U.'s remarks 

 upon this subject. 



I cannot agree with Mr. Jameson though 

 D. M. H. appears to do so, that none of those 

 men who are competent to manage farms in 

 England, profitably, that rent for ten to twenty 

 dollars per acre, are seeking employment in 

 this country. I have personal knowledge of 

 men who paid similar rents for hired land in 

 England, and made money there, who sold 

 out and came to this country, believing they 



could do better and live easier here. But I 

 think most of them have been disappointed in 

 these anticipations. They find a great differ- 

 ence in the climate, soil, customs and produc- 

 tions of the two countries. In England labor 

 is cheaper than here ; and many farmers there 

 do little more than superintend their business, 

 while hired servants do nearly all the work. 

 In this country labor is so scarce that the pro- 

 prietor or manager must take hold of the 

 harde&t work, and even then is not able to 

 carry out his ideas of farming. 



Hence, some of the farmers' sons in Eng- 

 land, from being brought up without much 

 work, and not imfrequently spending much of 

 their time in riding about the country, like 

 gentlemen, are not as well skilled as many of 

 the servants, who know more of the practical 

 operations of the farm. But those foreign 

 boys who have worked upon and shared in all 

 the labors of the farm, with, as Mr. Jameson 

 well expresses it, "a determination to be a 

 farmer," make valuable help and progressive, 

 neat farmers. 



I cannot agree with Mr. Jameson that bleak 

 rocks and desert sands, even with intelligent 

 labor, make rich farms or wealthy States, and 

 I allude to the remark for the purpose of ex- 

 pressing the opinion that too much strength 

 and too many lives have been expended on 

 such soil. 



Mr. Jameson advises D. M. H. to hire his 

 own son, or, if he has none, to encourage and 

 hire the son of some neighboring farmer. 

 While this advice may have been prompted by 

 a right spirit, I have known it to be acted on 

 in such a way as to cause trouble. If he has 

 a son that he wishes to keep at home would he 

 thank a neighbor who should entice him into 

 his employment? The minds of boys are 

 sometimes unsettled by such means. Wages 

 are offered and inducements held opt that 

 tempt them to leave home, or at least create 

 uneasiness. These remarks are based on facts 

 of my own observation. 



In regard to boarding farm help I am dis- 

 posed to dissent from the views of both Mr. 

 Jameson and D. M. H., or at least to ask them 

 if they have thoroughly considered the subject, 

 and to advise all who propose to adopt the 

 plan suggested to "look before they leap." 



In leaving the old country I did hope that I 

 had left that system in England, where it orig- 

 inated. In my mind it is associated with some 

 of the worst features of the old world aristoc- 

 racy. I am afraid that the introduction of 

 this plan, as well as the introduction of English 

 sparrows will prove misfortunes to American 

 farmers. In England there are two tables in 

 every farm-house, and in some large esta'•li!^h- 

 ments the men are boarded in a house upon 

 the farm ; a laborer and his wife being chosen 

 to take charge of the same. In some instances 

 the gentleman pays so much a week per man, 

 and said bailiff finds all. In other instances 



