The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1888-04-21
METHODS OF FARMING.
The Difference Between Good and Indif-
ferent Management.

The Difference Between Good and Indif-
ferent Management.
There are many ways of managing q
farm. Every man is Of course expected
to have ways of his own. His individ-
uality may show itself in the construc-
ton of his house and barns, in the breed
of stock which he raises, in his personal
appearance, style of dress. etc. Those
things, unless INDUCED to extremes, do
not effect his material prosperity. There
are other matters, however. which con-
Germ his getting along in the world
which will admit of little latitude.
A good farmer will take care of his
property. His buildings are kept in
good repair. There are no barn doors
off the hinges. no shingles off the roof
His gates are in good condition with
proper fastenings. He does not climb
over the fence because it is easier than
to open gate. His plows, mowers,
reapers, rakes and harrows are put I'M
der shelter when he is through with
them. His wagons are under cover.
His buggy, if he has one, is in a car
riage-huuse, clean and ready for q trip.
The harness is hung upon a peg, also
brushed clean. The carriage robe is
put away from the dust
The straw of his last threshing is
nicely stacked to carry his stock
through in case of hard winter. His
fences are all in good condition, and do
not encourage a hungry animal to try
to break them. His orchard is well
dressed out. The prunings from his
orchard and vineyard are piled out Of
the way. His woodpile is under cover.
His animals have comfortable quarters.
When Sunday comes he can take his
wife or children to church or to see his
neighboring farmers. There is an air
of responsibility about his neatly
dressed children, his tidy wife, his con-
. tented-looking horses. All things
point to his being a good farmer, re-
spectacle, substantial man.
The poor farmer shows his want of
method quite as decidedly as does the
good farmer his thrift and take-care-0f
things. The poor farmer has boards of
his barn and sheds; shingles off the
roof, and doors off the hinges. His
fences being out of repair, his cattle are
tempted to reach over to ''get bite"
breaking them down still worse. He
has no gates, or if he has any they are
nailed up. because it is easier to climb
Il fence than to fix up a gate every
time he goes through. When he moves
from field to field he must take down
and put up the fence; he has no time to
make Il gate. His wagons are left
under an oak tree for the cattle to rub
against, and for the chickens to
roost on. He has no place to
store any thing, His plows and
other agricultural tools are either
left IN the field where he used them
last, or they are set against the barn to
be out Of the way. He has no wood
pile bnt occasionally throws chunk
or two into his wagon as he returns
from town. His wife and daughters
often have to hack off wood enough to
get supper against he comes home {"
He is always behind about his work
and always in q hurry. He sows his
grain after other peoples is several
inches high, His plows are dull; his
horses thin and his grain getting badly
put in, he only has half a crop which
he is obliged to sell as soon as it is
threshed, to pay bills. He did not get
time to prune his orchard or thin ont
his fruit, SO he could get nothing for it.
His hogs are of the razorback- breed
and will crawl through crack of the
fence and between the pickets. He
don't have good luck raising cattle or
horses. Pears like luck was agin
him." He is tired of the farm. His
sons want to go to the city. His
daughters want to learn trade, dress
making or tailoring, His wife looks
dragged out as though she would well
come death as day of rest. Nothing
about him looks respectable. The cat
tie, horses and hogs all have an inhos-
pitable, unsalisfied look. Even the
large yellow dog that at other places
fiercely banks awhile and then joins in
the general welcome, here only growls,
and as for showing signs of joy, he for
got how to wag his tail years ago. All
looks dilapidated and discouraged, all
because their master never learned to
take care of things.-San Francisco
Chronicle.