The state rights democrat. [volume] (Albany, Linn County, Oregon) 1865-1900, 1879-02-14
3 -
FaTm&Garden.
THERARMER,s DIARY.

this advice after an experience of
twenty-one years, for began to keep
my farm journal in the spring of
1857.
wish to call attention to this sub
jeet at this particular time, because
the New Year is the best time In
which to begin. I know that many
persons think it great task to keep
journal, but little experience will
prove that IL attended to every day
it becomes very easy. When once
the habit is established we are no
more likely to forget it than We are
to forget to wind the clock, or per-
form any other daily task. Do not
get hook for your diary with print
ed headings, and u certain amount of
space for each day, for sometimes you
will only want to write line or two,
and again you will want to write at
some length. Get a plain blank
book, well bound, write in a plain
hand at the head of the first page the
year and the day Of the month in
which you begin, and for each record
the day Of the month and week. At
the beginning of every new page put
the month, day and year. This ena-
bles you, whenever you open Eyour
diary, to see at = glance the day of
the record, and where a book is used
that will coHtain the record Cor sew
eral years, this is important.
But what do you wish to write
about? First, the weather. Let
this record be as brief as possible.
For one day it will read, sfair and
warm;" another, ''heavy rain with
rain and thunder, A NJ, cleared off
pleasant p Nj" or, "snowed all
day;" s'drizzly, east wind" etc,
etc. IL you keep a record of the
temperature, let the thermometer
hang at the north side OF the house
the year round, and note the temper
ature at sunrise and at noon, which |
will give US usually the highest and
lowest temperature of the day. In /
a few years you will have a complete
history of the weather that will be |
interesting and useful.
Next put down exactly what YOU
do for the day. The record will usu-
ally be brief, but as years pass it will |
increase IN value. When you have
kept journal for four or FIVE years.
you find it Of great benefit to look |
back and compare the seasons with
one another. I extract from my dia-
ry record of a few days, taken at
random, to show how it may be
kept.
March 1Sth-fA beautiful, still.
spring morning. S0wed clover seed
on wheat a. M; began plowing for
oats p. m.
tMarch 17th-Warm and cloudy.
Finished sowing oats and planted
peas in garden; heavy rain in the
evening.
"April 5th-Fair; apple trees in
bloom; ground warm and dry; began
planting corn.
"June 29th-Cut wheat; have a
good crop; my corn will average three
feet high"
1t Is not Necessary to quote fur
ther, but you will see that but little
need be written each day to give you
complete history of the farm trans
actions for the year.
In addition TO this mention visits
made or received, letters sent to
friends, or those you get from them.
together with anything OF Importance
that transpires which you would like
to remember.
l would suggest that on the first +
day OF each month the price of grain
and stock be entered, and that once
year-and the day the assessor calls a
would be the best-an inventory be
taken of farm stock, tools, etc. All a
tails Tnay look formidable to one who q
has never tried it, but as soon az the
habit is formed it will be found easy c
and simple. Keep your book in the 7
family room and have particular s
me TO attend to it, and before long 5
1t will become pleasure. As rule J.
l think it best that this should be i
done by the farmer himself but C
there are many cases where it might :
bf entrusted to son or daughter. q
1t would be Of great advantage to p
them, teaching them how to write,
spell, and compose, and help them to r
form business habits. They should {,
be required to do the work well, and !, l
it should be examined and approved a
once month, and a small monthly a
sum be paid FIR the work. Every s
boy or girl like to have a little spend I,
ing money, and they would rather 8
earn it than have it given to taem. z
twenty-five or fifty cents a month q q
would be considered pay by most C,
farmers children for such service, Il
and they would really get more edu- r.
sation out of it than twice that mon d
ey would bny in most of our schools.
Such journal as have described .,
1ectNnes more valuable as the years q
20 by. 1t will furnish a complete
amily history, aud will often be re- II
erred to to settle some question as
o the weather, or some event of in
crest that has transpired. Whether
his be done by the farmer or some
'ther member of the family, the edu- 4
alton it gives will pay many times a
.Ver for the work employed. At
ne risk Of seeming egotfstical I will a
ay that owe to the training I re- 81
elVed by keeping journal any sue In
ess as writer which l NAV have a. iial
ehieyed. Practical Farmer. fal
A MAN advertiser for competent 3
ersons to undertake the sale of . new 20
Medicine" and adds that sit Will be
ro6table to the undertaken" =
REAL diamonds are always cold. Sc