WASTES AND WANTS OF THE FARM. 575 



better, is the wasting of a certain amount of labor far either the man who handles them, or 

 the team that draws them. It is, therefore, poor economy to furnish implements that are 

 ill adapted to perform the work with facility to hired help, since the full value of the money 

 expended for such labor is not realized in return. 



It is not good management to use inefficient tools, when by a little extra expenditure for 

 suitable ones, from a third to a fourth more labor might be performed in the same time. 



The farmer who persists in using the old-fashioned cradle in harvesting his grain, instead 

 of a good reaper, involves the waste of both labor and grain, since with a good reaping- 

 machine that implement and horses could easily and quickly perform what would require a 

 great amount of labor and time when done by hand. In order to economize labor and time, 

 the best implements and methods should always be employed in every department of farm 

 labor. 



Borrowing Tools. The practice of borrowing farm tools is one that is quite too com 

 mon in some section^; more especially in those localities where small farms are cultivated. 

 To such an extent is this practice followed by some farmers, that the larger portion of the 

 work performed on their farms is done with borrowed implements. Such borrowers usually 

 apply to their neighbors for favors with some such remark as, &quot;Are you going to use your 

 cart to-day? &quot; or, &quot;Are you using your horse-rake? &quot; seeming to take it for granted that if not 

 in use by the rightful owner, it is their right to appropriate all such farm implements to their 

 own benefit. It is not infrequent that farm tools, by constant lending, are worn and broken 

 more by the borrowers than by the owner. The impertinence of such borrowers is often truly 

 astonishing. We know of one man who positively refused to return a borrowed tool until he 

 was through with it himself, when it was sent for by the owner. The man who will constantly 

 depend upon his neighbors for those things that are essential upon every well-regulated farm, 

 must indeed possess a mean and selfish disposition, and but little of the true spirit of manliness. 

 But setting aside the meanness of the practice, it is certainly not a good policy to spend time 

 and run the risk of disappointment in hunting up tools on neighboring farms, that should be 

 always at hand and ready for use. It is generally the case that those who have so little self- 

 respect as to be constantly dependent upon others, have at the same time too little honor and 

 principle to return the articles borrowed in proper time; hence, those who are frequently 

 being applied to for such favors have generally, in addition to the annoyance occasioned by 

 the breakage and wearing out of their tools by others, the additional one of looking up and 

 bringing back the borrowed articles. 



Although we believe in acts of neighborly kindness, and in accommodating others to a 

 reasonable extent, yet such constant borrowers should be taught the lesson of honesty and 

 self-dependence by either a charge of a stipulated price for the use and breakage of tools, or 

 by a prompt refusal to loan. 



Lack of Care of Farm Implements. In addition to slovenly management gen 

 erally on the farm, might be mentioned the neglect to take proper care of farm implements, 

 such neglect often causing greater injury to them than all the wear in performing the work 

 for which they are adapted. 



There are some farmers who are very careful respecting their expenditures of money, 

 talk of hard times and the necessity of practicing economy, never purchasing anything except 

 what they consider absolutely essential, but who will leave valuable farm machines out in the 

 open field, exposed to the weather for months, without a thought of the waste thus incurred. 

 Plows, harrows, mowing-machines, horse-rakes, reapers, carts, wagons, etc., are left where 

 their use*in work happens to stop for the season, and there they remain exposed to the rains, 

 mows, and hot sun until they are wanted the following season, when they are then looked up 

 for that purpose. It is unnecessary to state that such negligence will cause more injury to 



