Windham County reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1901-1906, 1905-03-31

for each man 10 kot hi'hh' W
n good living, 10 even save something
above that and to come TO full years
with n competency, No crop Mt the
end of life is bad farming, The way
to check or prove up general prlh-
ctple is 10 ask, does It's application
n,aie tho average individual home
better richer more comfortable more
sureP II 1t does not, discard H. II II
does. cling TO II ms part of the system
a, self-royernment. The home Is the
foundation Of all happiness ana sue
cess hubble and private. II is there
where the children are raised. why
not prepare II for them ana Keep u
nm. exactly ms soil and field are maze
ready for the crop and then Kept free
from weeds? The problem always
Incomes that OF the home and OF one
man.
II "a easier to discuss farming In
IOWA under general rules than New
England farming or Vermont farming.
That is due To the soil, lay or the
land climate and uniform conditions.
with MS the conditions are mixed and
tho nroblem is one for each farmer,
hut for that reason, farm life here
will lead to great independence OF ac-
ton and produce more all-rouhu
man. The chance of the hill and val
ley farmer is as good, for living and
success. ms that of the prairie farmer
God did not make the world for aris-
tocrats but for men who like toll, Tor
sensible hard working. snug thinking
Iaborers. and nothing responds TO
work more surely than soil Lack OF
attention kills farm and destroys
its income like any other property.
In cities and towns store and offices
succeed because their owners con-
stantly give personal attention to de-
tails to appearances, keep things up,
study market needs, meet competition
go with the times, insist on keeping
busy. They do not let property go to
decay and their stock to rot. They
keep things up, neat, attractive, In re-
pair. convenient, and abreast of the
times. So there is need as there is
wisdom, of every farmers keeping his
farm in first class shape, There is
time for this and. for most work, the
farmer Is his own carpenter, painter
and smith. Fences should be kept In
repair, buildings free from leaks.
house and grounds tidy, and barn
Yards clean. Where there is need of
nail hit It; of dash of paint. lay 1t
on: of digging weeds, root them out.
Give good things, Of value, a chance.
Keep property up. Put in wells. clean
up underbrush. clear the roadsides
from rank weeds, free the pastures
from brakes. keep the meadows rich
and the wood lots picked up. II Is
possible by mere attention of the in
dividual to his own place TO reduce the
great number of scraggy farms Such
great inattention to the care of soil
and buildings &c not noticeable In west
ern Europe. where the last 1.-THE II
wrung from the soil and where good
COW is a better investment than 4
bond Their barns do not gape with
holes 10 admit the storm. to their
stock Their yards do not reek with
undrained filth and germ breathing
muck. The farm is hereditary prop
erty and the stock Is the life of the
farm and the results come from TAX
ing fine care Of both. If care be not
given from day to day, the farm falls,
exactly MS shops, stores and offices
fail for want OF application. The car
penter, painter. blacksmith plumber,
stone cutter, mechanic, clerk, profess
sional-all the workers-put In ar
least eight steady hours of labor
daily. Does the New England farmer
average as much and so do as per-
sistently2 1t may not be necessary.
perhaps, but there is in the sugges-
ton, If It could become doctrine
of action, the hope of vastly inn
proved farms. without work, moth
ing: with work, and Gods blessing
on 1t. everything!
Perhaps no more helpful sugges-
ton can be made, If only it could be
adopted than that progress in agri-
culture lies most surely in these d.
rections Of a greater personal atten-
ton, from day to day. of the farmer
to his farm Pleasant houses. con-
venient surroundings, well-kept
barns. clean grounds, diligent care
of farm fields, meadows and wood
lots and the most watchful care of
stock-iust plain. old-fashioned, eco
nomical, attentive farming is the
scientific work if you will; but work,
Chief Needs Summarized.
1t may be asked how layman dare
venture to write anything at all
about New England farming. The
editor asked me, to begin with ana,
then, the subject is intensely inter-
esting, even to a layman. Besides. |
have not ventured to discuss scien-
tific farming, planting, rotation Of
crops or how the butter yield OF
COW can be doubled or a maple be
made to run more sap Neither has
the subject of improving orchards
been touched, the care of bees, the
crossing of stock, the feeding of cat
tie, when seed should be put in, how
| hay should be cured how
soil is best renewed, or the times for
garnering crops. Those important
practical matters are best left to the
specialist and to the farmer himself
But even a layman may give farmers
an unbiased and, possibly, even
useful suggestion, if done in the true
desire 10 benefit their industry and
them. or, if not them, their children
and successors.
1 l believe that, as our country rests
upon farms, so our farmers are most
vitality interested in certain things:
| % The extension and protection OF
manufactures and commerce; ca
The retention and development Of
local markets; I'D The making and
maintenance of permanent roads;
i f41 The cultivation and preservation