Norwich bulletin., 1913-10-04

Written Specially for The Bulletin.)
 of one farmer: He farms it above the ears
 Of another: He farms it from the chin down
 Did you ever hear those expressions? :? They are rather common in some parts of the country. They mean, when used descriptively. that the last one farms with his arms and legs and back. and whatever of sinew and muscle he may have below the chin; and that the first one also uses the gray matter inside his skull the best part of which is understood to be above the ears.
 When was a boy on the old farm that l am now growing gray on, don't think ] ever heard much about that above the ears sort of work. Of course. I overheard a great deal of the talk which went. on among the men in the fields and the barns And remember very clearly that whenever they got talking about the relative standing of other farms, they graded them according to the number of acres of oats they could cradle in a day. or the number of bushels of corn they could husk. or the number of cords of wood they could "cOrd up"
 know perfectly we'll that my boyish ideas of a farm, gathered from what , overheard and observed, was a man who breakfasted by candlelight. so as to be in the field at daybreak; who worked like sam Hill on a bet till it grew too dark to see. then he did the chores and supped by lantern linght This vas to be expected of every farm CT. The really "A No. One" farmer was he who could accomplish the most tangible and visible results in the four teen or fifteen hours he thus drudged with sweat and strain.
 Is it any wonder that I took a dis like for farming, in common with most other boys brought up in that sort of an atmosphere?
 Those old fashioned fellows mostly formed from the chin down." The boss farmer wasn't usually the man who could most shrewdly direct oper- ations, but the husky chap who could start ahead of his men at any work on clOdS or crops and make them hustle to keep within sight of him. remember once being drafted with sev- eral others to help a neighbOr save the grain on his big Oat-held. It was get ting oVer-ripe and there were signs of an approaching storm. We gathered at the bars before sun-up. some six or eight of us. each with his cradle" over his shoulder. The owner looked us over and picked out tall whip -cOrd-y looking fellow the muscles on whose neck fairly snapped every time he turned his head. 'I guess you might go ahead. EDhraim" '" said he. So Ephraim let down the bars and start ed in The others followed. one by one. T. as the youngest in the band, was by common consent, allowed to bring up the rear. The first swath went easy enough. Ephraim was little bothered by having to strike a straight course across the long field. and by the need Of laying his sWath well inside his own cut. out of the way of the standing grain. Also. l suspect he had to take a little time in 'limbering up" When we got back to the bars. after the first round, we were all in good heart, swinging our big cradles well to- Cether. and each one just the orthodox three cuts behind his predecessor. Ephraim wasted no time in further dallying. Now you fellers jest keep up with me: that's all I ask" said he with a little srunt, and drove his cradle into the oats
 He didn't just stick the point in and