Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1900-09-06
WAAMCHESTEn ~
FACTORY LOADED SHOTGUN SHELLS 4 II
MMewE3fvaI, - Leader I" and Repeater"
the b,'su' that money can buy
ALL DEALERS KEEP THEM.
What That Period Has Done for the TiiIel
of the Soil. W.


What That Period Has Done for the TiiIec
OF the Soil.
West Chester Local News.
The following paper. prepared by
Jesse Williams, was read by him at
recent meeting of Goshen Grange, +.
Of H.:
The farmer Of today with fifty years
of observation to draw from might toll
long story of the changes seen in bis
| line Of business, but such is not my
intention tonight, but the thought
came to me that short account OF the
improvements IN farming might not be
embarrassing TO our younger members.
The toll OF the farmer has In many
cases been transformed into ennobling
work by the aid of improved ma
chinery and tools and increased intel
| lieent effort has been made doubly
effective. The number Of persons re-
| quired to produce given amount OF
farm products has been lessened by
one. half, thu cost Of production has
been reduced, while the rate of wages
has been increased. The old long hours
Of toll, which secured but few of the
comforts, have been changed, and yet
wherever reasonable effort is made
we enjoy all the comforts and many Of
the luxuries which our ancestors did
not enjoy.
\ From an ancestral account book,
Kept In pounds, shillings and pence.
and dating back to 1908, have CLEANED
some knowledge Of how business was
transacted quarter of century
before | was born. While wages were
uniformly low, most articles that
laborers received in return were higher
than they are now. Think of calico at
30 cents yard Salt and wheat were
the same price per bushel, and that
price sl.75. / find that in 1903 nails
and whisky were sold at the same
price, only one sold by the pound and
the other by tho quart, and the price
one shilling three pence.
| remember when farmers hsed to
kill their hogs two or three times a
year mot the same hogs every timel,
Tut those intended for market, to get
them off early; those for home use
after the weather got cold and before
the school teacher came to board " 18th
them with the family, / mean, not
the hogs. Calves and sheep were
occasionally killed and quarters loaned
to neighbors, to be returned in kind,
for no farmer would have thought Of
going to the hind end of butcher
wagon and paying two prices for his
supply.
| and some present remember the
ancient meeting house on the hill, with
it's high roof, where we used to go to
meeting In the same dearborn that my
father went to market in, and the
young men and girls came on horse
back. The horseblock is still there,
hut that and the date in front Is about
all that is loft to remind one Of its
antiquity.
Perhaps our mode Of doing things at
the present time would show as much
, change for the hptter as any other de-
partment OF agriculture. One of my
J fingers still shows a scar from SICKLE
J cut that | received very soon after |
quite using the cradle--the one kept IN
, the house. The modern binder and
, steam thresher would have seemed
! almost impossible so years ago. Now
one man with team can do more
moving, raking and spreading Of hay
than 10 could by the old fashioned hand
! method. With good modern moving
machine, which can be bought for $40,
/ or less, the farmer will eat O'Clock
, supper, will drive into the field and
! cut more grass by shutdown than would
W poobiplo nltu W luOW III u udf
! with scythe, and do 1t better, and the
work is light for the team, and for the
! man mere psstime. believe NOW
} ing machine will save its cost in two
/ weeks time by enabling the farmer
to do the work under the most favor
able conditions. 10 cut and bind the
! amount of wheat in day that one oil
our modern binders will do required
in the days Of hand labor from 10 to 1t
t men, depending on, whether it stood ur
/ go it could BIZ cut with the cradle, OF
, was lodged 80 1t must he reaped with
, the sickle. Another great labor saver
, il the horse fork. At the cost Of S. OF
So for fork and rope, We are able to un.
S load load of hay in less than half the
8 time, and greatly tighten the labor.
] All of these helpful machines were
q invented since / can remember.
, / doubt if there is an occupation il
: which SO large a percentage of those
{ engaged in it are better satisfied, and /
have spent all my life on the farms, ii
o years on the farm where ! now live,
{ and | have never wished | had choser
o some other calling Had | my life tx
, live over again with my present knowl
0 edge, | would choose the life of th,
r independent farmer, and would con
, slider no education too good for th,
man who is to fellow this calling.
Our country schouls are much I'M
I proved, and a greater proportion O
| farmers children are receiving a higf
a school education. 80
t 10 sum up, the farmers of toda,
D have better houses, barns and surround
u ings; better churches, sohoolhouses
roads, teams and other stock bette
market facilities are better fed, CLOTHED
and educated, and in short, are bette
th....