The Jeffersonian. [volume] (Stroudsburg, Pa.) 1853-1911, 1864-04-28
Hints to Thriftless Farmers.

In almost every agricultural communi-
ty are to be found men calling themselves
farmers, who, to say the least of them,
are not as thriving and prosperous as 9TH
ers would ike to see them. For no we'll
wisher of his race desire to see his neigh
Dor unthrifty. No one who cares for the
reputation of his neighborhood, or the re-
puted value of his own property, wishes
to see the property or the condition of
those around him deteriorating. No low
er of his country and Of sound political
economy, likes to see the resources of his
town or of the country unproductive from
mismanagement, We are aware that
many in all classes of business, meet with
ill-success and discouragements from ILL
health, from sickness or death in families,
or from other unavoidable misfortunes.-
But we have no reference to these. We
allude to those whose ill-success arises
from causes within their own control
Permit US just to allude to some of
these causes in the form of few practi-
cal hints. Perhaps it may help us
"To see ourselves as ithers see us,
And thus frae mony blunder free u.s."
1. Live largely by borrowing, sagely
concluding that you cannot afford to buy
or make your own tools, till you get lit
tie more forehanded.
2. After years of experience in bor-
rowing of accommodating neighbors, con-
vince yourself that it is cheaper to bor-
row than buy and keep on borrowing =
Never keep supply of such common
tools as harrows, plows, manure forks,
and hoes, as long as you can get them by
going after them; and if you chance to
break one return it in that condition, and
say that you think it must have been
cracked when you borrowed it.
3 Attend all the farm auctions you
can hear of, and bid off all the old wag-
ons and worn-out implements that you
think are going cheap, including "any
quantity" of old "trumpery" that the
owners have long thrown by as useless
Should your new purchase need repairs,
or break down soon, leave them in the
roadside for future repairs but do not dis
turb them again till they are rotten, scat
tered and gone.
4. When any vehicle or tools partially
fails, or shows signs of weakness, keep on
using it thus, (thinking it will hold this
time,) till it comes to a general "smash-
up" then throw it by till you can get it
repaired, (Which you should mind never
to do,) and borrow your neighbors' till
next auction.
5. Never think of mending a tool till
you want to use it. As you cannot stop
to mend it then, leave it unmended till
you are otherwise provided and conclude
not to mend it at all.
6. Keep the waysides along your pre-
misses filled up with pieces of wagons,
carts, sleds, coal boxes, hay riggings, su-
peranunated harrows, old boards, rotten
logs, rails and lumber.
T. Never do your haying till your grass
gets dead ripe, your neighbors' through,
the days shorter, and labor cheaper
Never dig your potatoes till after one
hard freeze up, the losing part of your
crop by freezing OF those near the sur
face. In short never do any sort of work
till you see you cannot put 1t off any Ion
ger.
s. Never have more than one load OF
wood up to your door at time; nor any
more of that cut, ready to use, than is
necessary to last over night or over Sun.
day.
9. Spend your stormy days in the bar
! room or store, instead of putting things
to rights at home.
TO- Go to law whenever any one in
jures or disturbs you, and you think there
is any chance to "get a hook" on them
Justice and right are too sacred to be left
unavenged
H. Sell out and try another place as
often as you find anything about your
house that does not suit you, instead o.
setting hands and wits to work to remedy
its defects.
| IL. Persuade yourself that farming
"am hard road to travel;" sell your
or leave it to tenants, and go into ped
ding merchandise, or general speculation
until you run aground: then
Get back to farming as best you can,
! A wiser and better man.
,-Country Gentleman.