Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1900-04-10
WHY MOI as 1lpYi

ing in contact with farmers by the
thousand, | fnd not small class who
wholly ignore the idea that tidiness
about farm buildings, clean, orderly
doorysrd and show, at least, OF home
sdornment pays, and who declare it q
waste Of time TO attempt them. On the
side Of = great and increasing array OF
farmers who think and practice 10 the
contrary, | think these pleasing signs
are an aid TO better farm prosperity
and sn incentive TO do better. The man
with clean premises about the buildings,
an orderly lawn, and neatly painted
buildings Is inspired TO do better farm
ing, TO have snugger fields and stock that
corresponds. One thing Ia certain
well ordered establishment Ia not only
evidence that the country can be made
as homelike AS the city, with its costly
homes and lawns, for lawn IL only
made up OF four things-dirt, trees and
rsss, iu orderly combination, and of
these the farmer has by far the cheapest
source OF supply and most economical
maintenance.
To visit one Of these well kept farm
grounds and tn n one where the debris
Of old wagons, sheds. rails, lumber, hay
rscss, and odds and ends generally, gives
warning that an after dark visit cSlls
upon the visitor TO go with life
Insurance paid up policy and lantern. II
Is simply confession that when order
reigus and everything is in its place
there must be economy aud saving. A
man who well houses his tools and stock,
and keeps all in good condition, with
thrift, Is better of than one who leaves
all TO weather and ''luck." The best OF
sll Is that it actually costs less to be tidy
than TO let disorder prevail. When the
use OF a thing is over, put IL in It's place,
there TO be found when wanted In re-
pair and workable order. This costs
less than to have to hunt up q tool or
machine, pull II from under rubbish
pile and spend the next hour getting of
rust and replacing bolts. Not long since
crossed the doorysrd Of farmer OF
large possessions. The day was cold,
threatening snow; time, sundown. In
front Of and ut the side OF the house were
machinery, wagons, sleds, etc. Over q
new potato digger, dissembled, its parts
lying on the ground, and In the grass,
y
cows were tramping cold, windswept
yard, calling for stable and supper, and
not fence In sight that could have held
them back II they had chosen to hsve
gone South, Ike the birds. An hour be-
fore this man had told OF bad luck.
While milk was 81 40 per 100, his cows
were not doing well. He "hsd no money
10 put things In shspe; he ought to feed
more grain, but his cows gave so little
milk that It would not pay" and 80 on
10 the end of the chapter.
The whole story Is summed up In this
Thrift and progress carry with them
THEN sign msnIsl-clesnliness snd tidi-
ness. There Is waste In disorder
waste OF time and substance. Lately l
saw 3 man who was vehemently denouuc-
Ing the silo as too costly. Its feed and
feeding were no better or cheaper than
dry fodder, and called for too much
grain. On his farm, stsnding-or try
ing to-wAs, on February 10, eight acres
OF what had been heavy fodder corn;
now, In sll forms. all shapes, quite half
of IL Law PROSTATE on the ground, rain
and water soaked. The whole field was
not worth a fourth Of It's former value as
fuel. Here WAS loss that would have
built and filled silo, and would have
given him $500, or more value in milk
than IL can now possibly do. And still
this man Is making butter fat for a
creamery at - cents pound.
Nothing so commends itself to y
stranger ss well kept and painted coun-
try homes; nothing so repels "a disorder
ly and III kept ones. There is An inquiry,
why 90 boys leave the farms?' The
answer is evssive, but why should they
stay: The things To attract are wanting.
There Is an education In order, and when
once the appreciation OF culture Is stimu-
lated into action, the labor TO perpetuste
II i then one OF pleasant response, and
soon order and tidiness are in abundant
evidence about our homes IL one will
pick up and put In It's plsce AM thing
that may be out OF place, the item of
ltbor ia small. IL Ia only when the dis
placement becomes uusich'ly litter aud
rubbish that IL becomes costly TO remove.
Ot all things, order and tidiness apply
With greatest force TO the dsirymsn.
The dairy always "sympathizes" with
such surroundings, and nine times out
Of ten the milk IL in proportion. Never
ss now has il been SO apparent that
good, clean. healthy milk is product OF
veil kept stables. Health officers judge
milk now by the milkmsn and his barn.
New York Tribune.