Belding banner. (Belding, Mich.) 1889-1918, 1900-09-20
FOR THE FARMER.

half century ago there was little in
the farmers life that was attractive to
young man, says The American Gull
tiyator. Those who remained on the
farm were apt to do SO either because
OF family ties which seemed to bind
lacked ambition, energy or ability TO
find employment elsewhere. Few cared
to come to the farm who were not born
and brought up there, while cities and
manufacturing towns were filled with
farmers sons and daughters, who were
seeking for easier and more remunera-
tive employment than they found at
home.
| 1t was not necessary to seek far to
find the cause Of this. The hours of
farm labor were long during the great
er part of the year. Nearly every task
indoors or out called for strength
rather than SKILL and perseverance
more than judgment A living might
be obtained and some managed to ac-
cumulate property, but there was little
money to be handled, and ii really
seemed as If 1t was life of hard toll
and little compensation. The change
Of seasons brought some change OF
work, and yet II was monotonous. No
machinery lightened labor and there
were but few amusements excepting
Iuring the long winter evenings The
! farmers and their wives who worked
during all the hours of daylight had
| .hu N M
to interest them outside. of their own
affairs
Today farming is far different from
what it was as we remember II. Ma
chinery has been introduced so that
horse or steam power are doing those
things which were then done by human
strength. Skill to direct and guide are
in demand and muscular power is not
severely taxed i'm the days labor Even
the few tools which survive from that
day. the scythes and forks. hoes and
shOvels, are now made so light and
perfect that they seem more like toys
than the implements of hard labor that
our fathers used.
Better animals and poultry have
come into fashion. and the care of
them becomes an interesting task be-
cause we can see how they can be
| improved or made more productive by
better methods Of feed and care. The
young man who once begins breeding
and growing fine stock is likely to
learn to love them while he is watching
their development and Improvement.
Better fruit and better vegetables
have been introduced on the farm, and
not only is it a pleasure to watch their
growth and to taste them when ma
ture, but they can be converted into
cash as quickly as gathered, and the
| farmer or farmers son need not go for
weeks or perhaps months at a time
without coin to chnk against another,
as farmers used to do who had but
little to sell until after the harvest of
the late fall. Now if he manages right
| ly the farmer will have crops to har
vest almost every week from the thaw-
ing of the ground in the spring until
snow covers ii again.
The farmers life is less solitary as
| he grows more interested in his bust
ness. He desires TO keep up with the
modern improvements, and to do this
| he visits other farmers to see what
they are doing and how they do it. He
must meet with them at the grange or
| the Farmers club or the institute to
| talk il over with them, and exchange
experiences in such works as they have
been doing. Nor is he contented with
being limited to the wisdom of his own
county or state. A good newspaper
brings him hints and suggestions and
new ideas from other states, and per-
| haps from foreign countries. He knows
that in every state there are men
studying investigating and expert
menting to gain knowledge that may
be useful to him or to other farmers.
With all this, the farmers home
has become more attractive. He has
not checked the march of improvement
at its threshold. Here are devices
to tighten labor as well as in the field.
In the house and around it are things
that are ornamental as well as useful.
The bleak, bare house, without shade
around it or a flower, excepting the
wild flowers OF the field, is not often
seen now, and many little changes
have taken place to render 1t home
instead Of mere habitation and dwell
ing place.
We have spoken of the farmer of to-
day as he should be, and as many OF
them are. The young man who visits
such farm, and sees how pleasant
the place may be, and how much there
is to interest one in the work of every
season, can scarcely contrast the shop,
the factory or the counting room with
it without feeling that the farm Is a
place for liberty and enjoyment which
makes the others seem like prisons,
from which are barred out the bright
sunshine and the balmy breezes laden
with the fragrance of fruit and flowers
and the song of birds.
Nor are pleasant home and pleasant
surroundings all that farm life can offer
to the young man today. The work of
progress has begun. and who shall say
that il is to be checked. To one who
strives to excel in any branch of agri-
culture there seems TO be as much