Rocky Ford enterprise., 1900-12-07
The Farmer. Tool shop.

In mn address before a Farmers In.
stItutc meeting MIR. \. T.. Tyson OF
Arlington. Nebraska. said:
Perhaps I may bc somewhat Of
crank on the farm shop" But how
few farmers pay any attention TO tins
very valuable adjunct fo the farm ana
its general usefulness: Let the shop
he a wcil.iighicd part OF some build
Ing. or u building set apart or built
especially FOR this purpose. Many. OF
course. will not care To make the ncccs-
sary expense FOR u shop, although any
building that can bc made comfortable
by the use OF "a stove In winter VIII
serve the purpose. We all know that
the winter season II when farmers
have the most time FOR shop or indoor
work. This also IL the proper time to
make such repairs as are needed on
buildings, fences. machinery, etc.
ready FOR the busy season soon TO fol-
low.
The shop should contain such tools
as are needed FOR nll.around repair
work They should he OF good quail.
ity. Great care should be taken In
tlicit. selection. as poor tools are u
nuisance and can never bc depended
OH when needed. one OF the first nc-
ccssitics to such a shop is n good, sub
stantial work bench. I would recon-
mend that II be made of two-inch ma
terial. SO that it may have the strength
for the work at hand. In addition
there should bc ladders. carpenters
brackets. horses, etc. In fact. the
farmers shop should contain all such
things as are In almost daily service
on n farm, and most of these can bc
made In the shop. Every tool should
be kept in n certain place. ready for
use at all times. This is II progressive
age, where all is hustle and hurry.
Our time is precious. and anything
that helps us in our work should be
lust where we can put our hands on 1t
when needed.
For SD a set of tools can he pur-
chased with which almost any kind of
work on n farm can he done, or such
ms an amateur mt least would care to
undertake may be done. 1t should be
needless for n farmer TO make trip to
town for some slight repairs on ma
chinery, etc. Had he the proper tools
he could do the work himself in fifteen
to thirty minutes, thereby saving both
time and money. l venture TO say that
an Investment of SO to $50 in tools
and various shop supplies will pay for
themselves in one year.
My time will not permit me to emu
mcrate the various tools and supplies
that | Judge necessary on every farm.
But their cost is small and within the
reach of ull.
or course there will appear work that
may be too difficult for the amateur.
But in n short time you will become so
accustomed to the tools and their uses
YOU will do difficult things, and will
wonder why you could not have done
the work before; and. also, how you
ever got along without Il shop and
fools in the first place.
Numberless useful articles can be
made If one has u shop and tools.
These not only make life easier. but
more pleasant | claim that 1t will be-
come Il pleasure to do mechanics
work. and once begun you will never
regret the time or money invested in
this way. Our public schools are Il
grand institution, but they teach us
scarcely anything in mechanics. They
give us various rules and examples,
but how long are they retained in the
memory If we have no chance to give
them n practical trial?
In behalf of the farm boys, If for no
other reason, let there be instituted
n good workshop on every farm. Give
the boy n chance to store his mind with
useful knowledge to benefit him in the
years to come, but do not neglect to
give him the trained eye and hand that
comes from the use of tools.