Milford chronicle., 1893-03-31
Does Farming Payq


e DEAR EDITOR Towns and even citie
J. sometimes have a reputation so defcieu
in everything worthy of memory that fe,
c beyond the radius of dozen miles kno,
D.. little about them. When we remembe
that the honor, or dishonor, Of placl
, depends almost entirely OIL the characte
Of its inhabitants, all other dependen
things are easily accounted for. We som,
times see houses, barns, stock and farm.
ing utensils which plainly indicate the
thriftless spirit of the owner. The ques'
tion is often asked, docs farming pay.'i
So far as some farmers are concerned, the
question can be easily ana quickly an
swered. On farm not many miles from
Milford eau be seen twin barns, single
door to one, where there should be two.
The other has neither door, while two
sides are propped up with poles to pre-
vent them from falling outward. An old
untrimmed apple orchard, and a field of
what was "Uncle Mats" yellow corn
we're on one side of the house and broom
sedge on the other A few dwarf trees
skirted piece ofwood not far away,and
taking in the entire surroundings, one
could not help saying with Miss Ophelia
80, how shiftless p. An old sloyenly
looking house that had seen better days,
with rickety doors and windows indicated
the "run down" of what was once
thrifty farm house and happy home.
Every thing looked shabby, and weeds,
bushes and grass grew where there ought
to have been crops of some kind.
It is said that the deserted farms of
New England are increasing in number
aud sterility. Can the same be said of |
Delaware Let me say right here, that
the "Fiddeman Farm" which has been
managed by Mr.. Henry Smoot for many
years, is not one of the neglected farms
Of the. State. There may be, and doubt
less are, many such as we haYe attempted
10 desclibe, but Mr.. Smoot has no cor.
ner in house, barn or peach orchard for
He has made farming pay
md has spent his entire life in agricul-
ural pursuits. He is not only practical
armer, utilizing all the odds and ends
hat happen in every day farm lite, but is
ilso one of the best mechanics in Milford.
t is an accomplishment to know how to
landle a plow, pitch fork, mower or
eaper, but friend S. keeps all the neces-
ary tools with which to mend or make a
low beam, neck yoke, or whiffletree, axe
elye, or fork handle, and in fact all the 4
epairs needed in farming utensils. A i
ian who has good "horse sense" and
uows how to use it, is worth a bakers Il
ozen of those kid glove farmers who are "
lways patronizing the wheelwright aud Il
His dairy of AlderHey and Holstein cat it
e shows successful breeding, and his Il
ANS are we'll kept and well cared for t'
-e has been faithful in furnishing milk d
, the people of Milford for nearly twenty Il
ears through rain, hail, snow aud sleet
is not every farmer who is versed in fo
orse or cattle lore, neither has every one CT
Ie "knack" of raising gilt edged wheat n,
Id corn; but his stables and granaries SC
e swift witnesses to his untiring skill is
i'd industry. el
There are many features in farm work III
sides putting in the seed and attending y
the growing crops, as we'll as harvesting
{ same. These are essentials, but the
tation of crops, tbs gradual improve
ent of land that may have become un-
oductive, and hundred other details
lich will develop the producing capac- o'
of soils, are also requisite to make farm al
G pay. There is virtue in all soils, and
who subdues and discovers the latent
alities is a benefactor ..
How true the saying, that it is only
= man who sticks to his business that
successful" Byron says that "many fol
, poets who have never penned their
8piration, and perchance the best, " but
farming, results only tell. R. E. NJ. J.