Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1912-11-12

Whut's the Use to Build Fences ?

FOOL THlNdsl
It may be rather late for an article
upon farm management, and probabl!
the $50 prize 10 already awarded, but j
is quite appropriate and In accordance
with the system Of management hereil
described that this article should be
little late, behind time and out of place
as are many other articles upon th'
farms selected for illustration.
The call was for an article founded
upon the writer's own experience
Now, must confess that have not hat
all the experience that 10 recorded ir
this article, but that some Of 1t was fur
nished by two of my neighbors, who arr
running small farms near me and with
whom I change work and 60 to picnict
and ball games. OF course, our farm,
are small, and are not paying a. we'll u
are many of those described In the farm
papers. But We have had just about u
much experience a. have othst men Of
our age.
So, as the lawyers say, this 10 the truth
the whole truth and nothing but the
truth. OF course, the truth Is the last
thing the lawyers want; the whole truth
they will object to, and anything but the
truth is often demanded by them,
but the jury usually decides the case In
advance, any way, and sometimes they
get things about right.
One of my ueighbcrs goes by the name
OF "Bill," and the other is called "ike." !"
Some of the management described upon
this page was worked out upon B'lrl
farm, some of it upon Ike's farm, and
some of it upon my own farm. With
these technicalities out OF the way, will
now proceed and place the case before
the jury.
Ike's Oat Harvest.-Yesterda We
helped Ike haul In his oats. Three oi
us worked together. He had seven
acres. The yield will not be very good,
but he planted poor seed and did not get
time to drag the land more than once.
1t took us quite bit longer to haul the
stuff in than you would think, because
Iks's gate is upon the northeast corner
of the field and his barn is upon the
south west corner Of his farm. He put
the barn over there 80 1t would be near
the lake, and he put the gate there be-.
cause II was near the road to town, and
il be ever wanted to 60 to town he could
drive right out to the road. OF course,
il made about four miles extra work Tor
the teams, but We got the oats in and
had the team put out In time to 60 home
10 supper.
You see, We all live In the village.
Iks's wife read that some farmers lived
in town and drove out to their work, and
she and the other women thought 1t q
good way to do. They have read q
great deal about the social uplift for
farmers wives, they all belong to the
Ladies' Aid and several other societies,
and living in town gives them q chance
TO attend all the functions. Besides
this, it is easier for them, as they are
not worried by the care of fruit or poul
try, and they can buy at the stores many
things in the line of canned goods, and
so save themselves the labor OF prepar'
ing the same. In the winter there are
picture shows In the village, and We
can take them in without having to hitch
up the horses.
The Overworked Neighbor. Nov
about this oat crop. We have neigh
bor who has just thrashed his oats and
got fifty-four bushels to the acre, but he
went to lots of expense to save his seed,
put in lots of time cleaning and fumigat-
ing 1t and did q whole lot OF things
that folks like Bill, Ike and I do not
have time to do. And he worked bis
land too much before he put In the crop.
He pulverized 1t with q disk harrow
twice, once each way; then he rolled 1t,
then he dragged 1t, and then no seeded
il with q drill, and Ike says that the day
We went to the ball game he dragged 1t
again. Any one can 500 that that was
too much work for common farmer to
put in on an oat crop, but different men
have different ways, suppose.
Bill does not have quite as much time
az some folks, because he has no well,
and 80 has to bring water for bis horses
from the lake. His COWS can 60 to the
water and help themselves In summer,
and in the winter he has to cut hole ID
tho Ice for them. He can get the water
near the barn, but it would cost about
$50 for q we'll, aud now that his oat crop
ia 90 Door he will not have the money to
spare and will have to put 1t Oh another
year. a.,
buckwh heat will not turn out very well
this year. 1t looked good couple OF
weeks ago, but last night, when I was
down to the tent alone, my horses and
cattle got into 1t and tramped 1t down 80
that will have to get Bill to cut 1t with
a scythe and he says he cannot get more
than half of 1t. Ny fences are very bad,
but az long as Ike can't get time to fx
his share Of it there 10 no use in my try
ing to fix mine. So We run our stock TO-
gether, and get along very well. The
last time did try to mend the fence !
lost by it, for I put up . string OF
barbed wire over the top, and the horses
got il down, and one Of the colts cut
himself 80 badly that he will never
amount to much.
do not know where my neighbor gets
bis money, but he has taken down all
his barbed wire and put up woven wire:
Bill SAYS It cost IS cents . rod. Ot
course, a common farmer cannot AFFORD
that. Besides, this fence is 60 inches
high and rabbit tight. do not see any
use of such q fence on . small farm.
cali Il poor management to put all that
money in fencing. 1t don't pay to spend
too much money fixing up . farm
n a man tries he can manage to gel
along some way without high priced i'm.
royements. think that IL the secret Of
farm management. OF course, none o.
your writer's look at 1t that way, but Bill
and Ike and get along pretty we'll tns
plain, old-fashioned way.
More Bad Luok.-OI course, every one
has bad luck. Now, last week, when w
vent over to the county seat to the law
suit there was an awful crowd there.
You see, Old Man Stone sued Jack Hud
con because Jack cut boo tree over tn'
| line, and It was hot old trial. Nov
when we were ut this suit . 6re broke
out In the woods, and Ike lost abou
forty cords OF wood and six sheep. Il
the Wind bad been the other way th'
sbeep would have got ont, but bis neigh
bor's fence was tight, and the smok'
| crowded them right into . corner. HI
| would have lost every sheep II his neigh
Dor had not stayed at homo and manag
ed to get some Of them ont In time q
save them. -,
Upiift Of village Life.-Liying in th'