The independent-reporter. [volume] (Skowhegan, Me.) 1909-1955, 1910-11-03
GumptiOn on the Farm.

IF Feed siI, the birds You'll need EN- next
Don't let the apples or potatoes
freeze. Sort out the ro,Ien ones.
Don't speculate. Calculate, regulate,
hesitate, migrate If you think you
must, but never speculate.
Is the harness tied up with strings
anywhere? Take them off and do the
best job of repairing you ever did.
Get out some stuff for whiffletrees.
Keep little on hand all the time, for
you may need them before you know
lir
Have a bottle of rubber cement on
hand and some good glue. Fix things,
and do 1t while the other work is not
pressing.
Time is saved by doing now much
of the work usually done in the busy
spring, such as hauling stones, clear
ing away trees and brush, fixing the
grape arbor, etc.
Leave the job of climbing the wind
mill to some one who is level-headed
and strong in limb. Many serious
accident has happened from not liv-
! ing up to this rule.
Be thankful every day; don't pile
your gratitude all on to one day. The
man who is thankful only when the
Governor says he must, never is very
thankful any day
With the present prices of beef
which all authorities agree can not
be lowered, the production of fat cat
tie on farms where the work has long
been forgotten will be found profit
able.
Are all the tools, from screw-driver
to thrashing machine, snugly hoased
for the winter? They should be, but
IL not it is not too late to bring them
in yet. Better do 1t now.
One of the best tools farmer can
have Is a good riveter for mending
leather straps of all kinds. One of
these will save good many trips to
town and maybe more than one run
away.
Look after the pits where potatoes
and the like are stored, and make
sure that there is enough earth or lit
ter on them to protect the contents
from the coolest weather Neglect
may cause serious loss.
You've been working around that
one solitary big rock in field for
years. Now, split it up, blast 1t or
get rid of 1t in some way A days
work, or perhaps less, makes the
field perfectly clean and smooth.
A tank heater for heating drinking
water for live stock will pay for it
self, time and again, in one winter,
In the saving of extra feed required
to restore the animal heat lost through
taking in the drafts of icy water.
Bringing home unexpected guests
right at dinner or supper-time Is often
very trying to the good wife. Polite
ness and hospitality are all right In
their places, but you owe duty first
to your wife and daughters.
Provide a stout sled. warm clothes,
and let the children slide; but keep
them off the roads. 1t Is fun, and
you know it, or ought to; and far
more healthful for mind and body
than dime novel in the barn loft.
1t takes smart man to wait pa
tiently for dinner when the hour
comes. His wife can wait for him a
month of Sundays, but If she Is not
right on the tick when he comes in,
there will be trouble right along.
Most things have two sides to them.
Isn't this one of them?
Give the cats and dogs warm,
straw-lined, covered box in a shed,
where prowling ours can not get to
them. These bitter nights are cruel
to our dumb friends; and l never
could lie In my warm bed, knowing
that anything was shivering with cold.
Some men CD and women can; but
can not.-From November Farm Jour-
nal.