The Manchester journal. [volume] (Manchester, Vt.) 1861-current, 1879-05-22
FARMERS TROUBLES.

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FARMERS TROUBLES.
X. J. Burdette, the Burlington Hd,ek.
eye Journalist, while on recent lecturng
tour through Illinois, wrote as follows
| From Augusta to Maeomb, every field
was full Of plows aud patient farmers
Dear, patient, good-natured grumbling
agriculturists Where farmer gcts bis
good nature from is mystery to me
every time look at him. watch bin
from the car window, plodding along at
the tai OF the plow, and | wonder that he
ever smiles at all, under any proyocation.
OF all men, il seems TO me the farmer has
the best right TO grumble. Only he new.
er grumbles at the right things. Tic
grumbles at the price, and then Of course
nobody sympsthzes with him or cares a
cent for his troubles, because we all
grumble at the same thing. Price never
did suit anybody. The seller always
thinks they are too low, and the buyer
always knows they are too high. The
merchant goes into bankruptcy because
be is compelled TO sell bis goods fer half
they cost him; and the customer goes
naked and starves because he can't afford
to pay oBe-half what is asked for them.
SO the farmer when he grumbles at the
price is no worse of than the rest OF us,
and accordingly attracts no sympathy.
But here is where, TO my way Of think
ing, the gazelle comes IN for the farmer.
II is spring aud the annual warfare be-
gins. Early in the morning the jocund
farmer hes him TO the field, and hunts
around in the dead weeds aud grass for
the pow be left out there sometime last
fall. When he finds 1t he takes it 10 the
shop to get it mended. When lis mend
ed he goes back TO the field with 1t. Half
way down the first furrow be lays, he
runs the plow fairly into big 1.-Two oak
root the handles alternately breaking a
rib on this side OF him and jab the breath
out of him on the other, aud the sturdy
root, looking up out of the ground with
pleased smile of recognition, says cheer
fully:
Alb, Mr.. Thistlepod, at 1t again, eh?
Fifty feet further on he strikes stone
that doubles up the plow point like a
piece of lead, aud while the amazed and
breathless Agricultural leans, limp heap
of humanity, across the plow, the relic Of
the glacial period remarks sleepily:
Ab, hal spring here already? Glad
you woke me up.
And then the granger sits down and
patiently tries to tie on that plow point
with hickory withe, and while be pur-
sues this fruitess task, the friendly crow
swoops down near enough to ask:
Going 10 put this twenty in corn, this
year, MIR. Thistlepod2
And before h0 bad time TO answer the
sable bird, a tiny grasshopper, wriggcd
ont OF cloud so full OF eggs thatthey can.
not be counted, shouts briskly:
Here we are again, Mr.. Thistlepod; !;
dinner for 1000 600, 900!
And then slow moving, hut very pos.
tive potato bug, crawls ont into the sun
light TO see II the frost has faded his
stripes, and says:
The old-iashoned peachbow potatoes
are The best for sure crop, but the early
rose should be planted for the irst
market. Then several new kinds OF bugs
who haven't made any record yet, climb
over The fence and come up TO inquire
about the staple crops Of the neighbor-
hood, aud before he can get through with
them Professor Tice sends him q circular
stating there won't be drop Of rain from
the middle OF May til the last ofOctober.
This almost stuns him, but be is begin
ming to feel little resigned when dis
patch is received from me Department Of
/ Agriculture at Washington, saying that
all indications point TO a summer Of nu-
precedented rains and floods, and adyis.
ing him to plant no root crops at all.
/ While be IL trying to find words to er.
press bis emotion, ueighbor drops in to
/ tell him that all tho peach trees in the
country are wiuler.killed, and that The
hog cholera is raging fercely ia The
northern part Of the township. Then bis
wife comes ont 10 tell him the dog has
fallen into the well, and when the poor
man gets 10 the doorysrd, bis children
with much shouting aud excitement
meet him aud tell him there's couple
OF cats Of the pole denomination, 10 the
spring house, and another one under the
barn. With tears and groAn be return.
ed The field, bat By this time ii had be.
gun to snow 70 bard that be couldn't see
the horses when he stood By the plow
lie IL discouraged and starts for the house
with hIs team, when be meets & mac who
bounees hltn for using three borse eievi'
be made himself, and rings ten reluctant
dollars out Of him for a. When b,
reaches home the dive well man Is walt
log for bin, and while be Is settling with
him clock pe6dler comes In sud light
ming rod mao, screened BY the storm
. climbs upon the len dollar smoke house
aud fastens s55 dollars worth Of Lightning