MAN WITH THE HOE.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XXVIII, Issue 3579, 30 September 1905, Page 4

MAN WITH THE HOE.

Uo Ha* I3f»a* i r' “t'd'! lvm-t bbe Average A-'. -: . '<■ :. 1 ■ ■ >■:.> to AM U»Uxtcut. ‘ The man with Urn hoc is largely a; memory. 'line v : > 'nothing' that the arcra ,<•■■.? farm* r l o much flit-likes as the In, ’. hming in..- regards as too hard work, a:nl ha.i-ks it is slow work. We have i . ..mm- :-m accustomed to rapid w-i;;-' rml i idiug implements that we have no ]mlienee with the hoe. We do ■.•■■:*. dcure to be understood as i r.ving to convey the idea that handling the hoc is altogether a' pleasure. We a-o j, > particularly in love with the work, hut there is lots o Work ou tile farm Hint is not particularly invitu.;.;. Writers, aim especially the editors of the city agricultural papers, may talk eloquently of the beauty of the flowers* ou the farm, the fragrance of new-mown hay and J the dr!To hi fu! shady retreat, but if ‘ these Kiio.'r v, m.ki spend a hot day In getting that sweat, new-mown hay into the bairn- even with modern tools and inachir..-iy—or should spend a day in carting cat manure, cr even riding on n culibalor, to say nothing about walking after one, (hey would conclude that there were other “smells” on the farm besides (lie fragrance of new-mown hay and roses, and that the. shady retr°ats were a mockery to a mar. who must spend 12 hours in the scorching heat. Farming is not fun by a long ways, (t, is hard work and some of the work is very disagreeable. The farmer’s consolation, however, is that there is hard work in any calling. No, the hoe is not a fascinating tool. It is about on the level in that respect with the obsolete flail, but while it has been discarded to an unjustifiable extent it is an cxcedingly useful tool. We keep the hoe going somewhere on the farm almost constantly, and are satisfied that it. is the most profitable tool we use. It can be profitably used by cheap help, which cannot be said of most implements. A boy con hoe ns well as a man, if ne will, and some boys will. We have a boy who we are satisfied makes the hoe pay. The modern hoe suffers because of the bad reputation of its old clumsy predecessor, which was a Liackaching, ’ handblisteriug, dull and heavy tool. The modern hoe is light and graceful and should i.-- sharp. It is easily handled and I c if.-; at. Let us use it more.— Agricultural Epitomist.