month hand

plural month hands

1. agricultureA temporary farmworker hired for a specific, extended period (usually one month or an entire season).

   Farmers beginning to plow. Month hands getting $30 and board. Farmers generally in prosperous condition.

   1908, T.B. Nelson, The Ohio farmer

   2 more examples

   The hired help question is hard to describe; there are but few in this section who keep month hands, as they are a luxury

   1915, G.S. Locke, “Soil Fertility Problems”, in Rural New Yorker

   a total of 5,937 farm hands were reported as placed. Most of those reported placed were regular "month hands." During this period a total of 8,696 men were sent out to farmers for interview

   1919, Ohio. State council of defense, 1917-1918. [from old catalog], A history of the activities of the Ohio branch, Council of national defense, 1917-1919, page 73