Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1919-10-28
Protecting plows and Other Tools.
EVERY IMPLEMENT ON THE FARM Is
ENTITLED TO BE CARED FOB.

VWS ono VSuCE lVOts
EVERY IMPLEMENT ON THE FARM I
| ENTITLED TO BE CARED FOB.
Probably you do not believe that 9Th
sins OF the fathers are visited upon th
sons, even to the third and fourth gen
erations."
You wouldn't believe, perhaps, tha
leaving your plows and harrows 10 fepc
corners this winter without even greas
ing them may be sign that spells pov
erty instead of prosperity for your grand
son. 1t may not, but--well, listen to
story.
Two young men, brothers in-law, tool
their wives, cows, horses, and plows int
new land in 1S40. AZ pioneer farmers
they began with equal opportunities
Sixty-seveu years later the writer hal
occasion to 60 over the two farms. Th,
grsndsons Of the pioneers were operating
them. One farm was good one and the
men who operated IL, while not rich
were comfortable and contented. The
other was q rundown, poor farm and its
owners were constantly hard put tc
make ends meet.
The original owner of the rundown
farm had been dead great many years,
but the man who pioneered on the pros.
porous farm was alive, SO years old,
physically active, mentally sharp as q
briar. The writer, unable to see why
there should be so much difference be-
tween two farms that were equally fer
tile to begin with, asked the old man
how it came about.
II don't know-well, I reckon I do,
too" he began. Jimmie was q good
man, but he was mighty careless. When
be finished laying by his corn, he left his
plow In the furrow and hung his gear
on the beam or leaned them against q
stump. When he started blowing the
next spring, he had to dig his collar and
bames ont of the dirt, all muddy and
rotten, and his plow was rusty and
wouldn't scour."
Now, OF course, this old gentleman
was wrong in thinking that lack of shell
ter for his implements was the cause Of
his brothers failure, but he had pointed
out an effect that was Indicative of the
cause of his own success. The brothers.
rust-pitted mold board merely went to
show that he was poor farmer all
around.
The United States Department of
Agriculture corroborates the testimony
of the old gentleman in it's general appli-
cation. Good farmers, says the depart
ment, take care of their implements.
They may not always fnd it convenient
or profitable to build expensive sheds
for their tools, but they will manage to
protect them from moisture In one way
or another.
In this day of complicated machinery
most farmers probably give little thought
to the care of so simple an implement as
a plow. But, says the department, more
effort has been expended In the slow
process of developing this seemingly
simple tool than in that of any other i'm!
plement on the farm. It Is the basic til
lage tool, the fundamental farm imple-
ment, and 1t is richly entitled to be
cared for when not In use.
When laid by, say the implement ex.
perts, the plow should, II possible, be
stored in dry place, away from contact
with the ground. In any case the bright
parts should always be coated with
grease to prevent rust. Once the mold
board and share have become pitted with
rust, an efficient job of plowipg can not
be done uutil the corroded parts again
have acquired polish by use.
The Department Of Agriculture, of
course, does not stop with the plow In
its admonition In this regard. Harrows,
also relatively simple but tremendously
important implements, are, next to
plows, most generally neglected. Many
farmers who would not neglect an ex-
peusive harvesting machine, say the OK.
perts, are careless as to harrows and
other implements of this type. But
these, also, represent capital invested
and larger return 10 possible II they
are properly cared for at the end of the
season.
SHOULD SUPPORT HARROw's TEETH
II harrows are stored under = shed,
the teeth should be supported by blocks
or boards so that they will not become
in the ground. All accumula-
tions of earth and trash should be re-
This is especially applicable to
frame harrows. The earthly ac-
cumulations retain moisture and acceler-
ate decay. When the wooden parts have
dried out sufficiently, they should be
painted to prevent season checking and
splitting. As the harrow works In wet
sarth and close to the ground, deteriora-
ton Is rapid once checking has started.
II the disk harrow Is stored in shed
Dr. other floorless building, the disk
gangs should be run upon boards 80 the
disks will not become embedded In the
ground. Whether housed or not, the
implement should. be carefully cleaned
Of all accumulations of soil and the disks
should be CREASED with a heavy grease
TO prevent rust. The paint, particularly
On the wooden parts, should be renewed
CARE OF MOWERS
Mowers, more generally than plows
and harrows, are put under shelter, but
many of them spend the winter at the
edge of the meadow where the last cut
ting of bay was made, and In most cases
they are not properly creased even when
sheltered. Get the mower under shelter
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bar, wipe It with greasy rag, and store
in dry place. Place q block of wood
or other support under the mid-point Of
the tongue, so that 1t will not acquire a
permanent sag. II the mower Is stored
with the cutter bar In q vertical position,
place block Of wood under the shoe to
take the weight off the frame. All accu-
mutations of vegetable matter and dirt
should be removed and all bearings and
other bright parts of the machine oiled
or creased. Much the same rules apply
to reapers and binders.
The time to care for each implement
is when Its work is finished. Pressure
of other work, however, frequently
makes this inconvenient, but nothing
should be allowed to interfere with get.
ting all machinery creased, and, IL pos
sible, under cover before the beginning
of winter. Then, q early in the winter
az you can find time for 1t, 60 over every
piece and see what repairs are needed.
if new parts have to be ordered, order
them at once. A great deal of valuable
time 10 lost every spring waiting for re-
pair parts to arrive from the city.
It should be borne In mind that the
proper care of implements does not
necessarily entail the expense Of build
ing costly implement sheds. The over
head cost OF such structure often far ex-
ceeds any possible depreciation OF I'M
<h.orch avpoo nra In fha waath.