Proceedings of the Farmers' Club. 297 



pliable, and preventing shrinking and stretching, and attacks of 

 vermin. 



Dr. J. C. V. Smith. — I think this an important matter. I should 

 like an oil that will prevent water from soaking through boots, but 

 I have never yet seen any. 



HOME EMPLOYIVIENT. 



IVIr. "W. Winestead, Defiance, Ohio. — Before I bought a farm, I 

 was a carpenter, and, having a chest of good tools, I let my boys, 

 as they grew up, have the use of them, taking care to caution them, 

 and if they broke anything I made them pay for it out of their own 

 money. My experience is that it was a good plan, for it kept them 

 out of mischief ; and when, at last, I was able to build a new 

 house, the two oldest could do many kinds of work well; the 

 youngest could help a good deal, and in finishing off, they worked 

 at odd spells to make cupboards and presses, which my wife likes 

 better than any other part of the house. So I say, let the boys 

 have tools. 



Mr. N. C. Meeker. — Farmers neglect this matter altogether too 

 touch. If they are poor, they can buy a few tools at a time. Let 

 the family use less tea and cofiee, and fewer fine clothes. Butter 

 and eggs will buy common tools at any good country store. Mer- 

 chants should consult the interests of their customers by bringing 

 on tools. They should consult with the very best mechanics as to 

 what kinds they should get, for wholesale merchants are on the 

 look-out to work off old-fashioned augers, screws, poor saws, ham- 

 mers, plane-bits, and the like. A handsaw worth three dollars is 

 cheaper than one worth only one dollar. Auger-bits should not 

 cost less than twenty cents a quarter. The difference between poor 

 tools and none is not great. There should be a good shop, either 

 lathed and plastered or ceiled, so that in cold, stormy weather it 

 will be comfortable, and for want of such many days will be lost. 

 It is the poorest kind of economy to have a shop which leaks, or 

 into which the storms beat. Good tools will not long remain so if 

 they get wet. There should be a tool chest to lock everything in 

 first; more to prevent the young fry from cutting their fingers, than 

 to prevent mother from lending to a neighbor, for it is cruel to 

 refuse to lend, or to make remarks about folks getting the grind- 

 stone one-sided. 



A turning lathe will be useful, and the boys can make many 

 articles of furniture; but to get models, and pick up ideas, if they 



