The Bolivar bulletin. [volume] (Bolivar, Hardeman County, Tenn.) 1865-1888, 1884-11-06
SIGNS or a POOR FARMER.
Agricultural Philosophy as Good Now a
IL was TIaIf Century Ago.

$1,000 ~
Agricultural philosophy as Good Now as
1t Was Half Century Ago.
He grazes his moving land late in
the fall and his pastures early in the
spring, and consequently ruins both.
Some of the cows are much past their
prime. He neglects to keep the dung
and the ground from the sills of his
buildings; and it costs him twenty dol
lars to make repairs, when one dollars
worth of work would have been suf-
ficient, if performed at leisure time
ten years before. He sows and plants
his land until it is exhausted, before he
thinks of manuring. He has generally
too much stock and most of them I'M
ruly.
lie is sure to have a great deal of
stake and pole fence. He says he can
not farm it for want of money. This is
frequently the case with good farmers;
but YOU may know a sloyen BY his mat
tentios to liJtJe things His children s
shoes are spoiled for the want of little
tallow to supply them: His door hinges
come off for the want of nail or two;
and the door is destroyed for the want
of hinge: His NOW is trampled on
and gorged for want of a door; and all
this loss is occasioned by not timely
driving and clenching a single nail.
Nothing is in order-he has a place
for nothing and nothing in its place. IF
he wants a gimlet, a chisel, or q ham
mer, he hunts up chamber, out at the
barn, in the cupboard; and lastly, when
he has spent more time in pursuit than
it takes to do the job, he finds it down
cellar. He keeps no stock of the small
est things: If a button or a band gives
way, or a key to yoke, or a pin to a
sled, or a string or swingle to a fail, or
even a tooth to a rake, he has none to
replace them. He seldom does any
thing in stormy weather, or in an even
ing; and he is sure to keep no memo
Tandum of little jobs that are to be done.
You will perhaps hear of his grOaning
about hard times frequently in the bar
room. Death and the taX-gatherer he
knows must come; yet he makes no
provision for either of them. Although
he has been on a piece of good land for
twenty years, ask him for a grated
apple, and he will tell you that he could
not raise them, for he never had any
luck. His Incidence and carelessness
subject him to many accidents: He
| loses soap and cider for want of a hoop:
In the midst of ploughing, his plough
breaks, because it was not housed; and
when he is reaping away from home, his
hogs break into his garden, for want of
an additional board.
He does not take proper advantage of
his business by driving it when he can;
| and consequently he is like the old
woman's son, so batsy that he 1aeUer has
time to do anything" or, at least, he
seldom finishes one thing before he be-
| gins'on another; and therefore brings
| little to pass and is often seen in a great
| hurry and fiutter. He is seldom neat in
| his person, and viii sit down to the
! table himself without combing his hair,
and will suffer his children to do so,
| without washing their hands and faces.
| He frequently drives his team with a
club, and is generally late in all public
| meetings His children are apt to be
late at school. and their books are torn
| and dirty. He is careless and needless;
consequently his children are so 20.
As he has no enterprise, so he has no
money, and frequently makes great sac
rifices to get it. He is slack in his pay
ments, and buys altogether on credit.
He is often sued, and pays through the
| nose for every thing. He lacks fore
thought, economy and eXertion. In
fine, poor farmer, in the strict sense
of the word, is a poor creature: He Is
but bare apology for a mamie is q
| a poor husband, a useless citizen.
good farmer may be poor; but a poo
farmer can not act his part well: II
other words he can not be useful as
man, or prompt, friendly and energetic
as Christian or neighbOr.
Although these hints are meant 70
no particular person. it is hoped all ma,
profit by them.-Fr0n5 an Alnlana
| Printed IN 1881