14 
BULLETIN 1220, IT. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 
Figures upon unemployment by districts (Table 10) include resi- 
dent and nonresident farm workers. They well represent the situa- 
tion for residents except in the Barre district in which a larger pro- 
portion of nonresidents were interviewed than elsewhere. These had 
been forced out of industrial work temporarily by unemployment. 
Unemployment among workers resident in the locality where inter- 
viewed was much the greatest around Falmouth and Wareham. 
Table 10. — Unemployment, loss of time and wages, in two years, 1920 to 1922, in any 
occupation, reported by farm, workers, by districts. 
Loss in time and 
wages. 
Number reporting 
concerning unem- 
ployment 
Number who suffered 
unemployment .... 
Loss in wages: 
Amount 
Number report- 
ing 
Average 
Loss in time: 
Amount (months) 
Number report- 
ing 
Average (months) 
Con- 
necticut 
Valley. 
15 
$4,290 
12 
$357. 50 
15 
3.53 
District. 
Ware- 
62 
25 
$9, 125 
20 
$456. 25 
22 
5.18 
Fal- 
mouth. 
40 
21 
$1,500 
2 
$750 
83 
9 
9.22 
Barre. 
62 
21 
$5,450 
13 
$419. 23 
Colerain. 
52 
5 
$1,360 
4 
$340 
13 
4 
3.25 
Marthas 
Vineyard, 
31 
4 
$900 
1 
$900 
Arling- 
ton. 
6 
$2, 025 
5 
$405 
26 
6 
4.33 
Total. 
390 
97 
$24,650 
57 
$482. 47 
386 
74 
5.22 
HOURS AND DAYS PER WEEK REQUIRED OF FARM EMPLOYEES. 
The hours of labor per day required of farm hands in summer 
varied somewhat according to the job. The 9-hour day was most 
commonly reported, and the 10-hour day nearly as frequently. In 
berry picking, the length of the working-day depends much on the 
weather, and varies from 5 or 6 hours upwards on good days. 
Farms with livestock to care for reported the longest days, 10 hours, 
and some even 11 hours. The most common length of work day in 
winter was 9 hours. 
"Daylight saving" had been officially accepted by the State 
legislature, with clocks set one hour ahead of standard time during the 
summer. This was opposed by farmers, especially by those hiring 
labor, who claimed it compelled them to shift their work to unnatural 
hours and to work at a disadvantage in morning dampness and to 
stop in the afternoon just when an hour meant much more than the 
morning hour forced upon them. Some largely agricultural townships 
voted to retain standard time and continued to work on that basis. 
The six-day week is the rule among Massachusetts farmers. Occa- 
sionally one is found who grants his employees a Saturday half 
holiday. One market gardener reported this, saying he paid for six 
full days' work and considered his employees made up for the time 
given by increased interest in their work and willingness to work 
overtime occasionally when needed. 
Little work on Sunday is expected of most farm employees. About 
half of the farmers expect some regular help from their employees, 
and most of this centers around the care of livestock; on some dairy 
