Mexico weekly ledger., 1892-12-29
land now-a-d days.

s lhl wy
Mr.. W. r. McItpdin,
One of the men who have spent two month
lecturing to Missouri farmers.
"All the family's food and ap.
parel were produced right there or
the farm. The wool was sheared,
secured, carded and spun; the flax
for the chain was raised there, broke.
rolled, masked and put upon
the loom. All our sheets, table
cloths, clothing, underclothing,
wooden aud cotton, linsey, jeans,
hats of rye straw, caps of yarn and
mittens were made there. We got
one pair of shoes a year and they
were made out of the hides Of the
two beeves killed each fall for the
winters meat. The hide was tan.
ned at a tannery neal by and paio
for with tan bark from the farm
Pegs and thread and hog brIstle
were all produced at home. Oul
sugar came from the maple trees
and our butter from the family
churn. The flour was made at s
neighboring horse-mill from the
wheat we raised. The corn mea
we ground on a big stone at home
The hominy was beaten in a big
stone mortar with a big stone pestle
at night before the open fire. The
hoe cake was baked on the hoe CAKE
board over the open fire. The girl:
wore homespun dresses and bonnets
to church and were as pretty anG
rosy and happy as any of the maid.
ems in mansions to-day-yes, pref.
tier and roster and happier, to my
notion. We had our bees for honey
and raised herbs in the garden to
make our medicines. Our health
was good and physicians did moi
thrive at all. A dentist was regard.
ed as a curiosity when he came
through the country on his horse.
with saddle bags and forceps. He
was in luck if he got a job every &c
miles. think the food authorizations
are causing the bad teeth of this
generation.
"The boys and girls worked or
the farm then and in the house. My
first 25 cents l earned at 7 years Of
age and put it in just such a buck.
skin purse as l still carry and when
1 went to school it was two miles to
a,log school house with puncheon
floor and seats without backs. We
learned some reading, writing arith-
metic, geography and grammar and
finished at Ia. 1 worked two years
at Is cents a day, and the year be-
fore l was married 1 got $11 per
month.
"My grandfather raised cured and
chewed his own tobacco. l have
never used it and I think it does
more harm than all the liquor in
the world. 1t was not considered
hospitality when the bottle was not
brought out for the guests and even
the preachers drank with the others.
But times have changed"
Judge .. NJ. Edwards, that bril-
humorist who is such an au-
thority on the subject, read a paper
upon Scientific Farming" He
said:
"About once a year I get a square
meal. It is scarcely necessary to
mention the last time, as some will
remember the smell of the stable
which then pervaded the town; but
this is altogether a different affair.
Now the rich perfume of clover and
new-mown hay fills all our homes,
suggestive IF the grand and honest
vocation of farming.
"Now, gentlemen, is it not strange
hat ignorance, like a devouring
of grasshoppers, rshould SO
ong have spread it's black wings
over this great industry; especially
when you consider how plain and
Easy it is now made by sensible ap-
oliances and scientific knowledge.
just see how statesmen and law
'ers and even judges are embarking
n this business-on paper.
why the practical farmer will
% on and toll and sweat In spite of
'ur advice and intelligence simply
passes belief.
Like most other statesmen just
'efere elections, | have myself, on
'arious occasions, been greatly in
crested in the oldest and noblest
'ursuit, I think my love for it is
/ must have inherited
! from the maternal side.
Il have long and often pleaded !