The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1889-09-12
SOUTHERN AGRICULTURAL.
The Model Farmer.

is one of independence. 1t is not al
ways true, and, perhaps, never true in
the strict sense of the term. None OF
US are independent. The richest man
! in all the world is not independent.
But it is true that the model farmer is
as near to that happy condition as any
man can be. And what is model
farmer9 The usual answer is that he
is the man who keeps things neat and
in good order, and does his work in
season and according to the best
| methods. The answer is not good
one. We know men who do all this,
and are yet far from being model farm
| ers. They are careless about expend-
lures and hence are always in debt.
A model farmer will never be in debt,
If there is no reasonable cause for his
being in debt. He will not buy an ex-
ira horse which he does not need,
simply because he fancies the animal.
he will not put on expensive airs
when he can not do it without running
in debt. We must get better de-
scription for the model farmer than
the one given. If we were to describe
the model farmer we should begin by
saying that be should be careful to
Keep his Indebtedness down to the
very lowest possible figure. We rec
ognize the fact, of course, that it is
not always practical or possible to
keep free from debt But the model
farmer will NOT be extravaganza, he
will buy on credit only what he abso-
lutely needs. He will do his work in
season, and will adopt the most inn
proved methods of course. He will
observe order and neatness in all his
surroundings. His house will be COM
Portable and well and perhaps orna-
mentally painted His home will be
beautified by neat, comfortable furni-
ture, books, newspapers, magazines,
pictures and musical instruments, ac-
cording to his means. He will aim to
make home beautiful and comfortable
not only for his own pleasure but for
the benefit of wife and children. He
will supply all the labor-saviug ma
chinerY that his wife needs.
His barns and other farm buildings
will be in keeping with the appearance
and convenience of his house. They
wilt be amply large. and so arranged
that the necessary work in them can
be done with the least possible ex-
penditure of effort. They will be nicely
painted, not only because paint is a
preservative, but because it is orna-
mental. Machinery and implements
will be kept in good order and pro
tected from the weather when not in
use. Fences all over the farm will be
kept in good condition, and there will
be ceaseless and systematic warfare
upon the weeds and against the accu-
mutation about the premises of
all that is disfguring and all that
is dangerous to health. Pure air
In the house and in the barns and
stables will always be highly priced by
such farmer. The wells will be SO
located, and such care will be exer-
clsed with reference to surroundings
that water will not become contami-
mated, and there will be no smells or
eye-sores on any part of the premises.
Such farmer, too, will make it a
point to devote q portion of his time
and effort to the cultivation of fruit
and the adornment of dooryards and
lawns. There is no reason, whatever.
why the farmers dooryard and lawn
should not be as beautiful as any that
can be found in the city or a city's
suburbs. They simply require the
same The soil needs to be care
fully prepared and sodded or seeded.
Chickens, boys and girls should be
kept off of it A lawn mower should
be purchased and the hired man
directed that among his duties is that
OF keeping the yard and lawn in good
order If the owner himself does not
wish to do it, and there are no bows
large enough to do it. Unless the
dooryard finds a place in our regular
plans of work, and has some labor ex-
pended upon it, we can not EXPECT to
have 1t beautifed. Then comes the
flower beds. just what they will be
will depend upon the knowledge of
Horticulture If the farmer. or
his wife or boys, have a good
knowledge of Horticulture, the
flower beds can be made very beautiful.
But If that knowledge is limited, the
flowers about which everv-
body knows something can be grown
with very pretty effect. Is it worth
while to give this attention to the ward?
To answer that question, we should
ask and answer the question, if the
moments of rest. be they few or many.
would not be more delightful in the
midst OF such surroundings that were
crude and unsuggestive of any thing
except carelessnessP We believe that
there is but one answer to that cues
ton.
Then comes the matter of fruit.
Hundreds and thousands of our farms
have scarcely any fruit upon them, and
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