,this etext was produced by ,jared ,fuller4 ,,our ,,farm ,,of ,,four ,,acres ,,and ,,the ,,money ,,we ,,made ,,by ,,it4 ,miss ,coulton ,from the ,twelfth ,london ,edition4 ,,with ,,an ,,introduction ,,by ,,peter ,b4 ,,mead1 ,,editor ,,of ,,the ,,horticulturist4 #ahfj ,preface to the ,twelfth ,london ,edition4 ,this little volume has been received with so much favor1 both by the public and the press1 that ,i cannot refrain from expressing my gratitude for the kind treatment ,i have experienced4 ,from many of the criticisms which have appeared respecting ,our ,farm of ,four ,acres1 ,i have received not only complimentary remarks1 but likewise some useful hints on the subjects of which ,i have written4 ,with the praise comes some little censure2 and ,i am charged by more than one friendly critic with stupidity for not ordering the legs of our first cow to be strapped1 which would1 they consider1 have prevented both milk and milker from being knocked over4 ,now this was done1 but the animal had a way of knocking the man and pail down with her side2 every means was tried1 but nothing succeeded till her calf was parted with4 ,we have been asked whether we had to keep gates1 hedges1 c41 in repair1 or whether it was done at the expense of the landlord4 ,as far as regarded the gates and buildings1 that gentleman was bound by agreement to keep them in order1 and as for hedges we have none4 ,a stream runs round the meadows1 and forms the boundary of our small domain4 ,since our little work was written we have had nearly eighteen months' further experience1 and have as much reason now as then to be satisfied with the profits we receive from our four acres4 ,i must add a few words concerning our butter-making4 ,some doubts have been expressed relative to our power of churning for four hours at a time4 ,now it certainly was not pleasant1 but it was not the hard work that some people imagine3 fatiguing certainly2 but then ,h4 and myself took it1 as children say1 turn and turn about4 ,we did not entrust the churn to ,tom1 because he was liable to be called away to perform some of his many duties4 ,had we not had the toil1 we should not have acquired the knowledge which now enables us to complete our work in three-quarters of an hour4 ,we have been pitied for being always employed1 and told that we can never know the luxury of leisure4 ,we answer this remark with the words of ,poor ,richard1 that leisure is the time for doing something useful4 ,,introduction ,,to ,,the ,,american ,,edition4 ,this little volume will possess rare interest for all who own a four-acre farm1 or1 indeed1 a farm of any number of acres4 ,its chief value to the ,american reader does not consist in its details of practice1 but in the enunciation and demonstration of certain principles of domestic economy of universal application4 ,the practice of terra-culture must be varied to meet the different conditions of soil and climate under which it is pursued2 but sound general principles hold good everywhere1 and only need the exercise of ordinary judgment and common sense for their application to our own wants4 ,this is now better understood than heretofore1 and hence we are better prepared to profit by draughts from the fount of universal knowledge4 ,we would not be understood as intimating1 however1 that only the general principles set forth in this little book are of value to us2 the details of making butter and bread1 feeding stock1 etc41 are just as useful to us as to the ,english reader4 ,the two chapters on making butter and bread are admirable in their way1 and alone are worth the price of the book4 ,so1 too1 of domestics and their management2 we have to go through pretty much the same vexations1 probably a little intensified1 as there is among us a more rampant spirit of independence on the part of servants2 but many of these vexations may be avoided1 we have no doubt1 by following the suggestion of our author1 of procuring country help for the country4 ,domestics accustomed to city life not only lack the requisite knowledge1 but are unwilling to learn1 and will not readily adapt themselves to the circumstances in which they are placed2 in fact1 the majority of them know too much1 and are altogether too impatient of control4 ,a woman1 however1 must be mistress in her own house2 this is indispensable to economy and comfort2 and the plan adopted by our author will often secure this when all others fail4 ,we have not deemed it advisable to add anything in the way of notes2 we have made a few alterations in the text to adapt it better to the wants of the ,american reader1 and for the same reason we have altered the ,english currency to our own4 ,in other respects the work remains intact4 ,in some works of this kind notes would have been indispensable1 but in the present case we have thought we could safely trust to the judgment of the reader to appropriate and adapt the general principles set forth1 leaving the application of details to the shrewdness and strong common sense characteristic of the ,american mind4 ,the object of the work is rather to demonstrate a general principle than to furnish all the minutiae of practice1 though enough of these are given to serve the purpose of illustration4 ,the ,american reader will not fail1 of course1 to make due allowance for the difference of rent1 prices1 etc41 between this country and ,england1 and the matter of adaptation then becomes a very simple affair4 ,in conclusion we present the work as a model in style4 ,it is written with a degree of simplicity which makes it readily understood1 and is a fine specimen of good old ,anglo-,saxon4 ,portions of it are fully as interesting as a romance4 ,it is written by a lady1 which fact gives it an additional interest and value as a contribution to the economy of country life1 in which it may be admitted that women are our masters4 ,the incidents connected that women are our masters4 ,the incidents connected with hiring our farm of four acres are related in a life-like manner1 and will be appreciated by our own ,may-day hunting country-women1 who1 we trust1 will also appreciate the many important facts set forth in this little volume1 which we heartily commend to them and to all others1 with the wish that it may be as useful and popular as it has been at home4 ,p4,b4,m4 ,,chap4 ,i4--,,where ,,shall ,,we ,,live8 ,,ii4--,,our ,,first ,,difficulty4 ,,iii4--,,our ,,second ,,cow4 ,,iv--,,how ,,to ,,make ,,butter4 ,v4--,,what ,,we ,,made ,,by ,,our ,,cows4 ,,vi4--,,our ,,pigs4 ,,vii4--,,our ,,poultry4 ,,viii4--,,our ,,losses4 ,,ix4--,,our ,,pigeons4 ,x4--,,how ,,we ,,cured ,,our ,,hams4 ,,xi4--,,our ,,bread4 ,,xii4--,,our ,,kitchen-,,garden4 ,,xiii--,,the ,,money ,,we ,,made4 ,,xiv4--,,the ,,next ,,six ,,months4 ,,xv4--,,our ,,pony4 ,,xvl4--,,conclusion4 ,,our ,,farm ,,of ,,four ,,acres4 ,,chapter ,i4 ,,where ,,shall ,,we ,,live8 ,where shall we live8 ,that was a question asked by the sister of the writer1 when it became necessary to leave ,london1 and break up a once happy home1 rendered desolate sudden bereavement4 ,ah6 ,where1 indeed8 was the answer4 ,where can we hope to find a house which will be suitable for ourselves1 six children1 and a small income8 ,oh1 answered ,h41 there can be no difficulty about that4 ,send for the ',times' and we shall find dozens of places that will do for us4 ,so that mighty organ of information was procured1 and its columns eagerly searched4 ,but1 said ,i1 what sort of place do we really mean to take8 ,that1 replied ,h41 is soon settled4 ,we must have a good-sized dining-room1 small drawing-room1 and a breakfast-room1 which may be converted into a school-room4 ,it must have a nursery and five good bed-chambers1 a chaise-house1 and stable for the pony and carriage1 a large garden1 and three or four acres of land1 for we must keep a cow4 ,it must not be more than eight miles from 'town1' or two from a station2 it must be in a good neighborhood1 and it must-- ,stop6 ,stop6 cried ,i2 how much do you intend to give a-year for all these conveniences3 ,how much8 ,why1 ,i should say we ought not to give more than #bej4 ,we ought not1 said ,i1 gravely1 but ,i greatly fear we shall for that amount have to put up with a far inferior home to the one you contemplate4 ,but come1 let us answer a few of these advertisements2 some of them depict the very place you wish for4 ,so after selecting those which1 when they had described in bright colors the houses to be let1 added1 ,terms very moderate1 we presented compliments to ,messrs4 ,a41 ,b41 ,c41 ,d41 and in due time received cards to view the desirable country residences we had written about4 ,but our hopes of becoming the fortunate occupants of any one of those charming abodes were soon dashed to the ground2 for with the cards came the terms2 and we found that a very moderate rental meant from #fjj to #gej per annum4 ,we looked at each other rather ruefully2 and the ungenerous remark of ,i told you so rose to my lips4 ,however1 ,i did not give it utterance1 but substituted the words1 ,never mind1 let us send for another ',times1' and only answer those advertisements which state plainly the rent required4 ,this time we enlarged our ideas on the subjects of rent and distance1 and resolved that if that beautiful place near ,esher would suit us1 we would not mind giving #cjj a-year for it4 ,in a few days arrived answers to our last inquiries4 ,we fixed on the one which appeared the most eligible1 but were a little dismayed to find that near ,esher meant six miles from the station4 ,never mind1 said ,h41 resolutely1 the pony can take us to it in fine weather1 and in winter we must not want to go to ,london4 ,we started the next morning by rail1 and found the ,cottage almost as pretty as it had appeared on paper4 ,but1 alas6 it been let the day previous to our arrival1 and we had to return to town minus five dollars for our expenses4 ,the next day1 nothing daunted1--indeed1 rather encouraged by finding the house we had seen really equal to our expectations1--we set off to view another villa1 which1 from the particulars we had received from the agent1 appeared quite as attractive4 ,this time we found the place tenantless2 and1 as far as we were concerned1 it would certainly remain so4 ,it had been represented as a highly-desirable country residence1 and quite ready for the reception of a family of respectability4 ,it was dignified with the appellation of ,middlesex ,hall1 and we were rather surprised when we found that this high-sounding name signified a mean-looking place close to the road2 and when the door was opened for our admission1 that we stepped at once from the small front court into the drawing-room1 from which a door opened into a stone kitchen4 ,the rest of the accommodation corresponded with this primitive mode of entrance2 the whole place was in what is commonly called a tumble-down condition3 there was certainly plenty of garden1 and two large meadows1 but1 like the rest of the place1 they were sadly out of order4 ,when we said it was not at all the house we had expected to find from reading the advertisement1 we asked what sort of house we expected to get for #cjj with five acres of land4 ,now that was a question we could not have answered had we not seen the pretty cottage with nearly as much ground at ,esher2 however1 we did not give the owner the benefit of our experience1 but merely said that the house would not suit us1 and drove back four miles to the station1 rather out of spirits with the result of our day's work4 ,for more than a fortnight did we daily set forth on this voyage of discovery4 ,one day we started with a card to view a delightful ,cottage ,ornee1 situated four miles from ,weybridge2 this time the rent was still higher than any we had previously seen4 ,when we arrived at the village in which the house was represented to be1 we asked for ,heathfield ,house1 and were told that no one knew of any residence bearing that name2 we were a little perplexed1 and consulted the card of admittance to see whether we had brought the wrong one--but no2 there it was1 ,heathfield ,house1 four miles from ,weybridge1 surrounded by its own grounds of four acres1 tastefully laid out in lawn1 flower and kitchen-gardens1 c1 c4 ,rent only #cej4 ,we began to imagine that we were the victims of some hoax1 and were just on the point of telling the driver to return to the station1 when a dirty-looking man came to the carriage1 and said1 ,are you looking for ,heathfield ,house8 ,yes1 said we4 ,well1 ,i'll show it to you4 ,is it far8 we asked2 as no sign of a decent habitation was to be seen near us4 ,no2 just over the way1 was the answer4 ,we looked in the direction he indicated1 and saw a brick carcase3 standing on a bare1 heath piece of ground1 without enclosure of any kind4 ,that6 cried we2 it is impossible that can be the place we came to see6 ,have you got a card from ,mr4--8 was the query addressed to us4 ,yes1 was the reply4 ,very well2 then if you will get out ,i'll show it to you4 ,as we had come so far we thought we might as well finish the adventure1 and accordingly followed our guide over the piece of rough muddy ground which led to the brick walls before us4 ,we found them on a neared inspection quite as empty as they appeared from the road2 neither doors nor windows were placed in them1 and the staircases were not properly fixed4 ,it was with much trouble we succeeded in reaching the floor where the bed-chambers were to be1 and found that not even the boards were laid down4 ,we told our conductor1 that the place would not suit us1 as we were compelled to remove from our present residence in three weeks4 ,well1 if that's all that hinders your taking it1 ,i'll engage to get it all ready in that time4 ,what6 get the staircases fixed1 the doors and windows put in1 the walls papered and painted8 ,yes1 was answered1 in a confident tone1 which expressed indignation at the doubt we had implied4 ,we then ventured to say1 that1 ,allowing he could get the house ready by the time we required to move1 we saw no sign of the coach-house and stable1 lawn or flower-garden1 kitchen or meadow4 ,as for the coach-house and stable1 said the showman1 ,i can get your horses put up in the village4 ,we hastened to disclaim the horses1 and humbly confessed that our stud consisted of one pony only4 ,the less reason to be in a hurry for the stable1 for you can put one pony anywhere2 and as for the lawn and gardens1 they will be laid out when the house is let2 and the heath will be levelled and sown for a meadow1 and anything else done for a good tenant that is in reason4 ,we were likewise assured that wonders had been done already1 for that four months ago the ground was covered with furze4 ,we got rid of our talkative friend with the promise that we would think of it2 and indeed1 we did think1 that ,mr4--1 who was a very respectable house-agent1 ought to ascertain what sort of places were place in his hands before he sent people on such profitless journeys4 ,the expense attending this one amounted to nearly eight dollars4 ,another week as passed in a similar manner1 in going distances varying from ten to twenty-five miles daily in pursuit of houses which we were induced to think must suit us1 but when seen proved as deceptive a those ,i have mentioned4 ,we gained nothing by our travels but the loss of time1 money1 and hope4 ,at last the idea entered our heads of going to some of the house-agents1 and looking over their books4 ,our first essay was at the office of ,mr4 ,a4 ,b41 in ,bond street4 ,have you any houses to let at such a distance from town1 with such a quantity of land1 such a number of rooms8 c4 ,oh1 yes madam1 said the smiling clerk1 and immediately opened a large ledger2 what rent do you propose giving8 ,from #bej to #cej yearly1 answered we1 and felt how respectable we must appear in the opinion of the smart gentleman whom we addressed2 how great then was our surprise when he closed his large volume with a crash1 and with a look of supreme contempt said1 ,we have nothing of that kind in our books4 ,to use one of ,fanny ,kemble's expressions1 we felt mean1 and left the office of this aristocratical house-agent half ashamed of our humble fortunes4 ,i fear ,i should tire the patience of the reader1 did ,i detail all our adventures in search of a house1 but we must entreat indulgence for our last journey4 ,we once more started on the ,south-,western line1 to see a house which1 from the assurances we had received from the owner1 resident in ,london1 must a last be the house1 and for which the rent asked was #cej2 but once more were we doomed to disappointment by finding that the handsome dining and drawing-rooms were two small parlors1 with doors opening into each other2 and that five excellent bed-chambers were three small rooms and two wretched attics4 ,from the station to this place was four miles2 and1 as weary and hopeless we were returning to it1 it occurred to ,h4 to ask the driver if he knew of any houses to let in the vicinity4 ,he considered1 then said he only knew of one1 which had been vacant some time1 and that parties who had been to see it would not take it because it was situated in a bad neighborhood4 ,at the commencement of our search that would have been quite sufficient to have deterred us from looking at it1 but we could not now afford to be fastidious4 ,our own house was let1 and move from it we must in less than a fortnight2 so we desired the driver to take us into this bad neighborhood1 and were rewarded for the additional distance we travelled by finding an old-fashioned1 but very convenient house1 with plenty of good-sized rooms in excellent repair1 a very pretty flower-garden1 with greenhouse1 good kitchen-garden of on acre1 an orchard of the same extent well stocked with fine fruit-trees1 three acres of good meadow-land1 an excellent coach-house and stabling1 with houses for cows1 pigs1 and poultry1 all in good order4 ,the bad neighborhood was not so very bad4 ,the cottages just outside the gates were small1 new buildings2 and once inside1 you saw nothing but your own grounds4 ,it possessed the advantage of being less than two miles from a station1 and not more than twelve from ,london4 ,this will do1 we both exclaimed1 if the rent is not too high4 ,we had been asked #fjj for much inferior places2 so that it was with great anxiety we directed our civil driver to take us to the party who had the disposal of the house4 ,when there1 we met with the welcome intelligence1 that house1 gardens1 orchard1 meadows1 and buildings1 were all included in a rental of #cgj per annum4 ,we concluded the bargain there and then1 and on that day fortnight took possession of ,our ,farm of ,four ,acres4 ,before we close this chapter1 we will address a few words to such of our readers as may entertain the idea that houses in the country may be had for next to nothing4 ,we had repeatedly heard this asserted1 and when we resolved to give #cjj a year1 we thought that we should have no difficulty in meeting with a respectable habitation for that sum1 large enough for our family and with the quantity of land we required1 as well as within a moderate distance of ,london4 ,we have already told the reader how fallacious we found this hope to be4 ,houses within forty or fifty miles of ,london1 in what are called good situations1 are nearly1 if not quite as high rented1 as those in the suburbs1 and land worth quite as much4 ,if at any time a cheap place is to be met with1 be quite sure that there is some drawback to compensate for the low price4 ,in our pilgrimages to empty houses1 we frequently found some which were low-rented1 that is from #bjj #bej per annum2 but either they were much smaller than we required1 or dreadfully out of repair1 or else they were built ,cockney fashion1 semi-detached1 or1 as was frequently the case1 situated in a locality which for some reason or other was highly objectionable4 ,we always found rents lower in proportion to the distance from a station4 ,we one day went to ,beaconsfield to view a house1 and had a fly from ,slough1 a drive of several miles4 ,the house was in the middle of the town1 large and convenient1 with good garden and paddock2 the whole was offered us for #bjj yearly2 and we should have taken it1 had it not been in such a dismantled condition that the agent in whose hands it was placed informed us that though he had orders to put it in complete repair1 he would not promise it would be fit for occupation under several months4 ,the office of this gentleman was next door to ,mr4 ,a4 ,b4's1 in ,bond street2 and we are bound to state1 that though we said that we did not wish to give more than #cjj1 we were treated with respect2 and several offered us under these terms1 though attended with circumstances which prevented our availing ourselves of them4 ,the house we at last found was not1 as regarded situation1 what we liked2 not because of the cottages close to the entrance1 but for the reason that there was no view1 but from the top windows2 as far as the lower part of the house was concerned1 we might as well have been in the ,clapham ,road4 ,it is true we looked into gardens1 front and back1 but that was all2 and we had to go through two or three streets of the little town in which we were located whenever we left the house for a walk4 ,still we were1 on the whole1 well pleased with our new home1 and in the next chapter will tell the reader how we commenced a life so different to that we had been accustomed to lead4 ,,chapter ,,ii4 ,,our ,,first ,,difficulty4 ,once fairly settled in our new habitation1 and all the important affairs attending the necessary alterations of carpets1 curtains1 etc41 being nearly finished1 we began to wonder what we were to do with ,our ,farm of ,four ,acres4 ,that we must keep a cow was acknowledged by both2 and the first step to be taken was to buy one4 ,the small town in which our house was situated boasted of a market weekly1 and there we resolved to make the important purchase4 ,accordingly1 we sent our man-of-all-work to inspect those offered for sale4 ,shortly he returned1 accompanied by a small black cow1 with a calf a week old4 ,we purchase these animals for #ej2 and it was very amusing to see all the half-dozen children running into the stable-yards1 with their little cups to enjoy the first-fruits of their country life4 ,but what proved far more of a treat than the new milk was the trouble of procuring it1 for the cow proved a very spiteful one1 and knocked the unfortunate milker1 with his pail1 heels-over-head4 ,,as he was not in the least hurt1 the juveniles were allowed to laugh as long as they pleased2 but ,h4 and myself looked rather grave at the idea having the milk knocked down as soon as there was about a quart in the pail4 ,we were1 therefore1 greatly reassured when told that ,madam ,sukey would be quiet and tractable as soon as her calf was taken away4 ,then why not take it at one8 said ,i2 but was informed that we must not deprive her of it for a week4 ,however1 ,i am bound to confess that our first week's farming turned out badly1 for the cow would not be milked1 quietly1 and every morning we were informed that two men were obliged to be called in to hold her while she was milked4 ,at the end of the week we sold the calf for five dollars1 and after a month the cow became on quite friendly terms with her milker1 and has proved ever since very profitable to our small diary4 ,we did not contemplate making butter with one cow1 as we thought so large a household would consume all the milk4 ,very soon1 however1 nurse complained that the milk was 'too rich' for the children2 it was not in the least like ,london milk2 it must either be watered or skimmed for the little ones3 but she would rather have it skimmed4 ,that was done1 and for a whole fortnight ,h4 and myself used nothing but cream in our tea and coffee4 ,at first this was a great luxury1 and we said continually to each other1 how delightful it was to have such a dainty in profusion4 ,soon1 like the children1 we began to discover it was too good for us1 and found that we liked plenty of new milk much better for general use2 besides1 consume as much as we would1 we had still more than was wanted3 so we invested fifteen dollars in a churn and other requisites1 and thought with great satisfaction of the saving we should effect in our expenses by making our own butter4 ,but now arose a difficulty which had not previously occurred to us3 ,who was to make it8 ,our domestic servants both declared that they could not do so2 and the elder one1 who had been many years in the family1 was born and bred in ,london1 and detested the country and everything connected with it1 gave her opinion in the most decided manner1 that there was quite enough muck in the house already1 without making more work with butter-making1 which she said confidently1 would only be fit for the pig when it was made4 ,here was a pretty state of things6 ,what were we to do8 must we give up all hope of eating our own butter1 and regard the money as lost which we had just expended for the churn1 etc48 ,after a few minutes' bewilderment1 the idea occurred to both of us at the same moment3 ,cannot we make the butter1 and be independent of these household rebels8 ,but1 said ,i1 dolefully1 we don't in the least know how to set about it4 ,what of that8 replied ,h43 where was the use of expending so much money in books relative to a country life as you did before we left town1 if they are not to enlighten our ignorance on country matters8 ,but one thing is certain1 we cannot make butter till we have learnt how2 so let us endeavor to obtain the requisite knowledge to do so to-morrow4 ,we accordingly devoted the remainder of the day to consulting the various books on domestic and rural economy we had collected together previous to leaving ,london4 ,greatly puzzled we were by them4 ,on referring to the subject ob butter-making1 one authority said1 you must never was the butter1 but only knock it on a board1 in order to get the buttermilk from it4 ,another only told us to well cleanse the buttermilk from it1 without giving us an idea how the process was to be accomplished2 while the far-famed ,mrs4 ,rundle1 in an article headed ,dairy1 tells the dairy-maid to keep a book in which to enter the amount of butter she makes1 and gives butt little idea how the said butter is to be procured4 ,another authority said1 after the butter is come1 cut it in pieces to take out cow-hairs2 this appeared to us the oddest direction of all1 for surely it was possible to remove them from the cream before it was put into the churn4 ,we were very much dissatisfied with the amount of practical knowledge we gleaned from our books2 they seemed to us written for the benefit of those who already were well acquainted with the management of a dairy1 and consequently of very little service to those who wished to acquire the rudiments of the art of butter-making4 ,the next morning we proceeded to make a trial1 and the first thing we did was to strain the cream through a loose fine cloth into the churn1 then taking the handle we began to turn it vigorously299 ,ninety times in a minute is the proper speed with which the handle should be turned4 the weather was hot1 and after churning for more than an hour1 there seemed as little prospect of butter as when we commenced4 ,we stared at each other in blank amazement4 ,must we give it up8 ,no2 that was not to be thought of4 ,h4 suddenly remembered1 that somewhere she had heard that in warm weather you should put the churn in cold water4 ,as ours was a box one1 we did not see how we could manage this2 but the bright idea entered her head1 that if we could not put the water outside the churn we might in3 so we pumped a quart of spring-water into it and churned away with fresh hopes3 nor were we disappointed2 in about a quarter of an hour we heard quite a different sound as we turned the handle1 which assured us that the cream had undergone a change1 and taking off the lid--7how many times had we taken it off before67--we saw what at that moment appeared the most welcome sight in the world--some lumps of rich yellow butter4 ,it was but a small quantity1 but there it was3 the difficulty was overcome so far4 ,but now there arose the question of what we were to do with it in order to clean if from the butter milk1 for all our authorities insisted on the necessity of this being done1 though they did not agree in the mode of doing it4 ,one said1 that if it was washed1 it would not keep good1 because water soon became putrid1 and so would the butter4 ,we were told by another book1 that if it was not washed it would be of two colors1 and dreadfully rank4 ,we thought that it would be easier not to wash it1 and it was bad enough to justify the term muck1 which was applied to it by the kitchen oracles1 who rejoiced exceedingly in our discomfiture4 ,we left the dairy half inclined to abjure butter-making for the future4 ,in a day or two we began to reflect1 that as we had a ,farm of ,four ,acres1 we must mange to do something with it1 and what so profitable to a large family as making butter8 ,so1 when we had collected sufficient cream1 we tried again1 and this time with great success4 ,we commenced as before1 by straining the cream1 and then taking the handle of the churn we turned it more equally than we had done before2 in half an our we heard the welcome sound which proclaimed that the butter was come4 ,this time we washed it well2 it was placed in a pan under the pump1 and the water suffered to run on it till not the least milkiness appeared in it2 we then removed it to a board that had been soaking for some time in cold water1 salted it to our taste1 and afterwards1 with two flat boards1 such as butter-men use in ,london shops1 made it up into rolls4 ,it was as good as it could be1 and we were delighted to think that we had conquered all the difficulties attending its manufacture3 but we had yet to discover the truth of the proverb1 that one swallow does not make a summer4 ,,chapter ,,iii4 ,,our ,,second ,,cow4 ,we soon found that we could not expect to supply our family with butter from one cow1 and we thought that1 as we had to perform the duties of dairy-women1 we might as well have the full benefit of our labor4 ,we1 therefore1 purchased another cow2 but before doing so1 were advised not this time to have ,welsh one1 but to give more money and have a larger animal4 ,this we did1 and bought a very handsome strawberry-colored one1 for which1 with the calf1 we gave #ge2 and here it will be as well to say that we think it was #be thrown away1 for in respect did she prove more valuable than the black one1 for which we had given but #ej4 ,for a small dairy1 we think the black ,welsh cow answers as well1 or better1 than any other4 ,the price is very small1 and1 judging from our own1 they are very profitable4 ,they are also much hardier than those of a larger breed1 and may be kept out all winter1 excepting when snow is on the ground4 ,after our new cow had been in our possession just a week1 we received one morning the unwelcome intelligence that the new cow was very bad4 ,we went into the meadow1 and saw the poor creature looking certainly as we had been told1 very bad4 ,we asked our factotum what was the matter with her4 ,to this he replied1 that he did not know1 but that he had sent for a man who was very clever in cows4 ,in a short time this clever man arrived1 bringing with him a friend1 likewise learned in cattle4 ,he went to see the patient1 and returned to us looking very profound4 ,a bad job6 said he1 with a shake of the head worthy of ,sheridan's ,lord ,burleigh4 ,a sad job1 indeed6 and you only bought her last market-day4 ,well1 it can't be helped4 ,but what ails her8 said ,i4 ,what ails her6 why1 she's got the lung disease4 ,but what it is that8 said ,i4 ,what's that6 why1 it's what kills lots of cows2 takes 'em off in two or three days4 ,you must sell her for what she'll fetch4 ,perhaps you may get #aj for her4 ,i'll get rid of her for you4 ,but1 said ,h41 if she has the 'lung disease' you talk of1 you tell us she must die4 ,yes2 she'll die1 sure enough4 ,well1 then1 who will buy a cow that is sure to be dead to-morrow or next day8 ,oh1 that's no concern of yours6 ,you get rid of her1 that's all4 ,to this dictum we rather demurred1 and resolved to send for a cow-doctor1 and see if she could be cured2 if not1 to take care she was not converted after her death into country sausages1 for the benefit of ,london consumers of those dainties4 ,our friendly counsellor was very indignant at our perversity in not getting rid of a cow with the lung disease1 and stumped out of the yard in a fit of virtuous indignation4 ,with proper treatment the cow soon got well4 ,we still had occasional trouble with our butter-making2 sometimes it would come in half an hour1 sometimes we were hard at work with the churn for two or three hours1 and then the butter was invariably bad4 ,we tried to procure information on the subject1 and asked several farmer's wives in the neighborhood how long butter ought to be in coming4 ,we always received the same answer3-- ,why1 you see1 ma'am1 that depends4 ,well1 we asked1 what does it depend on8 ,oh1 on lots of things4 ,well1 tell us some of the things on which it depends4 ,why1 you see it's longer coming in hot weather1 and it's longer coming in cold weather2 and it depends on how long the cow has calved1 and how you churn1 and on lots beside4 ,we found we must endeavor to discover for ourselves the reason why we were half an hour in getting it one day1 and the next1 perhaps1 two or three hours4 ,as the weather became colder we found it more troublesome1 and one frosty day we churned four hours without success4 ,we put in cold water1 we put in hot we put in salt1 we talked of adding vinegar1 but did not2 we churned as fast as we could turn the handle1 and then as slowly as possible1 but still no butter4 ,at the end of more than four hours our labors were rewarded4 ,the butter came2 strong1 rank stuff it was4 ,we determined before the next churning day to try and find out the reason of all this trouble4 ,we once more took to our books1 but were none the wiser1 for none of them told us anything about the particular thing we searched for4 ,after many experiments we tried the effect of bringing the cream into the kitchen over night1 and see if warmth would make any difference4 ,it was guess-work for two or three churnings1 but the discovery was made at last1 that we were always sure of our butter in half an hour1 provided the cream was1 when put into the churn1 at a temperature of from #ej' to #fj'499 ,we kept a small thermometer for the purpose of plunging into the cream-pot4 ,if it was lower than #ee' we waited till it reached that degree3 if the weather was very warm1 and it rose higher than we have specified1 we did not attempt to churn till by some means we had lowered it to the proper temperature4 ,no matter how long the cow had calved1 how hot or how cold the weather1 if we put the cream into the churn at that degree of heat the butter was sure to come1 in as near as possible the time we have specified4 ,this1 in the winter1 was effected by bringing the cream-pot into the kitchen over night1 and if the weather was very cold1 placing it on a chair a moderate distance from the fire for about a quarter of an hour in the morning3 boiling water was likewise put into the churn for half an hour before it was used4 ,now1 no doubt1 a regular dairymaid would turn up her nose at all these details2 but ,i do not write for those who know their business1 but for the benefit of those ladies who1 as is now so much the custom1 reside a few miles from the city or town in which the business or profession their husbands may be situated4 ,in many cases they take with them town-bred servants to a country residence2 and then1 like ourselves1 find they know nothing whatever of the duties required of them4 ,to those who have several acres of pasture land1 of course this little book is all bosh4 ,they employ servants who know their work and perform it properly2 but most suburbans require the cook to undertake the duties of the dairy1 and unless they are regular country servants they neither do their work well nor willingly4 ,if any lady who has one or two cows will instruct her servant to follow our directions1 she will always be sure of good butter1 with very little trouble4 ,all that is required is a churn1 milk-pans 7at the rate of three to each cow71 a milk-pail1 a board 7or1 better still1 a piece of marble71 to make the butter up on1 a couple of butter-boards1 such as are used in the shops to roll it into form1 and a crock for the cream4 ,in the next chapter we will give1 as concisely as we can1 the whole process that we ourselves used in our dairy4 ,,chapter ,,iv4 ,,how ,,to ,,make ,,butter4 ,let the cream be at the temperature of #ee' to #fj'2 if the weather is cold1 put boiling water into the churn for half an hour before you want to use it3 when that is poured off1 strain in the cream through a butter-cloth4 ,when the butter is coming1 which is easily ascertained by the sound1 take off the lid1 and with one of the flat boards scrape down the sides of the churn2 and do the same to the lid3 this prevents waste4 ,when the butter is come1 the buttermilk is to be poured off and spring-water put in the churn1 and turned for two or three minutes3 this is to be then poured away1 and fresh added1 and again the handle turned for a minute or two4 ,should there be the least appearance of milkiness when this is poured from the churn1 more is to be put4 ,this we found was a much better mode of extracting all the buttermilk than placing it in a pan under the pump1 as we did when we commenced our labors4 ,the butter is then to be placed on the board or marble1 and salted to taste2 then1 with a cream-cloth1 wrung out of spring-water1 press all the moisture from it4 ,when it appears quite dry and firm1 make it up into rolls with the flat boards4 ,the whole process should be completed in three-quarters of an hour4 ,we always used a large tub which was made for the purpose1 and every article we were going to use was soaked in it for half an hour in boiling water2 then that removed1 and cold spring-water substituted2 and the things we required remained in it till they were wanted4 ,this prevents the butter form adhering to the boards1 cloth1 c41 which would render the task of making it up both difficult and disagreeable4 ,in hot weather1 instead of bringing the cream-crock into the kitchen it must be kept as cool as possible2 for as it is essential in the winter to raise the temperature of the cream to the degree ,i have stated1 so in the summer it must be lowered to it4 ,should your dairy not be cool enough for the purpose1 it is best effected by keeping the cream-pot in water as cold as you can procure it1 and by making the butter early in the morning1 and placing cold water in the churn some time before it is used4 ,by following these directions you will have good butter throughout the year4 ,the cows should be milked as near the diary as possible1 as it prevents the cream from rising well if the milk is carried any distance499 ,in very cold weather the milk-pans must be placed by the fire some time before the milk is strained into them1 or the cream will not rise4 ,it should be at once strained into the milk-pans1 and not disturbed for forty-eight hours in winter1 and twenty-four in summer4 ,in hot weather it is highly important that the cream should be perfectly strained from the milk1 or it will make it very rank4 ,half a dozen moderate-sized lumps of sugar to every two quarts of cream tend to keep it sweet4 ,in summer always churn twice a week4 ,some persons imagine that cream cannot be too sweet1 but that is a mistake2 it must have a certain degree of acidity1 or it will not produce butter1 and if put into the churn without it1 must be beaten with the paddles till it acquires it4 ,the cream should1 in the summer1 be shifted each morning into a clean crock1 that has first been well scalded and then soaked in cold water2 and the same rule applies to all the utensils used in a dairy4 ,the best things to scrub the churn and all wooden articles with1 are wood ashes and plenty of soap4 ,in some parts of the country1 the butter made by the farmers' wives for sale is not washed at all2 they say1 ,it washes all the taste away4 ,they remove it from the churn1 and then taking it in their hands1 dash it repeatedly on the board2 that is what they call smiting it4 ,the butter so made is always strong1 and of two colors1 as a portion of the buttermilk remains in it3 if any of it were put into a cup1 and that placed in hot water1 for the purpose clarifying1 there would1 when it was melted1 be found a large deposit of buttermilk at the bottom of the cup4 ,we have tried the butter made our way1 and there was scarcely any residuum4 ,besides1 this smiting is a most disgusting process to witness4 ,in warm weather the butter adheres to the hands of the smiter1 who puffs and blows over it as if it were very hard work4 ,indeed1 ,i once heard a strong-looking girl2 daughter of a small farmer in ,kent1 say she was never well1 for smiting the butter was such dreadful hard work it gave her a pain in her side4 ,after this smiting is over1 it is put on a butter-print1 and pressed with the hands till it is considered to have received the impression4 ,it is then1 through a small hole in the handle1 blown off the print with the mouth4 ,i don't think ,i shall ever again eat butter which appears at table with the figures of cows1 flowers1 c41 stamped on it4 ,i should always think of the process it has gone through for the sake of looking pretty4 ,nearly all the fresh butter which is sold in ,london is made up in large rolls1 and1 like that we make ourselves1 need not be touched by the fingers of the maker4 ,,chapter ,v4 ,,what ,,we ,,made ,,by ,,our ,,cows4 ,every week we kept an account of the milk and butter we consumed1 and entered it in our housekeeping-book at the price we should have paid for it1 supposing we had purchased the articles4 ,we did not put down ,london prices1 but country ones3 thus1 we charged ourselves with milk at #f cents the quart1 and butter #bg cents the pound2 at the end of six months we made up our accounts1 and found we should have paid for milk from the #adth to the #bdth of ,january1 #dd1 and #ff for butter4 ,the food for the cows during this period cost us but #d #ej1 which we paid for oil-cake1 of which1 when the weather became cold1 they had two pounds each daily4 ,we do not reckon the value of the hay they consumed during winter1 because we included the land in our rent4 ,we mowed three acres1 which produced rather more than six loads of hay499 ,we always had good crops1 as the land had been always well kept4 ,it was not upland hay1 but our man said it had good heart in it for the cows4 ,getting in the crop and thatching it cost1 as nearly as possible1 #ae1 and this quantity was quite sufficient to supply the two cows--with the calf of the ,strawberry1 which we reared--and the pony4 ,an acre of grass is usually considered sufficient to support a cow during the year4 ,if that had to be rented apart from the house1 the average price would be about #be4 ,supposing we place that value on our land1 the accounts for six months would stand thus3 ,,expenses4 ,land at #be the acre1 for half a year1 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 #be #jj ,oil-cake1 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 #d #ej ,half the expense of getting the hay1 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 #g #ej #cg #jj ,,produce4 ,value of milk and butter1 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 #aaf #ej ,leaving a balance in our favor1 at the end of six months of #gi #ej4 ,at the commencement of the winter1 a cow-keeper in the neighborhood told our man that we should give our cows a little mangel-wurzel4 ,we inquired1 ,why8 and were told that we should keep our cows better together2 so we paid a guinea for a ton of that vegetable4 ,the first time we made butter after they had been fed with it1 we found it had a very strong1 bitter taste4 ,still1 we did not condemn the mangel-wurzel1 but tried it another week4 ,the butter was again bad1 so we abandoned the roots1 and resolved to give the animals nothing but hay4 ,when they were quite deprived of green food the milk began to decrease2 and as we had heard that oil-cake was given to cattle1 we thought we would try some4 ,we did so1 and with complete success2 we had plenty of milk1 and the butter was as good as in the middle of summer1 and nearly as fine a color4 ,we did not make so much as when the cows had plenty of grass1--besides1 it was now several months since the black cow had calved1--but we had sufficient for the consumption of the family4 ,the children1 it is true1 did not have so many tarts as when the fruit and butter were more plentiful4 ,we hope that we have made all our statements clearly1 and that the reader will have no difficulty in following us through this narrative of buttermaking4 ,of one thing we are quite sure1 that it is false economy to feed cows during the winter on anything but what we have mentioned4 ,grains from the brewer and distiller are extensively used by cow-keepers in large towns1 but they cannot be procured in the country2 and we have been told that cows fed with grains1 though they may yield plenty of milk1 will not make much butter4 ,one winter1 when hay was scarce1 we found that they did very well with carrots occasionally1 and that they did not impart any unpleasant taste to the butter4 ,they are likewise found of potatoes unboiled2 but these things are only required when you keep more stock than your land can support1--a fault very common to inexperienced farmers on a small scale4 ,,chapter ,,vi4 ,,our ,,pigs4 ,we had every reason to be satisfied with the profit we had derived from our dairy1 and next proceeded to examine the accounts we had kept of our pigs for six months4 ,we commenced by purchasing1 on the #adth of ,july1 one for which we paid #g #ej4 ,for the first month it had nothing but the wash from the house1 the skim-milk from the dairy1 and greens from the garden4 ,when we began to dig the potatoes1 we found we could not hope to save the whole crop from the disease2 we had1 therefore1 a quantity boiled and put in the pig-tub1 and upon these it was fed another month4 ,at the end of that time we began to give it a little meal and a few peas4 ,it was killed three months after we had purchased it1 and the cost for meal and peas was just #bej4 ,thus1 altogether1 we paid for it #aj1 and when killed it weighed thirteen stone 7#ahb pounds74 ,this we reckoned worth #a #cg the stone1 which made the value of the meat #ag #hg2 we had1 therefore1 a clear profit of #g #hg4 ,of course1 it would have been very different had we bought all the food for it2 but the skim-milk1 and vegetables from the garden would have been wasted1 had we been without a pig to consume them3 as it was1 the profit arose from our farm of four acres4 ,these particulars are given for the reason that the writer has frequently heard her friends in the country say1 ,oh1 ,i never keep either pigs or poultry3 the pork and the fowls always cost twice the price they can be purchased for4 ,this we could never understand1 when the despisers of home-cured hams and home-fed poultry used to assert it4 ,supposing there was no actual profit1 still it seemed strange that those who had the option of eating pork fed on milk and vegetables1 and fowls which were running about the meadows a few hours before they were killed1 should prefer those which are kept in close confinement and crammed with candle-graves and other abominations1 till they are considered what dealers call ripe enough to kill2 and as for pork1 much of that which is sold in towns is fed on the offal from the butchers' shops1 and other filth4 ,it is well known that pigs will eat anything in the shape of animal food2 and for myself1 ,i would much rather1 like the ,jew and the ,turk1 abjure it altogether1 than partake of meat fed as pork too commonly is4 ,how few people can eat this meat with impunity6 but they might do so if the animal had been properly fed4 ,it is a great mistake to make pork so fat as it usually is3 it is not only great waste1 but deters many persons from partaking of it4 ,servants will not eat it1 and those who purchase it1 as well as those who kill their own pigs1 may be certain that the surplus fat finds its way into the wash-tub1 for the benefit of a future generation of piggies4 ,our next venture proved equally fortunate4 ,we bought three small pigs1 for which we gave #c each2 and as we wished to have pickled pork and small hams1 they were killed off as we required them4 ,the first cost #b for barley-meal and peas1 and weighed six stone1 which1 at #a #cg a stone1 was worth #h #be4 ,as the cost of the pig and the food came to just #e1 we had a profit of #c #be2 but we considered we had no right to complain3 the meat was delicious1 and partaken of by the children as freely as if it had been mutton4 ,we kept the other pigs somewhat longer1 and they cost us no more for food2 for1 as ,i have already stated1 they were entirely kept with the produce of our four-acre farm1 till about three weeks before they were killed4 ,about a bushel and a half of barley meal and a peck of peas was all that was purchased for them4 ,the best way to ensure the healthy condition of the animals is to let them have the range of a small meadow2 they should likewise be occasionally well scrubbed with soap and water4 ,if they are thus treated1 how much more wholesome must the meat be than when the poor creatures are shut up in dirty styes1 and suffered to eat any garbage which is thrown to them6 ,we always had all their food boiled4 ,at first there was a great deal of opposition to the muck being introduced into the scullery2 but in a little time that was overcome1 and a batch of potatoes used to be boiled in the copper about once a month4 ,when the skim-milk was removed from the dairy1 it was taken to the trough1 and some of it mixed with a portion of the boiled potatoes1 and with this food they were fed three times daily4 ,we have been told by a practical farmer on a larger scale1 that when potatoes are not to be procured1 a pig of thirty-five stone may be fattened in ten days on something less than two hundred weight of carrots4 ,we intend to try if this is the case1 and have half an acre of our orchard 7which is arable7 sown with carrot-seed1 and feed our stock in the winter with the produce4 ,with the surplus milk of two cows we find we can always keep three pigs with very little expense4 ,of course1 if we did not plant plenty of potatoes1 we must purchase more meal for them2 but as we have an acre of kitchen-garden1 we can very well spare half of it to grow roots for the cows and pigs4 ,we do not reckon labor in our expenses1 as we must have had a gardener1 even if we had not so much spare ground1 for our flower-garden and greenhouse require daily work4 ,we hope we have convinced those who may think of having a little place a few miles from town1 that it may be made a source of profit as well as of amusement1 and that any trouble which may be experienced by the lady superintending her own dairy and farm will be repaid by having her table well supplied with good butter1 plenty of fresh eggs1 7of the poultry-yard we shall speak presently17 well-cured hams1 bacon1 delicate and fresh pork1 well-fed ducks1 and chickens4 ,all those country dainties are easily to be procured on a farm of four acres4 ,nor must another item be omitted--health2 for if you wish to be fortunate in your farming1 you must look after things yourself1 and that will necessitate constant exercise in the open air4 ,we think that we have given full particulars for the management of the cow and pig4 ,in the next chapter we will relate our experience of the poultry-yard4 ,,chapter ,,vii4 ,,our ,,poultry4 ,we commenced stocking our poultry-yard in ,july1 by purchasing twenty-eight chickens and twenty ducks1 for which we paid #af #eh in the market4 ,some of them were too young for the table at the time we purchased them1 but were all consumed at the end of four months1 with the exception of seven hens and a cock1 which we saved for stock4 ,thus in the time ,i have mentioned we killed ten couple of ducks1 and the same of fowls4 ,these we entered in our housekeeping expenses at #a #cg a couple1 though they were larger and better than could have been purchased in a ,london shop for #a #ge4 ,we must now proceed to reckon what they cost for food1 and then see if any balance remained in our favor4 ,they consumed during the time they were getting in order for the table1 three bushels of barley1 at #a #be the bushel1 one bushel of meal at the same price1 and one hundred weight of what is called chicken rice1 at #c #jj4 ,the cost of the barley and meal was1 4 4 4 4 #e #jj ,rice1 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 #c #jj ,cost of poultry1 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 #af #eh ,making the total price1 #bd #eh ,ten couple of ducks1 and the same number of chickens1 would amount to1 #bg #ej ,thus1 at the first sight1 it would appear that we gained but #b #ib by four months' trouble in attending to our fowl-yard2 but we have now to take from the purchase money the value of the eight we saved for stock1 and likewise to deduct from the barley and rice the quantity consumed by them in the four months4 ,now these eight were large fowls when bought1 and well worth #ej cents each4 ,we must allow for their food at least a fourth part of that consumed4 ,we have then to take off #d #jj from the first cost of the poultry1 and #b #jj from the value of the food1 which will add #f #jj to the #b #ib1 leaving on the whole transaction a profit of #h #ib4 ,we have still another small item to add4 ,one of the hens we saved began to lay in the middle of ,september1 and by the time the four months were expired had given us two dozen eggs1 which at that time of year1 even in the country1 were not to be procured under #cg cents the dozen2 so that we have to add #ge cents to #h #ib1 making a clear profit in four months of #i #fg4 ,it was a source of great amusement to ourselves1 as well as to the children1 by whom it was always considered a treat to run in the meadows1 with barley in their little baskets1 to the coobiddies4 ,when we first had the poultry we kept them in the stable-yard2 but we soon found they did not thrive3 they had been taken from a farm where they had the free range of the fields1 and drooped in confinement1 and from want of the grass and worms which they had been accustomed to feed on4 ,we had a house constructed for them in the meadow nearest the house1 and soon found that they throve much better1 and did not require so much food4 ,we had no trouble with them1 except in seeing that the house was cleaned out daily4 ,through the fields flowed a stream of clean water1 consequently our ducks throve well4 ,the bushel of meal which figures in our accounts was for them2 they used to have a little mixed in hot water once a day4 ,we soon left it off1 for we found the rice boiled in skim-milk was equally good for them1 and much cheaper4 ,poultry of all kinds are very fond of scraps2 the children were always told to cut up pieces of potatoes1 greens1 or meat1 which they might leave on their plates at the nursery dinner2 and when they were removed to the kitchen1 they were collected together and put into the rice-bowl for the chickens4 ,we always fed them three times daily3 in the morning with rice1 in the middle of the day with scraps1 and in the evening they had just as much barley thrown to them as they cared to pick up eagerly4 ,we have heard some persons complain of the great expense attending a poultry-yard1 but this arises from the person who has the charge of them throwing down just as much again grain as the fowls can consume4 ,we have ourselves often seen barley trodden into the ground1 if occasionally we left the task of feeding to the lad4 ,it must1 of course1 be impossible at all times for a lady to go into the fields for the purpose of feeding her chickens2 the only plan to prevent waste is to have a meal-room in the house1 and as much given out daily as is considered necessary for the consumption of the poultry4 ,this is some little trouble1 but will be well repaid by having at all times cheap and wholesome fowls1 etc4 ,we have hitherto only spoken of the profit which may be obtained from a fowl-yard1 when the stock is purchased4 ,the farmer's wife1 from whom we bought ours1 of course gained some money by their sale4 ,when we reared our own chickens from our own eggs1 we received much more emolument from our yard2 but in this little volume it is my purpose to show how a person should commence1 who leaves ,london or any other large town for a suburban residence4 ,it must always be borne in mind1 that nothing will prosper if left wholly to servants2 the country proverb of the master's eye fattens the steed1 is a very true one1 and another is quite as good3 the best manure you can put on the ground is the foot of the master4 ,as a proof of our assertion we will1 in the next chapter1 detail the disasters we experienced when we left the charge of rabbits to the superintendence of a servant4 ,,chapter ,,viii4 ,,our ,,losses4 ,our young people were very anxious to add some rabbits to their playthings1 and as we always like to encourage a love of animals in children1 we consented that they should become the fortunate share-holders in a doe and six young ones4 ,these were bought early in ,september1 and1 as long as the weather would allow1 the children used to take them food2 by and by1 however1 one died1 and then came the complaint that ,master ,harry had killed it by giving it too much green meat4 ,the young gentleman was thereupon commanded not to meddle with them for the future1 but the rabbits did not derive any benefit from his obedience2 two or three times weekly we heard of deaths taking place in the hutch1 till at last the whole half-dozen1 with their mamma1 reposed under the large walnut-tree4 ,one day the lad who had attended to them knocked at the drawing-room door1 and on entering with a large basket1 drew from it a most beautiful black-and-white doe1 and held it up before our admiring eyes2 this was followed by the display of seven young ones1 as pretty as the mother4 ,please1 ma'am1 said ,tom1 these are the kind of rabbits you ought to have bought4 ,my brother keeps rabbits1 and these are some of his2 ,i'll warrant they won't die6 ,willing once more to gratify the children1 as well as to solve the enigma of whether it must be inevitable to lose by keeping these animal1 we became the possessors of these superior creatures1 with the understanding that no one was to have anything to do with them but ,tom1 the said ,tom saying1 with perfect confidence1 that he would 'warrant' they should weigh five pounds each in six weeks4 ,not being learned in rabbits1 we trusted to his experience and promises that we should always from that have a brace for the table whenever we wished for them4 ,what was our disappointment1 then1 when a week after we heard of the death of one of them6 ,this was soon followed by another1 and another1 till the whole seven little bunnies shared the grave under the walnut-tree1 and in a day or two the doe likewise departed3 ,i concluded she died of grief for the loss of her offspring4 ,in vain did we endeavor to discover the reason of this mortality2 it could not have been for want of food1 for they consumed nearly as many oats as the pony4 ,at last ,tom thought of the hutch1 or locker1 as he called it4 ,it must1 said he1 gravely1 have had the disease4 ,so what that fatal complaint among rabbits is1 remains a profound mystery to us4 ,now this hutch was made of new wood1 in a carpenter's shop1 at a cost of nearly #aj1 and how it could have become infected with this fearful complaint we could not comprehend4 ,however1 from that time we abandoned rabbit-keeping1 and resolved not1 for the future1 to keep any live stock which we could not look after ourselves4 ,we did not attempt to do so in this case1 because we were frightened at the responsibility ,tom threw on our shoulders1 if we looked at them the doe always eating her young ones was one of the evils to be dreaded by our interference4 ,i suppose profit is to be made by keeping them1 or tame rabbits would not be placed in the poulterers' shops by the side of ducks and chickens1 but we are quite at a loss to know how it is accomplished4 ,it did not much matter in a pecuniary point of view1 as it was very doubtful if the children's pets would ever have died for the benefit of the dinner-table1 and ,i only insert this chapter for the purpose of proving what ,i stated1 viz42 that if a lady wishes her stock of any kind to prosper1 she must look after it herself4 ,when ,i say prosper1 ,i mean without the expense being double the value of the produce she would receive from her four-acre farm4 ,we did not enter these disasters in our housekeeping book1 it went under the title of children's expenses4 ,for my own part1 ,i am disposed to think that it must always be expensive to keep live stock of any kind for which all the food has to be purchased4 ,had we continued to keep our fowls in the yard1 ,i am convinced they would have brought us little or no profit2 but the grass1 worms1 and other things they found for themselves in the field1 half supplied them in food1 as well as keeping them healthy4 ,we had not one death among our poultry from disease in the six months of which ,i have been relating this experience of our farming4 ,our next venture proved more prosperous than the rabbits1 and will be related in the following chapter4 ,,chapter ,,ix4 ,,our ,,pigeons4 ,after we had been a few months in the country1 a friend1 who was a great pigeon-fancier1 wished to add some new varieties to his cote1 and offered to send us1 as a present1 seven or eight pairs of those he wished to part with4 ,we were greatly pleased with his offer1 and at once set the carpenter at work to prepare a house for them4 ,as soon as it was ready we received sixteen beautiful pigeons4 ,for the first fortnight the pigeon-holes were covered with net1 that the birds might be enabled to survey at a distance their new abode1 and become accustomed to the sight of the persons about the yard4 ,when the net was removed1 they eagerly availed themselves of their freedom to take flights round and round the house4 ,one couple1 of less contented disposition than the others1 never came back1 nor did we ever hear that they had returned to their old home4 ,our number was not1 however1 lessened by their desertion1 for we received1 at nearly the same time1 from another friend1 a pair of beautiful pouters4 ,as we resolved to keep a debtor-and-creditor account of all the things we kept1 we found that our eighteen pigeons consumed in every seven weeks4 ,two pecks of peas 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 #j #ge ,one peck of tares 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 #cg ,ditto maize 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 #cc #a #de ,in the first fourteen weeks we kept them1 we received but two pairs of young ones1 which were most mercilessly slaughtered for a pie4 ,the price of these in the market would have been #cg cents per pair1 so that we were losers on our stock2 but we must say that we did not receive them till nearly the end of ,september1 and we were agreeably surprised at finding we had young ones fit the table at ,christmas4 ,from that time we have been well recompensed for our peas1 tares1 and maize1 as each couple produces on an average a pair every six weeks2 thus the produce was worth #c #jj1 while the cost was something less than #a #ej4 ,even had there been no profit derived1 we should still have kept them1 as we consider no place in the country complete without these beautiful and graceful little creatures4 ,it was a subject of never-failing delight to the children1 watching them as they wheeled round and round the house of an evening1 and it was always considered a great privilege to be allowed to feed them4 ,at first the food was kept in the stable1 and ,tom was the feeder2 but we were soon obliged to alter this1 as we never went into the yard without treading on the corn4 ,it was afterwards removed to the back kitchen1 round the door of which they used to assemble in a flock1 till one of the servants threw them out their allowance4 ,they were considered pets1 by all the household1 and were so tame that they would allow themselves to be taken in the hand and stroked4 ,as for the young ones1 who were doomed to the steak1 we never saw them till they made their appearance in the pie4 ,they were taken from the nest as soon as they were fledged4 ,i mention this1 because we were sometimes accused by our visitors 7for whose especial benefit the young ones were sometimes slain7 of cruelty1 in eating the pretty creatures2 but we never found that they had any scruples in partaking of them at dinner4 ,it was usually as they were watching of a summer evening the flight of the parent birds that we were taxed with our barbarity4 ,we were one day much amused by a clergyman of our acquaintance1 who kept a great number of these birds in a room1 and who1 in default of children to pet1 made pets of his pigeons4 ,at dinner1 a pigeon-pie made part of the repast4 ,this was placed opposite a visitor1 who was requested to carve the dainty4 ,he did so1 and sent a portion of it to his host4 ,the reverend gentleman looked at the plateful sent him attentively1 and then said with a sigh1 ,i will trouble you to exchange this for part of the other bird4 ,this was a peculiar favorite1 and ,i always fed it myself4 ,i put a mark on the breast after it was picked1 for ,i could not bear to eat the little darling6 ,we always thought that this sentimental divine had better either not have had the little darling put into the pie1 or have swallowed his feelings and his favorite at the same time4 ,this dish seems to occasion wit as well as sentiment1 for we were once asked by a facetious friend1 ,why is a pigeon in a pie like ,shakspeare's ,richard ,,iii8 ,we gave it up1 and were told1 ,because it was bound unto the steak 7stake71 and could not fly4 ,this may perhaps be a worn-out jest1 but it was fresh to the writer1 and so perhaps it may be to some of her readers4 ,we will say a few words on the management of pigeons before we conclude this chapter4 ,it is necessary that a pan of water should be place in their house each day for them to wash in1 and that a large lump of bay-salt should likewise be kept there4 ,it should be occasionally cleaned out1 and this is all the trouble attending keeping them4 ,feed them three times a day2 and never throw more down than they pick up at a meal4 ,as ,i have said nothing of the profit derived from chickens when they are reared by the owner1 so ,i now say nothing of the saving in keeping pigeons1 when we came to sow a large patch of ,indian corn1 as well as some tares4 ,we did so successfully in the acre of ground called the ,orchard2 and though we had abundance of fine fruit from it1 the trees were not planted so thickly as to prevent any kind of crop from flourishing4 ,but we repeat1 this little book is a manual for the use of the beginner2 and to such we hope it may prove both useful and encouraging4 ,,chapter ,x4 ,,how ,,we ,,cured ,,our ,,hams4 ,i have now recounted our experience in keeping cows1 pigs1 chickens1 ducks1 rabbits1 and pigeons2 and with everything but the rabbits we were amply satisfied with the return we received for our labor4 ,we had a constant supply of milk1 butter1 eggs1 ducks1 chickens1 and pork1 not only fresh1 but in the shape of good hams and bacon4 ,i do not know whether it is not presumptuous1 in the face of ,miss ,acton1 ,mrs4 ,rundle1 and so many other authorities1 not forgetting the great ,alexis ,soyer1 to give our method of curing the last-mentioned dainties2 but we think we may as well follow up the history of our pigs1 from the sty to the kitchen4 ,i always found that the recipes usually given for salting pork contained too much saltpetre1 which not only renders the meat hard1 but causes it to be very indigestible4 ,the following is the manner in which they were cured by ourselves3 ,for each ham of twelve pounds weight3 ,two pounds of common salt4 ,two ounces of saltpetre4 pound of bay salt4 pound of coarse sugar4 ,the hams to be well rubbed with this mixture1 which must be in the finest powder4 ,it is always the best plan to get your butcher to rub the meat1 as a female hand is hardly heavy enough to do it effectually2 they are then placed in a deep pan1 and a wine-glass of vinegar is added4 ,they should be turned each day2 and for the first three or four should be well rubbed with brine4 ,after that time it will be sufficient1 with a wooden or iron spoon1 to well ladle it over the meat4 ,they should remain three weeks in the pickle4 ,when removed from it1 they must be well wiped1 put in brown-paper bags1 and then smoked the wood smoke for three weeks4 ,we once had nearly a whole pig spoiled by its being taken to a baker's1 where it was dried1 but not smoked4 ,when it came back it resembled very strong tallow4 ,in villages it is usual to send bacon and hams to be dried in the chimneys of farm-houses where wood is burnt1 in the old-fashioned manner1 on dogs2 but if resident in or near a small town1 there is always a drying-house to be met with1 where we believe sawdust is used for fuel4 ,we have had our own dried in this manner1 and always found them excellent4 ,we used the same pickle for twenty-four pounds' weight of bacon1 with the exception that we allow two pounds more of common salt1 and when it is turned the second time the same quantity of salt is rubbed into it4 ,some persons make a pickle of water1 salt1 sugar1 and saltpetre1 boiled together1 and when cold put in the hams1 etc41 without any rubbing4 ,we have never tried that way for meats that are to be dried1 but can strongly recommend it for salt beef1 pork1 or mutton4 ,the following is the pickle always used in our kitchen3 ,three gallons of soft water4 ,one pound of coarse sugar4 ,two ounces of saltpetre4 ,three pounds of common salt4 ,boil together1 and let it be well skimmed2 then1 when cold1 the meat to be well wiped and put into it4 ,it will be fit to cook in ten days1 but may be kept without injury for two months1 when the pickle should be reboiled and well skimmed4 ,the meat should be covered with brine and the pan have a cover4 ,we have put legs of mutton into this pickle1 and can assure the reader it is an excellent mode of cooking this joint2 and as it is one which frequently makes its appearance at table where the family is large1 it is sometimes a pleasant method of varying the dish4 ,it is the best way of any we know of1 for curing tongues2 it has the great advantage of being always ready for use1 and you are not fearful of the carelessness of servants1 who not unfrequently forget to look to the salting-pans4 ,we can recommend a dish not often seen at table1 and that is a sirloin of beef put into this pickle for about a fortnight4 ,it is infinitely superior either to the round or edgebone1 and certainly not so extravagant as the last-named joint4 ,a friend has told us that we should procure some juniper-berries to put into our ham-pickle1 but there were none to be purchased in our neighborhood1 and as we were quite ignorant of the flavor they might impart1 we did not trouble ourselves to get them4 ,i am fond of old proverbs1 and as our hams and bacon were always good1 we determined to let well alone4 ,,chapter ,x#a4 ,,our ,,bread4 ,any lady who thinks of trying a country residence1 should see that it possess a small brick oven1 for home-made bread ought always to be considered indispensable in the country4 ,we did not discover that our new home was without one till after we entered it4 ,we were laughed at by our landlord when we mentioned our want of this convenience4 ,why6 cried he1 there is a baker's shop not five minutes walk from the house4 ,never mind1 said ,i1 how near the baker's shop may be2 we mean to have all our bread made at home4 ,it will be1 we are sure1 better to do so1 both on the score of health and economy4 ,but ,i really1 said the gentleman1 cannot afford to build you an oven2 it would cost me #ajj at the least4 ,at this1 ,h41 who had resided for a short time in a house where the bread was made at home1 laughed1 and said1 ,really1 ,mr4 ,l41 you need not fear that we wish to put you to so much expense1 and it is perhaps but fair that we should meet you half-way in the matter2 so if you will find labor we will find materials3 or reverse it1 if you please4 ,mr4 ,l4 remembered that he had in some outhouse a quantity of fire bricks1 and it was arranged that we should pay for the labor of constructing a three-peck oven4 ,this occasioned on our part an outlay of #aj1 and this small sum was the source of considerable saving to us yearly4 ,we were more fortunate with our bread than with our butter-making1 for ,mary was a capital baker2 our bread was always made from the best flour4 ,we all liked it much better than bakers' bread1 and it was much more nourishing4 ,indeed1 when ,i was once in ,kent during hopping1 and saw that the women who resided in the neighborhood always gave up half a day's work weekly for the purpose of going home to bake1 ,i used to wonder why they did not purchase their bread from a baker in the village4 ,i was informed by one of them to whom ,i put the question1 ,lord1 ma'am1 we could not work on bakers' bread1 we should be half-starved2 it's got no heart in it4 ,to a small family1 perhaps1 the saving might not be considered an object1 but any one who has for a few months been accustomed to eat home-made bread1 would be sorry to have recourse to the baker's2 the loaves purchased are usually spongy the first day1 and dry and harsh the second4 ,it is not only that other ingredients than flour1 yeast1 and water are mixed in the dough1 but it is seldom sufficiently baked2 bread well made at home and baked in a brick oven for a proper time1 is as good at the end of a week as it is the second day4 ,i have heard several persons say1 ,i should like home-made bread if it were baked every day1 but ,i don't like eating stale bread four or five days out of the seven4 ,if they stayed with us a day or two1 they became convinced that bread which had been made three or four days did not deserve the epithet of stale4 ,i will now proceed to show the reader how much flour was consumed in our household1 consisting of thirteen persons4 ,we used to bake weekly twenty-eight pounds of flour1 of the best quality2 this produced forty-two pounds of bread4 ,i will give in the most explicit manner ,i can directions for making it1 which ,i imagine any servant will be able to comprehend3 ,place in a large pan twenty-eight pounds of flour2 make a hole with the hand in the centre of it like a large basin1 into which strain a pint of yeast from the brewer's2 this must be tasted1 and if too bitter a little flour sprinkled in it1 and then strained directly2 then pour in two quarts of water1 of the temperature of #ajj'1 that is1 what is called blood-heat1 and stir the flour round from the bottom of the hole you have formed with the hand1 till that part of the flour is quite thick and well mixed1 though all the rest must remain unwetted2 then sprinkle a little flour over the moist part1 and cover with a cloth3 this is called sponge1 and must be left half an hour to rise4 ,during this time the fire must be lighted in the oven with fagots1 and the heat well maintained till the bread is ready to enter it4 ,at the end of the half-hour add four quarts of water1 of the same heat as the previous two quarts1 and well knead the whole mass into a smooth dough4 ,this is hard work1 and requires strength to do it properly4 ,it must be again covered and left for one hour4 ,in cold weather both sponge and dough must be placed on the kitchen-hearth1 or it will not rise well4 ,before the last water is put in1 two table-spoonfuls of salt must be sprinkled over the flour4 ,sometimes the flour will absorb another pint of water4 ,when the dough has risen1 it must be made up into loaves as quickly as possible2 if much handled then1 the bread will be heavy4 ,it will require an hour and an half to bake it1 if made into four-pound loaves4 ,while the dough is rising the oven must be emptied of the fire1 the ashes swept from it1 and then well wiped with a damp mop kept for the purpose4 ,to ascertain if it is sufficiently heated1 throw a little flour into it1 and if it brown directly1 it will do4 ,i think ,i have stated every particular necessary to enable a novice to make a batch of good bread4 ,i will sum up the articles requisite to produce forty-two pounds of the best quality3 ,flour1 #bh pounds4 ,water at #ajj'1 #ab or #ac pints4 ,two table-spoonfuls of salt4 ,yeast1 #a pint4 ,bake one hour and a half4 ,the quantity made was ten and a half quarterns1 or four-pound loaves2 and1 as ,i have said1 supplied our family of thirteen persons for the week4 ,for the same number1 when we were residing in town1 the baker used to leave thirteen quarterns weekly4 ,one day1 in the country1 when1 from the accidental absence of the bread-maker1 we had to be supplied from the baker1 we were surprised to hear that at the nursery-breakfast the children 7six7 and nurse consumed more than a two-pound loaf1 and then were complaining of being so hungry two hours after4 ,i thought of the words of the ,kentish hopper1 that there was no heart in bakers' bread4 ,the servant who has the management of the oven should be instructed to take care that the wood-ashes are not thrown into the dust-hole with the ashes from the grates4 ,they are always valuable in the country2 and1 as ,i have mentioned1 the wooden articles used in the dairy should always be scrubbed with them4 ,should the water which is used in the house be hard1 and any washing done at home1 they should be place in a coarse cloth over a tub1 and water poured over them several times to make lye1 which softens the water1 and saves soap much more than soda1 and is likewise better for the linen4 ,the brick oven will often prove a source of great convenience1 independent of bread-making4 ,it is just the size to bake hams or roasting pigs1 and will1 when dinner-parties are given1 frequently prove much more useful to the cook than an extra fire4 ,the fagots are sold by the hundred1 and the price is usually #f #be for that quantity4 ,,chapter ,,xii4 ,,our ,,kitchen-,,garden4 ,as ,i wish to make this little work a complete manual to the farm of four acres1 ,i must insert a few remarks on the management of the kitchen-garden4 ,ours consisted of an acre2 and1 large as our family was1 we did not require more than half of it to supply us with vegetables1 independent of potatoes4 ,we strongly advise any one who may have more garden than they may want for vegetables1 to plant the surplus with potatoes4 ,even if the disease does affect part of the crop1 the gain will still be great1 providing you keep animals to consume them2 for they must indeed be bad if the pigs will not thrive on them when boiled4 ,poultry1 likewise1 will eat them in preference to any other food4 ,we had something more than half an acre planted one year when the disease was very prevalent2 the crop suffered from it to a considerable extent1 but the yield was so large that we stored sufficient to supply the family from ,september till the end of ,april1 and had enough of those but slightly affected to fatten four pigs1 beside having a large bowlful boiled daily for the poultry4 ,the worst parts were always cut out before they were boiled1 and neither pigs nor poultry were allowed to touch them raw4 ,it is much the best plan to consume all the potatoes you may grow1 rather than save any of them for seed4 ,it will be but a slight additional expense to have fresh kinds sent from quite a different locality1 and they will thrive better1 and not be so liable to the disease4 ,they should always be dug before the slightest appearance of frost1 and place on straw in a dry place1 where they can be conveniently looked over once a fortnight1 when any that show symptoms of decay should be removed and boiled at once for the pigs4 ,by this method very few will be wholly wasted2 instead of eating potatoes you will eat pork1 that is1 if you have plenty of skim-milk4 ,i do not at all know how pigs would like them without they were mixed up with that fluid4 ,we have tried1 with great success1 planting them in rows alternately with other vegetables4 ,when they are all together1 the haulms in wet seasons grow so rankly that they become matted together2 and then1 as the air is excluded from the roots1 it renders them liable to disease4 ,we have tried cutting the haulm off to within a few inches of the ground2 but this1 the gardener said1 proved detrimental to the roots4 ,we afterwards tried a row of potatoes1 then cabbages1 then carrots1 and then again came the potatoes4 ,we once planted them between the currant and gooseberry bushes1 but it was as bad1 or worse1 than when a quantity of them were by themselves2 for when the trees made their midsummer shoots the leaves quite shut out air and light from the potatoes1 and when dug they proved worse than any other portions of the crop4 ,we always found that the deeper the sets were placed in the ground the sounder were the roots3 ,we tried every experiment with them2 and as our gardener was both skilful and industrious1 we were usually much more fortunate with our produce than our neighbors4 ,carrots rank to the small farmer next in value to the potatoes2 not only pigs and cows are fond of them1 but likewise horses4 ,the pony always improved in condition when he was allowed to have a few daily4 ,our arable acre was a model farm on a very small scale4 ,we grow in it maize for the poultry1 tares for the pigeons1 lucerne for the cows1 and talked of oats for the pony4 ,this our gardener objected to1 so the surplus bit of ground was sown with parsnips1 which turned out very profitable1 as both pigs and cows liked them4 ,we have told the reader that we reared the calf of the ,strawberry cow1 and it cost us hardly anything to do so1 for it was fed in the winter with the roots we had to spare4 ,the first winter it had to consume the greater part of the ton of mangel-wurzel we had bought to keep our cows together4 ,some we had boiled with potatoes for the pigs1 and they liked it very well4 ,an acre of land may appear a laughably small piece of ground to produce such a variety of articles1 but if well attended to the yield will astonish those who are ignorant of gardening4 ,the one important thing to be attended to is1 to see that all seed-crops are well thinned out as soon as they are an inch above the surface4 ,in very few kitchen-gardens is this attended to1 and for want of this care a dozen carrots1 parsnips1 or turnips1 are allowed to stand where one would be sufficient4 ,the one would prove a fine root2 the dozen are not worth the trouble of pulling1 as they can get neither air nor room to grow4 ,to be well done they should be thinned by hand1 and that being a tedious job1 gardeners seldom can be induced to perform the work properly4 ,as our ground became productive we added another cow1 and more pigs and poultry1 but ,i shall not now say with what success4 ,this little book in only intended for the novice in farming1 and details only the results of the first six months of our farm of four acres4 ,perhaps ,i should have called it five acres1 as nearly the whole of the acre of kitchen-garden was devoted to the cultivation of food for our stock4 ,we had a very broad sunny border at the back of the flower-garden1 which grew nearly all the spring and summer vegetables we required3 such as seakale1 early potatoes1 peas cauliflowers1 and salads4 ,we have not yet said anything of the money we saved by our kitchen-garden1 but we must add to the profits of our six months' farming the average amount we should have paid to a green-grocer for fruit and vegetables4 ,twenty-five cents a day to supply thirteen persons with these necessary articles is certainly not more than must have been expended4 ,still1 #ij per annum is a considerable item of household expenditure1 and scanty would have been the supply it would have furnished2 as it was we had a profusion of fruit of all kinds1 from the humble gooseberry and currant to the finest peaches1 nectarines1 and hothouse grapes1 as well as an abundant supply of walnuts and filberts4 ,had we bought all the produce of our garden1 the value would have more than paid our gardener's wages4 ,nor must ,i omit the luxury of having beautiful flowers from the greenhouse throughout the winter2 these superfluous items did not figure in our accounts4 ,we should have purchased but bare necessaries1 and therefore entered but twenty-five cents a day for garden stuff in our housekeeping book4 ,those only who have lived in the country can appreciate the luxury of not only having fruit and vegetables in abundance1 but of having them fresh4 ,early potatoes fresh dug1 peas fresh gathered1 salad fresh cut1 and fruit plucked just before it makes its appearance at table1 are things which cannot be purchased by the wealthiest residents in a great city4 ,not far from our residence there were large grounds1 which were cultivated with fruit and vegetables for the ,london market4 ,i have frequently seen the wagons packed for ,covent ,garden4 ,the freshest that can be procured there would be considered stale in the neighborhood in which they were grown4 ,any fruit or vegetables in that far-famed market must have been gathered twenty-four hours before they could find their way into the kitchen of the consumer2 and it is not only the time which has elapsed1 but the manner in which they are packed1 which so much deteriorates their quality4 ,have any of our readers ever seen the densely-loaded wagons which enter that market8 ,the vegetables are wedged as closely together as they can be pressed1 which very soon causes1 in warm weather1 cabbages1 greens1 c41 to ferment and become unwholesome4 ,i have often seen them so loaded in the middle of the day before they reached ,london4 ,they are left in the hot sun till the time arrives1 when the horses are placed in them1 and they begin their slow journey towards town4 ,this is seldom till late at night when the distance does not exceed a dozen miles4 ,the finer kinds of fruit such as peaches1 grapes1 etc41 do not injure so much by being kept a few days before the are eaten2 indeed1 ripe peaches and nectarines are seldom gathered for sale3 they would spoil too quickly to enable the fruiterer to realize much profit4 ,they are plucked when quite hard1 and then placed in boxes till they gradually soften2 but the flavor of fruit thus treated is very inferior to that of a peach or nectarine ripened by the sun4 ,seed-fruits1 such as strawberries1 come very vapid in four or five hours after they have been picked1 if they were then quite ripe4 ,i know that the last few pages have nothing to do with the money we made by our farm1 but ,i wish to show the reader all the advantages which a country residence possess over a town one4 ,some persons1 who cannot live without excitement1 think that nothing can compensate for the want of amusement and society4 ,i was once speaking of the pleasure ,i experienced from residing in the country1 and placed health among its many advantages1 when ,i was answered1 ,it is better to die in ,london than live in the country6 ,i think ,i have said enough to cause my lady readers to wish that the time may not be far distant when they may1 like ourselves1--for we did all sorts of odd jobs in our garden1--cut their own asparagus1 and assist in gathering their own peas4 ,it is indeed impossible to over-estimate the value of a kitchen-garden in a large family which numbers many children among its members4 ,,chapter ,,xiii4 ,,the ,,money ,,we ,,made4 ,some time ago we showed our first six months' accounts to a friend1 who was very sceptical as to the profit we always told him we made by our farming4 ,after he had looked over our figures1 he said1-- ,well6 ,and after all1 what have you made by your butter-making1 pig-killing1 and fowl-slaughtering8 ,what have we made8 said ,i1 indignantly4 ,why1 don't you see that1 from ,july to ,january1 we realized a profit of #i #ej from our cows1 #aa #ab from our pigs1 #i #fg from our poultry-yard1 and #de at the least from our kitchen-garden1 which1 altogether1 amounts to no less a sum than #ade #bi2 and all this in our 'salad-days1 when we were green in judgment8' ,what shall we not make now that we have more stock1 our ground well cropped1 and1 better still1 have gained so much experience8 ,well1 said our friend1 the more 'stock1' as you call it1 you have1 the more money you will lose4 ,at this rejoinder1 ,h4 looked at the speaker as if she thought he had eaten of the insane root1 which takes the reason prisoner4 ,lose more money6 when you can yourself see1 by looking at this book1 that in our first six months we have cleared #ade #bi6 ,and1 indeed1 it was absurd of ,a4 to put down so little1 for she has allowed #be for the land2 and if she take that off the rent1 she ought to enter it as profit from the farm4 ,besides1 think of only putting down a shilling a day for fruit and vegetables6 ,very few puddings would the children get at that rate1 supposing we were in ,london4 ,if we were in ,london1 interrupted ,i1 you know that #ij yearly would be as much as we could afford to expend for that item in our family4 ,i have made out all our farming accounts as fairly as ,i can4 ,i am as well aware as you can be that a shilling a day would not give us the luxuries of the garden as we now have them2 and though that plenty may form one of the advantages of residing in the country1 we have no right to put down as a saving of money the value of articles we should never have thought of purchasing4 ,i must allow1 said ,mr4 ,n41 that you appear to have been strictly honest in your entries as regards the value of the produce you have received1 but you do not appear to have put down your losses4 ,you keep a one-sided ledger4 ,you have the credit1 but not the debit entry4 ,you say nothing of the money you have lost by pigeons and rabbit-keeping4 ,now the utmost we had lost by our pigeons in the six months was #b #be1 and he knew perfectly well how profitable they had since been to us4 ,he used jokingly to say1 that we fed our guest with them in every mode of cookery so frequently1 that they would alter the old grace of for rabbits hot1 c41 and substitute the word pigeon in its place2 so we thought it was ungenerous to reproach the poor birds with the scanty number they gave us the first few weeks they were in our dove-cote4 ,silenced on that point1 he returned to our unfortunate rabbit speculation1 and complained that we had kept no account of the money we had lost by them4 ,here ,h4 stopped him saying1 ,pray1 ,mr4 ,n41 did you not purchase your children a pony1 and did it not catch cold and die in a month afterwards8 ,i suppose ,mrs4 ,n4 did not enter that in her housekeeper's book as meat at so much a pound1 and why should we put down the cost of the rabbits in our farming accounts8 ,no2 of course it was entered among the 'sundries4' ,but you must allow1 said ,mr4 ,n41 that if you had done as ,i advised you1 and taken a house in a street leading into one of the squares1 you would have lived more cheaply than here4 ,why1 your gardener's wages must more than swallow up any profit which you may think you make from your farm4 ,you must acknowledge you would have saved that expense4 ,granted1 said ,i2 but we should most likely have paid quite as much to a doctor4 ,we never got through a year in town without a heavy bill to one2 and we must have had all the expense and trouble of taking the children out of town during the hot weather1 while the have had excellent health ever since they have been here2 and with the exception1 when some kind friend like yourself has asked one of them on a visit1 neither of them has left home since we came here4 ,of one thing ,i am quite sure1 that we are much happier than we should have been in ,london2 and that in every point of view1 as regards expenditure1 we are gainers4 ,i have not entered any profit arising from baking at home1 though the difference is just three four-pound loaves weekly2 and ,mrs4 ,n4 will tell you what must be the saving by our having our own laundry4 ,enough6 enough6 said ,mr4 ,n41 laughingly2 your evidence is overwhelming4 ,you almost force me to believe that ,i could live in the country1 feed my own pork1 and drink my own milk1 without paying half a crown a pound for the one or a shilling a quart for the other1 and this was what ,i never before believed possible2 and ,i am quite sure1 that if ,i were to put the assertion in a book1 no one would believe me4 ,then1 exclaimed ,i1 it shall be asserted in a book whenever ,i can find time to transcribe all the particulars from my diary2 and ,i hope that ,i may be able to convince my readers--should ,i be fortunate enough to obtain any--not only that they may keep cows1 pigs1 and poultry without loss1 but that they may derive health1 recreation1 and profit from doing so4 ,none know better than yourself how worn-out in health and spirits we were when we came to this place2 how oppressed with cares and anxieties4 ,without occupation1 we should most likely have become habitual invalids1 real or fancied2 without some inducement to be out of doors1 we should seldom have exerted ourselves to take the exercise necessary to restore us to health and strength4 ,but you will lose your train1 if ,i keep you longer listening to the benefits we have experienced by our residence in this place4 ,give the fruit and flowers to ,mrs4 ,n4 with our love2 and tell her1 that with ,god's blessing we have improved in 'mind1 body1 and estate1' by occupying ourselves with 'our farm of four acres4' ,,chapter ,,xiv4 ,,the ,,next ,,six ,,months4 ,it was not my intention when ,i commenced this little work to do more than give our first six months' experience in farming our four acres of land2 but as perhaps the reader may think that time hardly sufficient to form a correct opinion of the advantages to be derived from a residence in the country1 ,i think it as well to add some particulars relating to the following six months4 ,in the spring came a new source of profit and amusement4 ,we commenced our labors in the poultry-yard in ,february1 by setting a hen on thirteen eggs1 which1 early in ,march1 produced the same number of chickens3 these were all ready for the table in the middle of ,may4 ,at that time we could not have purchased them under #a #ej the couple4 ,the cost of thirty-eight chickens till ready to kill was #d #cg4 ,we always knew exactly the expense attending the poultry1 because we had a separate book from the miller1 in which every article was entered as it came into the house2 and as the chickens were kept distinct from the other fowls1 ,i could tell the exact sum they had cost us when they made their appearance at table4 ,the first thing that was given them to eat was egg1 boiled quite hard1 chopped very fine1 and mixed with bread-crumbs4 ,after that they had groats4 ,i find they consumed3 ,three quarts of whole groats 4 4 4 4 4 #cg ,two bushels of barley 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 #b #be ,one bushel of middlings 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 #a #ab ,twenty-five lbs4 of chicken-rice 4 4 4 #fc ,making altogether 4 4 4 4 #d #cg ,the reader must be told that those thirty-eight chickens had other things to eat than those ,i have put down2 they had nearly all the scraps from the house1 consisting of cold potatoes1 bits of meat1 pudding1 c41 and any pieces of bread which were left at table were soaked in skim-milk2 and the rice was also boiled in it4 ,o course1 in a smaller family there would not have been so many scraps for them2 but1 however strict you may be with children1 you cannot prevent their leaving remnants on their plates1 all of which would have been wasted had it not been for the chickens and pig-tub4 ,we were not so fortunate with the ducks4 ,we did not keep any through the winter1 consequently we had to purchase the eggs1 which were placed under hens2 for those eggs we paid four cents each1 and out of thirteen1 which was the number given to each hen1 we never reared more than eight ducks4 ,thus1 in the first instance1 they cost us six cents each2 and they were likewise more expensive to feed than the chickens4 ,they were never fit for the table till they had cost us sixty-three cents the couple4 ,one reason of this was1 that as the chickens had all the waste bids1 they had nothing but what was bought for them2 but then they were such ducks as could not have been purchased at the poulterers'4 ,we never killed one unless it weighed four pounds2 they used to be brought in at night1 and placed in the scale3 if it was the weight ,i have mentioned it was killed1 if not it was respited till it did so4 ,at first we tried cooping them to fatten1 but found it did not answer1 as they moped and refused to eat by themselves2 so we abandoned that plan1 and were content to let them run in the meadows till fit to kill1 which was not till they were three months old4 ,they were never fat1 but very meaty1 and fine flavored1--not in the least like those which are bought1 which1 however fat they may appear before they are cooked1 come to table half the size they were when put down to the fire4 ,i remember being rather puzzled once when resident in ,london4 ,i wanted a particularly fine couple of ducks for a company dinner1 and went myself to the shop where ,i dealt to order them4 ,now1 ,mrs4 ,todd1 said ,i1 the ducks ,i require are not fat ducks1 but meaty ones2 the last ,i had from you had nothing on them when they came to table1 though they looked so plump when you sent them4 ,oh1 yes1 ma'am1 was the rejoinder4 ,i know just what you want2 but they are very difficult to get3 you want running ducks4 ,i was obliged to ask what she meant by the term running1 and was then informed that the ducks for the ,london market were put up to fatten1 and as they were crammed with grease to hasten the process1 the fat all went into the dripping-pan4 ,now a running duck was one well fed1 and allowed to roam or run till it was killed4 ,i am now able from experience to say1 that they are incomparably superior to their fattened brethren4 ,the novice in poultry-rearing must be told that it is almost useless to set a hen in very hot weather4 ,as we had more eggs than were required1 we did so during part of ,june1 ,july1 and ,august1 but had very bad fortune with them2 the hen seldom hatching more than three or four1 and those puny little creatures4 ,there is an old ,kentish proverb which says1 ,between the sickle and the scythe1 ,whatever's born will never thrive2 and as it was just between the hay and corn-harvest that we tried to rear our ducks and chickens1 ,i am induced to believe that1 like many other old saws1 it was founded on experience4 ,they may be reared in ,september1 though they require great care1 and must not be allowed to run on the grass1 which at that season is seldom dry4 ,a friend once told me she reared a brood of seventeen chickens1 which were hatched the last week in ,september2 they were placed in an empty greenhouse1 and were consequently kept warm and dry4 ,march is the month for poultry2 the hatches are better1 and they grow much more rapidly than at any other time4 ,i am quite sure that a poultry-yard may be made very profitable to any one who will bestow a little trouble on it4 ,great care must be taken with the young chickens at night2 the hen should be securely cooped with them3 for want of this precaution we in one night lost eight1 when they were a few days old1 being1 as we supposed1 carried off by the cats4 ,the best food for ducks when first hatched is bread and milk2 in a few days barley-meal1 wetted with water into balls about as big as peas1 should be given to them4 ,it is usual1 as soon as both ducks and chickens come out of the shell1 to put a pepper-corn down their throats4 ,i don't know that it is really of service to them1 but it is a time-honored custom1 and so perhaps it is as well to follow it4 ,as for our butter-making1 it continued to prosper2 we had some little trouble with it in the spring1 when the weather set in suddenly very hot4 ,it was certainly much more difficult to reduce the temperature of the cream to #ee' than it was to raise it to that degree4 ,i often thought with vain longing of the shop in the ,strand1 where we used to purchase ,wenham ,lake ,ice3 how firm would the butter have come1 could we have had a few lumps to put in the churn half and hour before we required to use it6 ,farmers' wives tell us1 that to get firm butter in very hot weather they get up at three o'clock in the morning1 in order that it may be made before the sun becomes powerful4 ,now this is a thing that would not have suited ,h4 or myself at all1 and therefore we never mustered up courage to attempt it4 ,one day in ,march--and this is the last disaster ,i have to record concerning our butter--we were particularly anxious to have it good1 as we expected visitors1 to whom we had frequently boasted of our skill as dairywomen3 the day was very warm1 and the cream appeared much thicker than usual2 we churned for more than an hour without its appearing to undergo any change2 we frequently removed the lid to see if there was any sign of butter coming1 but each time we were disheartened when we discovered it looked just the same as when placed in the churn4 ,at last the handle went round as easily as if no cream were in it1 and presently it began to run over the top of the churn4 ,when we looked in a curious sight presented itself3 the cream had risen to the top1 just as milk does when it boils6 ,we were greatly astonished4 ,in nine months' butter-making we had seen nothing like it4 ,tom1 who milked the cows was supposed to know something of the art of churning2 he was1 therefore1 called into the dairy3 as soon as he saw the state of the matter he exclaimed1 ,why1 the cream's gone to sleep6 ,the cream gone to sleep6 ,what in the world could that mean8 ,such a propensity we had never discovered in cream before2 we could gain no solution of the mystery from ,tom2 all he said was1 that we must go on churning till it waked up4 ,h4 and myself had been hard at work for two hours1 so willingly yielded to his request that he might be allowed to rouse the cream from its slumber4 ,he1 the cook1 and housemaid1 churned away by turns till seven in the evening1 but the sleep of the cream remained unbroken1 and as it was then considered a hopeless affair1 the slothful fluid was consigned to the pig-tub4 ,now we have never felt quite sure of our butter since4 ,every time we churn there is a lurking fear that the cream may choose to take a nap2 however1 it is as yet the first and last time in our experience4 ,i can give no advice to my readers on the subject1 because ,i am wholly ignorant on the subject1 though ,i have consulted every farmer's wife in the neighborhood on the matter4 ,they all say that cream will go to sleep sometimes1 though it usually wakes up after a few hours499 ,i have since been told by an old woman conversant with sleepy cream1 that a quart of milk nearly boiling hot will wake it up4 ,perhaps1 after all1 we were too impatient1 and should not have given in after only nine hours' churning4 ,with this solitary exception our butter-making progressed as favorably as we could desire4 ,i do not quite know how to believe the stories ,i am told of wonderful cows which my friends are fortunate enough to possess4 ,one gentleman has informed me that he has one which gives fifteen pounds of butter weekly4 ,now we have had several1 but never made more on the average than eight pounds per week4 ,i believe that a great deal depends on the manner in which they are milked1 and once in the hands of a beginner in that art the cows decreased in milk so rapidly1 that we did not get more than a gallon daily from both animals2 after they had been three weeks under his management we changed the milker1 but did not get anything like the proper quantity again till after they had calved4 ,i believe the usual average is one pound of butter from every ten quarts of milk4 ,ours used to give us thirteen or fourteen quarts each daily1 and yet we never made more than eight pounds4 ,we used about two quarts of new milk1 so that if ten quarts will give a pound of butter1 we did not get so much as we ought4 ,still we were very well satisfied with the produce we received4 ,there requires management with two cows1 in order that one may always be in full milk when the other calves4 ,if you rear a calf for the butcher1 it will require the whole of the milk for six or seven weeks1 which is about the age they are killed for fine veal4 ,we once--it was in the winter--received #bf for one4 ,with two cows this may usually be done1 and its is more profitable than making butter4 ,where only one is kept1 it is better to part with the calf when a few days old1 and then the price is #e4 ,if a lady wishes her dairy to be very nicely finished1 she should have all the articles she requires of glass1 instead of wood and earthenware4 ,everything for the diary of that material can be purchased in ,leicester ,square1 and certainly1 if expense had been no object to us1 we should much have preferred a glass churn1 pans1 c4 ,they have the great advantage of being kept beautifully clean with very little labor2 but they are so liable to be broken1 that they should never be used unless servants are very careful4 ,a marble table is1 however1 in every respect better than a board to make the butter upon4 ,it is expensive at first1 but will1 with ordinary care1 last several generations of butter-makers4 ,whilst on the subject of the dairy1 ,i must say a few words respecting the great care required in washing the articles used in it4 ,as soon as the butter was taken from the churn ,i was in the habit of half filling it with boiling water1 into which ,i had put some lumps of soda1 and then turning the handle a few times1 in order that it might be well washed round4 ,it was then left till it was convenient for cook to cleanse all the utensils we had used4 ,from some cause or other ,i neglected for two or three weeks to do this1 and one day1 when the freshmade butter was brought to table1 there were complaints that it was cheesy2 it certainly had a peculiar and very unpleasant taste1 for which we could not account4 ,the next time it was made it had the same fault2 and it then occurred to me that it might be the churn4 ,i accordingly returned to my old mode of washing it1 and never after was there a complaint of any unpleasant flavor in the butter4 ,i mention this to show the amateur dairywoman how very essential is cleanliness in every article she uses4 ,a regular dairymaid would have known this1 but a town-servant thinks that if she washes a thing it is sufficient3 but more than mere washing is required2 every article must be scrubbed with soap1 wood-ashes1 and soda1 and then placed for hours in the open air4 ,now glass is much easier kept sweet and clean1 and for that reason is greatly to be preferred2 but ,i am writing for those who may wish to reap profit from their farm of four acres1 and ,i fear little would be gained if nothing but glass were used in the dairy4 ,our land turned out better the second summer than the first4 ,we made nearly two tons and a half of hay from each acre4 ,we were enabled to mow the whole three acres1 as we had common rights in our neighborhood1 where the cows could pasture during the spring4 ,had we been without this privilege we could have mown only two acres1 and as hay was #ba the load1 the additional acre was worth #ej to us1 with the exception of #c #ge for making it4 ,we were advised to have an after-crop1 but did not2 it would have made the land very poor for the next year1 so that what we gained in hay we must have expended in manure4 ,we were well satisfied with the profit we derived from our pigs during this second six months4 ,all the summer we kept four1 at an expense of fifty-eight cents weekly1 which was expended for two bushels of fine pollard 7bran and meal74 ,we had such an abundance of vegetables from the garden and orchard1 that we must have wasted cartloads1 if we had not kept pigs to consume them4 ,as soon as the hay was carried they were turned into the meadows1 and suffered to remain there till they were put up to fatten2 a process which pigs must go through1 though ducks can dispense with it4 ,i have already stated the expense of fattening them1 and we never found it vary more than a shilling or two in a pig4 ,we always found for our family that a bacon pig of sixteen stone 7#bdd pounds7 was the best size1 and for porkers about eight 7#aab pounds74 ,our fruit was as plentiful as our vegetables1--indeed we might have sold the surplus for many dollars2 but we soon found that to do so was to lose caste in the neighborhood4 ,one piece of extravagance we were guilty of the first winter and spring we passed at ,a4 ,the gardener had a little fire in the grapery during the severe weather1 because he had placed some plants in it4 ,we were told we could continue it till the grapes ripened for a mere nothing4 ,now mere nothings mount up to a considerable something4 ,the coal and coke consumed before they were ripe cost #bj4 ,it is true we had them in ,july instead of ,september1 but we should have liked them quite as well in that month4 ,it was a bad grape year1 too1--at least with us4 ,i don't think we cut more than twenty pounds weight4 ,hothouse grapes are not dear at #a the pound2 but we should have had them equally good by waiting two months later1 when they would have cost us nothing4 ,had we purchased the produce we received from our garden during the year1 it would have been worth two guineas weekly4 ,our peaches1 apricots1 and nectarines1 were abundant1 and very fine4 ,we had two splendid walnut-trees1 and a mulberry-tree of immense size1 which was an object of special abhorrence to nurse1 as for more than two months in the summer the children's frocks1 pinners1 c41 were dyed with the juice of the fruit4 ,they could hardly pass near it in the season without some of the ripe berries falling on their heads1 and it was hardly possible to prevent them escaping from her to pick them up4 ,mulberry-pudding made its appearance often on the nursery-table1 and jars of mulberry-jam were provided to secure the same dainty through the winter4 ,the luxury of a good garden can hardly be appreciated till you have been in possession of one1 more especially where there are many children4 ,the way we used to preserve currants1 gooseberries1 plums1 damsons1 and1 indeed1 almost every description of fruit1 was this3 ,the wide-mouth bottles which are sold for the purpose were filled with fruit1 six ounces of powdered loaf-sugar was shaken in among it2 the bottles were then tied down as closely as possible with bladder1 and placed up to the neck in a copper1 or large saucepan1 of cold water1 which was allowed to come slowly to the boil4 ,they remained in it till the water was quite cold1 when they were taken from the water and wiped quite dry4 ,before placing them in the store-room the bottle was turned upside down1 in order to see that they were perfectly air-tight1 for on this depends the fruit keeping good4 ,the fruit will sink down to about the middle of the bottle1 and we once tried to fill them up with some from another1 but opening them admitted the air1 and the contents did not keep well4 ,if properly done1 they will be good at the end of a year4 ,if any lady undertake the management of a four-acre farm1 she must expect it to occupy a great deal of her time2 if she leaves it to servants1 however honest1 she will lose by it4 ,it is not that things are stolen1 but that they are wasted1 unless the mistress herself knows what quantities of barley1 oats1 etc41 her poultry and pigs consume2 and unless she look daily into her dairy and see that the mild is well skimmed1 half the cream will be thrown into the wash-tub4 ,a six-months' longer experience of the country only confirmed my sister and myself in the conviction that we had in every way made a most desirable change when we quitted ,london for our small farm2 but if we had been too fine or too indolent to look after our dairy and poultry-yard1 ,i believe that our milk1 butter1 eggs1 poultry1 and pork1 would have cost us quite as much as we could have purchased them for in town4 ,all the good things we were daily consuming in the country would have come to us in ,london1 ,like angels' visits1 few and far between4 ,i know that many of our old friends were really shocked when we told them1 laughingly1 of our new pursuits1 and that the butter they so much praised1 and the apricot-cheese they ate with so much gust1 were manufactured by our own hands4 ,we were poor-thinged to our faces in a very pitying manner1 but we always laughed at these compassionate people1 and endeavored to convince them we spoke the truth in sober earnest1 when we assured them we found great amusement in our new pursuits4 ,they shook their heads and sighed in such a manner1 that we knew perfectly well that1 as soon as we were out of ear-shot1 they would say1 ,poor things6 ,it is very sad1 but they are quite right to try and make the best of it4 ,i believe some of them thought that it was impossible we could have souls above butter2 for a lady who called one day1 taking up one of ,mudie's volumes from the table1 said1-- ,it is possible you care to subscribe to ,mudies's8 ,and why should we not care to do so8 replied ,h4 ,why1 was the answer1 ,i do not see any connection between a love of reading and a love of butter-making4 ,now ,i do not think that either of us had any love of butter-making2 and if we could have afforded to give #ajj a year to a dairymaid1 no doubt we should have left all to her management2 but as it was we were obliged to buy it--and very bad it was in our town--or make it ourselves3 nor do either my sister or myself regret our resolution to do so4 ,at first we were quite proud of our skill1 and told every one of our success with great triumph4 ,now--for womanhood is weak--we are content to hear our dairymaid praised for her beautiful butter by our acquaintance1 and ,tom extolled for his care of the chickens4 ,it is only our friends1 among whom ,i reckon my readers1 who know that the butter is made1 and the chickens fed1 by the mistresses of the four-acre farm4 ,,chapter ,,xv4 ,,our ,,pony4 ,i have been told by several friends that1 in order to render this little book complete1 ,i should add a chapter detailing the expenses we incurred by keeping a pony and carriage4 ,some persons imagine that this is an article of luxury which may well be dispensed with2 but1 though it may not be and absolute necessary1 the expense attending one is so slight1 in comparison with the comfort and pleasure derived from its possession1 that ,i believe such of my readers as may contemplate residing in the country will readily agree with me1 when ,i have told them the amount it will cost them to keep it1--that if it is a luxury1 it is one of the very cheapest in which they can indulge4 ,without such a convenience a carriage must be hired every time any member of the family has occasion to go to the railway station2 and besides that1 it is useful for bringing home a variety of articles which in the country are frequently purchased at places five or six miles from home4 ,then it is a great pleasure to be able to meet your friends at the station1 whenever they are kind enough to leave ,london for the purpose of passing a few days with you in the country4 ,my sister and myself contrived to extract profit as well as pleasure from our little equipage4 ,during the summer months we frequently drove up to ,london2 the short journey was very pleasant1 and this mode of making it possessed the great advantage of costing nothing but #fc cents for the pony1 and #ab cents for turnpikes4 ,not that we had the temerity to drive through ,london4 ,we always left the pony two miles before we reached town1 with strict orders to the civil ostler to whose care we confided him to great care of him1 and be sure and give him a good feed4 ,we then proceeded on our way in a cab1 which cost us no more than we should have paid for one from the station4 ,where there is a gentleman in the family1 a dogcart is the most convenient vehicle which can be kept2 but as that would not be suitable for a lady1 we contrived to make the back seat of the carriage do duty for the well of the dog-cart1 and it was astonishing how many light packages we managed to stow away in it4 ,i will not dilate on the pleasant drives through quiet lanes1 of the delight afforded to the children when allowed to have a ride on ,bobby1 nor of the great facility it gave us of being out of doors in winter1 when1 as was very frequently the case1 the state of the roads was such as to render walking an impossibility2 still1 ,i hope ,i have stated sufficient to give my readers a good idea of the great pleasure they will derive from keeping a pony2 and ,i will now1 with the bills of the miller and farrier before me1 proceed to show the sum for which it may be kept4 ,our pony cost for food1 from the #dth of ,january to the #bdth of ,december in the same year1 #df4ff4 ,he consumed during that period five quarters of oats1 at #h the quarter1 and five bushels of beans1 which cost #f4ff4 ,the farrier's bill for the same time amounted to #e4ia4 ,perhaps it will be as well to copy this account1 as it will clearly show how often it is requisite to change the shoes of a horse4 ,of course a great deal must depend on the quantity of work he does2 ours was certainly not spared1 though we do not deserve the character so usually given to ladies1 of being unmerciful to horses3 running them off their legs1 thinking they can never get enough out of the poor beasts1 driving them as if they thought they could go for ever1 are accusations brought against the ladies of a family where horses are kept4 ,the following is a copy of the bill for our pony's shoes for twelve months3-- ,feb4 #bd4 ,four removes #j4cc ,march #bb4 ,four shoes 4#ge ,april #bj4 ,four removes 4#cc ,may #e4 ,two shoes 4#cg #a_/b ,june #i4 ,four shoes 4#ge ,july #h4 ,four shoes 4#ge ,aug4 #i ,four shoes 4#ge ,sept4 #a4 ,four shoes 4#ge ,oct4 #aa4 ,two shoes 4#cg #a_/b ,oct4 #be4 ,two shoes 4#cg #a_/b ,dec4 #bd4 ,two shoes 4#cg #a_/b #e4ia ,add to this the miller's bill #df4ff #eb4eg and we have the whole expense of keeping a pony for one year4 ,oh6 but1 some one may exclaim1 you have put down nothing for straw and hay1 and horses require a great deal of both4 ,quite true2 but then in the country1 if you do not keep a horse1 you must buy manure for your garden1 and that will cost you quite as much as if you purchased straw2 and as for the hay1 did it not come off the four-acre farm8 ,it is one of the great advantages of the country that nothing is lost1 and thus the straw which figures so largely in the bill of a ,london corn-chandler1 and which1 when converted into manure1 is the perquisite of your groom1 becomes in the country the means of rendering your garden productive4 ,before ,i resided in the country the pony cost me more than four times the sum ,i have mentioned2 the stable was apart from the house1 and ,i knew nothing for months of the bills run up on his account4 ,i had once a bill sent in for sugar6 ,why1 ,george1 what can the pony want with sugar8 ,why1 ma'am1 you said some time ago that the pony looked thin1 so lately ,i have always mixed sugar with his corn2 nothing fattens a horse like sugar4 ,now what could ,i complain of8 ,this man had been recommended to me as a treasure1 and one who would do his duty by the pony1 which1 ,i may mention1 was a very beautiful one1 and a great pet2 so if ,george considered sugar good for him1 what could ,i do but pay the bill1 and say1 ,let him have sugar1 by all means8 ,not that ,bobby was a bit the fatter or better for having his corn sweetened4 ,an intimate friend of mine1 who always kept three or four horses1 laughed outright when ,i told him that the pony had consumed such a quantity of sugar1 and expressed his opinion that very little of that article had ever been in his manger4 ,under the same superintendence ,bobby wore out four times the number of shoes2 and as at that time ,i had to purchase hay and straw as well as corn1 all on the same scale of magnitude1 the expense of keeping the little carriage really did cost more than the convenience attending it was worth2 and had not the pony been the gift of a beloved friend1 we should have parted with it when we quitted ,london1 as at that time we were ignorant how cheaply it could be maintained in the country4 ,there we had a servant who was content with his wages1 and did not seek to make them greater by combining with tradesmen to defraud his employers4 ,if any of my readers commence keeping a pony in the country1 they may rely that it need not cost them a penny more than ,i have put down4 ,of course they must have the hay from their own grounds1 and neither reckon the cost of the straw nor the labor of the man who attends to the pony4 ,ours did all the jobs about the place--cleaned the knives and shoes1 milked the cows1 fed the pigs and poultry1 helped in the gardens1 and1 in short1 made himself generally useful4 ,now1 a servant who is able and willing to do all this1 besides properly attending to a pony and carriage1 is very difficult to be met with1 but he is absolutely necessary for a place in the country where economy has to be studied4 ,something must be allowed yearly for the wear and tear of carriage1 harness1 etc41 but it need not be much4 ,any gentleman can easily calculate the sum which may fairly be allowed for these items2 ,i only think it my part to show the expense attending a pony in the country2 and though those who have been in the habit of keeping horses in ,london1 either in a livery or private stable1 may think it impossible to maintain one for #eb4eg yearly1 let them leave town for a four-acre farm1 and they will find that ,i have spoken the truth on this point1 as well as on all the other subjects of which ,i have given my experience in this little volume4 ,,chapter ,,xvi4 ,,conclusion4 ,it is with considerable diffidence the writer ventures to give the public this slight sketch of her experience in farming four acres of land4 ,when she finally resolved to fix her residence in the country1 she was wholly ignorant how she ought to manage1 so that the small quantity of land she rented might1 if not a source of profit1 be at least no loss4 ,she was told by a friend1 who for a short time had tried a little place at ,chiselhurst1 that it was very possible to lose a considerable sum yearly by under taking to farm a very small quantity of land4 ,be quite sure1 said the friendly adviser--and remember1 ,i speak from experience--that whatever animals you may keep1 the expense attending them will be treble the value of the produce you receive4 ,your cows will die1 or1 for want of being properly looked after1 will soon cease to give any milk2 your pigs will cost you more for food than will buy the pork four times over2 your chickens and ducks will stray away1 or be stolen2 your garden-produce will1 if worth anything1 find its way to ,covent ,garden2 and each quarter your bills from the seedsman and miller will amount to as much as would supply you with meat1 bread1 milk1 butter1 eggs1 and poultry1 in ,london4 ,certainly this was rather a black state of things to look forward to2 but the conviction was formed1 after mature reflection1 that a residence some miles from town was the one best suited to the writer's family4 ,she was compelled to acknowledge to those friends who advised her to the contrary1 her ignorance on most things appertaining to the mode of life she proposed to commence1 but trusted to that often-talked-of commodity1 common sense1 to prevent her being ruined by farming four acres of land4 ,she thought1 if she could not herself discover how to manage1 she might acquire the requisite knowledge from some of the little books she had purchased on subjects connected with rural economy4 ,they proved1 however1 quite useless4 ,they appeared to the writer to be merely compilations from larger works2 and1 like the actors in the barn1 who played the tragedy of ,hamlet1 and omitted the character of the hero1 so did these books leave out the very things which1 from the title-pages1 the purchaser expected to find in them4 ,some time after experience had shown how butter could be made successfully1 a lady1 who had been for years resident in the country1 said1 during a morning call1 ,my dairy-maid is gone away ill1 and the cook makes the butter2 but it is so bad we cannot eat it3 and besides that nuisance1 she has this morning given me notice to leave4 ,she says she did not 'engage' to 'mess' about in the dairy4 ,well1 said the writer1 why not make the butter yourself1 till you can suit yourself with a new servant8 ,i have tried1 said the visitor1 but cannot do it4 ,my husband is very particular about the butter being good1 so ,i was determined to see if ,i could not have some that he could eat2 therefore ,i pored over ,mrs4 ,rundle1 and other books1 for a whole day1 but could not find how to begin4 ,none of them told me how to make the butter1 though several gave directions for potting it down when it was made4 ,i made the boy churn for more than three hours yesterday morning1 but got no butter after all4 ,it would not come6 ,the weather was very cold1 and it occurred to the listener to ask the lady where the boy churned1 and where the cream had been kept during the previous night4 ,why1 in the dairy1 to be sure1 was the answer2 and my feet became so chilled by standing there1 that ,i can hardly put them to the ground since4 ,cook could not succeed more than ,i did1 and said1 the last time she made it1 it was between four and five hours before the butter came2 and then1 as ,i have told you1 it was not eatable4 ,the writer explained to her friend that the reason why she could not get the butter1 as well as why cook's was so bad1 was on account of the low temperature of the cream when it was put into the churn4 ,she then gave her plain directions how to proceed for the future1 and was gratified by receiving a note from her friend1 in a couple of days1 containing her thanks for the very plain directions2 and adding1 ,i could not have thought it was so little trouble to procure good butter1 and shall for the future be independent of a saucy dairymaid4 ,i believe that a really clever servant will never give any one particulars respecting her work4 ,she wraps them up in an impenetrable mystery4 ,like the farmers' wives1 who1 to our queries1 gave no other answer than1 ,why1 that depends1 they take care that no one shall be any the wiser for the questions asked4 ,the reader may safely follow the directions given in these pages2 not one has been inserted that has not been tested by the writer4 ,to those who are already conversant with bread-making1 churning1 etc41 they may appear needlessly minute2 but we hope the novice may1 with very little trouble1 become mistress of the subjects to which they refer4 ,even if a lady does keep a sufficient number of servants to perform every domestic duty efficiently1 still it may prove useful to be able to give instructions to one who may1 from some accidental circumstance1 be called on to undertake a work to which she has been unaccustomed4 ,a friend of the writer's1 a lady of large fortune1 and mistress of a very handsome establishment1 said1 when speaking of her dairy1 ,my neighborhood has the character of making very bad butter2 mine is invariably good1 and ,i always get a penny a pound more for it at the 'shop' than my neighbors4 ,if ,i have occasion to change the dairymaid1 and the new one sends me up bad butter1 ,i tell her of it4 ,if it occurs the second time1 ,i make no more complaints2 ,i go down the next butter-day1 and make it entirely myself1 having her at my side the whole time4 ,i find ,i never have to complain again4 ,she sees how it is made1 and she is compelled to own it is good4 ,i believe that a servant who is worth keeping will follow any directions1 and take any amount of trouble1 rather than see 'missus' a second time enter the kitchen or dairy to do her work4 ,perhaps the allusion this lady made to the shop may puzzle the ,london reader1 but in country places1 where more butter is made in a gentleman's family than is required for the consumption of the household1 it is sent to--what is frequently--the shop of the place1 and sold for a penny per pound less than the price for which it is retailed by the shopkeeper4 ,the value of the butter is set off against tea1 sugar1 cheese1 and various other articles required in the family in which the butter is made4 ,when the writer purchased a third cow1 it was in anticipation of sending any surplus butter to shop1 and receiving groceries in exchange1 nor has she been disappointed4 ,every month's additional experience strengthens her conviction of the advantages to be derived from living in the country2 and she takes farewell of her readers1 in the hope that she has succeeded in conving them that a farm of four acres may be made a source of health1 profit1 and amusement1 though many of their town friends may threaten them with ruin1 should they be rash enough to disregard their advice to take a house in a nice quiet street1 leading into one of the squares4