The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1878-01-02
Winter Farm Economics.
Prairie Farmer.

There are so many things that the farmer
may do at home, in his own workshop, as
well as another can do it for him, that it is
surprising that 80 few are without kit Of
wood working tools, a shoeing hammer,
some horse nails, pinchers for iron, copper,
rivets, screws, and other necessary articles
as will enable him to complete many a
handy job without the Intervention of the
carpenter. The time required to do the
work will often be found TO be less than
that spent in goingto and from the mechan-
les place Of business Thus with few tools
the wood work of harrows, plows, cultiva-
tors, and other tools about the farm may
be repaired. By having few extra handles
of forks and other implements on hand,
these may be cheaply repaired and made as
good as new.
Wagon tongues and many other duplicates
for farm vehicles and machines are now pre-
pared so as to require but little fitting In
the case of the machines, all that is neces-
sary, as a rule, is simply to fasten them in
place. In doing this the farmer not only
renders himself handy with tools but at the
same time he becomes thoroughly CONVEX
SAINT with the working parts OF each individ-
ual machine-nO small matter to the practi-
cal man. In fact every farmer ought to be
able to take apart and put together intelli-
gently any machine on the farm. Unless
this be the case, they can not be worked as
While the farmer is thus educating him
self he will come 10 see the necessity and
economy of having everything in its place,
and place for everything when not in use,
and when in use they will be just in place.
So he will come to occupy his leisure hours
in repairs of various kinds. Barn and stable
doors that are getting shaky on their hinges
will be repaired at once. If he burn wood,
and large proportion of the farmers of the
west still do 40 IL will be prepared and
piled secure from rain and with proper VEN
tila:ion, so it may dry perfectly. If he burn
coal proper shed will be built to keep it.
dry. The pumps about the place will al
ways draw. Water troughs will never have
sloughs of mud about them in soft weather
to mire stock, nor glare ice in hard weather
to MAIN them. Sheds will be made COM
Portable. The best facilities will gradually
be accumulated for accomplishing the
work of the farm, and a general air of
thrift will be observable, not only about
the homestead but over the farm.
In this we do not mean 10 assert that the
simple possession of the tools necessary to
DO odd jobs will accomplish all this; but the
handl&g of tools soon gets common sense
man conversant with their use, and the in
vestigations necessary to enable man to do
the work inteligently broadens the mind,
and one soon comes to see where money may
be saved in many directions and how easy
it is to make all things tidy about the house
and place, and also where the profit comes
in in rendering the stock about the farm
comfortable.
These may seem like small economies. In
truth they are; but it is these small econO-
mics that go to swell the profits of the farm,
just as in any other industry in life. 1t is,
in fact, attention to small economies that
makes the prosecution of business successful
In its best sense.