Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1874-02-18

of labor ana expenditure. roI iuo1<'hoO-
the facilities for conducting farm labor are
far in excess of whar they were twenty
wears ago, and while our first class farmers
enter into all the modern improvements OF
the day with the spirit and the understand
inc also. and all agree that it is not only
having business, but by it labor is made
easy, and the bone and muscle of man
preserved, vet how many of what is termed
our second class farmers are still pursuing
the same old course, and scarcely devlat-
ing from the old practices and customs OF
:. century ago? They are using tools that
are worse than worthless. The hoe, the
shovel. the harrow and the pillow, are far
too often the purchase some auction sale,
and il is thought the strictest kind OF econ
omy. for the reason of the small amount
invested; when they might all be thrown
AWAY. with the money they cost, and pur-
chase the very best of the same kind OF
tools, at the highest price of the mark t.
md be far better of ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
the satisfaction of using tools that are TOOLS
and so much facilitate the labor before
them. How many times within our obser-
walton do we see such men employing
| iu.lp at great wages, and putting within
their hands tools of an inferior quality,
when reason teaches us that III very
short time they have made sacrifice OF
more than the whole cost OF the tools
| t us leaving them minus, in the course OF
wear, of many dollars they might other
wise had securely stored in theirpockets
rendering all their agricultural resources
unavailing, so far rs dollars are concerned
such men are not ONLY men of small means
but men of small faith. even doubling the
propriety of investment in any agricultural
improvement, for fear the future Will not
make returns equivalent to the eXpendl-
ture And in these extreme cases you may
always look for poor farming; for old, oil
lapidated buildings; unsheltered manure
caps cattle and sheep, horses and swine,
I'll suffering, not only with the cold. but
for the want of proper food and sufficient
unount of it The dairy, for instance
that can be wintered through on two-thlrds
the amount of fodder that they ought to
have, is reckoned by the owner to be one
third gain, because Ofthe SAVING OF fodder
when, in fact, if they are so fortunate rs
to survive such treatment through the WIN
ter. instead of producing f ON one hun
,lred and fifty to two hundred pounds OF
butter to the COW, they do not average
more than one hundred pounds, and it
would be safe to call it less. 1t is thought
a
colt through, it is no matter how you do 1t
so they are turned out into a cold yard to
pick up the orts and leavings of other stock,
and scanty at that until they become SC
lousy ere spring opens that it will require
, full half the summer to make them equal
in value to what they We're at the com
mencement of winter-and in midsummer
, when they are about shedding Their coat
with large patches of unshed, taded-ou
hair upon either side, with st inglets hung
= inc halfway to the ground from hip an'
shoulder, one could hardly tell whether
+ they were, as the poet says OF kentncN
, bows half rorse and half alligator, . o
= ;inctured with buff 10 blood. In regard K
: the keeping # swine, it'has been no les
+ I prevailing custom among many OF on
:. farmers to keep those in store for wlnte
: IN the least amount of food possible. s.
:. that, in fact, is Il total loss, going only +
support nature. and often leaving then
weighing less in the spring than they di
+ in the fall I remember. when L wa
d quite a small boy, that farmers got in tn
h wav of turning their swine into the wood
II in the fall of the year, when beechnut
II we're plenty and keeping them there neal
II " all winter, with nothing to eat excel
" the nuts hey found in the leaves; and
t. shall never forget how they looked, wit
.s their bristles pointing every which way
I and so poor that it was wi h difficulty the
Ie could squeal without leaning against
If rec; and | remember there was n rumC
4 lfloat that when they We're taken up to ii
d Sty to feed, some were so po'r that 1t b'
le came necessary TO tie knots in their tails
Of prevent their falling through the cracks
e. the floor, and they were obliged to p1
I'd them to soak about two days before the
As would hold swill | cannot vouch, hoy
to ever, for the truth of the latter statemen
e Without entering into all the minuti
is of the matter, there are yet many MOI
lie prevailing evils at the present day,
at which | will name but few, and amor
Id the most important of all, is the great me-
It: lect of fertilizers which are or should
ne available upon all our farms. With te
at undred dollars invested in commodiol
We barns, with cellars convenient for storir
ur manure, and with plenty of muck
; some other absorbent. who may not ~
in more that one-third to the present value
nd heir manure, with little trouble; and if S
n please estimate the increase of producti'
al. wear by year. and tell me it you are n
'st doubly paid for all your trouble.
in While am willing to admit that III
lid jority of our rmers work all they are al
ue to during what we call the busy seaso
'e- yet none of us can deny the fact that mu
ms time that might be valuable. is running
er waste. And how many among the labt
} a ing class are spending two-thirds of thu
to time in idleness through the winter montl
en for want of emplo, ment, who would
be- glad to work for any of us for small wag
NO rather than spend their time in dol
IF IL. H.
ior would increase the products of our far
ties two-fold the amount of cost of labo'.
est has become quite customary among
md farmersto put off, for a more convene
ous season, the things that more properly
OIL long to the present, it remains ever II
My that whatever is to be done, and is rea
eat to be done, can never find more favora
of time than now Instead of leaving
us wood pile as the sawyers left it in
nen block, to be split after spring WORK
bile upon us, now is the better time. lnstt
ose of leaving muck in the bed that nat
UGH gave it, until it is wanted for summer u
asls now is the time to set your team to W.
My hauling it from the bed in massive
nd. near your barns, and the more the better
to it will receive no injury though it sho
no lie for years, but would, in my opini
lty- improve by lying. Instead of stopp
: of your team in the hurry of spring to &C
usi- mill with a grist for your cattle or for y
the family use, when the travelling is bad
rev deed. the winter is the time to ge. y
to milling done, when you can not only dl
the twice the amount of load but make a
the exchange of time, a day of leisure in "
pr ter for one of hurry and drive in spri
ad Who of you, my friend, would be ashal
n of to be seen going to the blacksmith's TO
,ash vour harrow-teeth sharpened during tt
cted winter months, that they might be re
ned. for use in time of need, causing no de
me, in spring? Those of you whose pride
d to thus far gained the ascendency over
Civ would do well, in my opinion, to CO
g OF your pride or your harrow-teeth wi
L