Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1890-05-30
AGRICULTURAL.
ElRM AND HOWE.


Farm AND HOME
Timely Topics from Vnrious Sources
THE BANEFuL CREDIT SYSTEM.
Nv experience has taught me that the
credit system has much to do with embar-
rassment Of the farmer. 1t causes him to
become careless and inconsiderate. He
runs an account at the store from spring |
until he can sell his crop in the fall, paying |
more in consequence, and as he has not to |
pay as he buys he gets many things that he |
and his family could do without. In the |
same way he runs an account with mechan-
les, and consequently he pays for many
small jobs that he could just as well do him
himself. His pillow, mower or binder needs
repair; it is forgotten or neglected until
near the time it must he used. He takes it
to town for repairs, and the mechanics are
so driven with work that the job is delayed
until the crop suffers. Hence a tool that
would do service for some years yet with
SO or S4 worth Of repairs is laid aside, and
"A debt is contracted for a new article. So
comes necessary to mortgage the farm TO
paw them off
This is no guess work with me. have
had experience There was time up TO
ten years-ago that | ran an account at the
stores, aud when came TO settle up in the
fall | was always surprised at the amount.
What | supposed 20 be $50 would often be
800 or SIPS. Then 10y helping others, en-
dorsing their paper, | found an indebted
ness of about $1,000 consequently a mort
gage. | struggled under it for long time
until had an opportunity to sell 80 acres
of my 1850 acre farm. IL cleared me out OF
debt and gave me $1,000 besides l felt like
a bird let loose from cage. Icould breath
the pure fresh air, which improved my
health for l had no worriment. | soon
bought 20 acres more and paid the money
down | now have all the land l want and
can have more leisure and fewer cares
have something to sell every month and
money to pay for everything l need. For
the last 20 years | have paid as | have
bought, and | find no difficulty in so doing,
notwithstanding | carried that mortgage
10 years. -Corepondent Country Gentle
man.
HOW TO CARE FOR THE PIG.
The little pig, taken from its mother
must be confined in a very tight enclosure
or it will find hole through which it will
crawl or it will climb very high in its eff
forts to get home. No animal has the HON
ing instinct stronger than tine pig, unless
it be the carrier pigeon A little pig will
find its way miles to its former nest As
soon as weaned which will take a couple
of weeks, it may be let out into a yard con
nected with its weaving place. In few
days it should have the run of grass plat,
or it should be fed grass. A pig enjoys the
sunshine as much as a baby, and it will lie
in the sun and grow. The pig is an out
door animal. 1t only needs a dry and
warm bed to go to. This, in summer time,
is all the sort of an enclosure it requires
If it must be kept in a yard with a bed
room attached, let it be fed in the yard and
so keep its sleeping place clean. There
should be a shaded or cool place in the yard
for the pig to utilize when it is hot. Gen
orally there is foul mud hole to which a
pig will resort to cool itself. There should
not be any mud holes. If there are they
should be filled up, and the water turned 90
that it will not settle in hollows so as to
make such places A shed in one corner of
the yard will afford the needed protection
to the pig, and here it will lie in comfort
when it is very hot, and grow 1t should
be the business of pig to grow when it is
not eating, and it will always do so if it is
comfortable and has enough to eat.
HOW TO MANAGE GATE POSTS.
OF all the Inconvenience about the farm
there are few more annoying than sagging
gates while well balanced, nicely swung
gate is a pleasure to the owner and guar
antee of welcome to the guests. Gates,
barn doors and fences are certificates of
aha fba 10 . 10
landlord. Among the contrivances to Sc
cure good gate, none have been found, in
our experience, to surpass the following :
Dig the post holes three and one-half feet
deep, letting the earth be level and firm at
the bottom. Use medium sized posts, with
good ends sawed square off. We usually
place the posts II feet apart, although a
wider gate will not sag if set in this way.
Fill the holes with we'll tamped earth.
Take piece of hard wood locust preferred)
just long enough to fit nicely between the
posts, aud six or seven inches in diameter.
round piece of wood is best. Dig a little
trench deep enough to bury this piece of
wood three inches below the surface. Set the
posts perpendicular, and no ordinary gate
will pull them over. The ground should be
high enough under the gate to carry the
water away and secure good drainage.
will make good roadbed for the approaches
so that no ordinary hauling will cut rut
deep enough to bring the wheels into CON
tact with the buried brace. Gates on this
farm set in this way have been in use ten
years, and now swing so easily that child
large enough to reach the fastenings can
open and close them with ease.
WORD FOR THE WIVES AND DAUGHTERS.
At Millerton, n Y, Miss A. A. McAu-
life delivered an address from which the
following is an extract: I'VE need a high
err appreciation of the Importance and dig
nifty of housekeeping. This is to be an at
tainment worthy of any woman's ambition
and an occupation which should afford more
pleasure and profit than a great deal of
work that girls spend their time over The
husband should make his wife an inteli
gent partner in all his business, so that if
she should be left to manage for herself
she would not be so dependent on his rela-
tives, who are usually ready and willing to
step in with advice and management. If
left alone, by and by she will be able to do
almost as well as her husband, if well
trained, and there ought to be pleasure and
profit in this mutual life. | have never
seen women more self-sacrifcing, more SEN
sible, more independent, than those who
are Ttdl ldIlntIb. IL Is Always, WIN LneIl,
utility first and ornament last. The farm
er sits down to rest with his pipe-his tired
wife rests darning the stockings. Why do
we not hear more about attracting the girls
to the farms, as well as the boysl Are
boys Of more real value on farm l have
known girls whose helpfulness and sunny
presence ON farm were perpetual bene
diction. You offer them no special induce
ment; yet they stay by you and aid you
with a heartiness and self-denial that should
put their more favored brothers TO the
blush. The agricultural depression is, be-
lieve, only temporary. The tide is now
toward the cities it will come back before
long. 1t is well that some farms are de-
serted. 1t we're better they had never been
cleared, and the sooner they grow up into
forest lands the better for themselves and
posterity. The western tide will be turned
in good time, and demand come for our
farms. We have natural advantages that
the West does not possess. Our billy lands
make the best butter, and our soil and wa
ters are said to be specially suited for live
stock We have the best home markets
and are the nearest to markets. Why
should not our agriculture succeed Z"
An Interesting Veterinary Operation.
DR.. W. NJ Simpson, the veterinarian.