The Colfax chronicle. [volume] (Colfax, Grant Parish, La.) 1877-1981, 1890-04-05
s0UTIlEhs AGRICULTURAL.
APPEARANCES.


Arpearances are Sometimes Deceptive,
nut fou Can Usually Rate a Farmer nv
s"e appearance OF His Farm.
The popular idea among observing
people is, that there is much in annear,
ances. The manner and the habits and
the dress of people serve, oftentimes, to
uetermine somewhat their business and
tnelr success. In this way, without the
utterance OF a word or the indication of
statement, and through no other
source than bare appearances, we deter
mine a man to be clergyman, law
yer merchant or farmer, as the case
may be. Appearances go even farther.
Men, who are good observers of things
ABOUT them, can tell, in a good degree,
the success of others. simply by appear
ances.
"A good farmer never seats himself in
rlckety vehicle, behind q poor team.
70 Do drawn by harness that is one-third
cotton strings. We can almost ALWAYS
teh a good farmer by appearances.
Every body knows that "all is not gold
shat giitters," and, that appearances
are often deceptive These are ex-
ceptions; the rule is, syou may know a
man by the company he keeps and the
coat he wears
Look upon mans fields and you have
very fair idea of the man himself
Get still nearer to him and ex anime his
fences, his barn. his sheds, his tools and
MS homs, and you have him drawn to
me- Whatever may be his pretensions
ana his professions, his marvellous tales
OF thrift you need to see his fields and
his home before you can fully measure
the man. II the fields are full of bushes
and stumps and stones, about which
weeds are growing luxuriantly, you at
once make your standard for the man.
II about the barn you find dilapidation
and decay, the fences awry and the
manure wasting, you have sufficient
data to form an accurate opinion as to
the income from his farm. The steps
to the home shaky and unsafe, the win
dow shutters hanging by leather strap
Tor hinge, the door shutter dragging
upon the floor. with resistance that |
requires one-horse power to open 1t, the
roof leaking and the top Of the chimney
blown oil, are marks Of the mans |
character and thrift, unmistakable in |
the tale they tell. Strangers can tell |
you the appearance of the man by taxi
Ing his likeness from his surroundings.
1t will not do to say the farmer is too
much reduced to improve his surround
ings. A few days work, at times when
nothing else can be done, viii remove
the bushes, the stumps and the stones.
Just little time and industrious effort
Will right up the fences. In two DAYS a
shelter can be made that will hold one
years accumulation OF manure. Two or
three bushels of corn or wheat, sold,
will pay for new stem to the chimney;
, few dozen eggs. or some extra poultry,
will repair the blinds and the shutter
TO the door, and a little proper economy
will shelter the home and the family
rom the decay that comes by the storm
and the chill that brings sickness and
disease through lack of comfort.
These improvements should be made
not simply for the-sake of appearances.
10 live In the midst OF dilapidation and
iecay takes away good portion of q
mans active forces. On the contrary.
he simple appearance of thrift gives
mercy and impulse to effort, as it in
'pires hope and the possibility of sue
'ess. A well-managed farm and a coma
ortable, well kept home stand as bea-
'on TO community and q standard to
,thers.
Our aim on the farm should not be. so
much, immense yields at the sacrifice of
leatness, method and order. Such poll !
y win sooner or later bring decay. It
8 far better to do less and do 1t well.
remove the hindrances and OBJ
tructions from the fields; keep .
II work in thrifty, comfortable
ondition; the barn plain and simple
may be, but well kept and neat
n appearance; above all see that the J
ome is one worthy of the wife, who {
ives her service day in and day out for
be comfort and happiness Of the house, Z
old, and you will feel better for the :
fort and become, actually, more pros
erous from your improved surround q
Dgs- d
The usual farm work is now over, and 8
efore another seasons labor is fairly {
egun there Is ample time for the i'm Q
rovement of the farm in all its needed
hanges and repairs. Give every thing :
bright brush of paint and whitewash; 8
ght up the home with comfort, happi- a
ess and cheer; make every heart about II
Oh glad, and then the sunbeams will D
,me to you FURNISHED in the smile of
DDS approval and the rain-drop sparkle o.
the splendor of your thrift-W. J. il
orthen, in Dixie Farmer. OF
FERTILIZATION. 8.