The star. (Reynoldsville, Pa.) 1892-1946, 1905-03-22
Time to Gall a Halt,


During the course of q long ride
through prosperous county of west
ern Ohio one of the most remarkable
things to be seen is the abundance of
farm machinery, not in use nor stored
in barns and shed, but out in the fields
and barnyards 1t would seem to the
stranger that everyone was too busy
to properly house his implements or
else lacked shed room for them. A
flying view of several states from car
windows disclosed the fact that care
less farmers everywhere leave their
tools to the mercy of wind and wealth
er till fall, and in many cases the
year round.
1t is time to call halt on buying
machinery if there is no room for it
in dry sheds or if the owner is too
careless to get it under cover. We are
enjoying unbounded prosperity, but
that is no excuse for recklessness. II
hard times should strike our country
many farmer would sigh for the
money he wasted during the years of
plenty. A good machine is profit
able investment if it receives good
care, and pays for itself by years Of
service, but when rust eats up the
iron, and sun and wind play havoc
with wood, no machine can pay div
idends to any but the dealer who sold
it, and the manufacturer.
If there is anything more untidy
than cultivators overgrown with weeds
and rusty mowers in fence corners, no
one has yet discovered it. The thrift
less man tells about his neighbor's
good luck and wonders why his mach
inery is always ready for use. The
mortgage on the home is often placed
there because the owner invested too
heavily in machinery and did not take
care of It. | saw young woman out
hoeing potatoes in her bare feet not
long ago, while in the barnyard stood
an expensive wagon her husband had
just had bought. The old wagon was
safely housed under some trees and
there was no place for the new one in
the rickety shed. Manifestly this man
should have called halt long ago. The
old wagon properly cared for would
have given dozen more years OF SER
vice, and the time spent tinkering
with machinery ruined by the weather
would have been sufficient to hoe all
the crops on the place. When the
sheriff takes charge Of that mans af-
fairs he will whine about bad luck,
but his neighbors can tell a different
story.
Have your implements under sheds
or in the barn SO that when the rainy
days come you may mend trifing
breaks and keep them in good repair.
No man can repair piece of machin-
cry that is half mile from the barn
in pouring rain. tits so much easier
for him to drive to town and order
new one-f0r thriftless people do busi-
ness just that way. A small boy beg
ged his father to buy rundown farm
not long ago, and when he was press
ed for a reason, said. Just think Of
the money l would make selling old
iron, for l know Mr.. X would never
pick up all his old machines"
The father agreed with his son that
If the owner had never gathered the
implements together while they were
in their prime he would hardly pick
up the remains Of them; but ne did
not buy the farm. Like the tools. 1t
was run down till almost worthless,
and even the valuable old iron scat
tered over it would hardly make it
profitable investment. If you haven't
time to house your stuff, do without.
It is cheaper to hire a neighbor than
, to waste expensive tools.-Farmer'
Review.