The semi-weekly news. [volume] (Mount Holly, Burlington Co., N.J.) 1879-1882, 1881-10-13
FARM NOTES
FARM IMpRovEMENTs.-There are

FARM IMPRovEMENTs.-There are
two things that take time-getting a
farm in good order, and getting hon.
est men in Office. The one affords
pleasure in its performance, the other
keeps people in perpetual stew
A good example is great promoter
Of farm improvements, but the good
example in politics is frequently fol
lowed BY bad practices in the success
sor.
We have not soiled much good
paper, nor taken much valuable
space in the News to vent our indig-
nation over some of the political
practices of the times. We should
like to see improvement 10 politics as
we'll as on farms, but rather work
toward an end that seems possis e
rather than toward something that
Is problematical.
The peculiar features among farm
communities is the sameness of style,
following in regular order, continuing
through nsighborhood the architect
ure of the buildings, the style of the
fences, the arrangement of the yards,
etc, all indicating the power of ex-
ample to mold styles as we'll IS
character. One gets accustomed to
unsightly objects and inconvenient
arrangements, and stumble over piles
of rubbish which only needs the
spirit Of improvement to pervade the
air to remove or re construct.
Now, as the busy season is nearly
passed, and every day is not freighted
with full load, and some left over,
there will be leisure to do up some
odd jobs. 1t might be well to re-
member some Of the many solicita-
tions which your wife has made to fix
up something. Take the hired man
and go quietly about it some morning
as though it was an idea of your own.
1t will relieve you of the imputation
of being controlled by the women
folks, and you can point to it with
. feeling Of pride, and tell her how
much better that looks. There is
many q pile OF broken boards. old
fence rails, broken slcds, a kind Of
catch-all for the refuse of the yard
this might be handled over, the
pieces that would answer for wood
carried to the shed aud sawed up, and
the worthless bits burned. Even the
hens will scratch the place in thank
fulness for the favor.
The slirit Of Improvement once
imbibed will usually be sustained
until several needed reforms are
brought about. The progressive
farmer has always some plans for
future completing and Is always work
ing for that cad.
The arrangement OF the fields Is
always matter of time. The fota-
ton does not come around 50 that the
change can be made in one season.
but the removal ola portion Of the
old fence, and rebuilding on the libe
of the original plan, is the week Of
every season Those who Lave not
slready arranged the farm into fields
and made plat of it should do 90,
and 60 about the work Of adjustment.
Farmers often gel stuck in a rus of
indifference. They let the present
arrangements satisfy them, and accept
the situation as fully as though 1t was
inevitable. They see the same state
Of things existing year by year, and |
they get to feeling that any change |
would be distasteful. Their enter. |
prising neighbors are "stuok-up folks"
and "above their calling" The moss
will climb their buildings and gather
on their backs until death libera.ss !
their little souls. Farmers who feel !
this inertness should shake themselves
. little, and 60 about doing something
and not stand still. Men don't stand !
still. Things will rust. II must be
aeraped OF. Mildsw aud mould will
come to hasten decay. Disuse don't /
make things shine. Farms Snow |
what the men are that own snem. ri
each year shows some change for the
better, they are amopg those whom
people look to for ps..terus. If the
buildings are Il better shape than
their tslds, they think more of the
Pa'.ef' than of the quantity of the
el~.n. But farmers do not vary more
than other people, and We don't pro.
pose reading of character from their
surroundings. We like to see im-
provement and in the right direction
and feel that farmers need to improve
not only their farms and Surroundings
but their minds and hearts, that they
may be fit to lead 10 all the great