The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1884-03-05
Manual Arts in Farming.

So far as farming is of the nature
of a trade, its successful pursuit re-
ouires skill in certain fundamental
arts. 1t is true that the extensive
use of machinery has rendered some
arts, formerly important, of COM
paratively little consequence, as, for
example, the art of reaping grain
with the sickle, the kindred art OF
using the grass scythe and grain
cradle. The combined reaper and
mower, driven by horse power, has
superseded both. Apparently the
time is near at hand when the self
binding harvester will entirely dis
pense with the art OF binding grain
by hand. But this steady change
from hard labor TO machinery mere
ly changes the kind of skill needed.
Indeed. the skill now required to
ran machinery successfully Is of a
higher kind and more difficult TO
acquire than that Of the manual
arts superseded. To use the sickle
or cythe requires little more than
patient repetition, and blind follow
ing of example. To manage self
raking reaper or a seli-binding har-
vester needs not less patience and
care. but also higher mental quail
ties. a certain steady thoughtful OBJ
servation. good judgment, and a de-
velopment of what may be called the
mechanical sense, a something which
enables a person to keep in his
memory all the parts OF a machine
aad their adjustments, and allow
none to get or remain out OF order.
There is greater need here for that
cultivated intelligence which a good
education alone gives. The modern
farmers son who has had a few
months study Of mechanics and
mechanical movements, Is much
better prepared for his work than
one without this limited amount Of
training. The essential principles
of mechanics which underlle the
knowledge of the proper use and ad-
iustment of machinery, n4ay be
learned by any ordinary boy much
easier than circulating decimals or
the arbitration of exchange; and
when they are learned, they will be
a thousands times more useful to
him.
But aside from the more compli-
Gated kinds offanm machinery, there
are a good many simple arts, useful
to know and not specially difficult
to learn, yet often poorly mastered.
Among these may be mentioned
hitching up and driving a team in
the best way, adjusting and holding
plow, building hay and grain
stacks, milking a COW, dropping
seed, grinding mower knife, mark
ing out a straight furrow, shearing a
sheep, husking corn, and many other
things. The difference between great
skill in these arts may be well illus
trated bv the case Of two men, both
strong and willing, whom the writer
once employed to husk corn. One
would husk and crib sixty bushels
(of seventy pouHds EACH every day ;
the other seldom did half as much.
The first in a trial effort, in ten
hours of one day, husked one hun
dred and twenty bushels; the other
could not husk fifty to save his life.
Might not greater interest in rural
life be impaired to our boys by well.
directed efforts to cultivate the high
est development of skill in these
useful arts? Suppose a county fair
to select a half-dozen of them and
offer a series ofprizes Of those young
men or boys who should excel, in
all or some of them. Is it not posi-
bic that such a course would be
more useful to the community than
the fast trotting which now is usual
ly the only form of activity in which
the management of any fairs take
much interest.
Let intelligent friends ofrural i'm
provement try some plan to furnish
a substitute for the decentralization
so closely connected with horse
racing at the fairs. The kind OF
competition suggested would pro-
vide an interesting series of enter
tainments at these gatherings, and
also stimulate effort in the way OF
learning useful arts.-AmericGn Ag-
riculturist.