The Somerset reporter., 1889-02-21
FARM, GARDEN AND
HOUSEHOLD.
Then and oW.

TAirty-tiye years ago, 1t was no uncom-
mon thing for a farmer In moderate cir
cum tanceS. to own from one to four
pairs of oxen, for as is well known b,
all who may have lived to The age of tif'
", farming, at that time, was all or near
ly all done with cattle.
The blowing, The narrowing, the cart
ing of manures to the field, Of hay and
held crops. Ia general. to the barn was
thonght to be the work of the OK, and IN
fact, every farmer who WAS not in TIN
possession of one pair Of cat le at least,
AS thought to be destitute of the one
hing needful for doing all things need
full for doing all kinds of teamwork All
preparations were made for the OK teams
In drawing up the years wood, choice
sticks were laid one side for the building
of yokes in the spring. The OK chains,
the carts, and in fact evelything that per
tanned TO complete Quilt for such
team was kept on hand. and In repair for
constant use. The OK team, in earlier
days, was not only devoted to farm use
but was frequent means of conveyance
on the road, and have often heard 1t re-
peatcd, by those who were the early set
tiers of the region, that it was no uncom-
mon thing in making al evening visit IN
the Deighborhood. To hitch the oxen to
the sled, all hands get aboard, and quite
4 frequently the visit was prolonged to a
/ late hour.
There was one thing connected with
these evening calls which to the present
| generation, would seem no doubt some
what queer, The farmhouses of the ear
~ settlers, unlike those of the present
day, were built low, covering over con
siderable ground surface, and were
thought to be incomplete without brick
oven. During the long winter evenings
while the visits were being made among
the neighbors, fire was always kinded in
the oven, perhaps as late as nine O'Clock
in the evening; the old oven heated to a
glowing temperature in which the dliler-
eut kinds of food were baked, and all
pariOok of hot supper before departing
for home. This was thought to be one
of the essential parts of the visit and
was the custom among the early settlers
in this part of the country.
In those DAYS the uses to which the
horse could be put, were thought TO BE-
quite limited, however he was factor OF
the farm, but played but very minor
part in its cultivation. His principle use
was to carry burdens on the back, and II
was uo uuCOHlilpl luiilS W scc WV hu'
sometimes three individuals journeying
on the back of one old horse
But how different new; not one farmer
in five owns yoke Of oxen and those
who chance to own "A pair keep then
more to look at than for the work they
do Many of the steers of the present
time are what may be termed fancy.
and are principally kept for exhibition al
tat. nd 70 atra nd than anl1
for what they will fetch in the market
for beef, which is often less than hall
their cost
The horse that was driven under the
saddle or in the carriage not only is used
for that purpose now, but performs al
the labor that was allotted to the OK IL
years past. The blowing, the narrowing
and the carting is all, or nearly all tn,
work of the horse, in fact our numbering
in the logging swamp, that used to b,
done by OK labor, Is, at the present day
nearly all accomplished through the use
fuluess of the horse team. What it took
weeks to perform with slow moving o,
team, is now accomplished in few days
by the rapid movements of a spiritct
horse
The farmer of fifty years of age or per
haps a little older, can well remember
when the only implement for tuning tn 3,
soil was the old wooden pow, and thai
too OF the most antique pattern; and TIL.
narrowing with the spike tooth harrow
the moving with the hand scythe, thu
raking with the hand rake, etc.
These farm implements have all been
replaced by Todern inventions of tn,
most improved type, so that In place of
the old wooden plow we find in use tn.
cast steel plow; what the old spike tooth
harrow attempted to do the springtooth
and disc harrow accomplished in much
less time and ten fold better.
Instead Of two or three acres of grass
being moved by hand in day, ten is
easily cut down in the same length of
time, and that too with far more ease, by
the use of moving machines. Equal i'm
proyement has been made in the raking
and pitching of the hay, etc, until, at
the present time farming is carried on by
use of machinery of the most modern in
vention, so that one Is led to wonder
when he looks at the great changes that
have been made within the last half cen
tury.
The Improvement within the last fifty
years, not only In the science Of farming,
but In all other Industries, seems marvel
Gus indeed; but what another half cen
fury may bring forth In advance of all
this, we can only conjecture. That the
strides In science will be more ast0und-
ing Is but reasonable conclusion, If the
past is any criterion of the future
W, J. II.