Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1914-09-15
Getting the Eyes Open to Facts.

Running round for a few days away
from home, came across farmer who
has had some experiences that are wOrtt
while. got him to tell me about them
He WAS bit backwar about coming
forward at first. wonder il that is moi
the way with most men who have dOnt
things in this world? But after he gO'
started he put the vim into his story; ut
doubt about that!
There isu't much of 1t to tell. just
got my eyes open, that's all; you know
| it takes quite little while tO do that
sometimes"
"My! should think SO! Why, know
of gray headed men who are fumbling in
the dark now, just the same as they did
forty or fifty years ago. Wonder whyf
four percent milk. Terrible, wasn't IL?
1t took at most seasons of the year not
lar from twenty eight pounds of milk ia
make q pound OF butter. The worst OF
it was, did not know which were my
good cows and which were my poor
ones. / think now none Of them were
very good II there had been one really
good COW in the lot she would have
brought my test up somewhere near
what it ought to have been.
"Along about that time heard OF a
man that was getting pound of butter
out Of sixteen pounds of milk. he lived
not far away from me and had lot OF
Jerseys. | used to look at them as /
drove past his place aud think they look
ed pretty good, but / never thought /
would have any like them. But | stop
ped and talked with that man one day
and be told me he would sell me thor
oughbred bull calf for $40. That was q
big pile of money to pay for a young calf
in those days, but paid it and took the
calf home.
"He wasn't worth a cent-something
was wrong with his makeup. l never
got a single calf from him. 1t rather
took the tuck out OF me to be brought
up standing that way; but sometimes il
is good thing for fellow to have his
head knocked against the wall few
times. Stirs up his ideas little.
"The next bull l got was a seven
eighths Guernsey, and he was beauty
Kind as kitten, and we got some nice
calves from him. That blood is in the
herd yet, and good IT any of the neigh.
bors have some of it ton. never charg-
I'd neighbor anything for the use of my
bull. Maybe that does not seem like
business to folks that think the money
is everything.
"My test began to 60 up when those
heifers got into the harness. Today my
herd as a whole tests the best Of any
bOdy's that goes to our creamery.
Worth while? should say SO; but am
not more than just started. II nothing
happens, I'm going to show the folks
some cows one of these days!
Zone of the good things about this Is
that it makes the whole farm better. /
know that sounds queer; but it is fact
just the same. A man gets some we'll
bred stock on the place and he wants
other things to correspond-better barns,
better crops and all that. I actually be-
lieve my farm is worth more than 1t
would have been IL had kept on in the
old rut. / know it is. in fact. And
what is more it makes more of a man OF
a fellow when he gets his dander up to
do things."
Don't We all know that Is right? A
man steps off better when things are 60
ing we'll on the farm. he holds his head
up higher and is not afraid to take hard
jobs by the handle. But there good are
many men who have not yet gotten their
eyes open. Wonder il they ever will?