Savannah courier. (Savannah, Tenn.) 1885-1979, 1890-02-13
SOUTHERN AGRICULTURAL.
APPEARANCES.

The popular idea among observing
people is, that there is much in appear
ances. The manner and the habits, and |
the dress of people serve, oftentimes, to
determine somewhat their business and |
their success. In this way, without the
utterance of word or the indication of !
statement, and through no other |
source than bare appearances, we deter
mine a man to be clergyman, law
yer, a 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
rickety vehicle, behind poor team,
to be drawn by harness that is one-third
cotton strings. We can almost always
tell good farmer by appearances
| Every body knows that ''all is not gold
that glitters," and, that appearances
are often deceptive" These are ex-
ceptions; the rule is, you may know
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 examine his
fences, his barn, his sheds, his tools and
his home, and you have him drawn to
life. Whatever may be his pretensions
and his professions, his marvellous tales
of thrift, you need to see his fields and
his home before you can fully measure
the man. If 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.
If 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 a leather strap
for hinge, the door shutter dragging
upon the floor, with resistance that
requires one-horse power to open it, the
roof leaking and the top of the chimney
blown off, are marks of the mans
character and thrift, unmistakable in
the tale they tell Strangers can tell
you the appearance of the man by TAX
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, will remove
the bushes, the stumps and the stones
Just little time and Industrious effort
will right up the fences. In two days
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 little proper economy
will shelter the home and the family
from 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.
To live in the midst of dilapidation and
decay takes away good portion. of a
mans active forces. On the contrary,
the simple appearance of thrift gives
energy and impulse to effort, as it in
spires hope and the possibility of sue
cess. A well-managed farm and a com
Portable, well kept home stand as a bea-
con to community and standard to
others.
Our aim on the farm should not be, so
much, immense yields at the sacrifice of
neatness, method and order. Such poll
cy will sooner or later bring decay. 1t
is far better to do less and do it we'll
Remove the hindrances and OBJ
structions from the fields; keep
all work in thrifty, comfortable
condition; the barn plain and simple
it may be, but well kept and neat
In appearances; above all see that the
home is one worthy of the wife, who
gives her service day in and day out for
the comfort and happiness of the house.
hold, and you will feel better for the
effort and become, actually, more pros
porous from your improved surround
ings.
The usual farm work is now over, and
before another seasons labor is fairly
begun there is ample time for the inn
provement of the farm in all its needed
changes and repairs. Give every thing
a bright brush of paint and whitewash
light up the home with comfort, happi-
: ness and cheer; make every heart about
you glad, and then the sunbeams will
: come to you FURNISHED in the smile OF
Gods approval and the rain-drop sparkle
in the splendor of your thrift.-W. j.
Northen, in Dixie Farmer.