Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1864-07-15
Hove Pn.lrnce wl,h dire I,or..

Labor is scarce and produce Is likely 10 be
extravagontly high this season. While farmers
will be obliged to economze in the amount os
hired help, they will be anxious TO raise all they
can. There is, therefore, danger Of undue
anxiety of mind and over-exertion Of body
This year, if never before, let patience have her
perfect work. Have patience with the new
machine. II at first il does not meet your ex-
pectaiions, ii it is harder 10 manage than you
anticipated, and fails to do all you hoped, have
paiencej "practice makes perfect"
Especially is this old saw true in respect to
the boys, for whom we would ask a large share
of patence-patence with not only the poor
manner in which they accomplish their tasks,
but patience, and great deal of il, with their
INABILITY to do all you would like 10 have them
90. now that the work presses so hardly in all
objections. Just take that boys hand in your
own ierl ct his arm, his shoulder chest and
RIBS, wonderfully, fearfully, slightly made-i,
II strange that he accomplishes so little? that
he 50 soon tires, and complains of the "hard
row that has fallen 10 his lot? viii fretting
or scolding harden his bones, tougher his sin
ews, increase his endurance or make him love
the hard work of the farm?
Farmers are generally careful about pu,tinp
their colts TO hard work before they gei their
growth. II is well they should he. MANY A
fine animal has been injured and its value
greatly decreased by being used loo much be-
fore lis system was sufficiently develr ped and
matured.
That parents intend 10 be much more care
ful with their boys than with their horses, we
have no doubt. But the boys are so much
longer in "the green tree" their bones harden
so much slower than those of domestic animals,
that there may be danger in the present scar
city of farm help. of laying out more work han
ought to be performed by the available work
ing force OF the farm. and, consequently, dan
ger of putting up the boys too hard not
purposely, not willingly but from an apparent
or supposed necessity.
But the body is not all. There is danger of
discourag;ng th,ir minds as well as dwarhng
their bodies OF breaking their spirits as well
as their bucks; OF distorting their fancy as well
as their frames. In fact, everybody knows,
that "ali work and no play ma<es JACK dull
boy,'-dull Of mind as we'll as of foot.
What, then, shall be done? With Cowper,
We boast
81 wonld not have a slave to till my grounl."
Nor would we have our sons so oyprvorked as
to become as stiff and stupid as duh and clown
iNh as the Ignorant peasantry of Europ'. The
history of New England, and In fact, of all the
other free States, has demonstrated that there
ia happy medium between these allernaliSes (;
that the day-!aboring farmer may improve tire
mind as well as the soil that he may think as
well as work. The great mission of the pres
ent age and Of the present generation is by
many supposed TO he the abolition of slavery,
and the demonstration Of the true dignity of
labor. But do not the molels and draw ings
! ct our national patent office show that at the
bottom of all these efforts lies tine idea of sub
! slin,ing machinery for slavery--of doing, by
| Ingenious combinations Of wood and iron, PIT
in motion by steam aud horse power, Just that
kind of drudgery which from time immemoripl
has been performed BY slaves. The big water
wheel revolving in the dark basement Of the
factory; the Kissing boiler, which, Ike the
Southern slave, is cautiously "lodged" in an
outside ''cabin ! the patient OK and the noble
| horse are henceiorlh 10 0e our "hewers of wood
and drawers of water" And our sons-they
| are to be overseers; taskmasters-not of hu-
man snews "bought and sold = not of down.
lrodden, abused man, thank Heaven, but Of the
inanimate, souess machine.
The question, then, is not simply whether
any given tool or machine will save money
We should consider whether it will save lard
work-whether il may save the boy to the old
homestead. Alas how many have been dis
gused by the duh, heavy axe, the worn-out hoe,
and the botched-up scythe. And yet We are
told that our manufacturers have little encour-
agement 10 make or advertise tools for boys, as
the demand for them is vet very small
A few years since we passed two farms in
early hay-time. On the first farm man and
II boy were moving in IA lot near the road. We
passed along leisureiy. The man was far ahead
OF the boy, who was slowly and awkwardy
hacking his way along. After knowing out
aud whetting his own scythe, the man walked
back somewhat impaliently, 10 the boy. "Why
don't you put the heel down ?" Stand up tc
your grass" "There right into the ground
again" "Seems so you never would learn
WELL it's all loose here, and bent out there,
replied The boy, as we went out Of hearing o
what else he had 10 say, and out of sight of tht
old black implement in his hand. On the mex
farm a man and two boys we're mowing-tht
shortest and probably the youngest was on The
lead. Their scythes and their hats looked new
We heard nothing of their conversation, bu
everything indicated that they were starting
right--lhat their tools were good, the iror
sharp and the boys full Of courage and ambi
tiOn.
This courage and this ambition should bt
kept alive, if possible, during the season. They
are worth more than good tools cost NOR,
than pretty frequent holidays cost more thai
kindness, more than pleasant words cost. W.
see it stated that farmer in Illinois kept W
the courage of his boys by giving Two of then
one ten, the other twelve years Of age--Sio .
telling them plnyfuily, to ego and buy ont"
neighbor who had large flock of linewoolet
sheep. The boys bought four ewes. This wa
three years ago. With this springs increase
the flock and the wool they have produced i
estimated at nearly $500. The Prairie Far
mer, who tells this story, says tha, in all tha
SECTION small boys are enthusiastic sheen-rais
ers, talk precociousy Of diseases, and discus
earnestly the relative qualities Of diffeyen
breeds, grades OF wool, Sc.
We commend the example of these parents
~. Z. Farmer,
Good II oNds.