1906. 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER 
627 
THE FARM LABOR QUESTION. 
On pages 534 and 535 are two letters 
on the farm labor question; the views of 
each are similar. Certainly the experience 
of the hired man was peculiarly unfortu¬ 
nate, and would be hard to believe, did I 
not know some in my own vicinity who 
are equal to those he describes; one in par¬ 
ticular, who will have fromoneto six hired 
men during the year, all refusing to stay 
under his system of farming, nor would 
I or any employer of labor if put in their 
places continue under such treatment any 
longer than it would take to pack our grip 
and move out. But happily such places 
are few in number in this section. Thirty 
years ago and more it used to be the cus¬ 
tom to come to supper at five o’clock 
and then return to the field and work till 
seven and some later. This custom was 
very unpleasant to me and I vowed if 
ever I could have my say things would 
be different. I was no different from 
other young men; I liked to mingle with 
boys and girls of my age, and have a good 
time as we went along. The old custom 
left us no time to do so. This was grind¬ 
ing and dispiriting, and I tried what some 
persuasive arguments in my favor would 
accomplish toward what I called a reform. 
I coaxed my people to try having our sup¬ 
per at six o’clock, and we did so, and I 
soon convinced them that I was -accom¬ 
plishing more with the team than before, 
when, oftentimes in going home from our 
farthest field we would walk more than a 
mile and consume from one to 1 / hour 
all to no purpose, simply adding that much 
more to our daily work or labor. From 
that time on, the system of hours and 
labor have come as nearly as it is possible 
to a 10-hour plan and I have always be¬ 
lieved that my teams and men did more 
and better work and did it pleasanter and 
happier by being treated in a humane man¬ 
ner. There were those in my neighbor¬ 
hood who took me to task for the inno¬ 
vation, as it soon caused discontent among 
the other men, when mine were leaving 
the field for the day and others returning 
for an hour or more of labor. Now it is 
an exception if any farm employer tries to 
do different. 
As to the matter of wages, the farmer is 
certainly handicapped. Many are paying 
more than they can afford, economizing 
in every conceivable manner in order to 
pay the labor that is absolutely necessary 
to make a living out of-the farm. As to 
combinations for protection, that is out of 
the question ; too many in the business and 
widely separated. Then again our National 
lawmakers and the President are all 
against the enhancement of the value of 
farm products, as witness the efforts, by 
irrigation, to open more of our land to 
production. The farmer is beset on every 
hand until the business is a gamble of the 
greatest hazard. Just let me call your at¬ 
tention to a few of the risks. In our sec¬ 
tion, or within a radius of 10 miles, too 
frequent rains have prevented the proper 
planting of beans, cabbage and potatoes; it 
also greatly hinders in the cultivation. 
Beans and potatoes are liable to blight, 
corn greatly hurt with the cutworm, apples 
poorly set, trees much affected with twig 
blight; spraying for all kinds of insects, 
pests and fungus; hailstorms that have 
destroyed fruit, grain and much of the 
grass. Now, if you will please tell me 
how the farmer is going to pay in com¬ 
petition with other kinds of employment 
and not seen ruin staring him in the face, 
it would settle the question for many. It 
certainly is not an encouraging situation 
for a young man to look forward to the 
business of farming. As to the scoring 
the hired man gives the farm employer, I 
wish to say this much. It is purely in 
the disposition of the man and not in the 
occupation. I have in mind a man lately 
from the city, who owns and lives upon 
a farm not two miles away, who is a ty¬ 
rant, not humane to either man or beast. 
The same is true in other kinds of em¬ 
ployment; the only difference is the fact 
you do not live under the same roof with 
them. Here is another point: it is far 
better for employers and employees to live 
apart; living in the family is the cause of 
most of- the trouble. The old saying, 
‘“familiarity breeds contempt,” is quite 
true. AN EMPLOYER. 
Central New York. 
NOTES FROM AN ALFALFA COUNTY 
It amuses us in Onondago County to 
see so much interest elicited in the matter 
of Alfalfa culture. With us it has the free 
hardiness of a weed. We have not tried 
sowing it on asphalt pavements, but al¬ 
most every other known soil has been 
used for it. If we have a rough, stony 
bank, for instance, that we desire to cover 
with green, we sow on some Alfalfa seed. 
That is all. Cultures! How we do laugh 
at that phase of homeopathy! Last year 
a considerable quantity of the hay was 
marketed, some of it for car shipment. 
As for horse feed, I can give you the 
statement that our horse is kept almost 
solely on this hay. He will leave oats to 
eat Alfalfa leaves. My father’s horses 
have had it for their main food since 
about 1890. I cannot learn that any liv¬ 
eryman here has adopted it for horses, 
but many of the cartmen use it. One 
veterinary says that a general use of it 
by horse owners would relieve him of 
much of his practice. j. t. Roberts. 
Onondaga Co., N. Y. 
A SILO OUTSIDE OF BARN. 
I intend to build a round silo this month 
and am undecided whether to build in the 
barn or outside, where it will require more 
expense to cover it. I do not like to spare 
the room in the barn and I have no plan 
for it where it could be filled conveniently 
unless I put it outside (on east side of barn). 
Would it be .necessary to enclose the silo 
to keep from freezing in this lattitude? How 
deep should I dig for foundation, and in 
what proportion should I use the sand and 
cement? What is the best method of con¬ 
structing this foundation? I thought of 
building the silo 10 or 11 feet in diameter 
and 18 feet tall, staves being 2x4 in. x 18 
feet spruce. I planned on having two 6 x G 
inch uprights for the frame of a continu¬ 
ous door two feet wide, bolted by five-eighths 
inch rods 3% feet long, every three feet, 
with a joist to keep uprights apart. Then 
have the end of the hoops bolted through 
the G x 6 at an angle to maintain the 
curvature of the silo. What size hoops 
would you advise and what would be the 
easiest and most practical way of setting 
up the staves? o. w. k. 
I would build outside, and you will have 
less trouble with freezing on the east side. 
While the thermometer will not stand 
fnuch lower on the north and west sides 
of a building, constant wind pressure will 
cause loss of more heat. You will have 
some trouble from freezing, and the per¬ 
centage will be greater in a silo 11 feet 
diameter than one 20 feet. I think I 
would chance it. It does not damage 
silage to freeze. The trouble comes from 
having a large body thaw out at once, and 
being exposed to the air decay soon fol¬ 
lows. Take care when the warm weather 
comes, and feed as fast as possible. If you 
cannot keep up, then pack the thawed 
silage in the silo and wet it. freely to pre¬ 
vent fermentation. Dig the foundation 
same as for barn wall. You know better 
than I depth of freezing and nature of 
soil. Fill a 15-inch trench with small 
stone, and sand six parts, Portland cement 
one part, allowing it to come above top 
of ground from one to V /2 foot. Into this 
soft cement bed the sill 2x4-inch stuff. I 
would advise against using spruce. The 
sap of spruce decays quickly. I would 
rather use pine, which will in your section 
probably not cost over $5 per 1,000 more 
than spruce. You can make the doors 
as you suggest, but I have a silo in use 
six years with continuous doors, only they 
run up zigzag with two staves between 
the rows of doors; the doors are made re¬ 
frigerator door style, and hung on the out¬ 
side and fastened with icebox fasteners. 
They are always ready, quickly opened and 
shut, never get lost or fail to come out, 
and never have we lost a pound of silage 
next the doors. The hoops, which are 
wire rope, run between the doors. It is 
a conundrum to me whv people do not use 
these doors instead of complicated patents. 
If round iron is used buy ^-inch; if steel 
rope H-inch, h, e, cook, 
Lost Strayed or 
Stolen—One Cow 
That is about what happens each year 
for the man who owns five cows and 
does not use a Tubular cream sepa¬ 
rator. He loses in cream more than 
the price of a good cow.The more cows 
he owns the greater the loss. This is a 
fact on which Agricultural Colleges, 
Dairy Experts and the best Dairymen 
all agree, and so do you if you use a 
Tubular. If not, it’s high time you 
im 
did. You can’t afford to lose the price 
Of one or more cows each year—there’s 
no reason why you should. Get a Tu¬ 
bular and get more and better cream 
out of the milk ;save time and labor and 
have warm sweet skimmed milk for the 
calves. Don’t buy some cheap rattle¬ 
trap thing called a separator; that 
won’t do any good. You need a real 
skimmer that does perfect work,skims 
clean, thick or thin, hot or cold; runs 
easy; simple in construction: easily 
understood. That’s the Tubular and 
there is but one Tubular, the Shar- 
f iles Tubular. Don’t you want our 
ittle book “Business Dairymen,” and | 
our Catalog A. l53both free? A postal 
will bring them. 
The Sharpies Separator Go. 
West Chester, Pa. 
Toronto, Can. Chicago, III. 
A MATTER OF FACT 
1879-1906 
DE LAVAL 
CREAM 
Separators 
THE BEST 
TRY ONE 
Catalogue Free 
750,000 In Use 
74 Cortlandt Street 
CHICAGO NEW YORK SAN FRANCISCO 
- 
DOUBLE VALUE 
from your manure. Cover two acres 
to every one by hand, spreading 
with better results and do it as 
fast as 10 men with forks. 
•^MILLER... 
Manure Spreader 
and Pulverizer 
is the only low down spreader, easy to 
load. Handles all manure, pulverizes 
thoroughly, spreads evenly, thick or 
thin, as wanted. Right width to 
straddle corn rows. Solid bottom box, 
scraped clean every load. Automatic 
drag return, safety end-gate, double 
drive. Send for catalog Nl and know 
every reason why you should own a 
Miller modern spreader. 
The NEWARK MACHiNECO., Newark,O. 
WEEDSPORT SILOS 
The three stylos we build are mod¬ 
els of up-to-date silo construction. 
The cut shows the “Weedsport 
Improved Silo,” with removable 
sliding, interchangeable doors, and 
Octagon Shingle Roof. 
A Silo will pay its cost in one year 
from saving in fodder and increase 
of milk. Write for Catalogue, stat¬ 
ing size wanted. 
THE ABRAM WALRATH CO., 
Box 83, 
WEEDSPORT, N. Y. 
SILOS 
The kind that "Uncle Sam” uses. Contin¬ 
uous opening Front, Air-tight Doors, Per¬ 
manent Iron Ladder. Also Silo Filling 
Machinery, Manure Spreaders, Horse and 
Dog Powers, Threshers. 
HARDER MFG. CO., 
Box I I, Cobleskill, N. Y. 
The International 
Is the only Silo with an Automatic Self Adjusting 
Hoop. Also has Continuous, Open Front, Air Tight, 
and Easy Operating Door, and a Permanent Laduer, 
always in Position. Made of Selected 2-inch Tank 
Pine. Matched, ready to set up. THE INTER¬ 
NATIONAL SILO CO., Box 91, Jefferson, O 
A Davis 
Cream Sepa¬ 
rator direct 
from factory 
at factory 
prices, costs half as muchas mostothers. 
No agents’ fees to double prices. Investi¬ 
gate our liberal sellingplan and the sim¬ 
ple three-piece bowl machine. Gets every 
drop of cream. Tank 3 feet 7 inches high. 
Write for money saving catalog No. 1 40. 
Davis Cream Separator Co. 
S6A North Clinton St., Chicago, Ill. 
No More Blind Horses 
sore eyes, BARRY CO,, Iowa City. Iowa, have a cure. 
STODDARD LINE 
-OF- 
GASOLINE ENGINES 
For farm, shop or mill use. Vertical 
or horizontal. Mounted or Stationary 
Sizes from 1 % to 100 H. P. 
Pumping and Electric Lighting Outfits a Specialty. 
Sold under Our Guarantee. 
STODDARD MFG. CO., 
Write for Catalog E. H. 
Rutland, Vt. 
SMALLEY "tonne, 
is guaranteed the strongest, lightest running, most economical built. The 
New Special No. 18 (shown here 1 is made of extra heavy material, buili excep¬ 
tionally strong—hence, the name ‘‘Special.” 
The fodder is in rapid motion from the time 
it is deposited on the traveling table till it 
enters the silo, thus requiring less power 
to operate than other similar machines. 
Handles bundles of any size. Capacity is 
limited only by the amount of fodder you 
can feed it. Patented safety devices brake 
accidents impossible. 
Write to-day for onr Free Catalogue, which 
gives fullinformation concerning our 17 sizes of silo 
fillers; also shredders, huskers, sweep and tread 
powers, feed millsand root cutters. 
SMALLEY MFG. CO., Box 227, Manitowoc, Wi*. 
How About YOUR Ensilage? 
“OHIO” Ensilage Cutters cut two ways—cut and elevate the corn into 
silo at an amazing speed; and cut off huge slices from your ensilage expenses. 
How does it “cut” expenses? By its immense capacity, its self feed 
mechanism, its power-saving direct draft blower, its simply operated 
silage distributor, its minimum use of power for maximum results. 
Silage as a milk and beef producer is 
far superior to grain. Our book 
ern Silage Methods” (10c) tells all about 
Our Ensilage Cutter Catalog will easily con¬ 
vince the man who wants the best. Send 
for it. Manufactured only by 
The Silver Manufacturing Co., 
Salem. Ohio. 
