The Manchester journal. [volume] (Manchester, Vt.) 1861-current, 1869-10-12

Do FARMERS WoRK TOO MUCH lit IL
asserted that they do. We do not be-
Iieve ID. Undoubtedly some do, bat not
the mass OF farmers. The trouble is,
they do not know when and how TO play.
There is no systematic recreation. We
shall be told that farming is not like
other business cannot give time
10 recreation at will No, not always
at the same hour of the same day in the
week. But what is recreation Change
Of employment. 1t is not idleDess.
And the farmers hours OF recreation
should be profitable to him, even ia
pecuniary sense, as his hours Of labor.
II man ceases to work with his mus.
clcs, he must accomplish more with his
mind. II the brain is not active and
sagacious, systematic and creative, the
body must do what other brains may
devise SO one may do much work with
the body and not enough with the mind,
and vice versa.
American farmers do not work too
much. They may work too much in .
wrong way, and too little in the right
way. But there is limit TO mems
strength; and while individuals may
oYerdo with their minds or with their
muscles for time. the aggregate work
they accomplish is never too great. -
Some men have way Of exhaustinR
their strength by concentrated aud great
effort; others husband their strength
and live longer There may be howev-
er,no diiI renee IN the aggregate amount
accomplished by these men during their
respective lives.
Az rule, men do the kind Of work
they are best qualified to do. aud in the
way they eau best accomplish IL with
their capacity aud knowledge John
Brown wants ditch dug. aud he gets
pick-ax, spade and shovel, aud digs
the ditch himself He has no idea Of
any easier mode, and II one we're point
ed out to him he would not zoe il. So
he plods on contentod, working out his
work. But ambitious, go ahead John
Smith wants 4 ditch OF the same length
and depth dug. Ee don 20 vi i with
his pick aud shovel With team, SUR
face and subsoil plOw, be throws out
the bulk Of the dirt IN half the time,
aud gets his ditch done before bic neigh
Dor Brown has fairly commenced. But
he works as hard Ills mental powers
and physical vitality are accomplishing
more in given time aud exlausting
themselves more rapidly than Browns
Aud yet nine tenths of bis unobseryant
peighbors wili cali Brown the hard
working man, aud Smith the fellow
who takes things easy.
We demur, therefore, at the assertion
that farmers do too much work We
think, however, that II the next genera
tiou Of young farmers are taught AOao
10 wora, they will accomplish much
more in a gwen time and with the same
expenditure of vital power, than any
generation which has preceded them.
And when farm labor ceases 10 be =
burden because it is performed can
am0re, as an enthusiastic artist pants
a picture when men Gud ia their vo-
cation constant and glorious compeu-
sailon pr SC. regardless oi ultimate re-
sults, far more wlIi ba accomplished,
With far leas wear aud t0aE 10 lhe phys
ieal and mental organism of lAFtnerA,---
The trouble is. none of us know well
enough how 10 ~osk and when, nor
when and how 70 play. Our work is
loo much buftben ~ "a. and noa
enough 8 pleasure Oar recrsatlops
are not natural aud hAbitnAl. bat ATti-
GciAl and constrained We make them
hard work, and instead Of bong rs3sed
aud refreshed. We are exhausted and
dlsgnstsd b. them. aud rst1ru 70 daty
unimproyed and unbeneatted.