The Xenia sentinel. [volume] (Xenia [Ohio]) 1863-186?, 1864-03-22
Hints to ThriffIess Farmers.

In almost every agricultural community,
says the Country Gentleman and CultiTatOr,
are to be found men calling themselves farm
ers, who, say the least of them, are not as
thriving and prosperous as others would like
to see them. For no well-wisher of his race
desires to see his neighbOrs unthrifty No
one who cares for the reputation of his neigh
bOrhOod, or the reputed value of his own
property, wishes to see the property or the
condition Of those around him deteriorating.
No lover of his country and Of sound polit-
ieal economy, likes to see the resources Of his
town or the country unproductiye from mis-
management. We are aware that many in all
classes of business, meet with i'll success and
diseouragements from i'll health, from sick
ness or death in families, or from other una
vOidable misfortunes. But we have no re-
ference to these. We allu1e only to those
whose i'll success arises from causes within
their own control.
Permit US just to aHude to some of these
causes in the form of few practical hints
Perhaps it may help Us -
"To see oursels as ithers see us,
And thus frae mOny blunder frae ua"s
L Live largely by borrowing, sageIy con
eluding that you can not afford to buy or make
your own tools, till you get q little more
" forehanded. "
2. After years of experience in borrowing
Of accommodating -neighbOrs, convince your
self that it is cheaper 70 borrow than buy, and
keep on borrowing Never keep a supply Of
such common tools as harrrOws, plows, ma
nure forks, and hoes, as long as you can get
them by going after them and if you chance
to 6rcaE one, return it in that condition, and
say you think it must have been cracked when
you borrowed it.
g. Attend all the farm auctions you can
hear of, and bid off " all the old wagons
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 pur-
chases need repairs, or break down soon, leave
them in the roadside for future repairs but
do not disturb them again till they are rotten,
scattered, and gone. 2. "-i
f. When any vehicle or tool partially fails,
or shows signs Of weakness, keep on using it
thus, thinking it viii hold this time, till It
comes to a general smashup;" then throw
it by till you can get II repaired, (which you
should mind never to d. and borrow your
neighbOrs till the next auction.
5. Never think Of mending tool till you
want to use it. As you can not stop to mend
it then, leave it unmended till you are other
wise provided, and conclude not to mend it at
all.
6. Keep the Waysides along your premises
filed up with pieces of wagons carts, sleds,
coal boxes, hay riggings, superannuated har-
rows, old boards, rotten logs, rails, and lum-
Der.
Z. 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, thus losing part of your crop by the freez- !
ing Of those near the surface. In short, never
do any sort of work till you see that you can
not put it off any longer.
8. Never have more than one load of wood
up to your door at a time; nor any more of
that cut ready to use, than is necessary to |
last over night or over Sunday"
9. Spend your stormy days in the bar-room
or store, instead of putting things to rights at
home
10. Go to law whenever any one Injuries 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.
II. Sell out and try another place as often
as you find anything about your farm that
does not suit you, instead of setting hands |
and wits to work to remedy its defects.
u. Persuade yourself that farming am
hard road to travel" sell your farm or leave
it to tenants, and go into peddling merchan-
die, or general speculation, until you run
aground; then
Get back to farming as best you can,
A wiser and better man.