VOL. LV.
INDIANAPOLIS, IND., MARCH 10,1900.
NO. 10
%xpexieut6 $tp*vt*utnt
"Hew   De You Centred With Hired
Help?    If Written Give Blank
Ferm "
lst Premium —For 19 yeare I have been
hiring help on the farm. In order to avoid
friction and sometimes loss (as when a hand
leaves in harvest) I always have a written
memorandum of what each agrees to do. I
keep one hand by the year and one for five
monthe during crop eeaeon. I hire both March
let. I use no printed blanks, as they usually
provide for a bill of particulars, something I
think it unwise to do as I will ehow farther
on.   B.low Is a copy of form I use:
0 , Ind , Mar. 1,1900.
I, John Doe, hereby agree to hire Richard
Roe for five months from date. I agree to fur.
nlsh him work every week day, and to pay
at the rate of $17 a month, or $85 for the full
time. I aleo agree to beard him and to do
hie waehlng acd mending. Provided that
hie pay be as per following schedule: For
March he receives at the rate of $8, April $11,
May $17, June $20, July $29.
(Signed)   -John Doe.
I, Richard Roe, hereby agree to the above
as per memorandum. I also agree to do any
work required to be done on a farmln a good
and workmanlike manner. I agree to water,
feed, curry and harness my team (when using
one) before breakfast and be ready to go to
i wore by sun up and to work Hess one hour at
noon) till sun-Town. I also agree to retire at
such time ae will give me eight hours elnnp,
(Signed)   Richard Roe.
The agreement for the man by the year is
worded the same way, except 12 months ln.
stead of five, $15 a month Instead of $17, and a
total of $180 instead of $85, also a change ln
prices per month ae follows: For March he
receives at the rate of $8, April $11, May $16_
June $19, July $26, August $17, September $17,
October $17, November $21, December $10,
January $10, February $8.
In hiring I explain that the paper we elgn le
simply a memorandum of what we each agree
to do, to be referred to in case of any disagreement or misunderstanding. It doee no
good to enter Into an iron-clad contract with
a hand, ft he gets dissatisfied the cheapest
thing I can do is to pay him up ln full and
bid him God-epeed, But with hie wages
scheduled as above he don't get dissatisfied.
He commences March lst at low wages which
gradually increase until in harvest he le getting big wages. If, when hiring him he objects to such a gradation, I explain to him
that if he intends to stay the full time it
makee no difference ln the amount of money
received at the end, also that he will feel better ln harvest getting big wages than he would
-If only getting small pay. And thle ie true,
the average hand feele more like work If he ie
getting ae much in July ae others who work
by the day. Another thing, if a hand ie Inclined to shirk, he will be tempted much more
to feel sick and leave a hot harvest field if only getting G5 cente a day ($17 a month) than he
will if he le getting $1.11 a day ($29 a month). I
have never had a man leave me since I commenced paying graded wagee. As I eaid I do
not uee printed blanke becauee they usually
call for a bill of particulars, some of which
you are liable to overlook. Then if something
disagreeable is to be done he can refuse to do
lt or demand higher wagee for doing lt. The
form I use covers everything to be done on a
farm. What more could I ask? If I Intend
tojhave him haul loge to a mill or rock on a
pike I insert lt in tbe agreement. I obligate
him to work from sun to sun but practically I
don't require lt. He agrees to lt but does less,
a favor from me to him. He agrees to sleep
eight hours, but If he occasionally wants to go
out nights I never object unleee he goee eo
much ae to Incapacitate him from doing gocd
work. I pay nim promptly at the end of each
month, I never jew him down when hiring
if he ls a good hand and don't aek more than
a dollar or two a month more than I had decided to offer.   If he gets hie price he feels
better. Occasionally a hand hae a day or two
more time charged than I have. It le a small
item and I pay it without a word. It don't
pay to get up a fuse for a small sum. A farmer who depends on hiring loses nothing by
being liberal with his help. I try as nearly as
I can to put myself ln hie place and treat him
accordingly.
I once hired a very religious young man,
though very close-fisted, ae are all hie
numerous relatives. (He ie a preacher now.)
Without eaying anything to me he got himeelf ready and attended forenoon service* at
the church, getting back about 12:30. Thle he
did for four or five daye during a protracted
meeting. When we settled he charged me for
full time. I might have kept from paying but
did not. Hie general reputation wae ae good
ae mine and le tc-day except that he ie considered "a little near."
To eum up, the form I uee may not be according to "law" but it le so simple that anyone can understand it and it fills the bill exactly.   What more could I want?    L, A. W.
Central Indiana.
2nd P_emlu_n.—During a period of 20 yeare
of farm life, I found lt necessary to employ
more or leee help. And ln no other bueiness
transaction have I found lt pay any better
financially to observe the' Golden Rule" than
inthe employing and treatment of this help.
As we were raising a family, we were very
careful to employ only help that we could
trust and respect as one of the family. In
case of strangers we would have them work a
few days on trial, and find out their disposition and qualifications, and if not satisfactory, wcu'.d kindly inform them to look elsewhere. The farm laborer certainly has rights
that the employer Is under obligations to respect. As to what these rights are, we can
only be governed by tha circumstances. We
cannot observe Ironclad rules, ae can the mechanic or other forms of labor, but I prefer
ae much ae poeeible to have certain hours ln
which to do the work, and ln no case do I
have my help to work in the rain or stoim, or
on the Sabbath, or at a late or unreasonable
hour, except In case of real necessity. I aleo
give them time to rest or read, also the
privilege of attending picnics, church services, etc, without any reduction in wages. I
find ae I trust and reepect the help the more
and better service I get. I prefer to not uee a
written contract ae lt occasions distrust, also
the nature of the work Is so varied it would
be difficult to describe, but have it understood
that they would be required to do all kinds of
labor that le necessary on the farm. Also the
time of eervlce and wages to be paid, but
these matters will adjust themselves if other
rules are observed. In no case would I employ a man of bad habits, tuch ae tippling,
gambling, addicted to the use of profane or
vulgar language, or tobacco. The risk is too
great for such to associate with our children,
although they may be good workers. I find
that it ls not the amount of labor, but the
way lt ie performed that le moet profitable.
111. Fakmkk
3rd Premium.—After yeare of experience I
adopted thle rule, never to hire a
straggler, or ln plain Englleh, a tramp, A
good farm hand doesn't have to travel the
country over with a tin horn to find work.
The work will find him. Never hire by the
month or year, wet and dry, ae many do,
Hire by the day, each month separately, and
settle each week. Arrange wages on a scale
of Increase or decrease to agree with the
length of the days, and reserve 25 per cent of
the wages till the final settle ment. Never
contract to wash for hande, ae the good wife
and daughters have hard enough time boarding him, A ependthrift ie rare)f a good haqj
and ehould not be given work. The mau
that eaves hie wagee will do to tie to, and the
man that doee not look ae well to the farmer's
Interest as his own should be shipped at once.
But the beet way to hire hande le to furnish
houee and let hand board himeelf. The
farmer'e wife ie oftener the slave than is the
farmer. H B,
Worthlngton,   	
BBVIBW.
You will note that our writers differ more
than usual on this question. It is true that a
written contract binds responsible parties
more than the other claee, becauee the latter
have nothing to hitch to. But ie lt not aleo true
that a verbal contract binds the partiee ae
etronglyae the written? The unwritten contract ie covered by common law. The only
queetlon ls one of evidence The written hae
thle advantage, that it prompte the memory
of either party and prevents misunderstandings. But the bane of a written contract is
that aU trade talk must be Incorporated ln lt.
Any condition omitted is not binding; while
under common law all such things are settled
by custom, and this Is binding, I remember
once having a written contract with a worthless man and he got to claiming too much,
but on looking over the paper he eald, "yes,
there lt le in black and white." Thie convinced him and while he was still unwilling
to do right, it prevented him' from misrepresenting me to the public. I am in tie habit
of u_.*ng contract* with long time heeds more
ae a means of clearly drawing the line than
anything e!_i3. Some men do not appreciate
details and lt wonderfully impresses them to
to sign something written. While writing lt,
I usually talk over each condition and ask if
this le fair; then write lt. and at the close reread lt all and comment acd explain till lt ie
fully understood. Then signing fixes and Impresses it upon the mind. It ie not taken badly if handled right, and if one states that it le
more to prevent mieunderetandings than anything elee. I am aleo c_.re.ul to state parte
that I agree to do, thus making it clear that it
binds me ae well as anyone. It le commonly
taken ratber ae a compliment, ae a sort of
lawful way of doing business, And most men
are proud of lt.
In case you furnish a ho use for a hired man
and do not rent land to him the law considers
him the same as a transient and he may be
compelled to give pCBseslon on short notice,
without any clause being placed In the contract to that effect.
Where the landlord agrees with the tenant
to leaee the premises to him for a specified
period of time no notice to quit is necessary.
Mr. L A. W. grades wages through the year.
This works well, especially with strangeis In
our community the help Ib accustomed to
both ways and I see little difference. I like
to have it understood with young labor, especially if disposed to be a little "smart/' that
ln hiring him I am buying his labor and his
time as I would buy anything else of him,
that it le not slavery for him to sell his time
A elave ie one who le compelled to work for
you whether he wants to or not and at a price
he may not agree to. But ln a fair deal he
sella me hie time and labor fairly and has no
right to be away on other engagements or out
too much at night Ae to pay I alwaye satisfy
any demand for money If I owe It, but labor
expects as a rule to take wages mostly on Saturdays. Some have money ahead and cue ita
month or eo, then settle and draw a quantity.
The beet hande keep their own time, they alwaye mark each day, stating what they did,
If one le doubtful of them he can eettle once
a week and keep all straight. I bave never
had ecrloue trouble about wege accounts, but
I once attended a trial where lt wae proven
that the landlord and tenant had not had a
eettlement for three years and that the former
had never kept account though he had often
part paid in meat and butter. He did not
know that the hand wae keeping account and
at the end of the time the wagee claimed were
much more than expected, but had to be paid,
No. 210, March 17.—Deecrlbe the selection,
purchase and planting of an apple orchard
for the family.
No. 211, March 24th —Describe your method
of oiling and repairing harness. What oil
do you uee?
No. 212, March 31st— Give a list of plants
and flowers, that you are preparing to grow
on the lawn this summer,
No. 213, April 7_h.-0are of bees ln the
spring.
No. 214, April 14.—How and where can a
jointer be ueed ln breaking land? How do
you manage cornstalks and heavy, trashy
Btubble?
No. 215, April 21st.—How can one best de
stroy biennial and perennial weeds, dock, Eng,
plantain or buckthorn, white top, Canada
thistle, wild garlic, red eorrel etc.?
No. 216,April28sh — What household reme-
dlee do you keep on hand? Give emergency
treatment for croup, Indigestion, earache,
toothache, sprains, cuts etc ?
FARMERS' INSTITUTE AT GREENWOOD.
A ride of 45 minutes on an electric car took
a number of the members of tbe Marlon
county A, and H. society to Greenwood to attend the second day's session of the Farmers'
Institute at that p'ace on Friday the 21. This
line is ln very fair condition and ls doing a
good business. The cars are large and comfortable. The line la to be extended to
Franklin and perhaps to 0olumbuB this summer.
The attendance at the institute, held ln
Polk's mammoth hall, was quite large at most
of the sessions.
Oiover Culture, by E H. Collins, waa the
aubject when we arrived. Mr. Cjlltns is a
strong advocate for Eogllsh clover, He prefers it to the common red clover both for hay
and as a fertilizer, the yield being considerably larger. When asked if lt was as well
adapted to bring up fertility on thin soil ae
the smaller clovers, he eaid he thought it waa.
This eeeme hardly reaaonable, as it would be
natural to suppose tbat a plant of rank growth
would need more sustenance to make a good
start than one of smaller eize. We would like
to hear from thoee having experience with the
large and medium clover, aa to which Ib the
easier to catch on thin soil.
Mrs. B .tee of Broad Ripple gave a very Interesting talk on household conveniences, a
eubject tbat deserves a place on every Farmers'
institute program.
Prof. Troop talked on Insects and fuDgua
growths and their remedies and at the close
the eubject of employing a man to do the
sprayU g in each neighborhood or township
wae discussed and a committee was appointed to investigate the matter.
RAPE FOR SHEEP PASTURE.
One who has had experience with rape says:
"Rape for fall pasture will mature in six weeke.
Ae a fall pasture lt Is unsurpassed as a fattener
for eheep, hogs and cattle and la superior to
and cheaper than clover, It le particularly
beneficial for sheep, supplying elements to
make fine wool in abundance. It aleo fattens
hogs rapidly and is ready at just the time
other food is scarce. At the Michigan Experiment Station, 128 lambs were pastured for
eight weeks on five acres of rape and showed
a gain of 2,890 pounds, or three pounde a
week, at a total cost of only $6 00. Rape may
be sown up to August lst. Enough seed for
an acre will cost 30 centa.
An English Inspector of poor houeee for 22
years le quoted ae saying that during all hie
experience he hae never met with a teetotaler
ln an English workhouee.
A minebb' train on the the 0. & E. I, road
near Brazil, Ind,, wae wrecked by a freight
train, on the 5th, and two miners were killed
and many wounded.