The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1881-10-21
VOL. XXV----NO. AZ.


There are many thrifty, well-to-do farmers
las far as dollars and cents are concerned)
who lack neatness in their undertakings In
| all the different operations on the farm,
| the finishing touch is LETT off, want of
time, or that it don't pay" being the prnci-
pal excuses. The question now comes up:
How shall the thrifty well-to-do farmer who
| is not tidy in his farm work, be made to see
that it would pay him well to become so p
| We must show him that it will not cost much,
that it is very cheap and well worth what he
pays for it. In the first place it pays well by
the example and the influence it has upon
his neighbor farmers. Every farmer has an
| influence, either as q neat one, or the con-
| trary, and some one will pattern after him
more or less. In some localities it is said:
what neat farmers they are! How thrifty
everything looks" In other sections it is
| just the reverse We can account for it in
no other way than by example, and this does
| not cost much yet the one course will adj
vance the price of land five dollars per acre,
and the other decrease it the same amount.
| At many farmers house the wood pile
| seems to extend from the kitchen door to the
farthest side of the barn, safe walking almost
hindered on account of pieces of wood and
timber being scattered about. This gives
place very untidy appearance | have
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wood picked up ; those that are good for no.
thing but fire wood, take it at once to the wood
pile, and those that are too good for this pur
pose, put them in safe place, where they
may be ready when needed. All this can be
done with very little extra trouble; only bear
it in mind when going in and out about the
place. Do not let stock of this material
accumulate or you will feel like the boy who
did not see how the other boys could have
their heads combed every day-it almost
killed him to have his combed once week.
A gate off the hinges a board off its place,
windows with broken panes, all have a very
untidy appearance, and really take little time
to repair-no more time used, than later and
certainly they will not repair themselves. If
we do this at once, the neat appearance of
our homes will not be marred for weeks, and
too often months.
There is another thing, in too many farm
places, that presents very untidy appearance
and that is the garden-a place for almost
everything but what you would eXpectto see
in a garden-it might properly be called the
weed patch. have learned from experience
that farmers gardeN may be useful, orna-
mental, and more than all, profitable, at very
little expense except wise improvement of
time that often runs TO waste. Too many
farmers "have no time to attend their gar.
ucnS, DuU Spenu hours at inc village store
or hotel. Make it Il point to raise every kind
of vegetable grown in your part of the coun-
try, and when grown to use them, and there
will be found to be both health and economy
i'll the family
And lastly, there is nothing that makes
q place present a neater appearance than
plenty of paint tastefuly applied Color
looks well avoid too great contrast-the
whole beauty is often spoiled in this way
Many painters work on the principle that
great contrast is beauty-but to my mind the
blending and harmony of color is where the
beauty lies Yet white house with green
blinds is always in order on Il farm. Any
place in need of paint large enough to use
fifty dollars worth iudciously applied, will
sell for much more money with the paint than
without it, and if you wish to keep it, it is
u good investment on account ofits preserva-
ton as well as beauty. Many farmers are
very tidy in some things and quite the reverse
in others they do not average well. But it
is the good average that adds beauty to the
whole. One tattercd garment will spoil the
appearance of the finest apparel Country
Gentleman.