Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1893-12-26
LETTING THE FARM.
ARRANGING WITH A TENANT.

your readers to write on the above
topic, and do 80 the more gladly because
Il ism question that have studiel fol
som. years, aud on which hope to bt
able 10 offer some suggestions which
may be helpful tn mauy.
There c0nies time In the life of most
farmers whcn they feel that they nee'l
relief from the hard labor aud care ol
the farm, and this Is often still more
true Of the farmers Wife who has been
obliged TO board the farm help This ID
serious problem, on the right solution
OF which the comfort aud prosperity oi
the future largely depend. In many
cases that have come under my notice,
the farmer rented his farm and moved
To town, aud the result has rarely beeu
satisfactory. The habits Of u lifetime
are not easily thrown of, and IL Is too
great u change from the care OF the farm,
livestock, garden and fruit, to life In
town with nothing to look after. Some
Of them kill time by loafing at the stores
but the majority 20 out to the farm near
ly every day, and II II Il some miles
away this becomes burden. ] have
seen old men who owned farms four or
i've miles out Of town, going out to
their farms day after day, In rain, snow
aud cold, getting up to eat an early
breakfast aud getting back to eat late
supper. II he lets the farm for money
rent, and gives up the care OF IL, he soon
finds the fences, buildings and farm get
ting out Of repair, and In many cases
his tenant will abuse the farm by allow
Ing the cattle to trample the meadows
and pasture during the soft weather OF
spring. Then living In town, where one
has not the farm-garden and truck-patch,
the poultry-yard aud dairy, to furnish
the iuxuries of life and help pay the
store bills, means a large addition TO ex-
penses, as well as a decreased income,
and there are few farmers who can
cheerfully accept the situation when this
state of affairs confronts them.
A wise course to pursue in most cases
Il for the farmer to stay on his farm and
control the rotation, and crops to be
grown, but either rent to nelghbOr who
lives near enough to attend to the work,
or to put up tenement house on the
farm aud have the man who cultivates
the land live In II and take charge OF the
farm and livestock. In making the
change to tenant farming, one must
make up his mind to accept a reduced
income, and be willing to deal fairly by
a tenant aud treat him with liberslity,
and when a tenant Il found who will do
his work well, and look after the inter-
eats Of the Farm, the longer he can be
kept the better. BY remaining on the
farm aud renting by fields, and usually
for grain rent, II will be easier to keep
control Of the farm, and to maintain fer
tility, than II you are away from 10.
You can give up all the field work and
look after the garden and poultry, aud
greatly tighten the labor OF yourself and
wife. You should keep good driving
horse, and you and your wife take fire.
quent rides together, and have an ar
rsngement with your tenant by which
he can take care Of your COW and other
animals when you wish to leave home
for day or more. Have written con-
tract drawn up between yourself and
tenant, In which you specify just what
he is to do aud what privileges he Is to
have. There should he no loop-holes
left, or chances for dings,
but all expressed plainly In writing, and
each one furnished copy, with the
understanding that all differences are to
be settled by the article. 4 fair under
standing to begin with, and this reduced
to writing, will go far towards prevent
ing misunderstanding aud trouble In
the future.
In making such change In ones
plans, IL must not be expected that every
thing will move along without a jar.
There are trials Incident to every life
and calling, and We can never hope to
escape them, but II seems to me that
every farmer earns relief from hard
work and care ln his old age, and that In
most case. he will find Il more certainly
by remaining on the farm and giving the
work 10 a tenant, than by leaving the
farm and trying town life.-Cor. Coun-
try Gentleman.