The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 1850-1873, 1872-02-02
From the Marylatid FARMER.
Tho Life Of q Farmer-S0me Kindly
Suggestions.

Suggestions.
The life of a farmer can be made
easier, rle2santer, and healthier, and
his home more attractive, beautiful,
and enjoyable, by a careful attention
to certain rules too often forgotten.
1. Too much work is frequently un-
dertaken, or more land attempted TO
be cultivated than the means at his
will fairly allow. Having
once started on the wrong path, and
only looking at the profit that may /
accrue if all ais plans can be accom-
plished, he presses all his energies into
the service, only to find at the end of
the season that the task he has i'm
posed upon himself was too heavy,
and that much of his labor has been
wasted from the want of prudent,
cautious calculation. It would have
been far better to husband hisstrength
and that of the force at his command,
so that the work shall be kept within
TIE ability of the field hands and
nothing sighted. Larger areas under
cultivation than can be cropped sue
cessfully make more show and put on
an outward show OF prosperity; but |
it is wholly delusive where there is
weakness behind it all. Less land, I
better tiilage, and fewer mortgages |
do some of our counties an immense |
amount of good, and'n only keep |
the minds of embarrassed owners
easy, but ultimately bring them, by
concentration of means and power an
increase of property. The sentiment
win ho rat To To-.
1.-The paternsl acres" is one which
every right-thinking mind will re-
spect. But there is Q point at which a
sturdy adherence to it tends to work
serious injury to the owner OF property
which has become an ineumbrance.
This is especially the case when the
paternal acres are sadly weighed
with paternal debts. ..-
For the working farmer il Is far bet
ter that be should lay cut fer the season
only so much work as may be within
his means and his capacity, and to do
we'll whatever work he undertakes.
It is also most desirable that the I'M
poverished land owner, and there are
many such, should partition elf por
tons of his land int0 smaller farms,
or sell outright what he cannot man.
age conveniently, and concentrate all
his ability on smaller number Of
acres A hundred acres well titled,
will bring him more profit than three
hundred acres indifferently and hur-
| riedly titled. s.
2 The work on the farm should be
better systemaszed than it is usually.
Ii is important that the work should
be arranged that there shall be time
allowed fer doing everything that
may be required to be done, without
undue strain, and allowing for contin-
gencies, SO that there shall be fair
margin to count upon in any event.
When once such regulations are laid
down they should be rigidly adhered
TO, for any departure from them, IN
less under exceptional circumstances,
would be likely toprove embarrassing.
More time is frequently lost at the
last moment in thinking what to do
and how to do ii, or where the means
to do it shall be found, than in per-
| forming the work when once deter
mined on and begun with method and
conducted with precision. Think,
then, beforehand map out things to
be done, and it will be matter OF
surprise after while to find how
easily the days routine runs il its
| groove. Of course perfect regularity,
under all conditions of time. place, and
weather, is not to be expected, for the
best plans sometimes fail just as the
best regulated railway train may break
wheel or be slunted off the track by
a damaged rail.
But any method carefully devised
for carrying on the work of a farm
systematically and with due
regard to the circumstances OF the
farmer and planter aud his ability to
command sufficient force of field
hands, when 1t is more wanted, is
infinitely superior to q hap hazard,
"bappy go lucky" way of trying to
do the same thing and missing it.
There is nothing more beneficial in
carrying on systematic farming than
the keeping of a regular account OF in
| come and expenditure, and a simple
diary of each days occupation, with
the condition of the crops and the
state of the weather. We venture to
say that the man who does this, for two
years faithfully, will find it Of so much.
advantage, as means OF reference
and as assisting to correct slips of the
memory, that will scarcely fail to
continue it thenceforWard.
8. Pay more attention to the health
of the body. Care in changing from
| thin to thicker garments, OF the re-
verse, as the case may be. In accord
ance with the variations of the wealth
er, will often prevent severe attacks
| 81 o. MuIn -sa Sh oil !
guarded against. not only by caution
in exposing one self to its balefnl in
f1uences; but by the Use of small
doses Of quinine, and in damp situa-
tons by keeping the apartments dry;
even in hot weather some fire has to
be used. The farmer, especially of
the Middle States, is constantly ex-
posed to sudden alterations of cold
and heat, and is furtherl liable to suffer
| frvm checked perspiration, when Sc
we're labor demands short period Of
rest. 1t is such things as these com
| bined with work, that break down,
after while the constitution. Reason
would tell us that life passed with
out violent mental stain, in the open
| country and in pure atmosphere,
would be more likely than almost any
other, to reach the limit of three score
years and ten. The statistics show that
| the average duration of life, among
persons engaged in agricultural pur-
suits, is actually less than that attain
ed by persons engaged In some of the
most labOTiOus occupations of town.
4. Make the home life cheerful and
bright, as well as comfortable; see
that the house is made pleasant, by
neat adornments, and that it has also
pleasant surroundings, books, papers,
pictures, music some of these at least,
if not all, are within the reach of those
whose minds crave them, and whose
eyes appreciate them. When homes
are bleak, bare and cherries, life is
robbed of some of chiefest blessings.
The outward appearance OF country
home is a matter of no less cOnse-
guence. Its adOrnment, though sim
pie and inexpensive, may yet be made
to add new charm to the inner COM
forts Flowers over the porches, and
shrubs and flowers on the lawn, are
natures arts, and thorgh cheap, are
i'm their natural beauty more attractive
than any other thing that the cOstliest
art eau supply.
Movements in Clover Seed.