Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1881-03-23
ORANGE COUNTY.

EDITOR OF FRERMAN:-As spring is
close at hand few timely hints will not
be out of place. Every farmer should
now overhaul The tools that are to be used
this spring (if it has not already been
done), and see that they are in working
order See if the harrow teeth are dull !;
if they are. take them ont and have them
sharpened nj once Do not wait until YOU
want to use the harrow, for the blacksmith
will be driven with work, brought in by
the farmers y ho do not take any agricul-
tural papers and never think of the tools
until they want to use them. days
delay 10 sharpen harrow teeth may make
more than t. enty-tive dollars difference
in the crops Good work cannot be done
with dull harrow teeth. Do not take the
harrow TO the blacksmith for him to take
the teeth out. for he will charge YOU for
the time spent in taking them out and
putting them back-work that you can do
just as well yourself So far as my ex.
perence goes, the blacksmith will charge
you Just four times what his time is worth
when compared with that of farmer.
See if the pillow needs new point.
Don't wait until you get ready to hitch
on to il, and then find that the point is
worn out, and have to spend half u day
or more to get one Remember that il
will not take any more money to get yonr
points now than it will the moment that
you want to use the plow, and the time
will be saved
Look to the wagon tires; have them set
if they need it. Nothing will use up n
wagon quicker than to use it with loose
tirn that tho nj oil tiyht
all farm implements that are partially
loose from the shrinkage of the wood, and
will need tightening up; and unless they
are, the joints will become loose from
wear, and then no amount Of tightening
of nuts will keep the joints snug
Look after the harnesses. Ii they need
repairing do not delay it any longer. Even
farmers should keep few copper rivets of
different sizes. They are handy for mend
ing harnesses, will often save number of
dollars, and sometimes runaway.
Nuts are always getting loose on farm
tools and machinery, and if not noticed in
time are lost. Perhaps farmers in general
do not know that nuts of all sizes with
threads cut, can be bought at the hardware
store. Those of twelve and sixteen threads
to the inch are the ones mostly used. It
will save good deal of trouble If small
supply of these are kept on hand, if the
farmer does not have the tools for making
them himself.
Now is the time to trim orchards. too.
Cut off all of the dead limbs and the
sprouts that start up from the limbs unless
the main limbs show signs of decay. when
it will do to leave some of them, and cut
those that show signs Of giving up back to
them; paint over the cuts with any kind
of paint-Venetian red is cheap; make it
thick. Dig up all of the sprouts
around the body of the tree. If they are
just cut off above the ground they will
start right up again. They must be dug
up with IA grubbing hoe. [ have heard
some advocate the allowing the sprouts to
grow around the body OF the tree to pro-
tect it from the sun. This is matter of
choice between having fruit or having
sprouts. If the sprouts are preferred to
good fruit, then have them. On the other
hand, If it is fruit that is preferred. then
cut away the sprouts; better pro- ect the
body of the tree by piece of board set in
The ground.
YOUNG FARMER.
Grand Isle. VT, March 5. '8l.