THE HOURS OF AGRICULTURAL LABOUR IN AMERICA. [TO THE EDITOR
OF THE "SPECTATOR."] SIR,—You ask what are the hours of agricultural labour in America. I can satisfy you on that point, as I have worked on a farm for over twelve months, in different parts of Iowa and Illinois. The nominal hours of work are from sunrise to sunset ; this necessarily makes the number of hours in summer up to thirteen or fourteen, exclusive of meal-times,—and this of hard field labour. That is to say, any extra work, such as stock-feed- ing and cleaning—or "chores," as it is called—has to be done before and after the day's work is done. I have found this to be the case both on large and small farms. The reason why such long hours are maintained is obvious. The American farmer has about one man for every 40 or 50 acres, and consequently it is impossible for him to get through the necessary work without using every minute of his time. Indeed, even as it is, work is done in what an English farmer would term a " slovenly manner," and how can this be otherwise, with three men to 150 acres of cleared land ?
Then, again, the farmer is loth to hire many hands, owing to the high rate of wages, and with the exception of the harvest, only keeps two, or at most three hired hands through the year.—
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