Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1909-05-25
Pleasures and Comforts on the Farm.

The vocation of the farmer is one Of
the most interesting that can be engaged
in. There is nothing mOnotonous about
it, if the farmer loves nature and keeps
his eyes open. There are enough in
teresting problems to be solved every
day to keep ones mind fully occupied
from January to December 81. In the
growing season his crops and livestock
will need daily attention, while the win
ter season will be taken up in marketing
the seasons crops, cariog for the live
stock at the barn and harvesting his
wood and timber crop from the farm
wood lot, for this should be 80 handled as
to furnish an income each year and yet
not be destroyed. Then there should be
hours for reading and recreation, which
If properly directed, will fit one for the
better management of the farm, year By
year, for as everybody knows, something
new can be learned every day. We can
learn from our agricultural books and
papers, and from those of our friends
and neighbors who have had longer ex-
perience than ourselves, and We should
make much of these opportunities, be-
cause it is important that we should
learn as much as possible about our
business. Thanks to present mail facili-
ties the farmer has better chance for
reading than ever before; for besides his
one OF two agricultural papers he now
usually has daily, that he may keep
the better posted on current events and
prices. have always thought that we,
as farmers, should ever study to i'm
prove the soil and the mind; and with
this end In view we need to draw from
every available source.
To let the farm run down and finally
be abandoned, is a sad sight indeed. A
few years ago / visited my former home
in New Hampshire and it really made
nv heart ache to see the dilapidated
condition of the old farm on which
was born, now passed out of the family,
and also the condition of several other
farms in the same neighborhood which
were once productive and peopled by in
dustrious and successful farmers fami
lies. Ialways have feeling of sadness
whenever | see a deserted farm home
because I know of the comforts and
pleasures that may be realized on we'll
managed farm; and then to think how
many people are scarcely able to get
enough to eat and wear even of the
simplest materials in town and yet their
knowledge OF farm life is 80 badly warp
ed that they could not be even coaxed to
60 out into the country to make home.
There is another class, however, of city
people that believe they can better their
condition by going out on to the farm
and of late very many such have been
seeking farms of moderate size and are
turning their face thitherward; we can
but wish them success In their new un-
dertaking. In making such change
there are many things to be considered.
It has been said many and many a
time that "farming does not psy;" but
to that I would reply, Farming is all
right" To live in the country Is glori-
ous; and when you hear farmer say
that farming does not pay, you may
safely set 1t down that such an one does
not understand his business, and does
not give the farm proper credit for what
he receives therefrom. Does he take
into account that the farm furnishes bis
family with q living? From the farm
comes the food, fuel, water and house
rent; and these should all be credited to
the farm at city prices, before saying
that farming does not pay."-Cor. In
Maine Farmer.