The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1914-02-11

Farm, Stock and Home: Each sue
ceeding age gets a deal of satisfaction
OUT Of thinking itself q much tmproV-
ed edition Of the age gone before
Sometimes it is good for us to get PACK
to the simple facts of life and TO rea-
lie that save for the more hurried
stride Of business due to. the appilca-
ton of power to machinery, we nave
gone so very far after all beyond
either the practice or the vision OF the
men of old.
A book called Roman Farm Manage
men lies on the writer's table. II IS a
translation from the Latin Of Cato ana
yarro. Cato lived during the century
preceding the birth of Christ; Narro
died t~wenty-seven years oe1ore tne p .
ginning Of the christian era Like the
more cultured Romans OF their; day.
both of these men were farmers-farm
more correctly speaking
and a considerable part OF their VIII
ings were about farm matters, here
is some good advice for the 1914 ouyer
of a farm:
farm be careful not to buy rashly; do not
spare your visits and be not content
with a single tour of inspection. me
more you 60, the more the place VIII
please you, il it be worth your atteh-
ton, Give heed to the appearance OF
the neighborhood-a lourishing coun-
try should show it's prosperity. 'When
Iyou. &C in, look about, so that Wnen
Lneeds be, you can n your way OUT
''Take. care that you choose a gooo
| climate, not subject to
| storms, and "a soil that is naturally
| strong. IL possible, your farm should
| be at the foot Of a mountain,
to the south, in a healthy situation,
| where labour and cattle can be nad'
| we'll ywatered, neal a good sized Town.
and either on the sea or a
| river. or else on a good and mucn
| frequented road. Choose a place which
has not often changed ownership, one
which is sold unwillingly, that has
| buildings in good repair"
Again Cato is speaking about the
proper location for a building site.
He says:
""Try4your best to locate the stead
ing at the foot of a wooded hill where
| the pastures are rich, and turn It SO
as to catchsSthe ehealthiest prevailing
| breeze The best situation is facing
the east, SO to secure shade in ummer
and sun In winter. But IL you must
build on the bank of a river, AXE care
that you do not let the stealing face
the river, for it will be very cold In
winter and unhealthy in summer. Like
| precautions must be taken against
| swampy places for the same, reasons
and particularly as they are Dry,
swamps breed certain ~animalculae
which cannot be seer with the eyes
and which breathe through the nose
and mouth into the body where they
| cause grave maiadies.'
"tBut,' said B'undanius. suppose l
inherited a farm like that, what
should I do to avoid the alady you
i describe?'
"The answer to that question is
easy said Agrius. You should sell
the farm for what you can get TOR
it; and IL you can't sell 1t, give 1t
away"
1t is questionable whether, either in
scientific knowledge or in morals. we
have advanced far beyond thsse
standards, despite our germ theories
of disease and our theological opinions
concerning original sin.
But this interesting account, which
might be heightened almost Indefinite
~. would be most incomplete without
the following practical advice from
/ Yarro concerning cattle:
He who wishes to buy q herd OF
meat cattle should take care first that
they are OF an age to produce rather
than past breeding; that they are well
set up, clean linbed, square bodied,
Large, with black horns and broad
brows, large black eyes, hairy ears.
HAT cheek bones. s~nub-nosed, not
h~unap-backed but rather with the
backbone slightly reached, wide sros-
trils, blacKish lips, a neck muscular
and long with dew laps hanging from
lit tfre.1rarre1s 1argeErand we'll ribbed