The Colfax chronicle. [volume] (Colfax, Grant Parish, La.) 1877-1981, 1901-03-30
FARMER AND PLANTER.
THE FARMERS LEISURE.
A Commodity the Farmer Might
Have More of IL He Manager
His Affairs systematically.

The multiplicity of interests that
demand attention in order to success
in farming imposes daily round OF
duties with but little respite to the
faithful worker. 1t needs no labored
argument to prove the truth herein
stated, and the experience of success
full farmers has ever been, that un-
ceasing vigilance was the price of
their success. And while it is both
profitible and honorable TO pursue
this divinely-appointed means of sub
sistence, it is work and labor of con-
slant and conflicting care.
To plan for leisure hours in this de-
partment of life-work has generally
been detrimental to success and in
many cases has resulted in failure, so
that the farmers life is usually re-
garded as one of unending toll from
seed time till the final harvest.
just how much of leisure there
should be in life is hard to decide, but
it is safe to say there should be some.
There 10 no prettier picture than to
see the old, honored father mediative-
ly resting under the shade of the
trees, or his faithful help-meet at
ease by the comfortable fireside, after
years of frugal toll and. wise fore
thought. And if they toiled incessant-
ly during those weary years to set
apart well-earned rest, they did not
toll in vain, but wisely.
But let us consider more particu-
larry the leisure that rightly belongs
to the busy period. We take the po-
sition that ordinarily there should be
some time for leisure; that il duties
are attended to wisely and well in the
proper season, there will be some
time to spare, and that the use of la
bor-saving machinery should make
these periods of rest more frequent.
OF all tradesmen whose time is a
chief consideration in the consumma-
ton and completion of their work,
there is perhaps none so recklessly
prodigal of time as the farmer. When
a tool breaks, or a change of work is
necessitated from any case, the whole
of the farm is often at
standstill, and frequently remains SO
until new tool is provided or a tenn
porary system of operation is impro-
vised. He very rarely plans to haul
return loads when entirely practical
bic either on the farm or in the de-
livery of his produce, and fails in this
to save much valuable time. He is
lacking in fhoroughness
from inefficiency in labor and from
improper methods in cultivation, and
hence is forced at a great expense of |
time and labor to repair these errors.
This in turn delays other work in reg
llar course until the seasonable time |
'or it is past; and SO greater skill and |
'horoughness are required and great |
n expense of time and labor is neces-
AIRY to accomplish the same ends. In
hese and various other ways all his
eisure time may be brought into re-
uisition to avert calamity; and in
he midst of his troubles he is heard /
o cry out like one of old, 'All is
anity and vexation of spirit"
Now, we believe that a large per
ent. of our farmers work unadvised-
Y, and that, with such farmers, sue
ess is achieved under unnecessary
estrictions and through strenuous eff
ort. 1t appears also that greater
uccess might have attended more
arefully laid plains, for the testi-
nony of experienced farmers that
pecial, studied and well-digested
lans fail not, as a rule. 1t follows.
therefore,, that there may be, in the
usy farmers life, a needed rest and
sisure in which thought may have it's
rooding time. There may be ample
lme for observation and experiment
new and modern methods, and
riendly exchange of ideas through
ne press or the symposium of insti-
ute work. We set no limit to the
pportunities, the blessings and the
ood cheer of the worthy husband
ian, who looks through nature up
natures God" and spends his DAYS
painting the picture of an accepta-
e life and restoring lost Eden in the
aste wilderness. ~. NJ. Burnett. in
armers' Home Journal.
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