The home journal. (Winchester, Tenn.) 1858-188?, 1880-06-10
A Few Words from a Farmer.

| Editor Home journal
While the merchant, the professional
man, and almost all classes of society,
have rules and regulations whereby
they control and manage their affairs
according to the most practical methods
Of economy, the farmer plods his way
along without experimentation as
sociation-even willingly bearing the
burthens of his more fortunate brethren
without any appreciation Of home econ
omy, or the practical use Of any princi-
clplc that would conduce to his own in.
terest and welfare.
There is nothing, perhaps, that a
farmer could economize in with so much
saving as by dispensing with the labo-
rious and proftless business of rail
making and fence-building. | don't
think | would be cxtrayagant in saying
there is money enough expended in ma
king rails and building fences to more
than pay all the debts of the United
States, both public and private. Yet
the farmer persists in his love for fences
and his devotion to the perpetual time,
killing principle of mauling rails. Not
only would the dispensing with fences
be saving of time and money, but
more than One-half the curse of thOrns
and thstles would be obviated, for
fences are not only harbors for the pro-
duction of these noxious weeds, but af-
ford protection for their seed. Let us
make Use of our time in improving our
farms according to the best approved
methods, and you would see our country
flourish in verdant beauty, and our
granarcs would be filled with the rich
treasures of the harvest. What an I'M
mense saving the old rails would be for
three or four years in the shape of stove. /
wood, which would at least pay small
dividend upon our past expenses. And
how discOuraging it is to those farmers
who live along our little mountain
streamlcts to see their much-covcted
rails with each succeeding freshet swept
away by the gushing waters and sent
curling on toward the great Mississippi,
to furnish kindling for those who live
along her shores. By dispensing with
The fence system, our farmers could
avoid this too frequent free transporta-
lion business and sell their rails at reas-
Enable prices, and in this way supply
themselves with Il considerable amount
If pocket-change.
But, says the farmer, we can't dis
,ensc with the fence, we must protect
'ur crops, and what would become of the ,
'oor man if not allowed the benefit of
public pasturage !? | would say that no '
nan ought to have the right of free
asturagc on other peoples property
esides, the commons are so poor that
ny man who would turn his stock on !
hem to starve and die ought to be pun. a
he'd for cruelty to animals. Let the i
lrmer have stock law, requiring all a
ersons, under penalty, to keep their n
ock inside their own enclosures. BY II,
his means we would build only just 50
uch fence as was necessary for that n
nrposc. Let us adopt this plan, and ~
ter seeing its success the old fogies h.
ould soon fall into line.
The farmers are tax-loving and tax
lying people. They not only pay
cir own taxes, but in an indirect man =
II pay all the taxes for every craft and
otession. The merchant counts his
st so as to make his per cent. make
support, pay his taxes, and leave tn
m handsome profit the profession ca
man pays his taxes out of the salary gr
zen him by the people and the me- 20
anic, when the corner-men run up the col
ICES of goods and provisions, makes in.
ike in order to be able live and n,
y his taxes. So all the fluctuations mt
changes have to be supported by
farmer, and thus, in an endless way
is digging daily to pay other peoples
'enses. Then why will farmers in /