Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1917-07-24
Getting the Farm Work Done.

Getting the Farm Work Done.
This IL the title of Circular 76 issued
by the Agricultural Extension Service OF
the Wisconsin College of Agriculture.
It embodies the thought and experience
of Wisconsin farmer whose name 10
not given but 1t IL most valuable and
practical piece Of suggestion all the way
through. This farmer has 100 acres of
land and by his wise forethought and
planning finds 1t profitable to keep two
hired men tho year through. he says:
Every paper take up has something
In IL about the great need for more food
and guess there IL something to It, for
We must feed lot Of people In Europe
as we'll ~ our own growing population.
Naturally enough I feel the need Of
having moro to soil at the prices which
conditions seem to promise. Ihave been
thinking several cold days this spring,
a. rode the gang plow behind four big
horses, plowing sod for corn, what
could do to help out.
One of my neighbors said one day,
"Wbst's the use of plowing In such cold
weather? We are going to have . late
spring and there will be lots Of time to
plow."
KEEPS AHEAD OF WORK.
But just told him to remember how
cold It was last spring until long about
corn planting time, and how It turned
off warm and he still had to ploW bis
big sod field before be could plant It.
asked him II he remembered how the
horses on the gang plow lathered and
puffed and had to rest part of the time
because the sod had grown tough and
the weather was warm, and the horses
hadn't been hardened up by continuous
work.
l made that mistake once, too, but
you bet I won't do 1t again II keeping
the plow going whenever the ground is
fit to plow will prevent it. Those cold
days were great for plowing sod and
hardening up the horses for the summers
work.
BUSY IN FAIR WEATHER.
have been trying for several years to
work out plan that will help in getting
the work done. The great thing is to
get every thing done at the right time
and to keep the odd jobs out OF the way
Of the field work. The plan which has
been helpful to me may be useful to
others who haven't q plan "a good or
better, and II anyone has better one l
want to know about It for I'll adopt 1t at
once. believe every man who reads
this can improve the plan, and l wish he
would.
Uncertainty of the weather and the
shortness of the season In which to do
lot of things make farm management
difficult. This plan Is one for keeping
pace with the seasons and making the
most OF good weather.
FIELD WORK COMES FIRST.
Rule 1. Field work must have all the
time the weather and soil condition will
permit rs to give 1t. This is the work
which determines the amount OF food
we can grow. Nothing, except necessary
work like feeding and milking, should
be allowed to take US from the field
work and It should be planned where
possible to get the milking done and
keep the horses working ten hours day.
The best farmer Is the one who gets the
other work out of the way and keeps
the teams moving whenever the land is
in condition ior field work.
WET-LAND WORK FILLS IN.
Rule2. There is Q lot of work that I
call wet.land work; in this class falls the
cutting of weeds and brush in the fence
rows, the repairing of fences, the clean.
ing up of the wood lot, the repairing Of
buildings, the laying of concrete walks,
the digging of trenches for laying water
pipes from the we'll to the house and t.
the barn, and q score of other tasks
which should be jotted down in note
book as they are thought Of, and done
when field work cannot be done. The
rule ia: "Plau no wet-land work when
there 10 work In the field which can be
DONE"
JOBS FOR RAINY DAYS.
Rule 8. There Is . great variety Of
work which We can do under shelter and
which we should do on rainy days.
Shelling seed corn, mending the harness,
and repairing tools are typical examples.
II these matters are not cared for In
rainy weather, they are In danger Of
stopping field work just when the time
of mon and teams is worth the most. It
is necessary to have some means Of
thinking of these tasks when the rainy
days arrive or We will let these golden
opportunities slip by unimproved.
One farmer I know keeps his note
book in his pocket to jot down the tasks
which can be performed on q rainy day.
This enables him to plan quickly the
work for Q rainy day. In planning
rainy day work, do first the jobs which
are In danger of getting In the way Of
the next dry weather work. The rule
is to leave no rainy day work to be done
when 1t is not raining, for In this climate
our profits are limited by the amount of
outdoor work We get done.
WORK WITH NATURE.
We farmers work with nature and must
keep pace with her IL We are to expect
good crops. I have often thought of my
work rs ''rush work" and 'get-out-of.
the-way work.. Ny problem Is to make
ell the odd jobs which can be done most
any time OF year II get at 1t, keep ont
of the way of the field work and the
regular work In the dairy.
BUSH WORK CALLS FOR LONG DAYS.
Rule 4. Feeding and milking dairy
COWS, sowing oats, planting and Quilt
vating corn, and harvesting oats are
examples OF work which suffer II not
done ct the right time. II We neglect
our COWS We shall soon have no milking
to do. If we delay sowing oats until
tho " arm, dry days Of late spring, We
will have light harvest, and II We put Oh
cultivating corn for one week after 1t is
large enough to cultivate, the fields Will
be weedy and the crop poor. This class
of work IL rush work on my farm, be-
cause the profits depend upon doing as
much of 1t - possible. and doing 1t we'll.
In rush seasons We put In long days, ex'
pecting to ease up on rainy days or when
the rush ID over. At these rush times
We follow the rule ''do nothing to-day
which can a. well be put off until to-
morrow.
DOING GET OUT oF.THE-wAY WORK.
Rple 8. Work which We can do at any
time within wide latitude requires our
very special attention, because the time
comes when this work cannot be put ofi
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