The Manitowoc tribune. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1866-1878, 1870-02-24
OH Tribmnf.
FARMERS COLUMN.
A FARMERS STUDY.

tud0 duSWSLS tue PidCC VI d Stuuy IL
you have not, you want one. Every
farmer, who claims to be anything else
than mere laborer, needs a study as
much as any professional man does; and
for that matter, he requires it more.
The farmer home is not ordinarily a
very quiet one. There is much work to
do in 1t; there is the clatter OF milk
pans; the noise of the churn the pratt
tie, if not the crying of children. 1t Is
hard for any one to make much head
under such circumstances. 1t is 1.-THE
pursuit of knowledge under difficulties "
An editor might write, or lawyer might
study under such circumstances, because
they have become accustomed to intel
lectual labor amid noise and confusion.
Necessity compelled them to labor in
this way, but it took long time for them
to become masters of the situation. But
study are limited for the most part to
rainy days in summer, or to the bleak
stormy seasons of winter, the thing is
next to impossible He wants cosy
little room where he can shut himself up
with his books and papers.
A farmers study need not be very
large or very expensive affair. A room
fifteen feet square would answer the pur-
pose we'll Six book shelves, which
should be permanent, running across one
side, like THE Farm Pays for All,
would do for adornment. A table with
drawers, a few chairs and a stove are all
the furniture that is necessary. Tween
ty-fve dollars and few days work with
the plane and hand-sa would fit it up.
Such room as this would be bles
sing to every farmers household. The
house would be orderly, because here
would be placed the books and papers
that too often are scattered about, and
being lost or ruined. Rainy days and
winter days would be of as much account,
with facilities for study, as are the bright
est days of summer. The disposition to
leave the home for the tavern or grocery
would in may cases be taken away, for
the reason that there is a better place to
spend time that cannot be enjoyed in
out door work.
Nor is it to the farmer alone that such
room would be of comfort and value.
The children could use it during the even
ings when they are not attending school,
and thus derive more benefit from each
term of school, To the wife. too, such
a room would be a blessing. With her
manifold cares and perplexities, with the
odor of the cook-roOm in her nostrIls
with children clinging to her shirts. how
pleasant would such a room be in which
to retire occasionally and read a book,
peruse newspaper, or write letter to
a friend.
Every thrifty, well-to do farmer, who
has provided a warm stable for his
horses, a convenient barn for his cattle,
and even commodious pen for his hogs,
and a kennel for his dogs, can certainly
afford place of retreat for himself 1t
would result in having better planned
farm, better ordered house, happier
home and better cultured minds. A
library of books will accumulate when
there Is place to put them. Papers
and magazines will be preserved when
there is place to put them on file, and
spare time be put tC good account when
there Is an opportunity to spend 1t with
out being Interrupted.
ADVANTAGES OF A ROTATION OF CROPS.
The past year has not on whole,
been satisfactory one to farmers, espec-
tally to those engaged almost wholly in
the cultivation of wheat, oats, and GER
eals of like nature. 1t has been pretty
well demonstrated that to sell wheat at
eighty cents busbel entails an actual
loss of fully twenty-five per cent, to the
average farmer. As far as corn and
oats are concerned, it may be truthfully |
said of those who have at all entered |
largely into their cultivation. have bare |
" held their own. While. the prices of |
grain have thus ruled low, those of ami |
NAL products have been comparatively |
high, This, however, would be no rea-
son for farmers to rush extensively into |
the business of stock-raising the lesson |
which they received from hops ought to
be sufhcinnt to make them refrain from
ever cmbarking in similar enterprises.
But it teaches the necessity of a rota-
ton of crops, the advantages of which |
are very obvious. In the first place,
there Is less exhaustion of the soil. Sin |
gle crop farming is very severe on land
rotation has been found to improve it. |
Again, rotation brings in improving |
crops, such as clover and hoed crops,
which either in their growth or cultiva-
ton add la gely to the amount of crops |
produced on the farm The farmer,
through this, is better prepared 10 meet
the various demands in the different
markets, and is not dependent on the |
success or failure of one crop for his sue
cess or failure during the year. And
another great point is that with good
rotation the farm work is not so hurried |
at any particular time. but is spread over
the whole season, doing away with the
cost of much help, which single crop
farming must necessarily incur.
Free Pfess.
HORSES, WORKING OXEN, &c.
Horses require constant attention
through the winter. as they are liable to
contract diseases when kept in dark, I'M |
clean, badly ventilated stables, and to |
fall away in condition, when not regu- |
larry fed and cleaned The ammonia,
which is so abundant in filthy stables, |
treqently causes inflammation of the eyes
and some times total blindness, in |
horses 1t is good practice to scatter |
PLASTER over the floors of stables frequent
~, tor the purpose Of fixing the aunmon-
Ia, which is volatile. Every stable should |
be model of comfort, cleanliness and |
regularity. Every improvement that |
adds to the comfort of the horse and the |
economy of provender should be intro
duced. Working oxen should be kept |
in good condition throughout the win |
ter. and should have exercise when not |
at work close confinement in the stable |
or sheds is not good for them. Mich /
cows and young stock should be well |
cared for throughout The winter, for
they are entirely dependent on their /
owners for provender at this season.
Vicious oxen or cows should be separa-
ted from other stock, and got rid of as
soon as possible
CApE on SvvyNr I>y
According as the cold of winter in