Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1904-05-10
What Farmers Need Most.
THE CONCLUSIONS REACHED BY A MAN
WHO HAS EARNED FOR TWENTY-FIVE
YEARS IN MISSOURI.

YEARS IN MISSOURI.
"Go West, young man." was the
sage's advice many years ago, and only
those who came west at that time and
grew up with the country fully real
ize its wisdom.
Being one of that number whom cir
cumstances brought West at that time,
and having been raised on a farm and
spent over twenty-five years farming on
my own account, have a pretty good
idea what the farmer needs most, though
the matter of machinery will have To be
determined by his location. Those who
live in the great wheat sections of Kan
saS or the Dakotas will require different
tools and machinery from those who live
in the rice lands of Texas and the Caro-
inaS, or those in the orange groves of
California or Florida, or the great fruit
orchards of Virginia, Michigan and
Missouri, or the great corn raising states,
the many dairy farms of the East, or
or the stock ranches of the Northwest.
But wherever his lot is cast or whatever
he produces, he needs good, practical
education, which will be of continual
use TO him from one end of the year TO
the other. Thousands of farmers suffer
continually from want of an education
who are giving their sons an education
SO that they may pass more smoothly
over the places that rubbed them so
severely, and many have sunk financially
who might have weathered the gale with
an education to steer by.
The farmer needs good land to begin
with, and should by systematic farming
and manuring keep it good. Although
many have settled on poor land and have
brought it up by good management and
stock raising, it is hard work, and |
would much rather buy good land to
begin with. He then needs well built,
convenient house and barn, and other
necessary farm buildings, and should
keep them in good repair and well paint
ed. The farmer needs to make sure of
an abundant supply of pure water for
the house and also for the farm animals,
either by sinking wells or by digging
and fencing large ponds.
He needs to keep good kinds or breeds
of stock of whatever class suits his pur-
poses best, whether of horses, cattle,
sheep, hogs or poultry, as they cost no
more to keep than inferior kinds, and
the profit and pleasure of handling them
are much greater. But keep out OF
fancy stock breeding; let those who are
rich have this part, and let the farmer
buy their registered males to keep his
stock up to high standard. The farm
er needs sufficient tools and machinery
To do his own work, and he should keep
them in good repair and under shelter,
and should borrow as little as possible.
The farmer needs to look well after
his own business, and never make long
visits to his neighbors in busy times, or
interest himself too much in their affairs,
or be too ready to give them advice. III
they need advice they can ask for it,
He needs to keep strict account OF his
farm business, and should take an inven
tory once year To know whether he is
losing or gaining. He should also keep
a strict account with those with whom
he deals, and should do business strictly
on a cash basis. The farmer needs to
let those who are travelling through the
country selling lightning rods, etc,
strictly alone, and should never give MS
signature to stranger. The farmer
needs To be connected with his neigh
bors and town with a telephone line, for
the telephone is one of the greatest con
yieuces of modern times, and is COM
paratively cheap. A dozen or more
farmers can line themselves up with
their town, from five To eight miles
away. at cost of from so to S2o each,
including first class telephone (but not
posts), and number of merchants will
be glad to help pay the cost for the
privilege of having a phone on the ilne.
Rural free mail delivery comes in
close second to the telephone. Farmers
can well afford to do considerable extra
work on the roads to secure route, Tor
il is nice and convenient to have your
mail left at your door each day, and To
have to take only a few steps to mail
letter. The farmer and family should
90 neatly dressed; a slouchy farmer has
moor fences, neglected stock, dilapidated
buildings, and boys who are careless,
sbiftless, and who generally leave the
farm as soon as they can get away
An untidy woman keeps slovenly
house, and raises daughters no better
than herself, and who are not sought
after by the better class of young men.
The farmer needs TO consult with his
wife on all important doings, but neither
should trouble the other with the minor
details of their affairs. The farmer
should teach his family temperance IN
all things. He should never go into
a saloon, touch tobacco, opium or strong
drink in any form. The farmer needs
TO take good religious paper, two or
three farm journals, general news
paper, his home paper, and more II his
means will allow. He needs some con-
venient power to do the heavier work
about the barn and house. Here | think
the pasolene engine is the coming
engine for the farmer. 1t is quickly
started and quickly stopped, costs only
while running, and is now comparatively
safe Others use down power, Others
a tread power, while many think there
il nothing better than windmill or a
steam engine.
The farmer needs to provide his wfe
with the latest contrivances TO ana her
i'm her work, for she is the hardest work
ed person on most farms, aud 1t does
not look well to see the husband using
improved machinery and the wife using
a bucket for q sink, churuing with an
old fashioned churn, washing with an
old swayback washboard and doing her
sewing by hand. -, -.
The farmer needs to trade with his
home merchants when they carry what
he wants to purchase, and not begrudge
them a little profit. Be liberal with
them and they will be liberal with you,
,na naka manv a turn for YOUR profit.
The farmer needs to fear God and keep
His commandments, and do unto others
as he would have them to do unto MN.
The lively discussion in behalf OF