Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1879-10-03
Farm and Household.


On Handling the Farm.
Business mon speak of handling certain
commodities, as wool or leather, or iron
why should not farmers become business men
M IL sufficient degree to handle their farms
and its products in the same way But loav
ing out of present consideration the hand
ling of farm crops, animals and products
which all farmers do handle to "A great extent
though not always as a matter of business -
let us consider for moment the handling of
the farm itself. Or to putt in different form
the management, or the administration, or
the public economy of the farm.
Now 1t may seem a sweeping assertion and
one not at all creditable to our farmers IN
general, but We are convinced from long OBJ
servatlou and "a considerable amount of prac-
tiCul experience IN the business, that not
dozen farmers out of a hundred make "A bust
ness of handling the farm, in accordance with
"a good system They pillow fields grow corn,
cut grass, raise sheep and calves and try to
get living and we know what we are talk
ing about when We speak of getting living
ut farming on q New England farm But
with how many farmers who do Just this sort
of work year IN and year out Is farming
business how many look upon their farms
things to be handled and made better. and
easily managed: how many have. 10y using
system and method in its administration, got
their farms in Just that shape which they
wish And vet handling the farm cumpre
heuds Just this much-and if man has
been on bis farm twenty years. has used or
binary diligence and economy, and has not
got the management of his farm IL his hand
to Just TINS cxeut, can 1t be said that he is
good farmer and make business of farming
But there are thousands of farmers all over
New England who have been on FIRMS much
longer than this, and who, even now, are not
farm managers. and never think that the
farm is a thing to be handled. to be nodded
into good condition for economical cultva-
ton, to be arranged and shaped IN such
way that II may Toe ensly carried on. And
why because their conception of farming
has never risen above the daily routine of
work demanded Toy the various seasons. for
the support Of the family ana the malnte-
nance OF the farm stock
Economical farm administration consist IN
placing the farm itself. the buildings upon
the farm. and the tools ana machines with
which II is worked in such q condition. that
no loss of time viii result il doing the neces-
sa1y work but that when done it will be
well done. economically done. and will not
need to bee done over again. How many
rods-lulies we had almost sald-ot poor,
tumtlc-down fence has been repaired and
patched mp spring after spring, and how
many times have cattle broken through il
into fields simply because it was not once
thoroughly and well built: How much loss
nus been uccaslUued year after year. 10y Guilt
waiting and moving around the stone heaps i'll
IL field when they should have been removed
and put into wells or drains A good hand
ling of the farm by Il man who wa, determ-
med to have the furm il good condition,
would never allow such eXcrescencts as these
10 attach themselves to his system or want
OF system Yet here are more examples:
Driving the cattle TO water the wear round. ID
quarter of q mile from the barns when the
water of "a spring upon the hillside could be
brought into the wards and stables at merely
nominal expense: using bars for a genera
ton III passing through fields when gates
could be built with Il few hours work driy-
ing through Il slough hole in a low. moist
run across the farm in doing all the cartiug
when Il dav' 5 work would have made a bridge
or graded the place with gravel. blowing IN
calmly shaped fields. because Il corner is filled
with Old stumps and stones which little
time would remove: being backward" ev-
erv spring with field work because Won have
never had courage TO do u little underdrnin-
ing on your fields most used for hard crous .
receiving no profit from your orchard on &C
count of not having time to do a little prun-
ing; suffering a terrible loss in home sources
of fertilization because YOU have no chance
for a barn cellar when YOU might 90 to work
and make chance: carting long distances to
field in a roundabout way. when IA farm road
could he opened up that would save half the
distance. Are these not enough