Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1897-09-07
BEEF UPON The FARM.

The question OF beef or meat upon the
farm Is one Of such transcendent i'm.
portsnce as to be always In order.
Why Ia Il that oxen have been dis.
missed from the farm so much so that
now pair Of oxen seen In the street Ia
about as much Of curiosity as pair oi
elephantsg Oxen were made for the
farm, and the farm WAS made for oxen
Ever since the days Of our primogenitors
upon the farm, Abram and Lot, the real
possessions Of the farm have been reck'
oned by the number Of cattle upon II,
mostly oxen. Whence then has come
the mad infatua.ion that has wrought
severance: Ask hurdred farmers,
who have once had oxen upon their
farms why they have permitted them TO
90 of the farm and suppose the answer
will In every case be the same, viz: Oxen
are too slow. In this fast age we can nc
longer plod with the OK. Still, 1t were
better for US In many cases IL one did.
Farmers, as much as any class. are liable
to be rainbow chasers. Forgetting the
beaten path of history and experience,
they are liable to adopt any new tangled
scheme that modern empires suggest.
They catch on TO one fact to-day and
discount II for another tomorrow, only
to find at the end the old adage "a roll
ing stone gathers no moss" Now, II
they would
GO BACK To THEIR CoMPANioNsHIP
with the OK and learn OF him, initiate his
patience, his perseverance and stesdfast-
ness II would be a great Improvement.
Yes, the OK is slow but he ts safe, and
moderation and safety are much to be
preferred to hustle and hazard.
But il is said that beef cannot be rails
ed upon the farm at profit, and there
fore must not be attempted, and Is not
attempted. Now who knows this:
Who are the men who say this: Why,
OF course, those who are not In the busi-
ness, and have not been In II for many
wears; and when they were In II, II the y
ever were, 1t Is to be feared that what
they did was done with little reference
10 the matter of feeding or breeding,
both Of which are essential and without
which success need not be expected
The farmers OF to-day are much prone 70
look back upon the good old times when
farmers made money and had money
Why will they not be instructed by those
good old times to which they look: The
past at least Is secure and experience Il
the best schoolmaster. Permit me tC
refer, in proof, to bit OF history which
well knew and which remember.
Ny grandfather came from old Middle
boro, Mass, and settled upon hsrd and
rocky farm, under the shadow OF Stresk
ed Mountain In the town Of Paris. liz
was always a good farmer. All the oes'
wears of his life he was stone blind, vel
he never lost his interest In the farm o'
in his sons who were settled around MIN
More than sixty years ago, sitting IN III
corner, heard him say:
ssTuEHE Is NO WAY OF MAKING MONEY
upon the farm except BY raising cattle
This was true then and 1t has been true
every day since. The youngest OF fh'
bows succeeded to the home farm and M
lived with him. This uncle OF mine
adopting the advice, soon had larg'
stock Of cattle.
One spring there came over from nj
adjoining town man who wanted u
Uuy COW ouu poh Va o
soon struck trade for the COW and sh'
was sold for sl2. He had two pairs o
oxen; one was a very fine pair, unusual
IL large for those times, perfectly match
ed and both OF them were Of the thel
crack color, brindle; they were the prid
of the neighborhoOd, and the neighbor
hood was full OF oxen. My uncle wishet
| 10 sell the smaller pair aud offered then
for $40, but the man took to the large
and finer pair, so price was put upol
them, s55. The man offered him soO
and there they stood and chaffed Tor
long time, and finally compromised OF
$52.5O with the yoke thrown In. In
stock was driven away and my uncle pu
the money In his pocket book. But thi
| was not all, he had barn full OF cattl
left and soon sold another on Install
ments. at the same low price to be sure
aud put the money with the other, AM
80 in a short time was "fore-handed," .
the phrase then was and now Is. d
died few years ago, very aged, and lei