LECTURES AND ESSAYS READ AT INSTITUTES. 239 



prudent farmer has taken time by the forelock. The season may be wet or 

 dry, favorable for this crop, unfavorable for that. Climatic influences may 

 oblige him to modify his plans in some of the details; but he will not find it 

 difficult to do this, or at least he can change his plans to suit changed con- 

 ditions without great loss. And his work goes on without jar or friction. 

 Self-reliant and independent, he drives his work. Thought and economical 

 adjustment of time and labor make him master of the situation. How dif- 

 ferent from him who blunders along in a hap-hazard way, always tormented 

 by the thought of labor pressing and demanding attention. A piece of work 

 is begun; but before completion something else demands attention. So 

 everything on the farm soon resolves itself, under such mismanagement, into 

 a condition void of order and comeliness; things drift, and there is disorder, 

 vexation, loss. Everything indicates the absence of competent, economical 

 supervision. Too often these results are attributed to bad luck, unpropitious 

 weather, and indeed everything but the true reason, viz., a lack of economi- 

 cal management. 



Again, what is economy in the purchase, care, and use of implements? With 

 the variety of implements for performing almost every conceivable kind of 

 labor which Yankee brains and ingenuity has given us, it is a matter of much 

 moment to the farmer to decide how much and what kinds of machinery he 

 can use to advantage. Machines are made to sell. While all may have some 

 desirable feature, it will not be economy to purchase every machine that is 

 oSered, and not every one that promises to be a labor saver. The farmer 

 should graduate his purchases by the amount and kind of his labor, never for- 

 getting that a large outlay for farm machinery will entail more or less of loss in 

 friction and breakage. On a small farm costly machinery may often be hired 

 for much less than the annual interest on its purchase money. The purchase 

 of farm implements evidently will give play for the exercise of sound economy. 

 It will direct us when we purchase to buy the best implements, to be quite sure 

 they will do the work we want done ; not because an advertisement or agent, 

 or ten of them say so, but because with our own hands we have managed and 

 our own eyes have seen their perfection of work. Good farmers buy machin- 

 ery only after fair and thorough trial; and reliable dealers, having good imple- 

 ments, usually sell them in this way. I am not urging this practice to the 

 extent, to which, I regret, some contemptibly mean people resort, of securing 

 a machine on trial to cut their grass or wheat, or to do the sewing of the family 

 for a year, and then return to the uncanny agent with some feigned complaint 

 of its failure. 



That the farmer may be rightly economical in his purchases he must keep 

 posted on new machines — improvements to old ones. Only the reading farmer 

 can do this, and so it is safe to say that the well informed farmer is the one 

 whose implements indicate wisdom in selection and purchase. 



The economical use of implements demands a moment's consideration. It 

 is not economy to put implements away with parts broken and needing repair, 

 and then in a busy season have to spend a day perhaps in securing fixtures. 

 Economy on the farm enforces this rule, that all breakages are to be repaired 

 at the first opportunity. If a tooth is broken out of a hand rake put it in ; 

 don't lay it away thinking, well, I'm through with it for this year. If a cast- 

 ing is broken or worn in the mower, take it to the shop and have it put to 

 rights before it is placed in winter quarters. It pays. Implements are always 

 ready to use when this is the rule. Then keep all cutting tools bright and 

 sharp. Many a boy has become disgusted with gardening, in his first lessons, 



