Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1900-06-05
THE FARMER AND FARM LIFE

suCh astuSt ouu kiouuihttct ocAvtc suSu
were successful farmers upon the ssm'
farm, and having grown up In the busi
ness they cannot fail of being successful
farmers themselves. This logic is ex
ploded by reference to the real facts In
the case. The person born from sue
cession Of agricultural people may have
bred into his very nature love for farm
life and TO such an extent that In what
ever business he may be engaged ant
however successful he may be In it, ths
his mind will frequently revert to th'
old farm home, accompanied by a strong
yearning to return to Ii. This Is proba
oily the experience of nine out Of every
ten men born upon farms aud engaged
In business elsewhere.
Farming Is progressive science and
the person who remains upon the farm
where he was born from sn agricultural
lineage Is not so likely TO keep abreast
Of the times in agricultural matters a
he who takes up farming from some
other vocation. The born farmer will
svoid some mistakes that the other viii
make, but he will not avail himself OF
the latest instruction as the other will
He will recall the fact that his father
vas successful farmer and he will fol-
low in the ruts made by him, forgetting
that changed conditions and changed
markets require radical changes In farm
management. A writer In Rural World
says when man iu the city grows weary
Of incessant toll aud the grind Of getting
10 work at fixed hour, and OF being un'
able TO leave until warning signal Ia
given-and when this mschine-like life
wears nerves threadbare, and he seeks
respite In perhaps harder toll Oh the
farm, but with hopes TO breathe the air
OF liberty, Of thought and action, he Is
thoroughly conscious thst he doesn'i
know about farming. His business life
in the city has taught him that there Is
no success without knowledge. Such
man calls on the editor OF an agricultural
paper and the course of agricultural
catechism through which said editor is
put would cause some farmers 10 smile
and smile not only broadly but loudly.
The questions are both pertinent and To-
telligent. IL some special line OF farm
ing Is being considered, men who are
thought TO be making money In such
business are visited. Their sdvice Is
sought and their methods examined.
Books are procured treating OF the sub
ject. Every available means 20 become
enlightened is made use Of. This man
knows he was not 10 the manner born
and he must study farming IL he would
farm.
Frequently the city bred man sstonish-
es old farmers by the success which at
tends his farming operations. III he
fails, the knowing vinks, omiuous mods,
and whispers OF pity sll testify thst the
failure was due to the fact thst the man
wasn't born aud brought up farmer.
They forget about those farmers along
the creek or up on the hillsides who have
been farmers from way back" and
whose fences are more dowE thar up,
whose dwarf % varieties os corn and
barns and shanties and
farms betoken lack OF thrift.
Don't put such stress on being born on
the farm that farming Is not regarded as
OF enough Importance TO be learned, as
other occupations are conceded necessary
70 be. and BY this blind folly bring dis
repute 10 the grandest OF occupations
because OF failures occssioned by want
OF realizing that farming means know
ing much and ever learning more.
THE RIGHTS OF THE DAIRY COW.
IL there is any one thing men are jesl-
Gus OF IL Is their rights. For these they
sill argue, pay money and defend 10 the
bitter end. And sometimes they are so
Jealous In protecting these rights, real
or fancied, that they forget that other
men aud other creatures may have claims
equally as good as their own, and claims
which they themselves would do well 10
respect, and even 10 work earnestly for.
Now, the dairy cow Is coming in this
day and age of the world to assert GER
tain insliensble rights, which every
dairymsn will find II decidedly to his
10 respect. Some OF these are
AS follows:
She has right TO be given good,
warm shelter, from wind, storm and cold
weather, st all seasons Of the year. Not
every man does this now. Only yester-
day asked neighbor II he had his cows
In the barn the night before. Ii had
been singing cold night, although
quite out Of the season. NO" he said,
Il never put my cows In the stable IS
long as can help It," Without doubt
his cattle spent = most uncomfortable
night, aud paid their owner for his un-
kindness the next morning. Ii makes
no difference whether IL be July or De
cember, cows have right TO shelter
when the weather IL inclement.
Again, cows have right TO all the
good food they will eat. A certain
amount OF food Is necessary TO keep q
COW alive. The man who forgets this
does not understand that the COW will
take the advantage Of him In self-pro.
lection by sppropristing the first food
given her TO her own use. She must
keep up the strength, life and vitality
given her by nature. IL she hiss any
thing left over above what Is needed tc
do this well aud good, the surplus vii
go into the milk pail, but II not, the
dsirymsn must suffer the consequence;
Of his own short-sighted policy.
Then, too, the COW demands all thu
pure water she needs. IL she be com
PEELED 10 drink from mudholes and dirty
stagnant water, she will quickly resen,
IL and show her intention 70 defend her
self by withholding her milk supply
Milk is largely water, anyway, and Il
tbe supply be poor or limited the result
must be disastrous TO the dsirymsn.
Finally, the dairy COW has right u
kind treatment at all times and seasons
No animal Is quicker 70 appreciate kinC
treatment or TO resent cruelty than th,
COW. IL yelled at oy those who have tn,
care of her, or nagged or worried b!
dogs, or kicked or otherwise III treated
nothing Is surer than that she will TAX
her pay out of the man who thus abuse
her.
The COW issues no declaration OF prin
ciples. She stands on u platform which
has only one plank, and that Is "Fai
treatment or no return" This platform
she persistently maintains, through goo
report or through i'll.
or course, not every man 10 blind u
all this. We are surely making advance
ment toward more humane treatmen
of the COW, because we are finding ou
that IL is To our advantage to do so. Blu
there are yet thousands upon thousand
who sre still demanding Of their herd
bricks without straw. They are me
who are sure that farming doesn't pay.
A man like this will not believe tina
there are men who are doing wonderful
things with the cow-the same old co'
he has known all his life, and Of whic
he has long since given up expectin,
anything wonderful.
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