The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1890-11-18
No. 38
KEEPING THINGS IN ORDER.


the anecdote of the young man who
was at loss which of three sisters to
select for a wife, where they appeared
so nearly poised in their attractions
He therefore caused a broom to be
thro |n in the path where they we're
to be suddenly called to see a curious
object. Two of the girls in their
eagerness to see what had turned up,
stepeed over the broom and passed on.
The third deftly picked up the broom
in passing. Tn, young mans choice
was made. He preferred the girl
who would evidently keep things in
order
A similar instance occurred within
our knowledge where two sisters, thus
alike, became each the head of fam.
ily One Of them could never succeed
in keeping her house In anything like
a neat condition. A slop pail stood
IN the door, chair was upset, the
dust pan had not been used, guam
tity of apple parings were on the
dinner table, and kitchen puddle
ornamented the exterior of the dwell
ling. With the other, every thing
vas neatness and o. der, and nothing
appeared to be out of place The
q Iestion was asked her, how, with her
i've lively children, she always main,
tajned without apparent effort, such
uniform tidiness. She said the process
was a very sim pie one-she had al
ways taught her children that when
any one Of them saw any thing out of
order, to Immediately stop and put it
rlght-to do it themselves, and not
each one to ask or expect any one else
to do it This lesson was regularly
aud continuously impressed on them,
always in pleasant manner If at
tempted only now and then, it would
prove a failure. Intermitting or oc.
casionaI lessons never became perma.
n3nt, There are, however, parents
who do not possess the disposition to
carry it out, and who would prefer
living in the midst of dirt and disorder
rather than take the trouble to put
it in practi:e.
There are some persons who think
that the young man above mentioned
made trlA.ng decision, but he did
not. It was an alLimportant one.
The character thus deve oped extended
through the long pears Of after life,
and 1t had a controlling Influence on
all those around and after her.
This same peculiarly of character
often makes the difference between the
thrifty and the unsuccessful farmer
A man may own the farm he occupies,
bat he may meet with continued loss
by permitting disorder to prevail, by
allowing weeds to spread, oy broken
fences, unhinged gates, broken stable
fl ors, which he habltually leaves out
of order. In contrast with his prac
! c9 is that of another farmer, who
never allows, if possible, the sun to go
down on anything which needs rep4ir.
His directions to his meR when he
hires them are: Whenever you see
a broken tool, an unhinged gate, de.
fective fence, stop Immediately and
get it right, or if you cannot do it, re
port it at once to me-" In this way
the owner has immediate knowledge
Of whatever needs attention, which he
at once Systematically records for
prompt mending. AS sample of his
thoroughness, he directs the man who
works in the garden and among the
fruit trees, that whenever he sees the
first vestige of black knot on any of
his plum trees to Immediately lay
down his tools and cut out the excres
cence. If he sees a tool out of place,
to stop at once and replace it, and
thus hours are prevented from being
wasted in hunting for what is lost,
and which might be kept in place
with a single minutes attention. This
farm is always model of order and
neatness; regular system of opera.
tions is carried on with very little in
terruption, and fair amount of profit
is derived every year from its pro.
ducts. His boys ale growing up to
be farmers as a choice of their bust
ness.- Country Gentleman.