Weekly expositor. (Brockway Centre, Mich.) 1882-1894, 1888-01-12
Comforts and Luxuries.

Comforts and LuxurleS.
A writer in The NeaO England Farm
.r says: the most striking thing
among farmers To an outsider is the
abundance of material comforts and
common luxuries which they possess
and enjoy without seeming to be
aware Ct IL 1t seems to us that the
farmer has so much that he does not
apprc ciate. but that he might so easily
have so much more than he has. Not
only docs he have so many things which
he seems not to be aware of, but he
has the opportunity to have many
things that he never seems to think
desirable, or if he does, he never
takes any pains to secure th>m. A
farmers home ought to have shout MI
the comforts that are TO be had, and
mant luxuries that nobody else
but the rich man can afford. Nor is
this glittering generality in the way
of statement. Let us specify What
are the luXuresP The first idea sug-
gested by the word is good
table. Money can always supply
table luxuries. but even the millionaire
can not supply better things than the
average farmer can procure. The
freshest and richest cream, milk and
| butter in abundance may be his, with
all that can be made from them. Eggs.
chickens, ducks. turkeys. geese, he
can always command if he chooses.
Vegetables of all kinds that this eli
mate can produce he can raise. and
with cheap and simple hOt-bcd he
can have them early and all the sea-
son through. He can command all the
small fru Is that can be grown in this
latitude. and of the very best and
freshest--strawber raspberres,
black berries. cherries. apples, pears,
plums, in every variety. An early lamb
or two exchanged with the local butch.
er will give him II fair supply of lamb
meat for the season. \ calf or two in
the same way will give him veal. He
may raise and cure his own pork,
bacon, hams, sausages. pigs feet and
lard of "A quality that the market
does not afford. He may kill "a beef
in the fall and exchange such parts of
it as he does not care TO keep. His
own corn-meal, buckwheat and even
wheat may be turned into breadstuffs
such rs he can not buy. What more
could the veriest gourmand ask for
this part of his table supply? Only he
who has once been depr, we'd of the re-
sources of farm, garden, orchard,
diary and poultry-house, and been
forced to buy with hard-earued money
stale fruit and vegetables and dear
meat, milk. eggs and butter, appreci.
ates what n treasury of Injuries he
has lost. 1t Will be no answer to say
that all these things represent money,
and if used must be reckoned rs so
much cost We have named nothing
which is not within easy reach of the
small farmer if he will be Il little enter
prising; and nothing which when the
year is closed will not be found to
have been produced without any strain
on the purse. 1t requires little casl
to start. considerable amount o
labor from time to time. and some
planning. But il can all be accom
plished, and the chances are that il
will breed profit rather than loss in
actual surplus cash; for there will nj
ways be more than is wanted of some
things. and real luXurcs aIway find
some sort of u market Minutes ant
hours that would othcrw SC go to waste
will be utilized in the extra labor re.
CURED, and the pleasure in tho &C
compishmcnt will be clear bonus
besides