Buchanan County bulletin. [volume] (Independence, Iowa) 1869-1891, 1876-03-03
Small Economies on the Farm.


farm which, if attended to in season
not only saves many steps, but also
save money as well. Take two farm
ers for instance, living in situation
where wood is the fuel. One of them
cuts and piles his.wood in the winter,
in such a manner that it shall have
good ventilation to the interior, and
at the same time so it will shed rain
and another who throws the fuel into
an irregular heap, exposed to every
storm that comes. The first will al
ways have fuel not only seasoned, but
dry; the other will have it seasoned
only to such a degree as may be pos
sible from the outside, between rains.
Will it pay to so pile wood? Every
farmer may answer this question for
himself, by noticing the difference in
the heat thrown ont IN burning, be-
tween Il piece of timber dried without
being soaked several times before it
is seasoned, and that one that has
been dried under cover, and yet in a
current of air. In o-her words, it is
easier to evaporate the moisture by
the air than by the burning of the
fuel itself.
Take, again, the farmer who has a
work-shop-and every farm should
have one. If the owner is not pos
sessed of mechanical skill sufficient
to do his own repairing, which i'll
many cases may more cheaply be
done on the farm than off; if the ma
terial for repairs are Oh hand, com
peten' workmen may be cheaply
hired in winter to put all in shape for
spring. In the end the farmer will
find there are many jobs that he can
do himself sufficiently well for all
practical purposes.
All this material may easily be Sc
cured, and at mere nominal eX-
pense. When in the woods if you
lind crooi. that is right, or nearly
so, for pillow handles, timber that will
split properly for beams, arms for
self rakes to the reaper, harrow
frames, wagon tongues, cross pieces
for hay rigging, or a a log that will
work easily into a roller, secure them,
and place them, after proper hewing,
IN loft where they will dry, and be
ready when wanted. Even if you
have no shop, with proper timber on
hand you will soon come to see the
necessity of one, and Of proper tools
tor working. The broken imple-
ment will serve as pattern for the
new one, and you will soon find that
these small economies have saved
money, and they will grow into neces-
sites.
These illustrations apply especially
to those farmers who live remote
from villages where repairs are easily
made. But, however near, there are
still many things that may be more
easily and cheaply done on the farm
than elsewhere.
The time will now soon be at hand
when the spring work will again be
taxing every energy of the farm help.
The winter has been singularly mild.
The indications are that our cool
snaps are to be succeeded with mild
weather. Such has uniformly been
the case thr, ugh the winter Why?
There is every prospect that we may
have an early spring. Are the vari-
Gus farm implements repaired and in
order for work? Is the fuel for the
next summer and winter prepared
and piled? Are the various seed
grains cleaned, sorted and prepared
for yielding twenty, thirty, or Il hun
dred fold, according to the season
and culture may justify? Are the
harnesses and teams being put in
condition for the spring labor: Are
the various little farm economies az
ranged so that when the proper sea-
son for labor arrives there may be no
delay? If not, there is no time like
the present for so arranging them
that all will work smoothly when
time is money, and when an hour
lost may make an important differ
ence in the outcome when the crop is
gathered.
Within very short time seeding
will have commenced IN earnest in
many localities where the f'trD,
Joarnai is weekly received. Indeed
it has almost already so commenced
now. Within Il month or six weeks,
farmers in the northern sections will
be as busy as bees, blowing and
seeding. Close upon these labors
will come corn planting, and from
thence on the labor of the farm must
be strongly driven, until another one
of the great harvests Of the West
shall be garncred. We believe the
next growing season will be good
one for the farmers Of the West. If
so, it will tax every energy to the ut
most to secure the crop. Attention
to the various small economies of the
farm now, will greatly facilitate the
various labors as they come up, and
pay cent per cent upon the labor so
prepared for Western Farm Jour-