Care of Implements. 249 



off was, and with my roller. He was man enough to put it in 

 good repair, but this was not always done when it was broken. At 

 last, I began to think I was loving my neighbors better than myself; 

 not a bad thing to do, but you know that "he that provide th not 

 for his own is worse than an infidel," and I wasn't able to provide 

 for my family nearly as well as were these friends, who were 

 wearing out my tools, and perhaps preventing me from getting 

 the benefit of them. In time, I made a rule that under any ordi- 

 nary circumstances my tools would stay at home until my own 

 crops were in or tended to, and politely informed friends to that 

 effect. When I got a manure spreader, men came here to try to 

 get it at once, men more able to buy than I, and one man told me 

 I was mean to not lend it. Well, he had always got manure out 

 by hand, but all of a sudden machinery was necessary if he could 

 borrow it if practically he could get part of his work done at my 

 expense for nothing. As he had much more money than I, I felt 

 that the meanness (?) was justifiable. One cannot afford to lend 

 such tools as a roller, spreader, planter, digger, binder, etc., and 

 have them go distances over the road and be left out doors for 

 days, or perhaps used by someone who doesn't understand them 

 and damage done. For myself I do not want to hire them out 

 either. I can better afford to keep them in perfect order for my 

 own use. I have pleasantly explained this to people for the last 

 dozen years, and now have no trouble. Of course, I wouldn't be 

 really mean. If a neighbor broke down and had a lot of men 

 waiting and wanted some tool temporarily, I would do as I would 

 be done by. A poor man would be quite apt to get anything he 

 wanted with some one to go with it perhaps. I think my neighbors 

 understand my position and think none the less of me for it. We 

 like good tools in perfect order and where we can put our hands 

 on them the moment they are wanted, and we want to keep them 

 from exposure, which cannot be done when they are constantly 

 being lent. With the exception of a horse rake the first year we 

 were on the place, I do not know as we have ever borrowed any 

 costly implement. We have gone without until we could buy. 

 For two or three years we exchanged the use of planter for that 

 of a grain drill, but soon procured a drill of our own. Two 

 neighbors own a planter together with the agreement that neither 

 shall lend it unless he goes with it. This seems to work pretty 

 well. But I prefer to own my own, and my not making a prac- 

 tice of lending or hiring them out is one reason why I can afford 

 to, and can afford all that will save me hand labor. 



One is often urged in the papers to keep his implements 

 painted. I have never done this or seen the need of it except in 

 the case of wagons. As we care for tools the original paint lasts. 

 Wagons are more exposed and should be painted often. We paint 

 them ourselves, getting some good ready prepared paint. The 

 cost of washing them up and giving a good coat of paint is very 



