The St. Charles herald. [volume] (Hahnville, La.) 1873-1993, 1885-01-24
SIGNS oE A POOH FARMER.
Agricultural Philosophy as Good Now as
1t Was Half q Century Ago.

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 stills of his
buildings; and it costs him twenty dol
lars to make repairs, when one dollars
worth of work would have been sui.
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 un-
ruly.
lie is sure to have 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 sloven by his mat
tention to little things. His children's
shoes are spoiled for the want of a little
tallow to supply them: His door hinges
come off for the want of a nail or two;
and the door is destroyed for the want
of a hinge: His NOW is trampled on
and gorged for want of door, and all
this loss is occasioned by not timely
driving and clenching single nail.
Nothing is in order-he has place
for nothing and nothing in its place II
he wants gimlet, a chisel, or a 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 stock of the small.
est things: Ii button or a band gives
way, or a key to a yoke, or pin to- a
sled, or string or swingle to fail, or
even tooth to 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 bedone.
You will perhaps hear of his groaning
about hard times frequently int 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 ploafShing, his. plough
breaks, because it " not Housed; and
when he is reaping away from home, his
hogs break into his garden, for want of
an additional board.
H does not take proper advantage of
his business by driving itwhen he can;
and consequently he is like the old
woman's son, so busy that he aseUer has
time to do Gaything;"-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 fluttef. He is seldom neat in
his person, and twill sit down ito 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 o
club, and is generally. late in all public
meetings. His children are apt to be
late as school, and their books are torn
and dirty. He'is careless and needless;
consequently his children are so 70:
As he has no enterprise, so he has no
4 honey, and freqnentfenakes great sac
fiiices to get it. He is slack in his pay
ments, and buys altogether on credit.
He is often sued, and pegs through the
nose for every thing. He lacks fore
thought, economy and exertion. In
fine, poor farmer, in tie. strict sense
of the word, is a poor creature: He is
but bare apology for man-he is a
poor husband, a useless citizen. A
good farmer may be poor; but poor
farmer can not act his part well: In
other wogds he can not be useful as a
man, or prompt, friendly and energetic
as Christian or neighbor.
Although these hints are meant for
no particular person, it is hoped all may
profit by them.-From an Almanac
Printed IN 1881. ST.