The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1901-06-27
THE BOY ON THE FARM.

From the Board of Agriculture Bulletin. ]
SEARsMoNT. The condition of the
boys and young men on the farm has
been immeasurably improved within
the last fifty years. Then it was one
continual round of hard manual labor,
with but little chance for improvement
or recreation. Seldom were there more
than one or two newspapers taken in a
neighborhood, and they were such as
would not be accepted as gift to-day.
The returns from their toll were so
small that it afforded no margin for
anything but the barest necessities of
life. Their clothes were coarse and
poorly made. But this has all passed.
Go into the country homes of to-day
and you will see the desks and tables
covered with papers and magazines,
and nearly all of the appurtenances of
| amusement and instruction of any city
home. With smooth fields, the i'm
proved plows, disc harroWs, seeders,
Weeders, moving machines, tedders,
horse rakes and horse forks, and the
other new tools with which to do their
work, long hours and severe toll are
banished. A young man who goes on
to farm to spend his days, will never
become millionaire, but if he has in
duStry and common prudence, and is
satisfied with health, independence, and
reasonable amount of the good things
OF life, l know of no better place to
find them than on the farm. And of
one thing can assure him,-after mid
die life, many millionaires will envy
him as much his peace and comfort,
and freedom from business cares, as
the farmer will envy the millionaires
their wealth.-Otis D. Wilson.
WALDO. Where good markets are
easy to reach, farming is just fair
kind of business, one in which there
are few failures, if rightly managed, but
there is little prospect of ones becom-
ing millionaire by paying strict atten-
becomes acquainted with all the bugs
and worms that feed on the farm crops,
and all the parasites that prey on the
farmer, he is not to be blamed if he
tries some other business for while
before settling down on farm. We
have some young men who are making
agrand success farming, and they would
succeed in almost any other kind of
business, as we'll or better.-J, G.. Hard
ing.
| THORNDIKE. A great change in
methods of agriculture has come in the
last fifty years. The great mass of
farmers are pursuing a system of cult
Walton much at variance with that of
yore. While once farmed in the old
fashioned way, now have a Syracuse
sulky pillow, and in place of the old
fashioned harrow | use disc harrow.
plant corn with the Eclipse corn
planter, using weeder every few days
until the corn nearly reaches the head
| own an interest in an Ohio corn cut
ter, with which the corn is cut into a
sllo. Thei ensilage, of which | had
about fifty tons last year, fed to twelve
head of cattle twice day from the 18th
of November until the 27th of April.
Silos are the necessities of the twentieth
century. If the product of the land is
consumed at home, as it should be, the
more it produces the faster it will i'm
prove. Give the boys some show on the
farm. Let them have something they
can call their own, and receive the bene-
| fit therefrom. Provide them with plenty
of good reading, by which their minds
may be developed, also with amuse-
ment and recreation. They do not want
to be slaves to work. If they do not
enjoy their life on the farm it is doubt
full it they ever become successful farm
| ers. Let them know your plans and
ask their opinions and they will feel the
better for it.-E. G. Lander
BELMONT. The boy on the farm
holds very important position. The
future depends upon him. think that
| if more young men would stay on
the farm they would be better off than
they would be to seek a city life. The
whole world depends upon the farmer,
and the sons of Maine are the ones for
| farmerS.-L f AllenWond