TRUCK-FARM LABOR IN NEW JERSEY, 1922 7 
NONAGRICULTURAL EMPLOYMENT AVAILABLE 
One of the great drawbacks that prevents many capable, ambitious 
wage earners from entering farm work is the seasonal character of 
the business, involving a long time of slack employment in winter 
and the frequently coincident difficulty in obtaining other near-by 
employment. The farmer who can offer steady year-round work 
can usually get a better class of labor and often at a slightly lower 
rate of wages than his neighbor who hires only part of the year. 
This was frequently evident from the character of the workers in- 
terviewed and was strikingly illustrated in a section where a large 
corporation farm was employing many workers. The neighboring 
farmers, who were operating upon the usual family scale, consist- 
ently complained of a shortage of labor so serious as to compel 
consideration of changes in farming methods, because the large farm 
Number of Farmers Hiring Help and Number of Employees Hired, by Quarter-Month Periods 
NUMBER 
OF 
FARMER 
EMPLOYERS 
125 
100 
50 
25 
NUMBER 
OF 
EMPLOYEES 
500 
400 
300 
200 
100 
Fig. 3.- 
JAN. FEB. MAR. APR. MAY JUNE JULY AUG. SEPT. OCT. NOV. DEC. 
-This chart shows the comparative seasonal fluctuations in farm labor demand 
of 70 New Jersey farmers throughout the year 
was attracting all available labor. Although the manager of the 
large farm was paying about 25 cents less per day than others said 
they would pay for labor, he was offering steady work, largely year 
round, and was providing living accommodations somewhat above 
the average for the employees. 
The seasonal nature of farm work forces many who engage in it 
to make part of their living by other means. Employees were 
asked if they had any regular variations of employment through- 
out the year, with special reference to nonagricultural work. 
There seemed to be no general swing to particular work in 
any locality. Some men depended upon common labor and odd 
jobs for work. Many men and some women turned to industrial 
employment. A few, mostly women, entered domestic or other per- 
sonal service. In southern New Jersey men occasionally became 
oystermen or deep-sea fishermen from fall to spring. The majority 
oi minors returned to school in September at the beginning of the 
