AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST. 
323 
Gibson. 
—Ind... 
1.00 
14 
1.25 
18 
120 
1.50 
Greencastle.. 
— do.. | 
"75 
15 
18 
1.00 
1.50 
144 
180 
1.50 
2.00 
Delaware.... 
62 
13 
1.00 
20 
120 
1.50 
Harrison. 
50 
10 
1.50 
18 
96 
1.50 
Steuben. 
... do — 
75 
12 
1.00 
20 
120 
1.75 
Lake. 
...in.... 
75 
15 
1 25 
20 
125 
1.75 
Newark. 
50 
75 
13 
15 
1.00 
1.50 
18 
24 
130 
150 
1.50 
2.00 
Pike. 
62 
13 
1.00 
144 
Will. 
12 
15 
100 
150 
1.50 
Tazewell _ ’ 
.. .do — 
75 
i. 66 
23 
156 
2.00 
Stephenson. 
... do..| 
50 
75 
12 
16 
1.00 
2.00 
120 
150 
i 50 
Bureau . 
... do.. | 
1 .66 
25 
1.50 
2.10 
30 
180 
220 
2’6o 
AVinnebago.. 
15 
100 
150 
Whiteside.... 
... do., j 
75 
1.25 
15 
18 
1.25 
1.50 
25 
100 
120 
1.00 
1.50 
Marshall. 
i job 
15 
16 
1 25 
25 
165 
1.25 
1.50 
Ogle . 
12 
18 
160 
Hancock 
"62 
ii 
i!oo 
22 
125 
150 
1.50 
2.00 
Winnebago... 
75 
13 
1.12 
18 
130 
1.50 
Will. 
50 
75 
75 
1.00 
20 
30 
140 
200 
1.50 
2.50 
Pulaski. 
75 
15 
1.00 
120 
1.50 
Lee. 
. Iowa.. 
50 
12 
1.00 
120 
1.50 
Keokuk . 
"60 
120 
240 
Fond du Lac 
. .Wis... 
75 
ii 
i.ia 
20 
140 
1.25 
Walworth ... 
. do. ] 
50 
62 
i2 
1.00 
1.50 
18 
20 
100 
150 
i '50 
Kenosha. 
"62 
13 
14 
i .25 
24 
144 
1.50 
2 25 
The following are the questions of the cir¬ 
cular, to each of which is appended a sum¬ 
mary, statement of the answers received. 
To the first, the table above replies : 
I. About what has been the average rate of 
wages, during the last five years, for able-bodied 
men of moderate capacity, able to plow and mow— 
board found by employer 1 When hired by the 
day in the Summer months'! When hired by the 
month in the Summer months! When hired by 
the day in harvest season only! When hired by 
the month in harvest season only! When en¬ 
gaged for the whole year! 
II. What are the usual wages of raw hands, or 
recent emigrants unaccustomed to American im¬ 
plements and methods of labor, hired by the year 
and board found by the employer 1 speaking the 
English language! not speaking English! 
Raw hands will be taken by most with 
little less wages. The general reply is, that 
there is little difference. Some give figures 
which are one-fourth to one-third less than 
the rates above. Ignorance of the language 
makes a slight additional difference, which 
throughout the West is scarcely appreciable: 
III. Are the majority of hired agricultural labor- 
ers in your vicinity native or foreign born! (If 
foreign, please state of what nation.) 
Eighty-four reply: In forty-five, native 
predominate; in thirty, foreign; in nine cases 
the numbers are equal. 
Of the foreign-born, Irish and German 
form the mass, German predominating at 
the West. When preference is expressed, 
Germans are nearly always preferred to 
Irish. Scotch, English and Swedes to Ger¬ 
man. 
IV. Do the majority of farmers (proprietors of 
land, the chief value of which depends upon its 
agricultural productions) employ hired laborers at 
all in your part of the country! 
Eighty-six reply—72, yes ; 14, no. In¬ 
stead ©f, or beside employing laborers, it ap¬ 
pears a common thing to rent land for a 
share of the proceeds. Especially in the 
West, to newly arrived families. 
V. Could more laborers find employment stead¬ 
ily and permanently at the rate of wages you have 
mentioned! 
Eighty-eight reply—9 say no ; 3 say “in 
Summer 76say Yes —17 with greatempha- 
sis and urgency. [The Noes come from 
New-England, and the immediate vicinity of 
New-York and Philadelphia.] 
VI. (1.) Is it a frequent, occasional, or extremely 
rare occurrence for men who have been employed 
as hired hands upon farms within your observation, 
to come upon the public for support of life, or to 
be dependent in any way upon charity! (2.) Does 
this ever happen to men of sound body and not of 
intemperate habits! 
Of 84 who reply, 80 say “ very rarely” or 
“never;” 2. (in New-York and New-Jersey) 
say “occasional;” 2. (in Massachusetts and 
Maryland) say “ frequent.” To the second 
question—1 (Massachusetts) says “ Yes ;” 2 
say “ very rarely ;” 79 say “ No." 
VII. Is it a general occurrence within your 
knowledge that men who have been hired labor¬ 
ers upon farms before they were twenty-five years 
old have become independent proprietors, or ac¬ 
quired property sufficient to be free from the neces¬ 
sity of personal labor before they were fifty! 
Eighty-four reply—of whom 73 say “ fre¬ 
quent,” (one or two consider it inevitable ;) 6 
say “ rare ;” 6 say “ occasional.” 
VIII. Are there many instances in your part of 
the country of men who have acquired wealth and 
positions of influence and honor, who have been 
previously employed as hired agricultural laborers! 
Seventy-four make reply: 1 “ never,” 8 
“ rare,” 18 “occasional, 48 “ frequent.” A 
number of writers dilate on .the point and 
give multiplied instances in their own neigh¬ 
borhood and experience. Among these are 
mentioned by name the Governor of one 
State, (Indiana,) and many Judges and mem¬ 
bers of Congress. 
A number point to themselves, who, from 
the position of raw emigrants, have become 
owners of farms valued at from $5,000 to 
$50,000. 
The writer may properly add, that within 
his own knowledge, there are several men 
who, not more than fifteen years ago, were 
common farm loborers, that are now land 
owners and farmers on their own account, 
employing laborers in their turn. One such 
is now chief constructing engineer of a 
Southern Railroad; another is a merchant, at 
last account conducting a heavy and profita¬ 
ble business in Wisconsin; another is a 
lawyer in good practice ; another has the 
superintendence of a steam saw-mill, at 
wages of $60 a month. 
IX. Are the majority of agricultural laborers 
frugal, (laying up or employing as permanent capi¬ 
tal, one-half their earnings,) and ambitious, having 
the purpose to own land, or otherwise live inde¬ 
pendently ! _ , 
Eighty-two answer : sixty-one say “ yes ;” 
nineteen, “ no ;” one thinks one-lialf are so ; 
one has observed that Protestants are so, but 
that Catholics are not.” 
X. Do the majority of them take their meals at 
the same table with their employers! 
It appears to be the almost universal cus¬ 
tom for laborer and employer Ito sit at the 
same family table—not excepting the female 
“ help.” 
Two employers only, living near New- 
York City, say “ no.” The eighty-six others 
all reply affirmatively, some with pride, some 
even with indignation. 
XI. Are they supplied with as much food as 
they wish to eat! 
Two pass this question in silence ; eighty- 
six reply “ of course,” of whom one adds, 
“ our dogs have food to spare.” 
XII. (I.) Do they generally have meat in any 
form once every day! (2.) Do they generally have 
fresh meat once or oftener, each week! 
(1) Eighty-eight say “ Yes ’’—most add, 
“ three times a day.” (2) Seventy-nine reply 
—five, “seldom;” sixty-three, “frequent, 
but depending on the season.” All who en¬ 
large on the point, say that bacon forms the 
staple diet, but that fresh meat is frequent, 
and sometimes constant in Fall and Winter. 
XIII. About what is the cost per week of la¬ 
boring men’s board! " 
Replies given in full in table above. 
XIV. Are they generally decently and comfort¬ 
ably clothed! 
Eighty-two say, “ Yes ;” one says, with 
few exceptions; many agree in mentioning 
that they are as ivell clothed as their employ¬ 
ers, and, not without pique, some add, 
“ better." 
The demand for females appears to be 
everywhere even greater and more uniform 
than that for males. To sixty-eight of these 
letters are added remarks on female labor, 
and the general expression is that they are 
very scarce and “in great demand." Only 
one reports that in his region (near Utica, IN. 
Y.,) the supply is about equal to the demand. 
One says, “one hundred could find employ¬ 
ers in this town in one day.” The wages 
reported are from 75 cents to $2 a week, 
varying according to experience and capaci¬ 
ty. Many, especially at the West, report the 
customary position of such girls in the fami¬ 
ly as that of daughters, sitting at the same 
table, dressing as well or better, riding to the 
village to church in the same vehicle, &c. 
The tendency throughout the West to im¬ 
mediate marriage is a subject of general com¬ 
plaint. One counts over his girls on his fin¬ 
gers with this curious statistical result: “ In 
the last eight years I have had in my employ 
twenty-three girls, nineteen of whom have 
married out of my house.” 
On the whole, the result of this inquiry 
seems to demonstrate what of late has here 
been considered doubtful, that the demand for 
agricultural and household labor still exists in 
full force, and is almost limitless in extent. 
The laborers of one year are the employ¬ 
ers of the next, increasing by so much more 
the constant demand, and exhausting the 
stream of supply. 
Yet this stagnant accumulation of relaxed 
muscles in the cities ! Expensive buildings, 
with salaried agents to nourish them with 
food bought in the dearest market, by pecu¬ 
lating contractors ; a paid and uniformed po¬ 
lice to keep them,with difficulty, in decent 
order; and, at this moment, military force 
notified, and private benevolence called on 
vehemently to assist! But the Cty can not 
afford to pay distributing agents or railway 
fares. No. It is not‘its business. It has 
never been customary. 
Here is a poor loafer, whom a $5 railroad 
ticket and a pound of crackers will rid the 
City of forever, within finite happiness to him¬ 
self, and who, before two years, will have 
paid back not less than $10 to City impor¬ 
ters alone for his tools, his broadcloth, his 
watch, and his gun, to say nothing of the flour 
and beef he will furnish. And no ; the City 
must speculate in more islands on which to 
build him a granite residence, pay his board 
therein at $2 50 per week, andemploy a few 
more agents to look after him. 
This gap, from the eager farmer with the 
spare capital and rich soil, to the close gar¬ 
ret or riotous boarding-house of the fleeced 
emigrant and idle city workmen—this gap 
must be bridged. Within the year, an Asso¬ 
ciation with Peter Cooper for its President, 
and Horace Greeley for one of its Direc¬ 
tors, has been founded and put in operation 
with the express design of being this medium 
of communication between those wanting 
laborers and the laborers wanted. Its or¬ 
ganization is good, its agents are at work. 
It is just what we want. But the railway 
fares —who is to pay them 1 That is the 
rub! The Association have no funds to ad¬ 
vance. The laborer has been fleeced, has 
been unfortunate, has not a penny. The 
farmer will not often take the risk; he must 
see his man before he hires him. So the 
gate is as wide as ever. The bridge is built, 
but the toll—who shall pay it! 
The funds must be advanced. A thousand 
tickets could be cheaply bought, good for 
certain towns on certain dates. If not used, 
no harm is done. It would be the best possi¬ 
ble investment for the City funds, to pay for 
all such tickets actually collected on trains. 
The “ Society for Improving the Condition 
of the Poor” has 361 agents, who would 
