Western Carolina Democrat and French Broad hustler. [volume] (Hendersonville, N.C.) 1913-1915, 1914-01-01
sMNrER PROBLEMs on FAM
How the Farmer Should Probably
Spend HIS Time During Winter.

AT a recent meeting of the commnn-
ity club at Guilford college JIG. Fra
zier read a valuable paper OF Vim
ter Probes on the Farm" and in view
Of the merit of the same, the main
points are given below Tor the benefit
of farmers who might spend their
winter days more pro1tably than here
tofore.
AS winter approaches We are 70 sup
pose that the farmer has stored his
corn in the crib, hay in the NOV, po-
tatoes, pumpkins, apples, etc, IN the
cellar; canned corn, canned fruit,
canned beans, and dried fru' is in the
pantry. He ought to have some fat
hogs in the pen to be killed later. Do
not kill all of them at once. but kill at
intervals so as to have fresh offal all
along, that is if you eat hog meat.
If he has not already a good supply
Of wood prepared, he should attend o
it at once.
1t would appear to some that the
farmer has nothing to do now but sit
by a big fire, eat, sleep, drink and be
merry. But he can find plenty to do.
If he has not already sheltered every
piece of machinery, he ought to see
Ethat they are cleaned and bolts tigE-
tened up, many of the parts oiled with
kerosene and put under shelter at.
once. If he has not enough of shelter,
now would be a good time to build
lmore; also build chicken houses, hog
houses, chicken yards, hog yards 10
fact all the farm fencing should be
done now, and do not be afraid Of
building too many.
I should have said that all the land
he expects to plant in crops next year
that is now growing some green or
cover crop, should be broken coed and
.1dtep before Christmas, that is if he
lives near Guilford college. He
should manage to make all the manure
he possibly "a by keeping his stalls
we'll bedded and stock in the shelter.
Everybody raised on the farm should
learn to use saw and hammer, and il
, would be better also to be able to Wort
III the smith shop. It has been sail
that a m~anthatW was Jack7at-ah-trade'
was not successful at any But sa!
s that a farmer must be able to do al
s kinds of work t be a successful farm
g er; for if he expects to succeed he can
not AFFORD to hire his work done. !
e carpenter will cost you from $f.50-t
o $3.50 a day; a painter $500 to. $3.50
b concrete or cement 4oc an hour, an
50 on. / will make the assertion tina
n the only farmers that are maxim
. money or are living we'll are thos
l. who do their own work.
d Some one may ask what has vthi
er go to do with winter problems on tn
,e farm, for l am too old to earn how t
is do these things now. But l want
impress the fact that while we are 81
ting around the fire these cold ic
le days and long nights we should b
er reading and thinking, thinking en-
TO plastic thinking. 1t is a good way
1I have a book in your pocket so in wall
sh ing around your place when you see
lie thing that needs doing as repairin
re lot it down, then when you run OF
OR a job just refer to your book. HAY
rr a place for everything and keep ever.
al tb;ng in it's place. Try to make yoI
l9 house and barn yards more convel
le .ent, more attractive each year. II
lie, can apply a little paint to your hous
L and if you can't paint, you can whit
en- wash, which adds greatly to he Loo
he and health. l have heard it said tn
&C. the back yard is an index to the cha
he acter of the man that owns the hous
er The farmer has not thought enoug
he Read more, think more. l don't me;
tie to read all the newspapers that mig
il come to you; for a great many of the
IN are not worth reading. But read 1T
eft Progressive Farmer) a few good ag
er, cultural papers, the bulletins til
treat of your special kind of farmi
which are free of cost, our chur
,er paper, the Sunday School Times, t
red Pathfinder or Literary Digest. Re
.ng them and study them and you will
a pretty well educated VIII
hat you are doing all the things I ha
vas alluded to, don't forget to go to chur
u to Sunday school, to your Farm'
Union, citizens club, and make yor
md self as useful as you can"