{ title: 'The Otsego farmer. (Cooperstown, N.Y.) 1885-1910, September 18, 1886, Page 1, Image 1', download_links: [ { link: 'http://www.loc.gov/rss/ndnp/ndnp.xml', label: 'application/rss+xml', meta: 'News about NYS Historic Newspapers - RSS Feed', }, { link: '/lccn/sn87070110/1886-09-18/ed-1/seq-1/png/', label: 'image/png', meta: '', }, { link: '/lccn/sn87070110/1886-09-18/ed-1/seq-1.pdf', label: 'application/pdf', meta: '', }, { link: '/lccn/sn87070110/1886-09-18/ed-1/seq-1/ocr.xml', label: 'application/xml', meta: '', }, { link: '/lccn/sn87070110/1886-09-18/ed-1/seq-1/ocr.txt', label: 'text/plain', meta: '', }, ] }
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, isuol’iéher. H. 4. RUSSEL A FARM AND FiRESiDE JOURNAL— COOPERSTOWN N Y., SATURDAY SEPTEMBER 18 ©1886. bu TYO chumstisfacwrfg'T—idencfiivhat' does msount‘exminnflnnfihe—plms—nr . The Farmer to the Post. _. ~> Written expressly for the Orerao Famxzn, 6 ay smox® mor. / \You Poots seem to be in msudly strife 'To see who'll loudest sing of ural life, You farming call not work, but \pleasing toll,\ CC \ . » '¥gur very barshest phrasd is \tll the soll.\ One sings: \The fields and flocks have many . charme .> “For him that gazes and for him that farms - From: boyhood even up to hoary age, The farmer's life is one unbloted page.\ _The farmer's.rustlo manners he extols, And twangs his lyre, and sings of overall. - One marshals all the gentus at command, \To paint tho benuty of his callosed band. «How- skillfully and. deft thy does ho trace. 'The lings of beauty on his sun-burned face ! Up rises he, all in the- dewy morn, And \Joound goes afield\ to plant his corn- \At noon-tide idly sits beneath the shade, And laughs, and quaffs his mug of alo (home made.) > Aton, in winter, sits before the fire, \Nor dares the snow idmounting higher snd higher; - His pips in mouth, within his hand a glass, 'While round gud round the cakes and older pass. Who wouldn't be a Jolly farmer, pray? And sleep all night, and half the day ? For don't you, Roet, sing: Their Jabors done, The swains with games play down the sitting sun.\ Ts 'treally sof | Are farmers of that I1? 'Or do they work till darkthen go and milk? T love to hear you sing, oh 1 Post, gay; . Now list to what s farmer has tomay? \'The flooks havo gharms,\ and I deny It not, But don't they, Post, also have the rot? And, Post dear, why is 't you nover sing Of black birds that aro over on the wing ? *'Uprose the awan all in the dewey morn,\ He had to shool.those birds to save his corn- Is 't joy to hear these words? | \Thatlittle bill,\ Fearing the while your buckwheat will not fill? And is it Joy and happhtiess complete 'To know the weovil's gnawing at your whent? Of course \there's beanty in the fragrant hop,\ But where's the fan In raising half a crop? | Or where's the joy of selling at a price Your neighbor Hayseed doubles once or twice ? At noon:tide, hey, the farmer Idly snores? It seems to me he has to do some chores. He \frolics thro' the winter.\ . Is It sof Or does he have to wallow thro' the snow ? You boastof peusaut's pipes. Woll, peosantsnow Smoke pipes of clay and plod behind the plow. But, Post, why dost fret, and fume, ond frown? This \plain unvarnished tale,\ has put yoil down. OH Post dear, that pleture nd'er was einde That all was light-you've ot to have some shade, You blithely sing of country life and shout, Because you know not what you sing about. Dear Poot, you'd a brother who's boon dead. Home fifty years or more-George Crabbe. said: --\the muses sing of happy swalns o Because the muses never, nover know their prin.\ He “II: who makes Lio blades of 5mm Io grow where but one grew before, is a nublic benefactor.\ ¥eminisconces of Form Life of Olden Timos, Stories, &c.---No. 34, expresslyfor Tur Orazao Fanxen, wy in BAKE?» AmICULTURAN, Farna, 'This paper is designed to show In part the benefits and influence of agricultural fairs. They are indicative of continued growth in our country. | Within our mem- oty they have arisen from mere nothing, ¢o one of the established institutions among dil our people. * In 1860, previous to the \'great war,\ over six hundred fairs were hold in the \AUnited States. | Their effect and influence fncreases with each increasing year; and well it may. Progress is hot backward, but by continued advancement. | It would be impossible to give an estimate of the beneficial influence of such fairs as u de- veloping aud progressive power. 'Without comparisons, it is imyossible to ideas of the value .of the dif- ferent breeds of yarious kinds of animals. The samo is trae of -agricultural {mple ments and machinery. . So too with all the arts of household economy sud the. pro- 'duets.of the farm, the orchard and the gar- - dlem, * Each person engaged in his or her own peculiar way .of doing household work, or wif -gaising.of fruit or vegetables or grain, ho falls fa keep himsel? or herself inform- a of others—and of the im- f oedby‘ father or mother, butvery joving, advancing world |é alspecnlisflyfitted to bal- Because ‘his' father didso, but heis p R WWMQW of his age * Mm unlypnhktmdn ‘iogahermeprodmmeskflhthe . mgr)“, « Abo-maghifts,.. the: implé nct _| own sphere in life.: 1 thing ftsolf. So it As with Information we- obtain at - fairs, compared with 'that contained in pe- «| riodicals and \books Not but what all the information-we can.obtain. fromm these and all other relfable sources arg. essenifal, im- portnnt, and-even necmary, buf: after our- reading, how much better\ do we, under- standflndfnjoy-rpersomi—etaminsfion of the thing.described., 'Our reading lias pre- pared us for. the better appreciation and * understanding of what we gee. It too ex cites our curiosity and' onrletyto ourself see the things described. ' Who would not enjoy & close but safe view of the - Tong-talked-of but not noted \sea serpent?\ 'Who would fail to gaze «with both worider and awe upon a volcano? 'Who would not Aen_joy a look at the noted \Mount Shasta?\ - Who, without emotion, can stand where the splendor and majesty 'of Ningara is before- him. 'True, these.and' and thousands of other wonders ate far apart and many of us will forever heve to he content without personally viewing or examining them, but not so with the won- ders of. our own towns, counties or State. These annually occurring fairs give all an opportunity, with but little loss of time and slight expense, to view and . fully ox- amine hundreds of things more useful to us than would be a life's examination of the wonders above named. What we view ata good fair, oomes directly within our We can see, appreci- ate aud improve by it. We here obtain subject matter for afterthought and consid- eration. Here are generated ideas upon which we may improve. Here are seen subjects for future thought and future en- joyment. ' Many valuable inventions have here had their inspiring ideas. Many a household improvement can to them betraced. Many a new machine here had its inception. A congregation of machines in those places has given rise to many valuable fmprove- ments. We bave known men who were engaged in the manufacture of farm im plements, who by attending the State frirs were enabled thus to keep in advance of all their competitors, and thereby lead in their business and profits, besides at the same time benefitting all their patrons by supplying them with the best. Much of the progress made in the im- provement of stock, in borses and swing, {n poultry, in farm implements, in house hold roatters, in short in all we consume and all we need, may be traced to such lo- cal or State fairs, | It is here thut the spirit of enterprise and rivalry has its rise. | Itis here that the opportunity for comparison and thus successful improvement, can be had. Itis hore we can see the faults or the superior qualities of our neighbore' productions over our own. The person who gains nothing of value 'by such opportimitics is dull indeod. Buch nre only fit to travel in old ruts, to contin- ue in old ways, and ~remain stationery while the world advances around them. Ob, these fairs are so wicked, says the over-sanctimonfous and over-wise. Truc, a fair, even if all proper precautions he adopted and fully enforced, till among its mumbers contain the evil as well as the good. 'The ignorant as well as the wise. The poor as well as the rich. The ugly as well as the pretty. Bat for all that, none of these things need wotk to the Injury of muy, but rather fo the goad of-all. 'The Influence for good and not for evil should in all such placés prevail. The way to se- cure such end is for the good and the mor- al to give them countenance and. support, nad. insist upoo having no immorality ar lowed upon the grounds. - Tins is the way to elevate the standard and improve the morals of all such gather Ings and associations. 'Where suceess is expected, the moral elements nad princiv ples must prevail, be sum‘inedl Kobe“ plice exists to ex- : and show the No more inspiring place for such results all the evidences and implements of do- mestic life.' IB, order, that the exinbxflons at a' fair may produce by contrast and the best possible. results, 'exhibitors where | circumstances favor, should not be content withan exhibition'of only the best of the | kinds and species presented. They should also take some of the common or ordinary of the like breeds and- kinds, that the full bengfits-of extrs pains and care may\ bo seen by actual contrast; 'This is the sure way to show tho full benefits 'of improve- ments sought. We can well remember when the aver- age amount of butter produced 'from & cow was less than one hundred pounds an- nually, How would our modern dairy men be satisfied with such ;esnits? Then: add to that the fact that the price was from eight to twelve cents per pound and tien the contrast is still more augmented. . It'ls by care, by- the improvement of breeds and by extra skill in the manipu- lations of their products, that the: dairy cows of to-day often quadruple such former productions. . Itis too, the superi- or quality of the article made, which has tended to so much increase its price and demand, . The man who imagines that in the products of the dairy, the culmination point for success-has even now been reach- ed, is an unbeliever in progress and suc- cessful'advancement. When we reach that point, we will all be ripe enough to harvest, Our days of im- provement passed, Our success come to an end. Our advancement cease, Then we as a people, will start upon a downward grade.\ Higher civilization, instead of be- ing attained must give place to the lower and retrograding,> Ate we réady for the change? | Are we sutisfied with the ad- vancements, and improvements thus far made? Nay, rather let us continue to travel the higher road, the ways of im- provement and progress until the possible highest attainments in all the varied forms of life's. advancement be reached. The changes of the past for the better, is evidence of the room and opportunity for still greater improvements in the future. 'We are far from the summit of progress in all the arts of civil and social advancement. Botter results and better rewards are in store for-future efforts in agricultural and mechanical skill than any yet received in the past. | With all the progress we have made, we bave only just entered upon the possibilities of an fmproved and higher social condition. - Buch is to be attained only by a more correct idea of the true aims and ends of life. 'We have been for the past, and are now lviag too much for the present and for self. - We are paying too little rogard to the welfare of those who are to succeed us. We are exbaustlng the sofl in many places instead of improving and increasing its products. | We are diminishing our springs nnd streams fustead of adopting measures for their continuance and durability. - We are Inviting winds and dovastating storms, instead bf maintaining protection against them, - We are sending our soil abroad in our graios and meats, and other products, instead of building up home markets, and thus retaining the fertility of our lands up- on our own shores, We are often guilty of polluting the pure mir of heaven and thus-bringing upon ourselves and families discass and death. Until we learn | wisdom, -and, remedy theso and numerous other unnamed phys teal, as well as moral evils, our mission on earth is but poorly completed. - Our work but poorly done. - Our aims and ends in life but poorly nccomplished. - The fields - | for future improvement and their pressing neccessity, Increase with each passing year, Our duties to society for its advancement their condilians. Précepts backed by pure | ght in mogals. So too 14 tlie practical arts of life, and domestic:economy.. : is by contact with others, and uhity C to ammmwdnl and moral. ad- i} h ians made. Itisnouheggbt- S1 Mneafinmofing. E we. , mm wrongful-id our good.. 'It should :be printed and on hand ready for. sale as soon as delivered. Many who-hearlt: will purchase a copy for future perusal. Many who fail to hear it, will thus leatn its instructive, encouraging les- sop; of the avails of the fair should be.used , to s¢ uch carefully prepared address, and for its publication (Many: times, its sale would. compenéntwfor— its cost. . Its perusal afterwards would be tho- munin source of its lasting benefits. is ever necessary for our best good.. A conversion to any cause | by: impulse is generally a very imperfect‘trausncliou tellectual improvement and uncontrovert, ible reasoning, is seldom a-failure for good [results. County and town fairs, and the support they. receive, and the ericoutragement they mest are the best possible: evidence of the advancement and progress of such town or county. 'Where thoy are not sustained, improvement fs either on the standstill, or else retrograding has already commenced. Most probably the latter. It is the live, the active and the progressing, that give them support and sustenance everywhere. No, better evidence,need be given of the prosperity and enterprise of any «people than can be obtained fromm their support of their local fairs. Itis here they have an opportunity to show their interest in their avocation. It is here: they evidence, their success. Itis herethey can demon- strate their improvements and thus exhibit and display their stock, their implements, their products, and their worthiness for patronage and. support. As an advertis ing mediuin it has no equal. As 'a place for the exhibition of one's products, it is unsurpassed. Itis here we look for the best of all the things produced in the region round about it. Many are the men who can trace' their first real success to their exhibition of their products to a fair, We once knew a man who exhibited thus an ox yoke and bows of superior workmanship and formation. It was years nyo when oxen were almost universally used for farm work, The re- sult was his orders for stich yokes were al- most unlimited, and was the foundation of a competency. The same may be told of thousnuds oven within our own state. success untess they deserve it, by pursuing an npright moral course in the managing of their fairs, So soom as they become the place for gambling, drinking god. similar vices they are doomed. And they should be. The good of society demands the un- qualified exclusion of all such vicious in- jurious practices, not only from all such nesemblages, but from society at large. They, one and all should be universally frowned from existence. It would be difficult to conceive or sus- tain a fair which did not in some form have agriculture for its base, The suc cess of all such fnstitutions are dependént upon it. Its success is their success. Its failure their fallure. Its products thelr chief source of exhibition, All others be- ing but tributary \Hence their universal importance, and necessity. It will bo a sad day for our country when local fairs cense to be supported and become n thing of the past. We can hardly conceive of such a state of socfety, such a retrograde movement, such a step back- ward. We rather look for their con- tinued increaso in importance, influence, and universal support. That they will be soin the future, we have no reason to doubt. - Social, civil, and financfal progress | alike demand it. Society, or rather its individual members, are so.consiltuted' that days of recreation examples, the true way to teachimprové- a pet! [Will notheed 1t\\ But that lessens not in | than-atmong-slt-this-vast- congregation offlfieast‘iis—importance—oflw-missiozrfor—fm Homor: Mm. (Brough the \Line upon ling and precept upon precept\ | 'While & change of views, by reason of in-} No agricultural society need hope for |n Sad good, do not dinclnish only as wo berter | abd rest ntea necessily. . Tf thay cvenired [#> firmwcfima; medium . of your valuable: paper, to ask the attention of tliosg farmers who were #0 forbtnate this year, as to have a part of a crop of haps. The ingantic mischief, worked by the dollar-pound hops in. the |« latter part of 1882.and the eariypsrt of 1888, should not- be repeated. It is dif- cult to imagine what greater misfortune That some persons can handleige than others cannot be deni not be driven with a whip or ffigl; with loud words or furious gest A .ong.can easily. find out-by t lug, [eould have befell the farmers\ of who make hops their sole dependence, If any one doubts the unstable condition of the affairs of many farmers in the hop dis- tricts, Just let him step into an adjoining district where dairying is. strictly adhered 'to. The lamentable waits of. that sehson, entailing bardships upon many farmers, and requiring a great many years of rigid. industry and close calculation to complete a recovery, may be summarized as follows: 1. Brewers were driven to the use of substitutes, thereby lessening the demand ly profitable venture on their part. 2. A large increase in screage, stimulat- ed by high prices. part of many farmers; to make purchases before disposing of their products, the prospect of high prices 'warping their bet- tor judgment, 4. The vast amount of hops retained in the hands of growers, thereby working a great source of disadvantage in the realiz- ation of prices for crops that followed. . When a good, fair price for hops is es tablished, growers should not insist upon hoidin‘g their products, but let them surely and «gradually pass into the hands of the consumers, and we predict that next season the storehouses and brewers' lofts will present an empty appearance, thereby providing fair sailing for the crop of 1887. B. Saving Seed Corn, My plan has always been to save seed corn before frosts, and 'to gather it before eold weather. I always try to save asuf- ficient quantity for my own mse, at least, and have no trouble in securing good vital ity by selecting early and taking pains to dry thoroughly before storing away. My experience is that if corn is ripe, and is gathered before it is injured by hard frost, and then is carefully dried before storing away, and is kept dry, bard. freezing will iojure its vitality, while it is very egsily maged by frost or freezing. either before or after storing away, if damp. I store in tight boxes, so that the rats and mips cap- not get into it, and keep under a goog shelt- ez, so as to be sure of keeping it dry. I find it not only necessary to ingure suffi- cient vitality to germinate, but | wanta strong, vigorous plant, and this caunot be secured unless considerable pains are taken to gather at the right time, dry thoroughly and store away carefully. My plan is to select good-sized, well formed ears, with as large grain and as small cob as possible, wellfiled at both tip and butt, If two or more such ears can be found on one stack take the top ear. Secure a lerger quantity than you will need, so as to be sure of enough, and then you can still makes closer selection by taking the best of what you have saved, I find that it takes considerable pains to save the very best seed corn possibile in the fall. Take puins to dry as thorouglily and then store carefully away, then you are reasonably sure that when you plaut your com will grow.-[Cor. Inflioth‘Enl-‘mcr. 4-4 Roots im Pm Innoswer to a correspondent we sould zay, that roots can be kept in pits. It is|« the cheaper way to do if a building mast be provided, which ofr correspondent says [is the caso with him; If it is mangolds, $. 'The unwarrantable practice, on the | dig them after: the first frost, throw therd | 4 manipulated with perfect ease. 's Bees when swarming are goo and gentle, because just before; théir journey, which may last fill themselves with honey, quently in an amiable rage man after a heart for hops, although it did not prove a high- | initi result is smoke, Blow a pufl of suioke in © at the entrance of the hive, and you will see the beeg rush .forthe honey cells, and: ~ diving its head foremost, soon theif dis- © tended bodes show. them to be full of ~ \° honey.. The hive.can they be qpened and. any neccessary work be: done with np fear of stings, provided the operator keeps cool and. works carefully. Bhould the bees at-any time-show a dis: posltion to leave the tops of the comb and' fy, give them another puff of smoke, and , they will at once become quict.' In like munner they can be driven as far as netess . sary. Bellows smokers, consisting of & <> tin receptacle for tif fuel, attached to and having connection «with the bellows, aro sold by all dealers in apiarian supplies at prices varying from 50 cents to $2, and are indispensible in an apiary. Rigs and punk are both used for fuel and make good fuel.-[J. E. Hyde.. ----«#4@~--_... Poultry ¥mprovement. The requirements of pure bred poultry | are constantly growing more and more ita: perative in their demand by the. -people generally-thefarmer as well as the fancier, The tendency of competition certainly?— onstrates 'this to be an sigo of, necessity. adopted, and the administrative the financier must, therefore; teat, Burely avery one wilt agree that the profits in my bustness are greater or smalls er, according to the management of that business, and we should therefore tral - ourselves to avold all the mistakes and ca- lamities that have proved & disadvantage toward success. 'The breeding of fancy | poultry is certainly as much a business as banking, etc., ond there- fore needs the attention and special train> Ing to make it a success, the same.as any . . other business. If possible, let us in the future make our past success doubly suc cessful by the exercise of greater fhtelli~ gence .greater care, and closer attention to: all the requirements essential to that sic- cess. Thero are thousands of business, men who~can readily see that they have. 'only. themaelves to. reproach for this waste of time and resources, and in makinzt . _._
