Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1880-03-03

The first danger to the farmers health is
that arising from overwork. This, we are
happy to say, is not as great as formerly.
Our fathers were accustomed to get up be-
fore cock-crowing. eat their breakfast by
twilight in summer and candle-light in
winter, and be on the mountain chopping
wood or in the meadow moving by the
time the sun was up. This was disrespe t.
full to the sun, as the glorious king of day
should always have precedence of his sub
jects, but the farmers of those times gen
orally made up for their want of respect
10 the sun in the morning by letting him
retire at night before they quit their labors.
These long work hours have been greatly
modified by the introduction of labor saw
ing machinery, the use of coal rs fuel, and
more especially by the general change in
the hours of labor in all industries. Still,
with all this improvement, the occupation
of Il farmer calls for much hard work, and
the temptation of the ambitious is to
strain his muscles till he finds them sliifen-
ed with rheumatism and himself " bunged
up" lis he says of his horse that has been
strained and famed by overwork. Farmers
seldom spoil their horses in this way
this is done by hirelings; and if they
would have the same consideration for
their own muscles which they have for
those of their horses, they would prolong
life and enjoy it more. No man should
do two hours werk in one. lie may pos
sibly try it once with apparent IMMUNITY,
but let him follow it up for II succession of
days and time will show him his revenges.
Sufficient unto the day is the labor thereof.
Another drawback TO the health OF
farmers is working in the rain. Wet
clothes and wet feet have induced tubercu-
Ious deposits in many lungs. Ducks can
live in water, but man was made to live
on dry land, and did not the ducks feath-
ers shed water better than mans clothes,
even this aqueous bird would suffer from
exposure to wet. Farmers must 90 out
more or less in all weather, but if at any
time their clothes are soaked, or their feet
are wet, change the clothes and dry the
feet. With the change give the body a
good rubbing with n coarse towel. This
will produce glow on the skin, dcnotng
q healthy reaction in the circulation of the
blood. Most persons can stand shower
ing, but only the most vigorous can resist
the chilling effect of evaporation from wet
clothes. -C0Rtri6utOr, in NeO York Times
No doubt true that many farmers have
worked too hard; yet where will you find
y tougher, harder race than the genera
| ton of our forefathers who did the work
of making our homes; cleared off the
dense forests; lived in log houses With
open lire-places, and fed on plain, hearty
food, and did an amount of hand work in
chopping, logging and getting in crops to
which we weaker men OF later days arc
strangers?
No, we think hard work is not the first
danger to the farmers health, but close
dwellings, which make greater change Of
temperature, more concentrated food
more hurry and more worry and hustle, Il
faster life, more excitement, and Just how
we arctic change it we don't know.
The tendency of the age is all in that
direction, and only personal Independence.
an intelligent appreciation of The subject
and attention TO matters of health will
work out individual and exceptional i'm
munity from disease.