The weekly democratic statesman. [volume] (Austin, Tex.) 1871-1883, 1876-12-28

1t would be far better for each farmer |
to have few fine cows and keep them |
up and care for them, as he would for
his horse and mule. Have the cowpenl
or milking place in easy resch of the
good wife, and one or two slick, we'll |
selected milky mothers" of the herd |
will amply repay her care and atten-
ton. The food should be boiled or |
steamed.
LES COTTON AND MORE KNOWLEDGE.
As regards the choice of crops, l have |
WORD to say on the cultivation of cot
son. consider the devotion of our
farmers TO the cotton crop a Orest |
error. At the present low prices Of |
TINS staple, they are not repaid the cost
of production, The length of time |
that 1t requires attention, from early
spring until Christmas, for the fields
arc often white with it at that season
prevents the farmer from having any
time for repairing fences, making add.
tional improvements to his home IN the |
way OF setting out trees or putting up
little convenIeuceS about the house, a
frame for vine, or shelf for books,
to say nothing of its depriving him of
any season of relaxation or mental i'm
provement. But how shall l give
expression to my feelings when
l think of the number of farmers
children who day after day are sent to
the fields, sacrificed to this insatiate
Moloch, who devOurS, not their bodies,
but their minds, robs them of their
precious springtime when they should
be acquiring knowledge, for as long as
there Is bale OF cotton to be picked.
so long will you find the schoolroom
vacant. The children of the poor
should be sent to school young, for it
is their only time, so early do they
have to take upon themselves the bur
den of earning livelihood. But as
long as cotton is cultivated to the
present extent, the rising generation
will remain untaught. l speak from |
my owu observation. / live in q
neighborhood of people comfortably |
we'll off, most of them not tesants but |
owners of the soil, and where the chill
dren are very numerous; but although
free school was opened in September
and an opportunity OF education given
to them, the teacher had bat empty
benches until the cotton had been
picked and ginned. Then comes the
bad weather, too cold to expose the
little ones along the black, muddy
roads to the school house, and when
that Is over it is time to make another
crop; and thus I'LL opportunity of i'm
provement is lost. But, to take more
material view of the subject, suppass6
all the q and labor land cfcqulres
q Tase amount OF both) devoted to the
culture of cotton were expended
in gardening, planting trees and the
care OF fine stock, would not the value
added to our State be far greater than
the amount Of money acquired from
distant capitalists who purchase our
cotton at low figuresl for that is imme-
diately expended by the farmer in dry
goods and osher commodities. the pro-
duct of Northern manufacturers, and
so is at once taken out Of the State
again. Were it not for cotton our
waste places would smile and our des-
crts bloom like the rose.
A NEW ERA FOR WOMAN.
Above 1 recommended the use of
improved farming implements, gang
plows, cultivators and the thousand
other inventions that tighten the curse
) pronounced en- our race. This suggests
another much-discussed subject, ''em-
ployment for woman" Courage, my
sistcrsl Among other avenues opened
to you, farming will soon be made so
easy that any stout country girl can
cultivate a crop; and maintain that it
is far healthier to mount one of the
new sulky plows, drive fat team, in
hale all day long the fresh, pure air and
bask in the blessed sunlight, than 10
stoop as our mothers did over the nee,
die or fly the shuttle In the old-fash,
toned loom. Farmers have, indeed, Q
: brighter future before them, aud hal
with delight the dawn of the new era.
THE FAITHFUL WIFE.
In conclusion, another plea for the
: wife. Have everything as convenient.
: ly and compactly arranged for her q,
I possible. Remember she has many
steps to take during the day; save
her all you can. know that
S the contemplation of our broad,
0 expanded prairies has made all spaces
4 seem small to US; but we certainly have
/ fallen into the habit of laying of our
: fsrm-yards like the 'city of magnif.
r cent distances" l have known the
= wife of farmer to have to go quar-.
It ter of mile to gather the vegetable!
d for dinner, and, on her return, to walk
L equally as far down steep hill for {
d bucket of water, and then across I
e large yard to the smoke-house for tn,
meat and other provisions, when by 9
little care and foresight in arranging
: the buildings and garden, much labo
:, and fatigue might have been avoided
d When buying improved implement
st for yourselves, do net forget the sew
1T ing machine, the washer and wringer
Is or anything that will tighten the labo
lie of the wife.
4, WITHIN HOUNDS.
ID Do not keep too many work animals
a A small farm, improved breeds o
a. poultry, a fine, fat pair of horses
1t which you can work all the week an
81 u. Sunday harness to q neat littl
ly wagon 5i7d drive with your family t
ed the neighboring church, are enoag
h for your comfort, and yourself an
mt wife will not be worn out by cultivI
e. ting vast area of weedy land an
tn looking after your lean and WORTHLESS
mt cattle.
en- Such, Mr.. Editor, are some of ii
IL ideas that occur to the feminine min
to on the subject, of farming in Texa
OF If you think there is any value in Il
he thoughts suggested, you can gil