Alpena weekly argus. [volume] (Alpena, Mich.) 1871-1893, 1885-05-27

Agricultural Philosophy ss Good Now ~
IL Was Half q Century Ago.

Agricultural Philosophy ss Good Now ~
II Was Half Century Ago
He grazes his moving land late in
the fall and his pastures early in tho
spring, and consequently ruins both.
Some of the cows are much past their
prime. He neglects to keep the dung
and the ground frsm 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, il performed at leisure time
ten years before. He sows and plants
his land until II is exhausted, before he
thinks of manuring. He has generally
too much stock and most of them I'M
ruly.
He 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 sloven by his mat
tention 10 lille 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 q nail or two;
and the door is destroyed for the want
of 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 a place
for nothing and nothing in its place. II
he wants gimlet, chisel, or a ham
mer, he hunts up chamber, out at the
barn, in the cupboard; and lastly, when
he has spent moro time in pursuit than
1t takes to do the job, he finds it down
cellar. He keeps no stock of the small
est things: If button or a band gives
way, or key to yoke, or PIN to q
sled, or string or swinglc to fail, or
even tooth to n 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
randum of little jobs that are to be done.
You will perhaps hear Of his grooming
about hard times frequently in the bar
room. Death and the tax-gatherer he
knows must come; vet he makes no
provision for either of them. Although
he has been on piece of good land for
twenty years, ask him for 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 hoop:
La 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
| xpAv,,anfo h,ye bnf r., L.
time to do aaything;"-or, at least, he
seldom finishes one thing before he be-
gins another; and therefore brings
little to pass and is often seen in a great
hurry and flutter. He is seldom neat in
his person, and will 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 to.
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, a poor farmer, In the strict sense
of the word, is poor creature: He is
but bare apology for mamie is a
poor husband, useless citizen. A
good farmer may be poor; but poor
farmer can not act his part well: In
other words he can not be useful as O
man, or prompt, friendly and energetic
as Christian or neighbor.
Although these hints are meant fol
no particular person, it is hoped all may
profit by them.-F'rons an almanac
| p,.;ufcd -, 1927