Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1879-07-25
Farm and Household.


Farmers' Vacations.
Farmers as a class, think too little of vaca-
tons All farmers do not work extremely
hard, nor remarkably steady, but there is Of
ten too much jogging and plodding on the
farm. 1t would be better TO work a little
sharper for few weeks, and then take
week for recreation away from the farm and
its cares. than TO be ever in the same harness,
even if we do not keep the traces constantly
stretched Vacations are becoming decided
" popular among nearly all classes. Once
we supposed they belonged only to schools
and colleges, but judges and lawyers have,
for many years, had their vacations between
court terms, and the clergy have also gradual
" come to expect few weeks of relaxation
from pastoral duties during the hot weather
of summer. Business people, especially those
living in cities, from the senior partner down
to the entry clerk, all count upon q vacation
as regularly as does the school boy or college
student.
We have long felt that most farmers are too
single handed. They are too apt to keep the
reins in their ownhands constantly. Too apt
TO attempt to do all their work themselves, or
if they hire, they employ help who are too un-
skilled to be trusted even for day, out of
sight There are farmers, or men who are
classed as such, for they do nothing else, who
will lean against a neighbors' fence by the
muir lOEtlutI ana ulStNHN lut NtulutTs CIlll-
else other neighbours doings or moan over
the ravages of squash bugs or cut worms,
which they are too lazy to destroy, who need
no vacations. They are so "constitutionally
tired'' that resting doesn't rest them. There
is not tension enough in their muscles for re-
Taxation to have any effect. Such men never
get a new iden while it is new they are like
the dull school boy, always at the foot of the
class but there are other men, who, like
weasels, are seldom caught asleep. They
work early and late, in fair weather and in
foul. They do their own milking because
they fear the hired men or the boys will not
milk clean they run their own moving ma
chine because they have no help intelligent
enough to be trusted with it they hold their
own pillow, follow the horse hoe, prune their
trees cradle their grain, and, indeed, do all
the difficult or nice work of the farm, while
the hired man shovels over the manure hoes
the corn, pitches the hay, and performs other
work, for which little skilled training is re-
quired. Such men are too often tied to their
farms, like horses to a loaded cart.
Instead of the farm being managed for the
benefit of the farmer, the man and his whole
family seem to be run for the good of the
farm, or as Thoreau has it, 'the farmer is
endeavoring to solve the problem of liveli-
hood by formula more complicated than the
problem itself Instead of owning his farm,
the farm appears to own him. Such men
need vacations. They need to visit other
farmers TO learn, if possible, easier or better
methods of farming or of living They need
10 attend farmers conventions and organiza-
tions, TO gain new ideas something to broad
en- and enlarge their views of life. People
who always stay at home are sure to all
the dark sides and shadows Of their own lives.
They need to learn and to realize that storms
and droughts. and thunder showers and fresh
cts visit other farms besides their own; that
weeds and insects thrive in all degrees of Ion
gitude that flies and dirt accumulate and an
noy other households besides the ones they
how other people lice.
Could farmers manage so as to be less con
fined to the farms; could they work more il
partnership, as do men in other business, or
could they believe it profitable to employ
higher grade of laborers-men whom they
could trust alone for day or a week-or
could they earlier train their sons and daugh-
tiers to have care and an interest in the af-
fairs of the farm and the household, then
they could oftener find the opportunity for
leaving the farm for short season of recrea-
ton and enjoyment, and thus be, in reality
what they have the name of being, the most
independent class of people in the world
If We ever are tempted to envy the situa-
ton of others, it is when We see two or more
brothers, or father and his sons, managing
farm in company, each being competent to
steer the craft, and keep things moving in the
right direction in the absence of the other
We know of several such cases. One where
three brothers own and work farm in joint
partnership-each being competent to act as
the head in the absence of the others. One
or two can be away, but one always remains
Hired men are never left to shirk for them
selves, nor to take undesired responsibility
Another Of father and two sons, each of
whom has his regular division of the work
when all are at home, but each competent to
oversee or perform any or all parts, and each
equally interested in the success of the com
pany.
Such is our highest ideal of trinity cNem-
plifed. But most farmers are too much like
men walking alone on a tread mill, where, if
they jump of, the mill stops
Let farmers so arrange their business that
every member of the family can, at some time
during the season, take a vacation without
causing serious disturbance in home affairs,
and there would be less complaint heard about
the dullness of farm lfe.-N. Z. Farmer.