Credit 



borrow on the hay crop. For any sheep or imple- 

 ments they buy at sales they omit to pay the 

 auctioneer, and this long-suffering body is often 

 foolish enough to trust them for months. Finally, 

 all their seed corn, peas, clover seed, potatoes, 

 manure, cake, horse-corn, etc., are purchased 

 on credit, if they have the right carriage and 

 enough assurance. Just before harvest they borrow 

 from some local corn-factor, who will advance 

 on the crop nearly ripe, and this pays the expenses 

 of harvesting. Everything that can be booked goes 

 down, from the harvest beer to the hire of the 

 thrashing machine and the very coal that it uses. 

 The harvest receipts pay the October rent, and 

 the balance — pays the bills? Oh no! It goes to 

 buy live stock, which they hope to make profitable. 

 As soon as the Christmas bills fall due they betray 

 a masterly inactivity, and become as unapproach- 

 able as the wiliest Boer. 



The merchant is in a difficult position : he knows 

 that a farmer is generally stable, although a 

 slow payer, and docs not wish to offend a new 

 customer. Besides, the spring is coming, and he 

 will want another order, so he is chary of pressing 

 forward and being obnoxious. Our reprobates 

 know this, and if, despite their agility, they arc 

 cornered, play their trump card. It is an extra- 

 ordinary thing that if a debtor, pressed to pay, 



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