242 Our Farming. 



is more than the necessary wear. Yes, I believe it to be a good 

 deal more. There are farmers in this county, plenty of them, 

 and good farmers, too, who lose more than fifty dollars every 

 season in this way, on tools, wagons, etc. They will own it, too, 

 when one talks with them. One of the best farmers in town was 

 looking at my covered yard once, and I was telling him what a 

 nice place it was to run tools under when you was through using 

 them, so as to not leave them out doors at all when not in use. 

 I said to him, " Now honestly, how much do you suppose your tools 

 and wagons depreciated in value last season from exposure, 

 when not in actual use?" He replied, after a moment, "Sixty dollars 

 at least, and possibly one hundred." He has a large stock, and 

 this is, no doubt, a correct estimate. When a man has gone on a 

 few years in this way, and perhaps left some implements out all 

 winter, as Southern and Western farmers are quite apt to do, I do 

 not wonder he thinks keeping up such a stock of implements as 

 I do would sink him. Unless he is making money unusually 

 fast, there is no doubt of it. But this does not prove that, with 

 proper care, a good supply of tools would not pay. 



L,et me illustrate this more particularly. I bought the first 

 manure spreader that came into these parts, and one of the first 

 made. It has always given us good satisfaction. It draws easily. 

 I would not take to-day five dollars less than the price of a new 

 one for it. If you ever come here, look and see if I am not tell- 

 ing the truth when I say it has been so well kept that it looks 

 almost as new as the day it came out of the shop. When I have 

 told visitors how many years it had been used they have said : 

 " Well, you have just got it painted new." Not at all. It is the 

 same paint that was put on before it came. It is practically a 

 new machine to-day. It is good for a lifetime of wear, as I use 

 it, and more. It has never been out in a rain or dew or in the 

 sun one hour, except when in actual use. This is the secret. 

 But now a number of spreaders were bought in this section soon 

 after I got mine. I do not know of but one that is in working 

 order to-day or that has not been used for several years. Now this 

 is a fact and worthy of consideration. These tools have gone to 

 pieces or become horse killers in a short time. One man said, 

 after using one a year or two, that w 7 hen he wanted to kill his 

 horses he would take them out and shoot them, not hitch them 

 onto that thing. Costly machinery is not advisable under such 

 circumstances. If men prefer to use much muscle instead of a 

 little care, it is their privilege, but the other way will usually be 

 the best . The spreader , of all tools , will give out the quickest when 

 left exposed to rain and sun. The floor or table, if swelled in the 

 the least, will bind and be a horse killer or refuse to go at all. 

 When mine came it was on a flat car and got rained on. When 

 I got it home it would not run. After drying out under cover it 

 went all right and it has never been wet since. I hope this may 



