American citizen. [volume] (Butler, Butler County, Pa.) 1863-1872, 1864-08-03
The farmers department,
Hints to Thriftless Farmers.

In almost every agricultural COM
nunity are to be found men calling
themselves farmers, who, to 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 neighbor unthrifty.
No one who cares for the reputation
of his neighborhood, 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
political economy likes to see the re-
sources of his town or of the country
unproduetive from mismanagement.
We are aware that many in all
classes of business meet with i'll sue
cess and Encouragement from i'll
health, from sickness or death in fam
lilies, or from othor unavoidable mis-
fortunes. But we have no reference
to these. We allude to those whose
i'll success arises from causes within
their own control.
Permit us just to allude to some of
these causes in the form of few
practical hints. Perhaps it may
help US
'"ro see ourselves rs ihers see rs,
And thus frae mony blunder free US"
1. Live largely by borrowing,
sagely coacluding that you cannot
afford to buy or make your own tools,
till you get little beforehand.
2: After years of experience in
borrowing of accommodating neigh
bors, convince yourself that it is
cheaper to borrow than to buy, and
keep on borrowing. Never keep a
supply Of such common tools as har-
rows, plows, manure forks, and hoes,
as long as you can get them by going
after them and il 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 hear of, and bid off all the old
wagons and worn-out implements
that you think are going cheap, in
cluding any quantity Of cold trum-
perry" that the owners have long
thrown by as useless. Should your
new purchase need repairs, or break
down soon, leave them on the road
side for future repairs but do not
disturb them again till they are rot
ten, scattered or gone.
4. When any vehicle or tool par
TALLY fails, or shows signs Of weak
ness, keep on using it thus, thinking
it VIII 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 ncighbor's till next auc-
ton.
5. Never think of mending a tool
till you want to use it. As YOU can
not stop to mend it then, leave it
unmended till you are otherwise pro-
vided, and conclude not to menl it at
all.
6. Keep the waysides along your
premises filled up with pieces of wag-
ons, carts, sleds, coal boxes, hay rig
gings, supernatural harrows, old
boards, rotten logs,rails and lumber.
7. Never do your haying till your
grass gets dead ripe, your neighbor's
through, the days shorter, and labor
cheaper. Never dig your potatoes
till after one hard freeze up, thus los
part of your crop by the freezing of
those near the surface In short,
never do any sort of work till you
see you cannot put it off any longer.
s. Never have more tain 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 the Sabbath. h.-Fm-
-, =. n