Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1874-05-21
farm ann Goustboln.
A Few Words to Our Farmers.

II there is any one opinion more thor
oughly grounded in the general mind
than another il is that the healthiest. the
plessantest, and the most independent life
is that OF the farmer, the reason being.
doubtless. that il ought TO be. The in
ference is correct enough, bu. when one
looks the facts in the face. and calls to
mind the faces and forms of many s.ri
culturists with whom he has come in con-
tact during his bucolic experiences. he will
be constrained 10 admit that those who
drove fat oxen were not always fat, and
that those who breAthed the fresh air OF
heaven, twelve and sometimes fourteen
hours day were not always models of
health. In fact. notwithstanding the ad-
rantages of exercise, pure air aud pure
water, statistics so 10 show that the farmer
has his full share Of Ills. aud often more
than those of certain other classes whose
peculiar vacations have, by popular con-
sent, come TO be looked upon as .un-
healthy" And yet there is no reason why
the farmer should not be in reality, in the
particular instance of health, all that
popular Imagination has supposed him To
be. The average New England farmer,
though knowing exactly how his cattle
should be treated, the kind and quality OF
the food they should eat and how they
should be housed and taken care of gener-
ally, is either wofully ignorant of the com
monest rules Of health az applicable TO
himself or else wofully careless. II Of
what is known Is the thrifty class, h.
very often rises at an hour when he shoult
be sleeping; bolts hi, breakfast of fried
pork and potatoes and hastens to the Geld
works without intermission till noon; then
more fried pork then another five or siX
hours work with the scythe. the plough or
the hoe: and after that the chores
which not unfrequently includes milking
from six 10 fifteen cows. This is frequent
ly performed after dark in the hurried
season, the farmer or workman sitting in
the cool night air in their shirt sleeves
after having sweated profusely all dag in
the field. Hundreds OF eases of consump-
ton. rheumatism and 4 score OF other
diseases are induced. while the general
diet and the hasty manner 10 which food is
disposed Of have made the farmers OF New
England a race OF dyspeptics. Eggs ia
any form are rarely seen upon the table OF
the family that raises them. They are sent
10 market. In thousands OF families beef
steak is an unknown article of diet. When
an OK or a cow is killed, that goes TO mark
ct. too. Once in a while sheep is sacri-
feed TO the wants OF its owner. but rarely.
The great staple is pork, salt nine-tenths
OF the year. and fresh Tor few meals at
he killing season. As a rule. very little
m.lk il consumed by the adults OF farm
RS family. That goes for butter and
cheese. Ii is 4 lamentable truth, but it is
= ruth. nevertheless. that there is no class
Of people ia the country capable Of living
SO well. who live so poorly.
Sometime during the past year the
Board of Health. wishing TO obtain sta
tistics upon the subject, addressed 4 large
number Of circulars to prominent physi-
clans in various parts OF the State. One
of the questions asked was What causes
tend to injure the health of the farmer and
their fsmilies?" That our agricultural
readers may have some idea Of what pro-
fessonal men say in regard to the matter.
beyond the Individual opinion expressed in
this article, we quote one or two of the
answers made:
Exposure; too protracted hard work;
excessive fatigue, especially in hot wealth
err"
"Overwork; want of recreation; lack of
bathing
insufficient and badly cooked food;
damp cellars; small bed rooms opening
from the kitchen; improper drainage"
.Monotonous hard work; insufficient
variety in the kind OF food; inferior cook
ing; too little attention to the ventilation
of sleeping apartments"
All the answers received by the Board
report shows that dyspepsia exists, as
rule. in great majority of farmers FAM
lies that Of other diseases, rheumatism is
the most common. pneumonia, pulmonary
affections and consumption coming next
in order This is sad showing. but it
will doubtless have little effect. Eight
farmers out Of every ten will insist upon
finishing their days on salt pork and ac-
cording to the twelve-hour system because
their fathers did so before them. unless
they can be made to see their error. And
Is this at all possible? The next genera
tion-if there is to be any next generation
of agriculturists-may be, and very prob
ably will be, wiser. Let us most sincerely
hope SOL Boston Globe.