The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1896-11-17
ABOUT SOME FARM TOOLS.

PROGRESSIVE FARMER, fOrcibly reminds
me OF some things I have seen. That
many Of our people are shemefully
negligent in taking care of what tools
they have On the farm, will be admitted
by every close observer.
l remember seeing g brand new
mower, worth perhaps a hundred dol
lars, left under q small tree in the cen
tire OF field, where last in use. Pass
ing along that road occasionally, I
noticed that it was allowed to remain
there, taking all sorts Of weather, for
twelve months. When the moving
season came around again I suppose
that the thrifty (O farmer wondered
where nis machine was, and why it did
not seem to work as we'll as before, if
he succeeded in getting it to go at all
Let us hope that most of our people
are not as careless as the one mentioned,
but many Of them are almost as bad in
some ways. Indeed, it has been the
result Of many years observation by
the VIZ ~or that almost all Of our North
Carolina farmers have no sort Of fixed
place or system Of caring for their tools,
when not Ia use. AS a rule, the tools
are left here and there, about the
premises, almost anywhere, but more
likely near the spot where last ueed.
Our average small farmer is usually
very poorly supplied with to Is of all
sorts. How some of them manage to
get along is a mystery On one occa-
sion, when visiting at neighbol ing
farm house, this was forcibly impressed
on me by little incident. The farmer
seemed fairly we'll to do and worked
four horses or mules. His wife appealed
TO me, asking me to tell her what was
the matter with her sewing ma
chine. Having a mechanical turn
Of mind, examined it and
said could costly put it in order,
and for this purpose called for a
wrench or some simple tool. Sic was
delighted with the prospect of getting
her machine to sew again and urged
her ''oid man" 30 scour the place for
| what +2ols he he'd. After thorouPh b
search he reportsd that everything in
the way of tools on the plantation, be-
sides the plows and wagons, was an
axe and pair of sheep shears. These
| he brought in, but could not repair
the sewing machine with them and it
had to be taken to town to be fixed.
For some years it was my fortune to
keep the books and accounts of a neigh
boring blacksmith and wheelwright
who did all the repairs for that neigh
borhood. It was no unusual thing for
farmer TO break single tree in the
midst Of his busiest blowing season, and
then he would stop that plow and send
a boy on horse back to the shop, where
he would haze to wait until another
one was made and get the irons trans
ferred from the broken one. In this
way he incurred the expense Of from
25 to so cents at the shop, besides the
loss Of time in the work of both the
horse and boy, for at least half day
and often the whole day. Other trifing
breakdowns usually were repaired in
this expensive manner. a handy msn
with few tools, and a white oak fence
rail can often save a dollar, to say
nothing Of time saved.
With an unoccupied shed, a bench
and few of the most inexpensive tools,
the farmer might us9 rainy days to do
aIl sorts of repairs and make such
things as single trees, plow beams,
handles and the like, to be ready when
needed. Many a good machine goes to
rapid destruction for the lack of a
stitch in time" 80 to speak.
T0o many of our people have no de
cent sort of equipment in the way Of
tools for repairs. Some Of them will
walk mile or more to do few min
utea' grinding on a neighbor's grind
stone, with the probability that the
stone will be out of order when he gets
there, I knew man who let down a
set of draw. bars, on an average OF
twice day, for twenty years, before
he made up his mind to hang gate
there. This sort of thing is not business,
neither is it common sense.
For an ordinary farmer the follow
ing tools should always be on hand and
kept where they may be had at min
utes' notice: A hand saw, hatchet,
drawing knife, brace and four bits,
screw driver, monkey-wrench, jack
plane, square, claw hammer, three
chisels, cross cut saw, two augers, cold