Oxford Democrat., 1920-06-29
AMONG THE FARMERS.
"sPEnD THE PLow."

"sPEHD THE PLow."
haylng.
This single word of heading means 9
great deal to the people Of Oxford Coun
ty, and In the past has meant more thar
1t does at present. Haying once was the
hardest, worst and longest job Of the
year on Maine farm. That was before
farmers had moving machines, tedders,
horse rakes and horse forks.
In the days spoken of, 1t was either q
solitary mower with bending back and
sweating body, swinging grass hook,
or 1t was several of them. A musician
was once asked what was better than q
fiddle and he said a hundred of them
80 most swingers of the soythe would
readily admit dozen mowers we're bet
ter than one because the dozen would
be able to finish disagreeable job
lquicker.
Then dozen mowers added q certain
grim humor to the task. The game had
to be played according to boyle as we'll
as the gentler art of whist. It was run
q great deal as railroads are now only
just opposite-that is, first In, last out.
The man who headed the line of NOW.
ers on the first swath took bis place in
the rear on the second and so on, and
when the strongest and most skillful
mower of the "bunoh" took bis place in
the rear there was weeping, wailing,
| gnashing of teeth and narrowing of
swaths, because 1t was considered per-
missible, justifiable and even laudable to
cut man out of bis swath or cut of bis
heels. He was allowed to take his
choice and 1t is to be hoped that his
judgment was always superior to bis
pride.
There was the slowing away of the
hay In barns. The man with most
strength prided himself upon the quick.
ness with which he could load or un-
load rackful of hay, which meant the
size OF the forksful be could handle.
Then the slowing away of the hay In the
lofts Of the barns! Originally they we're
built without light or ventilation and
those working in this elevated space suf-
fered all the agonies of the damned.
|
oppressive, and the odor-well, If poets
had to stow away hay in one of these
lofts there would be less output of verse
on the sweetness OF the breath of new
mown hay.
A farmer looking at q field OF grass
professionally enjoys a heavy, even
stand OF herds grass or redtop, among
which there appears no weeds, and the
ground upon which it grows smooth as
house floor; but In the old days, be-
| fore the advent of the moving machine
this was the hardest of all grass to cut.
One naturally would suppose the con.
tinuous, even swing of scythe would
be easier than the more chopped up cut.
ting around cradle knolls and punches of
bushes, but such is not q fact. It has
been said that man with violin could
cause bridge to fall just by regularity
of rhy thm; and regularity of swing In q
scythe will fall man sure enough If be
keeps on long enough. Irregularity of
cut, however, rests.
As has already been said, the ideal
hay field is one which has been culti-
vated and dressed until not a weed or
bush ppears-nothing but thick, even
stand of domestic grass; but such field
lacks the interests of the meadows of
our childhood, which were resplendent |
with all floral hues-mostly white and
yellow-a kind of combination Of butter |
and eggs, or rather mixture of daisies |
and buttercups-but there were other |
colors and plants. Yellow lilies would |
nod above the foul meadow grass, and
on the edges of the field near the bush. |
bordered fence would ascend Jacobs |
ladder which was not dream of a grass |
hopper's heaven but q reality. Through |
clumps of bushes, hsrdhacks with white |
and rose colored blossoms, members of
the rose family, but scientifically labeled |
spir@a; alders and willows, underneath |
which the bobolinks and sparrows would |
nest and In which yellow jaoketed wasps
would also nest. The first are interest
ing, especially to boys, and ss to the
second, Bull Run never had anything on
farmer fleeing from an army OF wasps.
The grass in these meadows was ma
ture's own. Leave field to itself and
1t will grow into forest; cut the forest
off and grass will spring up. One is the
opposite of the other, and the two are
continuous performance. Maybe there
Is no such thing as perpetual motion in
mechanics but there is nothing else In
nature.
But these fields have gone in the in
terests of scientific agriculture, and
along with them the old tools with
accompanying backache and body.sweat
and the farmer bids fair to overturn that |
Biblical statement that In the sweat of
bis brow shall he earn or rather raise his
bread.
Daniel Webster, In bis college days,
hired himself out to farmer during the
summer vacation to earn money to pur-
sue his education. 1t was haying time
when he appeared In the field of his
employer. He was given tools to pur-
sue the work, and among other things a
scythe and snath and told to hang It as
be liked. He hung II 10 an apple tree.
By this act Daniel got the reputation of
being q lazy farmer; but later genera
tions Of the same calling have come to
the conclusion he had something under |
bis hat besides politics and oratory, and
have followed suit. That is they have
hung their scythes In apple trees and
bought moving machines.
It is said the first man to buy q NOW.
ing machine In this section of the coun.
try was Edmund G. Millett of Minot, and |
people visited his farm for miles around
to see this wonder. One of the earlier,
If not first agents, for the sale of now
ing machines In this part of the country |
was Colonel William SWEET, who lived
on the hill overlooking South Paris.
When he began to sell them there were
OF prospective purchasers enough, be-
cause few farmers owned them; but to-
day the farmer without q moving ma.
chine 10 as hard to find as the proverbial
needle in the haymow; and with the
adoption Of this machine and the others
which It's use makes necessary, has gone
all the romance of the bayfield, and con-
verted 1t into big f0ctory.
AQUARIUs.