,,the ,,fat ,,of ,,the ,,land ,illustration ,,the ,,fat ,,of ,,the ,,land ,the ,story of an ,american ,farm ,,by ,,john ,,williams ,,streeter ,new ,york ,,the ,,macmillan ,,company ,,london3 ,,macmillan ,,co41 ,ltd4 #aijd ,all rights reserved copyright1 #aijd4 by ,,the ,,macmillan ,,company4 ,set up1 electrotyped1 and published ,february1 #aijd4 ,reprinted ,march1 ,april1 ,may1 #aijd4 ,norwood ,press ,j4,s4 ,cushing ,co4--,berwick ,smith ,co4 ,norwood1 ,mass41 ,u4,s4,a4 ,to ,,polly ,,contents ,,chapter ,,page ,i4 ,,my ,,excuse #c ,,ii4 ,,the ,,hunting ,,of ,,the ,,land #aa ,,iii4 ,,the ,,first ,,visit ,,to ,,the ,,farm #ad ,,iv4 ,,the ,,hired ,,man #be ,v4 ,,boring ,,for ,,water #ca ,,vi4 ,,we ,,take ,,possession #cf ,,vii4 ,,the ,,horse-,,and-,,buggy ,,man #de ,,viii4 ,,we ,,plat ,,the ,,farm #di ,,ix4 ,,house-,,cleaning #ed ,x4 ,,fenced ,,in #fa ,,xi4 ,,the ,,building ,,line #fg ,,xii4 ,,carpenters ,,quit ,,work #gj ,,xiii4 ,,planning ,,for ,,the ,,trees #gh ,,xiv4 ,,planting ,,of ,,the ,,trees #hh ,,xv4 ,,polly',s ,,judgment ,,hall #id ,,xvi4 ,,winter ,,work #aja ,,xvii4 ,,what ,,shall ,,we ,,ask ,,of ,,the ,,hen8 #ajc ,,xviii4 ,,white ,,wyandottes #aaj ,,xix4 ,,fried ,,pork #aaf ,,xx4 ,a ,,ration ,,for ,,product #aba ,,xxi4 ,,the ,,razorback #abf ,,xxii4 ,,the ,,old ,,orchard #ace ,,xxiii4 ,,the ,,first ,,hatch #ach ,,xxiv4 ,,the ,,holstein ,,milk ,,machine #add ,,xxv4 ,,the ,,dairymaid #aej ,,xxvi4 ,,little ,,pigs #aee ,,xxvii4 ,,work ,,on ,,the ,,home ,,forty #aeh ,,xxviii4 ,,discounting ,,the ,,market #afd ,,xxix4 ,,from ,,city ,,to ,,country #afi ,,xxx4 ,,autumn ,,reckoning #agd ,,xxxi4 ,,the ,,children #agh ,,xxxii4 ,,the ,,home-,,coming #ahc ,,xxxiii4 ,,christmas ,,eve #ahi ,,xxxiv4 ,,christmas #aid ,,xxxv4 ,,we ,,close ,,the ,,books ,,for '#if #aii ,,xxxvi4 ,,our ,,friends #bjb ,,xxxvii4 ,,the ,,headman',s ,,job #baj ,,xxxviii4 ,,spring ,,of '#ig #bag ,,xxxix4 ,,the ,,young ,,orchard #bbe ,,xl4 ,,the ,,timothy ,,harvest #bcj ,,xli4 ,,strike ,,at ,,gordon',s ,,mine #bcf ,,xlii4 ,,the ,,riot #bej ,,xliii4 ,,the ,,result #bfj ,,xliv4 ,,deep ,,waters #bfh ,,xlv4 ,,dogs ,,and ,,horses #bgd ,,xlvi4 ,,the ,,skim-,,milk ,,trust #bhb ,,xlvii4 ,,naboth',s ,,vineyard #bhe ,,xlviii4 ,,maids ,,and ,,mallards #bid ,,xlix4 ,,the ,,sunken ,,garden #bih ,l4 ,,the ,,headman ,,generalizes #cjc ,,li4 ,,the ,,grand-,,girls #cjh ,,lii4 ,,the ,,third ,,reckoning #cac ,,liii4 ,,the ,,milk ,,machine #cag ,,liv4 ,,bacon ,,and ,,eggs #cbh ,,lv4 ,,the ,,old ,,time ,,farm-,,hand #ccg ,,lvi4 ,,the ,,syndicate #cdb ,,lvii4 ,,the ,,death ,,of ,,sir ,,tom #cdf ,,lviii4 ,,bacteria #ceb ,,lix4 ,,match-,,making #cee ,,lx4 ,i ,,told ,,you ,,so #cfb ,,lxi4 ,,the ,,belgian ,,farmer #cfg ,,lxii4 ,,home-,,coming #cge ,,lxiii4 ,,an ,,hundred ,,fold #cgh ,,lxiv4 ,,comfort ,,me ,,with ,,apples #chc ,,lxv4 ,,the ,,end ,,of ,,the ,,third ,,year #chh ,,lxvi4 ,,looking ,,backward #cid ,,lxvii4 ,,looking ,,forward #djb ,,the ,,fat ,,of ,,the ,,land ,,chapter ,i ,,my ,,excuse ,my sixtieth birthday is a thing of yesterday1 and ,i have1 therefore1 more than half descended the western slope4 ,i have no quarrel with life or with time1 for both have been polite to me2 and ,i wish to give an account of the past seven years to prove the politeness of life1 and to show how time has made amends to me for the forced resignation of my professional ambitions4 ,for twenty-five years1 up to #ahie1 ,i practised medicine and surgery in a large city4 ,i loved my profession beyond the love of most men1 and it loved me2 at least1 it gave me all that a reasonable man could desire in the way of honors and emoluments4 ,the thought that ,i should ever drop out of this attractive1 satisfying life1 never seriously occurred to me1 though ,i was conscious of a strong and persistent force that urged me toward the soil4 ,by choice and by training ,i was a physician1 and ,i gloried in my work2 but by instinct ,i was1 am1 and always shall be1 a farmer4 ,all my life ,i have had visions of farms with flocks and herds1 but ,i did not expect to realize my visions until ,i came on earth a second time4 ,i would never have given up my profession voluntarily2 but when it gave me up1 ,i had to accept the dismissal1 surrender my ambitions1 and fall back upon my primary instinct for diversion and happiness4 ,the dismissal came without warning1 like the fall of a tree when no wind shakes the forest1 but it was imperative and peremptory4 ,the doctors 7and they were among the best in the land7 said1 ,no more of this kind of work for years1 and ,i had to accept their verdict1 though ,i knew that for years meant forever4 ,my disappointment lasted longer than the acute attack2 but1 thanks to the cheerful spirit of my wife1 by early summer of that year ,i was able to face the situation with courage that grew as strength increased4 ,fortunately we were well to do1 and the loss of professional income was not a serious matter4 ,we were not rich as wealth is counted nowadays2 but we were more than comfortable for ourselves and our children1 though ,i should never earn another dollar4 ,this is not the common state of the physician1 who gives more and gets less than most other men2 it was simply a happy combination of circumstances4 ,polly was a small heiress when we married2 ,i had some money from my maternal grandfather2 our income was larger than our necessities1 and our investments had been fortunate4 ,fate had set no wolf to howl at our door4 ,in ,june we decided to take to the woods1 or rather to the country1 to see what it had in store for us4 ,the more we thought of it1 the better ,i liked the plan1 and ,polly was no less happy over it4 ,we talked of it morning1 noon1 and night1 and my half-smothered instinct grew by what it fed on4 ,countless schemes at length resolved themselves into a factory farm1 which should be a source of pleasure as well as of income4 ,it was of all sizes1 shapes1 industries1 and limits of expenditure1 as the hours passed and enthusiasm waxed or waned4 ,i finally compromised on from two hundred to three hundred acres of land1 with a total expenditure of not more than #fj1jjj for the building of my factory4 ,it was to produce butter1 eggs1 pork1 and apples1 all of best quality1 and they were to be sold at best prices4 ,i discoursed at some length on farms and farmers to ,polly1 who slept through most of the harangue4 ,she afterward said that she enjoyed it1 but ,i never knew whether she referred to my lecture or to her nap4 ,if farming be the art of elimination1 ,i want it not4 ,if the farmer and the farmer's family must1 by the nature of the occupation1 be deprived of reasonable leisure and luxury1 if the conveniences and amenities must be shorn close1 if comfort must be denied and life be reduced to the elemental necessities of food and shelter1 ,i want it not4 ,but ,i do not believe that this is the case4 ,the wealth of the world comes from the land1 which produces all the direct and immediate essentials for the preservation of life and the protection of the race4 ,when people cease to look to the land for support1 they lose their independence and fall under the tyranny of circumstances beyond their control4 ,they are no longer producers1 but consumers2 and their prosperity is contingent upon the prosperity and good will of other people who are more or less alien4 ,only when a considerable percentage of a nation is living close to the land can the highest type of independence and prosperity be enjoyed4 ,this law applies to the mass and also to the individual4 ,the farmer1 who produces all the necessities and many of the luxuries1 and whose products are in constant demand and never out of vogue1 should be independent in mode of life and prosperous in his fortunes4 ,if this is not the condition of the average farmer 7and ,i am sorry to say it is not71 the fault is to be found1 not in the land1 but in the man who tills it4 ,ninety-five per cent of those who engage in commercial and professional occupations fail of large success2 more than fifty per cent fail utterly1 and are doomed to miserable1 dependent lives in the service of the more fortunate4 ,that farmers do not fail nearly so often is due to the bounty of the land1 the beneficence of ,nature1 and the ever-recurring seed-time and harvest1 which even the most thoughtless cannot interrupt4 ,the waking dream of my life had been to own and to work land2 to own it free of debt1 and to work it with the same intelligence that has made me successful in my profession4 ,brains always seemed to me as necessary to success in farming as in law1 or in medicine1 or in business4 ,i always felt that mind should control events in agriculture as in commercial life2 that listlessness1 carelessness1 lack of thrift and energy1 and waste1 were the factors most potent in keeping the farmer poor and unreasonably harassed by the obligations of life4 ,the men who cultivate the soil create incalculable wealth2 by rights they should be the nation's healthiest1 happiest1 most comfortable1 and most independent citizens4 ,their lives should be long1 free from care and distress1 and no more strenuous than is wholesome4 ,that this condition is not general is due to the fact that the average farmer puts muscle before mind and brawn before brains1 and follows1 with unthinking persistence1 the crude and careless traditions of his forefathers4 ,conditions on the farm are gradually changing for the better4 ,the agricultural colleges1 the experiment stations1 the lecture courses which are given all over the country1 and the general diffusion of agricultural and horticultural knowledge1 are introducing among farming communities a more intelligent and more liberal treatment of land4 ,but these changes are so slow1 and there is so much to be done before even a small percentage of our six millions of farmers begin to realize their opportunities1 that even the weakest effort in this direction may be of use4 ,this is my only excuse for going minutely into the details of my experiment in the cultivation of land4 ,the plain and circumstantial narrative of how ,four ,oaks grew1 in seven years1 from a poor1 ill-paying1 sadly neglected farm1 into a beautiful home and a profitable investment1 must simply stand for what it is worth4 ,it may give useful hints1 to be followed on a smaller or a larger scale1 or it may arouse criticisms which will work for good1 both to the critic and to the author4 ,i do not claim experience1 excepting the most limited2 ,i do not claim originality1 except that most of this work was new to me2 ,i do not claim hardships or difficulties1 for ,i had none2 but ,i do claim that ,i made good1 that ,i arrived1 that my experiment was physically and financially a success1 and1 as such1 ,i am proud of it1 and wish to give it to the world4 ,i was fifty-three years old when ,i began this experiment1 and ,i was obliged to do quickly whatever ,i intended to do4 ,i could devote any part of #fj1jjj to the experiment without inconvenience4 ,my desire was to test the capacity of ordinary farm land1 when properly treated1 to support an average family in luxury1 paying good wages to more than the usual number of people1 keeping open house for many friends1 and at the same time not depleting my bank account4 ,i wished to experiment in intensive farming1 using ordinary farm land as other men might do under similar or modified circumstances4 ,i believed that if ,i fed the land1 it would feed me4 ,my plan was to sell nothing from the farm except finished products1 such as butter1 fruit1 eggs1 chickens1 and hogs4 ,i believed that best results would be attained by keeping only the best stock1 and1 after feeding it liberally1 selling it in the most favorable market4 ,to live on the fat of the land was what ,i proposed to do2 and ,i ask your indulgence while ,i dip into the details of this seven years' experiment4 ,you may say that few persons have the time1 inclination1 taste1 or money to carry out such an experiment2 that the average farmer must make each year pay1 and that the exploiting of this matter is therefore of interest to a very limited number4 ,admitting much of this1 ,i still claim that there is a lesson to every struggling farmer in this narrative4 ,it should teach the value of brain work on the farm1 and the importance of intelligent cultivation2 also the advantages of good seed1 good tilth1 good specimens of well-bred stock1 good food1 and good care4 ,feed the land liberally1 and it will return you much4 ,permit no waste in space1 product1 time1 tools1 or strength4 ,do in a small way1 if need be1 what ,i have done on a large scale1 and you will quickly commence to get good dividends4 ,i have spent much more money than was really necessary on the place1 and in the ornamentation of ,four ,oaks4 ,this1 however1 was part of the experiment4 ,i asked the land not only to supply immediate necessities1 but to minister to my every want1 to gratify the eye1 and please the senses by a harmonious fusion of utility and beauty4 ,i wanted a fine country home and a profitable investment within the same ring fence4 ,will you follow me through the search for the land1 the purchase1 and the tremendous house-cleaning of the first year8 ,after that we will take up the years as they come1 finding something of special interest attaching naturally to each4 ,i shall have to deal much with figures and statistics1 in a small way1 and my pages may look like a school book1 but ,i cannot avoid this1 for in these figures and statistics lies the practical lesson4 ,theory alone is of no value4 ,practical application of the theory is the test4 ,i am not imaginative4 ,i could not write a romance if ,i tried4 ,my strength lies in special detail1 and ,i am willing to spend a lot of time in working out a problem4 ,i do not claim to have spent this time and money without making serious mistakes2 ,i have made many1 and ,i am willing to admit them1 as you will see in the following pages4 ,i do claim1 however1 that1 in spite of mistakes1 ,i have solved the problem1 and have proved that an intelligent farmer can live in luxury on the fat of the land4 ,,chapter ,,ii ,,the ,,hunting ,,of ,,the ,,land ,the location of the farm for this experiment was of the utmost importance4 ,the land must be within reasonable distance of the city and near a railroad1 consequently within easy touch of the market2 and if possible it must be near a thriving village1 to insure good train service4 ,as to size1 ,i was somewhat uncertain2 my minimum limit was #aej acres and #djj the maximum4 ,the land must be fertile1 or capable of being made so4 ,i advertised for a farm of from two hundred to four hundred acres1 within thirty-five miles of town1 and convenient to a good line of transportation4 ,fifty-seven replies came1 of which forty-six were impossible1 eleven worth a second reading1 and five worth investigating4 ,my third trip carried me thirty miles southwest of the city1 to a village almost wholly made up of wealthy people who did business in town1 and who had their permanent or their summer homes in this village4 ,there were probably twenty-seven or twenty-eight hundred people in the village1 most of whom owned estates of from one to thirty acres1 varying in value from #aj1jjj to #ajj1jjj4 ,these seemed ideal surroundings4 ,the farm was a trifle more than two miles from the station1 and #cbj acres in extent4 ,it lay to the west of a north-and-south road1 abutting on this road for half a mile1 while on the south it was bordered for a mile by a gravelled road1 and the west line was an ordinary country road4 ,the lay of the land in general was a gentle slope to the west and south from a rather high knoll1 the highest point of which was in the north half of the southeast forty4 ,the land stretched away to the west1 gradually sloping to its lowest point1 which was about two-thirds of the distance to the western boundary4 ,a straggling brook at its lowest point was more or less rampant in springtime1 though during ,july and ,august it contained but little water4 ,westward from the brook the land sloped gradually upward1 terminating in a forest of forty to fifty acres4 ,this forest was in good condition4 ,the trees were mostly varieties of oak and hickory1 with a scattering of wild cherry1 a few maples1 both hard and soft1 and some lindens4 ,it was much overgrown with underbrush1 weeds1 and wild flowers4 ,the land was generally good1 especially the lower parts of it4 ,the soil of the higher ground was thin1 but it lay on top of a friable clay which is fertile when properly worked and enriched4 ,the farm belonged to an unsettled estate1 and was much run down1 as little had been done to improve its fertility1 and much to deplete it4 ,there were two sets of buildings1 including a house of goodly proportions1 a cottage of no particular value1 and some dilapidated barns4 ,the property could be bought at a bargain4 ,it had been held at #ajj an acre2 but as the estate was in process of settlement1 and there was an urgent desire to force a sale1 ,i finally secured it for #ga per acre4 ,the two renters on the farm still had six months of occupancy before their leases expired4 ,they were willing to resign their leases if ,i would pay a reasonable sum for the standing crops and their stock and equipments4 ,the crops comprised about forty acres of corn1 fifty acres of oats1 and five acres of potatoes4 ,the stock was composed of two herds of cows 7seven in one and nine in the other71 eleven spring calves1 about forty hogs1 and the usual assortment of domestic fowls4 ,the equipment of the farm in machinery and tools was meagre to the last degree4 ,i offered the renters #gjj and #fjj1 respectively1 for their leasehold and other property4 ,this was more than their value1 but ,i wanted to take possession at once4 ,,chapter ,,iii ,,the ,,first ,,visit ,,to ,,the ,,farm ,it was the #hth of ,july1 #ahie1 when ,i contracted for the farm2 possession was to be given ,august #ast4 ,on ,july #ith1 ,polly and ,i boarded an early train for ,exeter1 intending to make a day of it in every sense4 ,we wished to go over the property thoroughly1 and to decide on a general outline of treatment4 ,polly was as enthusiastic over the experiment as ,i1 and she is energetic1 quick to see1 and prompt to perform4 ,she was to have the planning of the home grounds--the house and the gardens2 and not only the planning1 but also the full control4 ,a ride of forty-five minutes brought us to ,exeter4 ,the service of this railroad1 by the way1 is of the best2 there is hardly a half-hour in the day when one cannot make the trip either way1 and the fare is moderate3 #h4ge for twenty-five rides1--thirty-five cents a ride4 ,we hired an open carriage and started for the farm4 ,the first half-mile was over a well-kept macadam road through that part of the village which lies west of the railway4 ,the homes bordering this street are of fine proportions1 and beautifully kept4 ,they are the country places of well-to-do people who love to get away from the noise and dirt of the city4 ,some of them have ten or fifteen acres of ground1 but this land is for breathing space and beauty--not for serious cultivation4 ,beyond these homes we followed a well-gravelled road leading directly west4 ,this road is bordered by small farms1 most of them given over to dairying interests4 ,presently ,i called ,polly's attention to the fact that the few apple trees we saw were healthy and well grown1 though quite independent of the farmer's or the pruner's care4 ,this thrifty condition of unkept apple orchards delighted me4 ,i intended to make apple-growing a prominent feature in my experiment1 and ,i reasoned that if these trees did fairly well without cultivation or care1 others would do excellently well with both4 ,as we approached the second section line and climbed a rather steep hill1 we got the first glimpse of our possession4 ,at the bottom of the western slope of this hill we could see the crossing of the north-and-south road1 which we knew to be the east boundary of our land2 while1 stretching straight away before us until lost in the distant wood1 lay the well-kept road which for a good mile was our southern boundary4 ,descending the hill1 we stopped at the crossing of the roads to take in the outline of the farm from this southeast corner4 ,the north-and-south road ran level for #aej yards1 gradually rose for the next #bej1 and then continued nearly level for a mile or more4 ,we saw what ,jane ,austen calls a happy fall of land1 with a southern exposure1 which included about two-thirds of the southeast forty1 and high land beyond for the balance of this forty and the forty lying north of it4 ,there was an irregular fringe of forest trees on this southern slope1 especially well defined along the eastern border4 ,i saw that ,polly was pleased with the view4 ,we must enter the home lot from this level at the foot of the hill1 said she1 wind gracefully through the timber1 and come out near those four large trees on the very highest ground4 ,that will be effective and easily managed1 and will give me a chance at landscape gardening1 which ,i am just aching to try4 ,all right1 said ,i1 you shall have a free hand4 ,let's drive around the boundaries of our land and behold its magnitude before we make other plans4 ,we drove westward1 my eyes intent upon the fields1 the fences1 the crops1 and everything that pertained to the place4 ,i had waited so many years for the sense of ownership of land that ,i could hardly realize that this was not another dream from which ,i would soon be awakened by something real4 ,i noticed that the land was fairly smooth except where it was broken by half-rotted stumps or out-cropping boulders1 that the corn looked well and the oats fair1 but the pasture lands were too well seeded to dock1 milkweed1 and wild mustard to be attractive1 and the fences were cheap and much broken4 ,the woodland near the western limit proved to be practically a virgin forest1 in which oak trees predominated4 ,the undergrowth was dense1 except near the road2 it was chiefly hazel1 white thorn1 dogwood1 young cherry1 and second growth hickory and oak4 ,we turned the corner and followed the woods for half a mile to where a barbed wire fence separated our forest from the woodland adjoining it4 ,coming back to the starting-point we turned north and slowly climbed the hill to the east of our home lot1 silently developing plans4 ,we drove the full half-mile of our eastern boundary before turning back4 ,i looked with special interest at the orchard1 which was on the northeast forty4 ,i had seen it on my first visit1 but had given it little attention1 noting merely that the trees were well grown4 ,i now counted the rows1 and found that there were twelve2 the trees in each row had originally been twenty1 and as these trees were about thirty-five feet apart1 it was easy to estimate that six acres had been given to this orchard4 ,the vicissitudes of seventeen years had not been without effect1 and there were irregular gaps in the rows1--here a sick tree1 there a dead one4 ,a careless estimate placed these casualties at fifty-five or sixty1 which ,i later found was nearly correct4 ,this left #ahj trees in fair health2 and in spite of the tight sod which covered their roots and a lamentable lack of pruning1 they were well covered with young fruit4 ,they had been headed high in the old-fashioned way1 which made them look more like forest trees than a modern orchard4 ,they had done well without a husbandman2 what could not others do with one8 ,the group of farm buildings on the north forty consisted of a one-story cottage containing six rooms--sitting room1 dining room1 kitchen1 and a bedroom opening off each--with a lean-to shed in the rear1 and some woe-begone barns1 sheds1 and out-buildings that gave the impression of not caring how they looked4 ,the second group was better4 ,it was south of the orchard on the home forty1 and quite near the road4 ,why does the universal farm-house hang its gable over the public road1 without tree or shrub to cover its boldness8 ,it would look much better1 and give greater comfort to its inmates1 if it were more remote4 ,a lawn leading up to a house1 even though not beautiful or well kept1 adds dignity and character to a place out of all proportion to its waste or expense4 ,i know of nothing that would add so much to the beautification of the country-side as a building line prohibiting houses and barns within a hundred yards of a public road4 ,a staring1 glaring farm-house1 flanked by a red barn and a pigsty1 all crowding the public road as hard as the path-master will permit1 is incongruous and unsightly4 ,with all outdoors to choose from1 why ape the crowded city streets8 ,with much to apologize for in barn and pigsty1 why place them in the seat of honor8 ,moreover1 many things which take place on the farm gain enchantment from distance4 ,it is best to leave some scope for the imagination of the passer-by4 ,these and other things will change as farmers' lives grow more gracious1 and more attention is given to beautifying country houses4 ,the house1 whose gables looked up and down the street1 was two stories in height1 twenty-five feet by forty in the main1 with a one-story ell running back4 ,without doubt there was a parlor1 sitting room1 and four chambers in the main1 with dining room and kitchen in the ell4 ,that will do for the head man's house1 if we put it in the right place and fix it up1 said ,polly4 ,my young lady1 ,i propose to be the 'head man' on this farm1 and ,i wish it spelled with a capital ,h1 but ,i do not expect to live in that house4 ,it will do first-rate for the farmer and his men1 when you have placed it where you want it1 but ,i intend to live in the big house with you4 ,we'll not disagree about that1 ,mr4 ,headman4 ,the barns were fairly good1 but badly placed4 ,they were not worth the expense of moving1 so ,i decided to let them stand as they were until we could build better ones1 and then tear them down4 ,we drove in through a clump of trees behind the farm-house1 and pushed on about three hundred yards to the crest of the knoll4 ,here we got out of the carriage and looked about1 with keen interest1 in every direction4 ,the views were wide toward three points of the compass4 ,north and northwest we could see pleasant lands for at least two miles2 directly west1 our eyes could not reach beyond our own forest2 to the south and southwest1 fruitful valleys stretched away to a range of wooded hills four miles distant2 but on the east our view was limited by the fringe of woods which lay between us and the north-and-south road4 ,this is the exact spot for the house1 said ,polly4 ,it must face to the south1 with a broad piazza1 and the chief entrance must be on the east4 ,the kitchens and fussy things will be out of sight on the northwest corner2 two stories1 a high attic with rooms1 and covered all over with yellow-brown shingles4 ,she had it all settled in a minute4 ,what will the paper on your bedroom wall be like8 ,i asked4 ,i know perfectly well1 but ,i shan't tell you4 ,seating myself on an out-cropping boulder1 ,i began to study the geography of the farm4 ,in imagination ,i stripped it of stock1 crops1 buildings1 and fences1 and saw it as bald as the palm of my hand4 ,i recited the table of long measure3 ,sixteen and a half feet1 one rod1 perch1 or pole2 forty rods1 one furlong2 eight furlongs1 one mile4 ,eight times #dj is #cbj2 there are #cbj rods in a mile1 but how much is #af-a_/b4 times #cbj8 ,polly1 how much is #af-a_/b times #cbj8 ,don't bother me now2 ,i'm busy4 7,just as if she could have told in her moment of greatest leisure67 ,i resorted to paper and pencil1 and learned that there are #ebhj feet in each and every mile4 ,my land was1 therefore1 #ebhj feet long and #bfdj feet wide4 ,i must split it in some way1 by a road or a lane1 to make all parts accessible4 ,if ,i divided it by two lanes of twenty feet each1 ,i could have on either side of these lanes lots #fej feet deep1 and these would be quite manageable4 ,i found that if these lots were #ffj feet long1 they would contain ten acres minus the ten feet used for the lane4 ,this seemed a real discovery1 as it simplified my calculations and relieved me of much mental effort4 ,polly1 ,i am going to make a map of the place1--lay it out just as ,i want it4 ,you may leave the home forty out of your map2 ,i will look after that1 said the lady4 ,in my pocket ,i found three envelopes somewhat the worse for wear4 ,this is how one of them looked when my map was finished4 ,illustration3 ,i am not especially haughty about this map1 but it settled a matter which had been chaotic in my mind4 ,my plan was to make the farm a soiling one2 to confine the stock within as limited a space as was consistent with good health1 and to feed cultivated forage and crops4 ,in drawing my map1 the forty which ,polly had segregated left the northeast forty standing alone1 and ,i had to cast about for some good way of treating it4 ,make it your feeding ground1 said my good genius1 and thus the wrath of ,polly was made to glorify my plans4 ,this feeding lot of forty acres is all high land1 naturally drained4 ,it was near the obvious building line1 and it seemed suitable in every way4 ,i drew a line from north to south1 cutting it in the middle4 ,the east twenty ,i devoted to cows and their belongings2 the west twenty was divided by right lines into lots of five acres each1 the southwest one for the hens and the other three for hogs4 ,looking around for ,polly to show her my work1 ,i found she had disappeared2 but soon ,i saw her white gown among the trees4 ,joining her1 ,i said1-- ,i have mapped seven forties2 have you finished one8 ,i have not1 she said4 ,mine is of more importance than all of yours2 ,i will give you a sketch this evening4 ,this bit of woods is better than ,i thought4 ,how much of it do you suppose there is8 ,about seven acres1 ,i reckon1 by hook and by crook2 enough to amuse you and furnish a lot of wild-flower seed to be floated over the rest of the farm4 ,you may plant what seeds you like on the rest of the farm1 but ,i must have wild flowers4 ,do you know how long it is since ,i have had them8 ,not since ,i was a girl6 ,that is not very long1 ,polly4 ,you don't look much more than a girl to-day4 ,you shall have asters and goldenrod and black-eyed ,susans to your heart's content if you will always be as young4 ,i believe ,time will turn backward for both of us out here1 ,mr4 ,headman4 ,but ,i'm as hungry as a wolf4 ,do you think we can get a glass of milk of the 'farm lady'8 ,we tried1 succeeded1 and then started for home4 ,neither of us had much to say on the return trip1 for our minds were full of unsolved problems4 ,that evening ,polly showed me this plat of the home forty4 ,illustration3 ,,chapter ,,iv ,,the ,,hired ,,man ,modern farming is greatly handicapped by the difficulty of getting good help4 ,i need not go into the causes which have operated to bring about this condition2 it exists1 and it has to be met4 ,i cannot hope to solve the problem for others1 but ,i can tell how ,i solved it for myself4 ,i determined that the men who worked for me should find in me a considerate friend who would look after their interests in a reasonable and neighborly fashion4 ,they should be well housed and well fed1 and should have clean beds1 clean table linen and an attractively set table1 papers1 magazines1 and books1 and a comfortable room in which to read them4 ,there should be reasonable work hours and hours for recreation1 and abundant bathing facilities2 and everything at ,four ,oaks should proclaim the dignity of labor4 ,from the men ,i expected cleanliness1 sobriety1 uniform kindness to all animals1 cheerful obedience1 industry1 and a disposition to save their wages4 ,these demands seemed to me reasonable1 and ,i made up my mind to adhere to them if ,i had to try a hundred men4 ,the best way to get good farm hands who would be happy and contented1 ,i thought1 was to go to the city and find men who had shot their bolts and failed of the mark2 men who had come up from the farm hoping for easier or more ambitious lives1 but who had failed to find what they sought and had experienced the unrest of a hand-to-mouth struggle for a living in a large city2 men who were pining for the country1 perhaps without knowing it1 and who saw no way to get back to it4 ,i advertised my wants in a morning paper1 and asked my son1 who was on vacation1 to interview the applicants4 ,from noon until six o'clock my ante-room was invaded by a motley procession--delicate boys of fifteen who wanted to go to the country1 old men who thought they could do farm work1 clerks and janitors out of employment1 typical tramps and hoboes who diffused very naughty smells1 and a few--a very few--who seemed to know what they could do and what they really wanted4 ,jack took the names of five promising men1 and asked them to come again the next day4 ,in the morning ,i interviewed them1 dismissed three1 and accepted two on the condition that their references proved satisfactory4 ,as these men are still at ,four ,oaks1 after seven years of steady employment1 and as ,i hope they will stay twenty years longer1 ,i feel that the reader should know them4 ,much of the smooth sailing at the farm is due to their personal interest1 steadiness of purpose1 and cheerful optimism4 ,william ,thompson1 forty-six years of age1 tall1 lean1 wiry1 had been a farmer all his life4 ,his wife had died three years before1 and a year later1 he had lost his farm through an imperfect title4 ,understanding machinery and being a fair carpenter1 he then came to the city1 with #bjj in his pocket1 joined the ,carpenter's ,union1 and tried to make a living at that trade4 ,between dull business1 lock-outs1 tie-ups1 and strikes1 he was reduced to fifty cents1 and owed three dollars for room rent4 ,he was in dead earnest when he threw his union card on my table and said3-- ,i would rather work for fifty cents a day on a farm than take my chances for six times as much in the union4 ,this was the sort of man ,i wanted3 one who had tried other things and was glad of a chance to return to the land4 ,thompson said that after he had spent one lonesome year in the city1 he had married a sensible woman of forty1 who was now out at service on account of his hard luck4 ,he also told of a husky son of two-and-twenty who was at work on a farm within fifty miles of the city4 ,i liked the man from the first1 for he seemed direct and earnest4 ,i told him to eat up the fifty cents he had in his pocket and to see me at noon of the following day4 ,meantime ,i looked up one of his references2 and when he came1 ,i engaged him1 with the understanding that his time should begin at once4 ,the wage agreed upon was #bj a month for the first half-year4 ,if he proved satisfactory1 he was to receive #ba a month for the next six months1 and there was to be a raise of #a a month for each half-year that he remained with me until his monthly wage should amount to #dj1--;each to give or take a month's notice to quit4 ,this seemed fair to both4 ,i would not pay more than #bj a month to an untried man1 but a good man is worth more4 ,as ,i wanted permanent1 steady help1 ,i proposed to offer a fair bonus to secure it4 ,other things being equal1 the man who has gotten the hang of a farm can do better work and get better results than a stranger4 ,the transient farm-hand is a delusion and a snare4 ,he has no interest except his wages1 and he is a breeder of discontent4 ,if the hundreds of thousands of able-bodied men who are working for scant wages in cities1 or inanely tramping the country1 could see the dignity of the labor which is directly productive1 what a change would come over the face of the country6 ,there are nearly six million farms in this nation1 and four millions of them would be greatly benefited by the addition of another man to the working force4 ,there is a comfortable living and a minimum of #ahj a year for each of four million men1 if they will only seek it and honestly earn it4 ,seven hundred millions in wages1 and double or treble that in product and added values1 is a consideration not unworthy the attention of social scientists4 ,to favor an exodus to the land is1 ,i believe1 the highest type of benevolence1 and the surest and safest solution of the labor problem4 ,besides engaging ,thompson1 ,i tentatively bespoke the services of his wife and son4 ,mrs4 ,thompson was to come for #ae a month and a half-dollar raise for each six months1 the son on the same terms as the father4 ,the other man whom ,i engaged that day was ,william ,johnson1 a tall1 blond ,swede about twenty-six years old4 ,johnson had learned gardening in the old country1 and had followed it two years in the new4 ,he was then employed in a market gardener's greenhouse2 but he wanted to change from under glass to out of doors1 and to have charge of a lawn1 shrubs1 flowers1 and a kitchen garden4 ,he spoke brokenly1 but intelligently1 had an honest eye1 and looked to me like a real find4 ,polly1 who was to be his immediate boss1 was pleased with him1 and we took him with the understanding that he was to make himself generally useful until the time came for his special line of work4 ,we now had two men engaged 7with a possible third7 and one woman1 and my venire was exhausted4 ,two days later ,i again advertised1 and out of a number of applicants secured one man4 ,sam ,jones was a sturdy-looking fellow of middle age1 with a suspiciously red nose4 ,he had been bred on a farm1 had learned the carpenter's trade1 and was especially good at taking care of chickens4 ,his ambition was to own and run a chicken plant4 ,i hired him on the same terms as the others1 but with misgivings on account of the florid nose4 ,this was on the #aith or #bjth of ,july1 and there were still ten days before ,i could enter into possession4 ,the men were told to report for duty the last day of the month4 ,,chapter ,v ,,boring ,,for ,,water ,the water supply was the next problem4 ,i determined to have an abundant and convenient supply of running water in the house1 the barns1 and the feeding grounds1 and also on the lawn and gardens4 ,i would have no carrying or hauling of water1 and no lack of it4 ,there were four wells on the place1 two of them near the houses and two stock wells in the lower grounds4 ,near the well at the large house was a windmill that pumped water into a small tank1 from which it was piped to the barn-yard and the lower story of the house4 ,the supply was inadequate and not at all to my liking4 ,my plan involved not only finding1 raising1 and distributing water1 but also the care of waste water and sewage4 ,inquiring among those who had deep wells in the village1 ,i found that good water was usually reached at from #ahj to #baj feet4 ,as my well-site was high1 ,i expected to have to bore deep4 ,i contracted with a well man of good repute for a six-inch well of #bej feet 7or less71 piped and finished to the surface1 for #b a foot2 any greater depth to be subject to further agreement4 ,it took nearly three months to finish the water system1 but it has proved wonderfully convenient and satisfactory4 ,during seven years ,i have not spent more than #ej for changes and repairs4 ,we struck bed-rock at #aig feet1 drilled #bg feet into this rock1 and found water which rose to within #ej feet of the surface and which could not be materially lowered by the constant use of a three-inch power-pump4 ,the water was milky white for three days1 in spite of much pumping2 and then1 and ever after1 it ran clear and sweet1 with a temperature of #ed ,f4 ,well and water being satisfactory1 ,i cheerfully paid the well man #ddh for the job4 ,meantime ,i contracted for a tank twelve by twelve feet1 to be raised thirty feet above the well on eight timbers1 each ten inches square1 well bolted and braced1 for #dcj1--;,i to put in the foundation4 ,this consisted of eight concrete piers1 each five feet deep in the clay1 three feet square1 and capped at the level of the ground with a limestone two feet square and eight inches thick4 ,these piers were set in octagon form around the well1 with their centres seven feet from the middle of the bore1 making the spread of the framework fourteen feet at the ground and ten at the platform4 ,the foundation cost #cb4 ,a ,rider eight-inch1 hot-air1 wood-burning1 pumping engine 7with a two-inch pipe leading to the tank1 and a four-inch pipe from it71 filled the tank quickly2 and it was surprising to see how little fuel it consumed4 ,it cost #bae4 ,i have now to confess to a small extravagance4 ,i contracted with a carpenter to build an ornamental tower1 fifty-five feet high1 twenty feet across at the base1 and fifteen feet at the top1 sheeted and shingled1 with a series of small windows in spiral and a narrow stairway leading to a balcony that surrounded the tower on a level with the top of the tank4 ,this tower cost #dbe2 but it was not all extravagance1 because a third of the expense would have been incurred in protecting the engine and making the tank frost-proof4 ,to distribute the water1 ,i had three lines of four-inch pipe leading from the tank's out-flow pipe4 ,one of these went #bej feet to the house1 with one-inch branches for the gardens and lawn2 another led east #cge feet1 past the proposed sites of the cottage1 the farm-house1 the dairy1 and other buildings in that direction2 while the third1 about #djj feet long1 led to the horse barn and the other projected buildings4 ,from near the end of this west pipe a #a-a_/b-;inch pipe was carried due north through the centre of the five-acre lot set apart for the hennery1 and into the fields beyond4 ,this pipe was about #gjj feet long4 ,altogether ,i used #aajj feet of four-inch1 and about #bbjj feet of smaller pipe1 at a total cost of #hjc4 ,all water pipes were placed #d-a_/b feet in the ground to be out of the reach of frost1 and to this day they have received no further attention4 ,the trenches for the pipes were opened by a party of five ,italians whom a railroad friend found for me4 ,these men boarded themselves1 slept in the barn1 and did the work for seventy-five cents a rod1 the job costing me #afi4 ,opening the sewer trenches cost a little more1 for they were as deep as those for the water1 and a little wider4 ,eight hundred feet of main sewer1 a three-hundred-foot branch to the house1 and short branches from barns1 pens1 and farm-houses1 made in all about fourteen hundred feet1 which cost #hc to open4 ,the sewer ended in the stable yard back of the horse barn1 in a ten-foot catch-basin near the manure pit4 ,a few feet from this catch-basin was a second1 and beyond this a third1 all of the same size1 with drain-pipes connecting them about two feet below the ground4 ,these basins were closely covered at all times1 and in winter they were protected from frost by a thick layer of coarse manure4 ,they were placed near the site of the manure pit for convenience in cleaning1 which had to be done every three months for the first one1 once in six months for the second and rarely for the third2 indeed1 the water flowing from the third was always clear4 ,this waste water was run through a drain-pipe diagonally across the northwest corner of the big orchard to an open ditch in the north lane4 ,opening this drain of forty rods cost #cj4 ,later ,i carried this closed drain to the creek1 at an additional expense of #fg4 ,the connecting of the water pipes and the laying of the sewer was done by a local plumber for #ej2 the drain-pipe and sewer-pipe cost #aab2 and the three catch-basins1 bricked up and covered with two-inch plank1 cost #fc4 ,the filling in of all these trenches was done by my own men with teams and scrapers1 and should not be figured into this expense account4 ,it must be borne in mind that while this elaborate water system was being installed1 no buildings were completed and but few were even begun2 the big house was not finished for more than a year4 ,the sites of all the buildings had been decided on1 and the farm-house and the cottage had been moved and remodelled1 by the middle of ,october1 at which date the water plant was completed4 ,an abundant supply of good water is essential to the comfort of man and beast1 and the money invested in securing it will pay a good interest in the long run4 ,my water plant cost me a lot of money1 #bgeh2 but it hasn't cost me #aj a year since it was finished4 ,,chapter ,,vi ,,we ,,take ,,possession ,my barn was full of horses1 but none of them was fit for farm work2 so ,i engaged a veterinary surgeon to find three suitable teams4 ,by the #beth of the month he had succeeded1 and ,i inspected the animals and found them satisfactory1 though not so smooth and smart-looking as ,i had pictured them4 ,when ,i compared them1 somewhat unfavorably1 with the teams used for city trucks and delivery wagons1 he retorted by saying3 ,i did not know that you wanted to pay #abjj a pair for your horses4 ,these six horses will cost you #gej1 and they are worth it4 ,they were a sturdy lot1 young1 well matched1 not so large as to be unwieldy1 but heavy enough for almost any work4 ,the lightest was said to weigh #acge pounds1 and the heaviest not more than a hundred pounds more4 ,two of the teams were bay with a sprinkling of white feet1 while the other pair was red roan1 and1 to my mind1 the best looking4 ,four of these horses are still doing service on the farm1 after more than seven years4 ,one of the bays died in the summer of '#ih1 and one of the roans broke his stifle during the following winter and had to be shot4 ,the bereaved relicts of these two pairs have taken kindly to each other1 and now walk soberly side by side in double harness4 ,i sometimes think1 however1 that ,i see a difference4 ,the personal relation is not just as it was in the old union1--no bickerings or disagreements1 but also no jokes and no caresses4 ,the soft nose doesn't seek its neighbor's neck1 there is no resting of chin on friendly withers while half-closed eyes see visions of cool shades1 running brooks1 and knee-deep clover2 and the urgent whinney which called one to the other and told of loneliness when separated is no longer heard4 ,it is pathetic to think that these good creatures have been robbed of the one thing which gave color to their lives and lifted them above the dreary treadmill of duty for duty's sake4 ,the kindly friendship of each for his yoke-fellow is not the old sympathetic companionship1 which will come again only when the cooling breezes1 running brooks1 and knee-deep pastures of the good horse's heaven are reached4 ,a horse is wonderfully sensitive for an animal of his size and strength4 ,he is timid by nature and his courage comes only from his confidence in man4 ,his speed1 strength1 and endurance he will willingly give1 and give it to the utmost1 if the hand that guides is strong and gentle1 and the voice that controls is firm1 confident1 and friendly4 ,lack of courage in the master takes from the horse his only chance of being brave2 lack of steadiness makes him indirect and futile2 lack of kindness frightens him into actions which are the result of terror at first1 and which become vices only by mismanagement4 ,by nature the horse is good4 ,if he learns bad manners by associating with bad men1 we ought to lay the blame where it belongs4 ,a kind master will make a kind horse2 and ,i have no respect for a man who has had the privilege of training a horse from colt-hood and has failed to turn out a good one4 ,lack of good sense1 or cruelty1 is at the root of these failures4 ,one can forgive lack of sense1 for men are as ,god made them2 but there is no forgiveness for the cruel3 cooling shades and running brooks will not be prominent features in their ultimate landscapes4 ,for harness and farm equipments1 tools and machinery1 ,i went to a reliable firm which made most and handled the rest of the things that make a well-equipped farm4 ,it is best to do much of one's business through one house1 provided1 of course1 that the house is dependable4 ,you become a valued customer whom it is important to please1 you receive discounts1 rebates1 and concessions that are worth something1 and a community of interest grows up that is worth much4 ,my first order to this house was for three heavy wagons with four-inch tires1 three sets of heavy harness1 two ploughs and a subsoiler1 three harrows 7disk1 spring tooth1 and flat71 a steel land-roller1 two wheelbarrows1 an iron scraper1 fly nets and other stable equipment1 shovels1 spades1 hay forks1 posthole tools1 a hand seeder1 a chest of tools1 stock-pails1 milk-pails and pans1 axes1 hatchets1 saws of various kinds1 a maul and wedges1 six kegs of nails1 and three lanterns4 ,the total amount was #dhh2 but as ,i received five per cent discount1 ,i paid only #dfd4 ,the goods1 except the wagons and harnesses1 were to go by freight to ,exeter4 ,polly was to buy the necessary furnishings for the men's house1 the only stipulation ,i made being that the beds should be good enough for me to sleep in4 ,on the #beth of ,july she showed me a list of the things which she had purchased4 ,it seemed interminable2 but she assured me that she had bought nothing unnecessary1 and that she had been very careful in all her purchases4 ,as ,i knew that ,polly was in the habit of getting the worth of her money1 ,i paid the bills without more ado4 ,the list footed up to #die4 ,most of the housekeeping things were to be delivered at the station in ,exeter2 the rest were to go on the wagons4 ,on the afternoon of the #cjth the wagons and harnesses were sent to the stable where the horses had been kept1 and the articles to go in these wagons were loaded for an early start the following morning4 ,the distance from the station in the city to the station at ,exeter is thirty miles1 but the stable is three miles from the city station1 the farm two and a half miles from ,exeter station1 and the wagon road not so direct as the railroad4 ,the trip to the farm1 therefore1 could not be much less than forty miles1 and would require the best part of two days4 ,the three men whom ,i had engaged reported for duty1 as also did ,thompson's son1 whom we are to know hereafter as ,zeb4 ,early on the last day of the month the men and teams were off1 with cooked provisions for three days4 ,they were to break the journey twenty-five miles out1 and expected to reach the farm the next afternoon4 ,polly and ,i wished to see them arrive1 so we took the train at #a ,p4,m4 ,august #ast1 and reached ,four ,oaks at #b4cj1 taking with us ,mrs4 ,thompson1 who was to cook for the men4 ,before starting ,i had telephoned a local carpenter to meet me1 and to bring a mason if possible4 ,i found both men on the ground1 and explained to them that there would be abundant work in their lines on the place for the next year or two1 that ,i was perfectly willing to pay a reasonable profit on each job1 but that ,i did not propose to make them rich out of any single contract4 ,the first thing to do1 ,i told them1 was to move the large farm-house to the site already chosen1 about two hundred yards distant1 enlarge it1 and put a first-class cellar under the whole4 ,the principal change needed in the house was an additional story on the ell1 which would give a chamber eighteen by twenty-six1 with closets five feet deep1 to be used as a sleeping room for the men4 ,i intended to change the sitting room1 which ran across the main house1 into a dining and reading room twenty feet by twenty-five1 and to improve the shape and convenience of the kitchen by pantry and lavatory4 ,there must also be a well-appointed bathroom on the upper floor1 and set tubs in the kitchen4 ,my men would dig the cellar1 and the mason was to put in the foundation walls 7twelve inches thick and two feet above ground71 the cross or division walls1 and the chimneys4 ,he was also to put down a first-class cement floor over the whole cellar and approach4 ,the house was to be heated by a hot-water system2 and ,i afterward let this job to a city man1 who put in a satisfactory plant for #ejj4 ,we had hardly finished with the carpenter and the mason when we saw our wagons turning into the grounds4 ,we left the contractors to their measurements1 plans1 and figures1 while we hastened to turn the teams back1 as they must go to the cottage on the north forty4 ,the horses looked a little done up by the heat and the unaccustomed journey1 but ,thompson said3 ,they're all right1--stood it first-rate4 ,the cottage and out-buildings furnished scanty accommodations for men and beasts1 but they were all that we could provide4 ,i told the men to make themselves and the horses as comfortable as they could1 then to milk the cows and feed the hogs1 and call it a day4 ,while the others were unloading and getting things into shape1 ,i called ,thompson off for a talk4 ,thompson1 ,i said1 you are to have the oversight of the work here for the present1 and ,i want you to have some idea of my general plan4 ,this experiment at farming is to last years4 ,we won't look for results until we are ready to force them1 but we are to get ready as soon as possible4 ,in the meantime1 we will have to do things in an awkward fashion1 and not always for immediate effect4 ,we must build the factory before we can turn out the finished product4 ,the cows1 for instance1 must be cared for until we can dispose of them to advantage4 ,half of them1 ,i fancy1 are 'robber cows1' not worth their keep 7if it costs anything to feed them71 and we will certainly not winter them4 ,keep your eye on the herd1 and be able to tell me if any of them will pay4 ,milk them carefully1 and use what milk1 cream1 and butter you can1 but don't waste useful time carting milk to market--feed it to the hogs rather4 ,if a farmer or a milkman will call for it1 sell what you have to spare for what he will give1 and have done with it quickly4 ,you are to manage the hogs on the same principle4 ,fatten those which are ready for it1 with anything you find on the place4 ,we will get rid of the whole bunch as soon as possible4 ,you see1 ,i must first clear the ground before ,i can build my factory4 ,let the hens alone for the present2 you can eat them during the winter4 ,now1 about the crops4 ,the hay in barns and stacks is all right2 the wheat is ready for threshing1 but it can wait until the oats are also ready2 the corn is weedy1 but it is too late to help it1 and the potatoes are probably covered with bugs4 ,i will send out to-morrow some ,paris green and a couple of blow-guns4 ,there is not much real farm work to do just now1 and you will have time for other things4 ,the first and most important thing is to dig a cellar to put your house over2 your comfort depends on that4 ,get the men and horses with plough and scraper out as early as you can to-morrow morning1 and hustle4 ,you have nothing to do but dig a big hole seven feet deep inside these lines4 ,i count on you to keep things moving1 and ,i will be out the day after to-morrow4 ,the mason had finished his estimate1 which was #efj4 ,after some explanations1 ,i concluded that it was a fair price1 and agreed to it1 provided the work could be done promptly4 ,the carpenter was not ready to give me figures2 he said1 however1 that he could get a man to move the house for #abj1 and that he would send me by mail that night an itemized estimate of costs1 and also one from a plumber4 ,this seemed like doing a lot of things in one afternoon1 so ,polly and ,i started for town content4 ,those people can't be very luxurious out there1 said ,polly1 but they can have good food and clean beds4 ,they have all out-doors to breathe in1 and ,i do not see what more one can ask on a fine ,august evening1 do you1 ,mr4 ,headman8 ,i could think of a few things1 but ,i did not mention them1 for her first words recalled some scenes of my early life on a backwoods farm3 the log cabin1 with hardly ten nails in it1 the latch-string1 the wide-mouthed stone-and-stick chimney1 the spring-house with its deep crocks1 the smoke-house made of a hollow gum-tree log1 the ladder to the loft where ,i slept1 and where the snows would drift on the floor through the rifts in the split clapboards that roofed me over4 ,i wondered if to-day was so much better than yesterday as conditions would warrant us in expecting4 ,,chapter ,,vii ,,the ,,horse-,,and-,,buggy ,,man ,august #c found me at ,four ,oaks in the early afternoon4 ,a great hollow had been dug for the cellar1 and ,thompson said that it would take but one more full day to finish it4 ,piles of material gave evidence that the mason was alert1 and the house-mover had already dropped his long timbers1 winch1 and chains by the side of the farm-house4 ,while ,i was discussing matters with ,thompson1 a smart trap turned into the lot1 and a well-set-up young man sprang out of the stylish runabout and said1-- ,dr4 ,williams1 ,i hear you want more help on your farm4 ,i can use another man or two to advantage1 if they are good ones4 ,well1 ,i don't want to brag1 but ,i guess ,i am a good one1 all right4 ,i ain't afraid of work1 and there isn't much that ,i can't do on a farm4 ,what wages do you pay8 ,i told him my plan of an increasing wage scale1 and he did not object4 ,that includes horse keep1 ,i suppose8 said he4 ,i do not know what you mean by 'horse keep4' ,why1 most of the men on farms around here own a horse and buggy1 to use nights1 ,sundays1 and holidays1 and we expect the boss to keep the horse4 ,this is my rig4 ,it is about the best in the township2 cost me #bhj for the outfit4 ,see here1 young man1 this is another specimen of farm economics1 and it is one of the worst in the lot4 ,let me do a small example in mental arithmetic for you4 ,the interest on #bhj is #ad2 the yearly depreciation of your property1 without accidents1 is at least #dj2 horse-shoeing and repairs1 #bj2 loss of wages 7for no man will keep your horse for less than #d a month71 #dh4 ,in addition to this1 you will be tempted to spend at least #e a month more with a horse than without one2 that is #fj more4 ,you are throwing away #ahb every year without adding #a to your value as an employee1 one ounce of dignity to your employment1 or one foot of gain in your social position1 no matter from what point you view it4 ,taking it for granted that you receive #be a month for every month of the year 7and this is admitting too much71 you waste more than half on that blessed rig1 and you can make no provision for the future1 for sickness1 or for old age4 ,no1 ,i will not keep your horse1 nor will ,i employ any man whose scheme of life doesn't run further than the ownership of a horse and buggy4 ,but a fellow must keep up with the procession2 he must have some recreation1 and all the men around here have rigs4 ,not around ,four ,oaks4 ,recreation is all right1 but find it in ways less expensive4 ,read1 study1 cultivate the best of your kind1 plan for the future and save for it1 and you will not lack for recreation4 ,sell your horse and buggy for #bjj1 if you cannot get more1 put the money at interest1 save #bjj out of your wages1 and by the end of the year you will be worth over #djj in hard cash and much more in self-respect4 ,you can easily add #abjj a year to your savings1 without missing anything worth while2 and it will not be long before you can buy a farm1 marry a wife1 and make an independent position4 ,i will have no horse-and-buggy men on my farm4 ,it's up to you4 ,by ,jove6 ,i believe you may be right4 ,it looks like a square deal1 and ,i'll play it1 if you'll give me time to sell the outfit4 ,all right1 come when you can4 ,i'll find the work4 ,that day being ,saturday1 ,i told ,thompson that ,i would come out early ,monday morning1 bringing with me a rough map of the place as ,i had planned it1 and we would go over it with a chain and drive some outlining stakes4 ,i then returned to ,exeter1 found the carpenter and the plumber1 and accepted their estimates1--#fcj and #cbe1 respectively4 ,the farm-house moved1 finished1 furnished1 and heated1 but not painted or papered1 would cost #bfcj4 ,painting1 papering1 window-shades1 and odds and ends cost #bge1 making a total of #bije4 ,it proved a good investment1 for it was a comfortable and convenient home for the men and women who afterward occupied it4 ,it has certainly been appreciated by its occupants1 and few have left it without regret4 ,we have always tried to make it an object lesson of cleanliness and cheerfulness1 and ,i don't think a man has lived in it for six months without being bettered4 ,it seemed a good deal of money to put on an old farm-house for farm-hands1 but it proved one of the best investments at ,four ,oaks1 for it kept the men contented and cheerful workers4 ,,chapter ,,viii ,,we ,,plat ,,the ,,farm ,on ,monday ,i was out by ten o'clock1 armed with a surveyor's chain4 ,thompson had provided a lot of stakes1 and we ran the lines1 more or less straight1 in general accord with my sketch plan4 ,we walked1 measured1 estimated1 and drove stakes until noon4 ,at one o'clock we were at it again1 and by four ,i was fit to drop from fatigue4 ,farm work was new to me1 and ,i was soft as soft4 ,i had1 however1 got the general lay of the land1 and could1 by the help of the plan1 talk of its future subdivisions by numerals1--an arrangement that afterward proved definite and convenient4 ,we adjourned to the shade of the big black oak on the knoll1 and discussed the work in hand4 ,you cannot finish the cellar before to-morrow night1 ,i said1 because it grows slower as it grows deeper2 but that will be doing well enough4 ,i want you to start two teams ploughing ,wednesday morning1 and keep them going every day until the frost stops them4 ,let ,sam take the plough1 and have young ,thompson follow with the subsoiler4 ,have them stick to this as a regular diet until ,i call them off4 ,they are to commence in the wheat stubble where lots six and seven will be4 ,i am going to try alfalfa in that ground1 though ,i am not at all sure that it will do well1 and the soil must be fitted as well as possible4 ,after it has had deep ploughing it is to be crossed with the disk harrow2 then have it rolled1 disk it again1 and then use the flat harrow until it feels as near like an ash heap as time will permit4 ,we must get the seed in before ,september4 ,we will need another team if you keep two ploughing and one on the harrow1 said ,thompson4 ,you are right1 and that means another #djj1 but you shall have it4 ,we must not stop the ploughs for anything4 ,numbers #aj1 #aa1 #ad1 #a1 #b1 #c1 #d1 #e1 and much of the home lot1 ought to be ploughed before snow flies4 ,that means about #afj acres1--#hj odd days of steady work for the ploughmen and horses4 ,you will probably find it best to change teams from time to time4 ,a little variety will make it easier for them4 ,as soon as #f and #g are finished1 turn the ploughs into the #dj acres which make lots #a to #e4 ,all that must be seeded to pasture grass1 for it will be our feeding-ground1 and we'll be late with it if we don't look sharp4 ,we must have more help1 by the way4 ,that horse-and-buggy man1 ,judson1 is almost sure to come1 and ,i will find another4 ,some of you will have to bunk in the hay for the present1 for ,i am going to send out a woman to help your wife4 ,six men can do a lot of work1 but there is a tremendous lot of work to do4 ,we must fit the ground and plant at least three thousand apple trees before the end of ,november1 and we ought to fence this whole plantation4 ,speaking of fences reminds me that ,i must order the cedar posts4 ,have you any idea how many posts it will take to fence this farm as we have platted it8 ,i suppose not4 ,well1 ,i can tell you4 ,twenty-two hundred and fifty at one rod apart1 or #ahej at twenty feet apart4 ,these posts must be six feet above and three feet below ground4 ,they will cost eighteen cents each4 ,that item will be #ccc1 for there are seven miles of fence1 including the line fence between me and my north neighbor4 ,i am going to build that fence myself1 and then ,i shall know whose fault it is if his stock breaks through4 ,of course some of the old posts are good1 but ,i don't believe one in twenty is long enough for my purpose4 ,what do you buy cedar posts for1 when you have enough better ones on the place8 asked ,thompson4 ,i don't know what you mean4 ,well1 down in the wood yonder there's enough dead white oak1 standing or on the ground1 to make three thousand1 nine-foot posts1 and one seasoned white oak will outlast two cedars1 and it is twice as strong4 ,well1 that's good6 ,how much will it cost to get them out8 ,about five cents apiece4 ,a couple of smart fellows can make good wages at that price4 ,good4 ,we will save thirteen cents each4 ,they will cost #ic instead of #ccc4 ,i don't know everything yet1 do ,i1 ,thompson8 ,you learn easy1 ,i reckon4 ,keep your eyes and ears open1 and if you find any one who can do this job1 let him have it1 for we are going to be too busy with other things at present4 ,it's time for me to be off4 ,i cannot be out again till ,thursday1 for ,i must find a man1 a woman1 and a team of horses and all that goes with them4 ,i'll see you on the #hth at any rate4 ,i was dead tired when ,i reached home2 but there wasn't a grain of depression in my fatigue1--rather a sense of elation4 ,i felt that for the first time in thirty years real things were doing and ,i was having a hand in them4 ,the fatigue was the same old tire that used to come after a hard day on my father's farm1 and the sense was so suggestive of youth that ,i could not help feeling younger4 ,i have never gotten away from the faith that the real seed of life lies hidden in the soil2 that the man who gives it a chance to germinate is a benefactor1 and that things done in connection with land are about the only real things4 ,i have grown younger1 stronger1 happier1 with each year of personal contact with the soil4 ,i am thankful for seven years of it1 and look forward to twice seven more4 ,i have lost the softness which nearly wilted me that #eth day of ,august1 and with the softness has gone twenty or thirty pounds of useless flesh4 ,i am hard1 active1 and strong for a man of sixty1 and ,i can do a fair day's work4 ,to tell the truth1 ,i prefer the moderate work that falls to the lot of the ,headman1 rather than the more strenuous life of the husbandman2 but ,i find an infinite deal to thank the farm for in health and physical comfort4 ,,chapter ,,ix ,,house-,,cleaning ,after dinner ,i telephoned the veterinary surgeon that ,i wanted another team4 ,he replied that he thought he knew of one that would suit1 and that he would let me know the next day4 ,i also telephoned two want ads4 to a morning paper1 one for an experienced farm-hand1 the other for a woman to do general housework in the country4 ,polly was to interview the women who applied1 and ,i was to look after the men4 ,that night ,i slept like a hired man4 ,out of the dozen who applied the next day ,i accepted a ,swede by the name of ,anderson4 ,he was about thirty1 tall1 thin1 and nervous4 ,he did not fit my idea of a stockman1 but he looked like a worker1 and as ,i could furnish the work we soon came to terms4 ,a few words more about ,anderson4 ,he proved a worker indeed4 ,he had an insatiable appetite for work1 and never knew when to quit4 ,he was not popular at the farm1 for he was too eager in the morning to start and too loath in the evening to stop4 ,his unbridled passion for work was a thing to be deplored1 as it kept him thin and nervous4 ,i tried to moderate this propensity1 but with no result4 ,anderson could not be trusted with horses1 or1 indeed1 with animals of any kind1 for he made them as nervous as himself2 but in all other kinds of work he was the best man ever at ,four ,oaks4 ,he worked for me nearly three years1 and then suddenly gave out from a pain in his left chest and shortness of breath4 ,i called a physician for poor ,anderson1 and the diagnosis was dilatation of the heart from over-exercise4 ,a rare disease among farm-hands1 ,dr4 ,williams1 said ,dr4 ,high1 but my conscience did not fully forgive me4 ,i asked ,anderson to stay at the farm and see what could be done by rest and care4 ,he declined this1 as well as my offer to send him to a hospital4 ,he expressed the liveliest gratitude for kindnesses received and others offered1 but he said he must be independent and free4 ,he had nearly #abjj in a savings bank in the city1 and he proposed to use it1 or such portion of it as was necessary4 ,i saw him two months later4 ,he was better1 but not able to work4 ,hearing nothing from him for three years1 a year ago ,i called at the bank where ,i knew he had kept his savings4 ,they had sent sums of money to him1 once to ,rio ,janeiro and once to ,cape ,town4 ,for two years he had not been heard from4 ,whether he is living or dead ,i do not know4 ,i only know that a valuable man and a unique farm-hand has disappeared4 ,i never think of ,anderson without wishing ,i had been more severe with him1--more persistent in my efforts to wean him from his real passion4 ,peace to his ashes1 if he be ashes4 ,that same day ,i telephoned the ,agricultural ,implement ,company to send me another wagon1 with harness and equipment for the team4 ,the veterinary surgeon reported that he had a span of mares for me to look at1 but ,i was too much engaged that day to inspect the team1 and promised to do so on the next4 ,when ,i reached home1 ,polly said she had found nothing in the way of a general housework girl for the country4 ,she had seen nine women who wished to do all other kinds of work1 but none to fit her wants4 ,what do they come for if they don't want the place we described8 ,do they expect we are to change our plans of life to suit their personal notions8 she asked4 ,it's hard to say what they came for or what they want4 ,their ways are past finding out4 ,we will put in another 'ad4' and perhaps have better luck4 ,wednesday1 the #gth1 ,i went to see the new team4 ,i found a pair of flea-bitten gray ,flemish mares1 weighing about twenty-eight hundred pounds4 ,they were four years old1 short of leg and long of body1 and looked fit4 ,the surgeon passed them sound1 and said he considered them well worth the price asked1--#cjj4 ,i was pleased with the team1 and remembered a remark ,i had heard as a boy from an itinerant ,methodist minister at a time when the itinerant minister was supposed to know all there was to know about horse-flesh4 ,this was his remark3 ,there was never a flea-bitten mare that was a poor horse4 ,in spite of its ambiguity1 the saying made an impression from which ,i never recovered4 ,i always expected great things from flea-bitten grays4 ,the team1 wagon1 harness1 etc41 added #cie to the debit account against the farm4 ,polly secured her girl1--a green ,german who had not been long enough in ,america to despise the country4 ,she doesn't know a thing about our ways1 said ,polly1 but ,mrs4 ,thompson can train her as she likes4 ,if you can spend time enough with green girls1 they are apt to grow to your liking4 ,on ,thursday ,i saw ,anderson and the new team safely started for the farm4 ,then ,polly1 the new girl1 and ,i took train for the most interesting spot on earth4 ,soon after we arrived ,i lost sight of ,polly1 who seemed to have business of her own4 ,i found the mason and his men at work on the cellar wall1 which was almost to the top of the ground4 ,the house was on wheels1 and had made most of its journey4 ,the house mover was in a rage because he had to put the house on a hole instead of on solid ground1 as he had expected4 ,i have sent for every stick of timber and every cobbling block ,i own1 to get this house over that hole2 there's no money in this job for me2 you ought to have dug the cellar after the house was placed1 said he4 ,i made friends with him by agreeing to pay #cj more for the job4 ,the house was safely placed1 and by ,saturday night the foundation walls were finished4 ,sam and ,zeb had made a good beginning on the ploughing1 the teams were doing well for green ones1 and the men seemed to understand what good ploughing meant4 ,thompson and ,johnson had spent parts of two days in the potato patches in deadly conflict with the bugs4 ,we've done for most of them this time1 said ,thompson1 but we'll have to go over the ground again by ,monday4 ,the next piece of work was to clear the north forty 7lots #a to #e7 of all fences1 stumps1 stones1 and rubbish1 and all buildings except the cottage4 ,the barn was to be torn down1 and the horses were to be temporarily stabled in the old barn on the home lot4 ,useful timbers and lumber were to be snugly piled1 the manure around the barns was to be spread under the old apple trees1 which were in lot ,no4 #a1 and everything not useful was to be burned4 ,make a clean sweep1 and leave it as bare as your hand1 ,i told ,thompson4 ,it must be ready for the plough as soon as possible4 ,judson1 the man with the buggy1 reported at noon4 ,he came with bag and baggage1 but not with buggy1 and said that he came to stay4 ,thompson1 said ,i1 you are to put ,judson in charge of the roan team to follow the boys when they are far enough ahead of him4 ,in the meantime he and the team will be with you and ,johnson in this house-cleaning4 ,by to-morrow night ,anderson and the new team will get in1 and they1 too1 will help on this job4 ,i want you to take personal charge of the gray team1--neither ,johnson nor ,anderson is the right sort to handle horses4 ,the new team will do the trucking about and the regular farm work1 while the other three are kept steadily at the ploughs and harrows4 ,the cleaning of the north forty proved a long job4 ,four men and two teams worked hard for ten days1 and then it was not finished4 ,by that time the ploughmen had finished #f and #g1 and were ready to begin on ,no4 #a4 ,judson1 with the roans and harrows1 was sent to the twenty acres of ploughed ground1 and ,zeb and his team were put at the cleaning for three days1 while ,sam ploughed the six acres of old orchard with a shallow-set plough4 ,the feeding roots of these trees would have been seriously injured if we had followed the deep ploughing practised in the open4 ,by ,august #bd about two hundred loads of manure from the barn-yards1 the accumulation of years1 had been spread under the apple trees1 and ,i felt sure it was well bestowed4 ,manuring1 turning the sod1 pruning1 and spraying1 ought to give a good crop of fruit next year4 ,we had several days of rain during this time1 which interfered somewhat with the work1 but the rains were gratefully received4 ,i spent much of my time at ,four ,oaks1 often going every day1 and never let more than two days pass without spending some hours on the farm4 ,to many of my friends this seemed a waste of time4 ,they said1 ,williams is carrying this fad too far1--spending too much time on it4 ,polly did not agree with them1 neither did ,i4 ,time is precious only as we make it so4 ,to do the wholesome1 satisfying thing1 without direct or indirect injury to others1 is the privilege of every man4 ,to the charge of neglecting my profession ,i pleaded not guilty1 for my profession had dismissed me without so much as saying ,by your leave4 ,i was obliged to change my mode of life1 and ,i chose to be a producer rather than a consumer of things produced by others4 ,i was conserving my health1 pleasing my wife1 and at the same time gratifying a desire which had long possessed me4 ,i have neither apology to make nor regret to record2 for as individuals and as a family we have lived healthier1 happier1 more wholesome1 and more natural lives on the farm than we ever did in the city1 and that is saying much4 ,,chapter ,x ,,fenced ,,in ,on the #bfth1 when ,i reached the station at ,exeter1 ,i found ,thompson and the gray team just starting for the farm with the second load of wire fencing4 ,i had ordered fifty-six rolls of ,page's woven wire fence1 forty rods in each roll4 ,this fence cost me seventy cents a rod1 #bbd a mile1 or #aefh for the seven miles4 ,add to this #cg for freight1 and the total amounted to #afje for the wire to fence my land4 ,i got this facer as ,i climbed to the seat beside ,thompson4 ,i did not blink1 however1 for ,i had resolved in the beginning to take no account of details until the #cast day of ,december1 and to spend as much on the farm in that time as ,i could without being wasteful4 ,i did not care much what others thought4 ,i felt that at my age time was precious1 and that things must be rushed as rapidly as possible4 ,i was glad of this slow ride with ,thompson1 for it gave me an opportunity to study him4 ,i wondered then and afterward why a man of his general intelligence1 industry1 and special knowledge of the details of farming1 should fail of success when working for himself4 ,he knew ten times as much about the business as ,i did1 and yet he had not succeeded in an independent position4 ,some quality1 like broadness of mind or directness of purpose1 was lacking1 which made him incapable of carrying out a plan1 no matter how well conceived4 ,he was like ,hooker at ,chancellorsville1 whose plan of campaign was perfect1 whose orders were carried out with exactness1 whose army fell into line as he wished1 and whose enemy did the obvious thing1 yet who failed terribly because the responsibility of the ultimate was greater than he could bear4 ,as second in command1 or as corps leader1 he was superb2 in independent command he was a disastrous failure4 ,thompson1 then1 was a ,joe ,hooker on a reduced plane1--good only to execute another man's plans4 ,thompson might have rebutted this by saying that ,i too might prove a disastrous failure2 that as yet ,i had shown only ability to spend1--perhaps not always wisely4 ,such rebuttal would have had weight seven years ago1 but it would not be accepted to-day1 for ,i have made my campaign and won my battle4 ,the record of the past seven years shows that ,i can plan and also execute4 ,thompson told me that he had found two woodsmen 7by scouting around on ,sunday7 who were glad to take the job of cutting the white-oak posts at five cents each1 and that they were even then at work2 and that ,nos4 #f and #g would be fitted for alfalfa by the end of the week4 ,he added that the seed ought to be sown as soon thereafter as possible and that a liberal dressing of commercial fertilizer should be sown before the seed was harrowed in4 ,i have ordered five tons of fertilizer1 ,i said1 and it ought to be here this week4 ,sow four bags to the acre4 ,four bags1--eight hundred pounds2 that's pretty expensive4 ,costs1 ,i suppose1 #ce to #dj a ton4 ,no2 #bd4 ,how's that8 ,friend at court2 factory price2 #abj for five tons2 #e freight1 making in all #abe4 ,we must use at least eight hundred pounds this fall and five hundred in the spring4 ,alfalfa is an experiment1 and we must give it a show4 ,never saw anything done with alfalfa in this region1 but they never took no pains with it1 said ,thompson4 ,i hope it will grow for us1 for it is great forage if properly managed4 ,the seed will be out this week1 and you had best sow it on ,monday1 the #b;d4 ,how are you going to seed the north forty8 ,timothy1 red top1 and blue grass2 heavy seeding1 to get rid of the weeds4 ,these lots will all be used as stock lots4 ,small ones1 you think1 but we will depend almost entirely upon soiling4 ,i hope to keep a fair sod on these lots1 and they will be large enough to give the animals exercise and keep them healthy4 ,i hope the carpenter is pushing things on the house4 ,i want to get you into better quarters as soon as possible1 and ,i want the cottage moved out of the way before we seed the lot4 ,they're pushing things all right1 ,i guess2 that man ,nelson is a hustler4 ,when ,i reached the farm ,i found ,johnson and ,anderson tearing down the old fence that was our eastern boundary4 ,none of the posts were long enough for my purpose1 so all were consigned to the woodpile4 ,my neighbor on the north owned just as much land as ,i did4 ,he inherited it and a moderate bank account from his father1 who in turn had it from his4 ,the farm was well kept and productive4 ,the house and barns were substantial and in good repair4 ,the owner did general farming1 raised wheat1 corn1 and oats to sell1 milked twenty cows and sent the milk to the creamery1 sold one or two cows and a dozen calves each year1 and fattened twenty or thirty pigs4 ,he was pretty certain to add a few hundred dollars to his bank account at the end of each season4 ,he kept one man all the time and two in summer4 ,he was a bachelor of twenty-eight1 well liked and good to look upon3 five feet ten inches in height1 broad of shoulder1 deep of chest1 and a very ,hercules in strength4 ,his face was handsome1 square-jawed and strong4 ,he was good-natured1 but easily roused1 and when angry was as fierce as fire4 ,he had the reputation of being the hardest fighter in the country4 ,his name was ,william ,jackson1 so he was called ,bill4 ,i had met ,jackson often1 and we had taken kindly to each other4 ,i admired his frank manner and sturdy physique1 and he looked upon me as a good-natured tenderfoot1 who might be companionable1 and who would certainly stir up things in the neighborhood4 ,i went in search of him that afternoon to discuss the line fence1 a full mile of which divided our lands4 ,i want to put a fence along our line which nothing can get over or under1 ,i said4 ,i am willing to bear the expense of the new fence if you will take away the old one and plough eight furrows1--four on your land and four on mine1--to be seeded to grass before the wires are stretched4 ,we ought to get rid of the weeds and brush4 ,that is a liberal proposition1 ,dr4 ,williams1 and of course ,i accept1 said ,jackson2 but ,i ought to do more4 ,i'll tell you what ,i'll do4 ,you are planning to put a ring fence around your land1--three miles in all4 ,i'll plough the whole business and fit it for the seed4 ,i'll take one of my men1 four horses1 and a grub plough1 and do it whenever you are ready4 ,this settled the fence matter between ,jackson and me4 ,the men who cut the posts took the job of setting them1 stretching the wire1 and hanging the gates1 for #djj4 ,this included the staples and also the stretching of three strands of barbed wire above the woven wire2 two at six-inch intervals on the outside1 and one inside1 level with the top of the post4 ,thus my ring fence was six feet high and hard to climb4 ,i have a serious dislike for trespass1 from either man or beast1 and my boundary fence was made to discourage trespassers4 ,i like to have those who enter my property do so by the ways provided1 for whoso climbeth up any other way1 the same is a thief and a robber4 ,the ring fence was finished by the middle of ,october4 ,the interior fences were built by my own men during soft weather in winter and spring2 and1 as ,i had already paid for the wire and posts1 nothing more should be charged to the fence account4 ,in round numbers these seven miles of excellent fence cost me #bajj4 ,a lot of money6 ,but the fence is there to-day as serviceable as when it was set1 and it will stand for twice seven years more4 ,one hundred dollars a year is not a great price to pay for the security and seclusion which a good fence furnishes4 ,there was no need of putting up so much interior fence4 ,i would save a mile or two if ,i had it to do again2 however1 ,i do not dislike my straight lanes and tightly fenced fields4 ,,chapter ,,xi ,,the ,,building ,,line ,before leaving ,four ,oaks that day ,i had a long conversation with ,nelson1 the carpenter4 ,i had taken his measure1 by inquiry and observation1 and was willing to put work into his hands as fast as he could attend to it4 ,the first thing was to put him in possession of my plan of a building line4 ,two hundred feet south of the north line of the home lot a street or lane was to run due west from the gate on the main road4 ,this was to be the teaming or business entrance to the farm4 ,commencing three hundred feet from the east end of this drive1 the structures were to be as follows3 ,on the south side1 first a cold-storage house1 then the farm-house1 the cottage1 the well1 and finally the carriage barn for the big house4 ,on the north side of the line1 opposite the ice-house1 the dairy-house2 then a square with a small power-house for its centre1 a woodhouse1 a horse barn for the farm horses1 a granary and a forage barn for its four corners4 ,beyond this square to the west was the fruit-house and the tool-house--the latter large enough to house all the farm machinery we should ever need4 ,i have a horror of the economy that leaves good tools to sky and clouds without protection4 ,this sketch would not be worked out for a long time1 as few of the buildings were needed at once4 ,it was made for the sake of having a general design to be carried out when required2 and the water and sewer system had been built with reference to it4 ,i told ,nelson that a barn to shelter the horses was the first thing to build1 after the house for the men1 and that ,i saw no reason why two or even three buildings should not be in process of construction at the same time4 ,he said there would be no difficulty in managing that if he could get the men and ,i could get the money4 ,i promised to do my part1 and we went into details4 ,i wanted a horse barn for ten horses1 with shed room for eight wagons in front and a small stable yard in the rear2 also a sunken manure vat1 ten feet by twenty1 with cement walls and floor1 the vat to be four feet deep1 two feet in the ground and two feet above it4 ,a vat like this has been built near each stable where stock is kept1 and ,i find them perfectly satisfactory4 ,they save the liquid manure1 and thus add fifty per cent to the value of the whole4 ,open sheds protect from sun and rain1 and they are emptied as often as is necessary1 regardless of season1 for ,i believe that the fields can care for manure better than a compost heap4 ,i also told ,nelson to make plans and estimates for a large forage barn1 #ge by #aej feet1 #be feet from floor to rafter plate1 with a driving floor through the length of it and mows on either side4 ,a granary1 with a capacity of twenty thousand bushels1 a large woodhouse1 and a small house in the centre of this group where the fifteen horse-power engine could be installed1 completed my commissions for that day4 ,plans for these structures were submitted in due time1 and the work was pushed forward as rapidly as possible4 ,the horse barn made a comfortable home for ten horses1 if we should need so many1 with food and water close at hand and every convenience for the care of the animals and their harness4 ,the forage barn was not expensive1--it was simply to shelter a large quantity of forage to be drawn upon when needed4 ,the woodhouse was also inexpensive1 though large4 ,wood was to be the principal fuel at ,four ,oaks1 since it would cost nothing1 and there must be ample shelter for a large amount4 ,the granary would have to be built well and substantially1 but it was not large4 ,the power-house also was a small affair4 ,the whole cost of these five buildings was #heej4 ,the itemized amount is1 horse barn1 #bjjj1 forage barn1 #cdjj1 granary1 #bbjj1 woodhouse1 #djj1 power-house1 #eej4 ,,chapter ,,xii ,,carpenters ,,quit ,,work ,on ,friday1 ,august #cj1 ,i was obliged to go to a western city on business that would keep me from four to ten days4 ,i turned my face away from the farm with regret4 ,i could hardly realize that ,i had spent but one month in my new life1 the old interests had slipped so far behind4 ,i was reluctant to lose sight1 even for a week1 of the intensely interesting things that were doing at ,four ,oaks4 ,polly said she would go to ,four ,oaks every day1 and keep so watchful an eye on the farm that it could not possibly get away4 ,you're getting a little bit maudlin about that farm1 ,mr4 ,headman1 and it will do you good to get away for a few days4 ,there are some other things in life1 though ,i admit they are few1 and we are not to forget them4 ,i am up to my ears in plans for the house and the home lot2 but ,i can't quite see what you find so interesting in tearing down old barns and fences and turning over old sods4 ,every heart knoweth its own sorrow1 ,polly1 and ,i have my troubles4 ,friday evening1 ,september #f1 ,i returned from the west4 ,my first greeting was1-- ,how's the farm1 ,polly8 ,it's there1 or was yesterday2 ,i think you'll find things running smoothly4 ,have they sowed the alfalfa and cut the oats8 ,yes4 ,finished the farm-house8 ,no1 not quite1 but the painters are there1 and ,nelson has commenced work on two other buildings4 ,what time can ,i breakfast8 ,i must catch the #h4aj train1 and spend a long day where things are doing4 ,things were humming at ,four ,oaks when ,i arrived4 ,ten carpenters besides ,nelson and his son were pounding1 sawing1 and making confusion in all sorts of ways peculiar to their kind4 ,the ploughmen were busy4 ,thompson and the other two men were shocking oats4 ,i spent the day roaming around the place1 watching the work and building castles4 ,i went to the alfalfa field to see if the seed had sprouted4 ,disappointed in this1 ,i wandered down to the brook and planned some abridgment of its meanderings4 ,it could be straightened and kept within bounds without great expense if the work were done in a dry season4 ,polly had asked for a winding brook with a fringe of willows and dogwood1 but ,i would not make this concession to her esthetic taste4 ,this farm land must be useful to the sacrifice of everything else4 ,a winding brook would be all right on the home lot1 if it could be found1 but not on the farm4 ,a straight ditch for drainage was all that ,i would permit1 and ,i begrudged even that4 ,no waste land in the cultivated fields1 was my motto4 ,i had threshed this out with ,polly and she had yielded1 after stipulating that ,i must keep my hands off the home forty4 ,over in the woods ,i found two men at work splitting fence posts4 ,they seemed expert1 and ,i asked them how many they could make in a day4 ,from #ij to #abe1 according to the timber4 ,but we must work hard to make good wages4 ,that applies to other things besides post-splitting1 doesn't it8 ,closer inspection of the wood lot gratified me exceedingly4 ,little had been done for it except by ,nature1 but she had worked with so prodigal a hand that it showed all kinds of possibilities1 both for beauty and for utility4 ,before leaving the place1 ,i had a little talk with ,nelson4 ,everything is going on nicely1 he said4 ,i have ten carpenters1 and they are a busy lot4 ,if ,i can only hold them on to the job1 things will go well4 ,what's the matter8 ,can't you hold them8 ,i hope so1 but there is a hoisters' strike on in the city1 and the carpenters threaten to go out in sympathy4 ,i hope it won't reach us1 but ,i'm afraid it will4 ,what will you do if the men go out8 ,do the best ,i can4 ,i can get two non-union men that ,i know of4 ,they would like to be on this job now1 but these men won't permit it4 ,my son is a full hand1 so there will be four of us2 but it will be slow work4 ,see here1 ,nelson1 ,i can't have this work slack up4 ,we haven't time4 ,cold weather will be on before we know it4 ,i'm going to take this bull by the horns4 ,i'll advertise for carpenters in the ,sunday papers4 ,some of those who apply will be non-union men1 and ,i'll hold them over for a few days until we see how the cat jumps4 ,if it comes to the worst1 we can get some men to take the place of ,thompson and ,sam1 who are carpenters1 and set them at the tools4 ,i will not let this work stop1 strike or no strike4 ,if you put non-union men on you will have to feed and sleep them on the place4 ,the union will make it hot for them4 ,i will take all kinds of care of every man who gives me honest work1 you may be sure4 ,when ,i returned to town ,i sent this ad4 to two papers3 ,wanted3 ,ten good carpenters to go to the country4 ,the ,sunday papers gave a lurid account of the sentiment of the ,carpenters' ,union and its sympathetic attitude toward the striking hoisters4 ,the forecast was that there would not be a nail driven if the strike were not settled by ,tuesday night4 ,it seemed that ,i had not moved a day too soon4 ,on ,monday thirty-seven carpenters applied at my office4 ,most of them had union tickets and were not considered4 ,thirteen1 however1 were not of the union1 and they were investigated4 ,i hired seven on these conditions3 wages to begin the next day1 ,tuesday1 and to continue through the week1 work or no work4 ,if the strike was ordered1 ,i would take the men to the country and give them steady work until my jobs were finished4 ,they agreed to these conditions1 and were requested to report at my office on ,wednesday morning to receive two days' pay1 and perhaps to be set to work4 ,i did not go to the farm until ,tuesday afternoon4 ,there was no change in the strike1 and no reason to expect one4 ,the noon papers said that the ,carpenters' ,union would declare a sympathetic strike to be on from ,wednesday noon4 ,on reaching ,four ,oaks ,i called ,nelson aside and told him how the land lay and what ,i had done4 ,i want you to call the men together1 said ,i1 and let me talk to them4 ,i must know just how we stand and how they feel4 ,nelson called the men1 and ,i read the reports from two papers on the impending strike order4 ,now1 men1 said ,i1 we must look this matter in the face in a businesslike fashion4 ,you have done good work here2 your boss is satisfied1 and so am ,i4 ,it would suit us down to the ground if you would continue on until all these jobs are finished4 ,we can give you a lot of work for the best part of the year4 ,you are sure of work and sure of pay if you stay with us4 ,that is all ,i have to say until you have decided for yourselves what you will do if the strike is ordered4 ,i left the men for a short time1 while they talked things over4 ,it did not take them long to decide4 ,we must stand by the union1 said the spokesman1 but we'll be damned sorry to quit this job4 ,you see1 sir1 we can't do any other way4 ,we have to be in the union to get work1 and we have to do as the union says or we will be kicked out4 ,it is hard1 sir1 not to do a hit of a hammer for weeks or months with a family on one's hands and winter coming2 but what can a man do8 ,we don't see our way clear in this matter1 but we must do as the union says4 ,i see how you are fixed1 said ,i1 and ,i am mighty sorry for you4 ,i am not going to rail against unions1 for they may have done some good2 but they work a serious wrong to the man with a family1 for he cannot follow them without bringing hardships upon his dependent ones4 ,it is not fair to yoke him up with a single man who has no natural claims to satisfy1 no mouth to feed except his own2 but ,i will talk business4 ,you will be ordered out to-morrow or next day1 and you say you will obey the order4 ,you have an undoubted right to do so4 ,a man is not a slave1 to be made to work against his will2 but1 on the other hand1 is he not a slave if he is forced to quit against his will8 ,freedom of action in personal matters is a right which wise men have fought for and for which wise men will always fight4 ,do you find it in the union8 ,what shall ,i do when you quit work8 ,how long are you going to stay out8 ,what will become of my interests while you are following the lead of your bell-wethers8 ,shall my work stop because you have been called out for a holiday8 ,shall the weeds grow over these walls and my lumber rot while you sit idly by8 ,not by a long sight6 ,you have a perfect right to quit work1 and ,i have a perfect right to continue4 ,the rights which we claim for ourselves we must grant to others4 ,one man certainly has as defensible a right to work as another man has to be idle4 ,in the legitimate exercise of personal freedom there is no effort at coercion1 and in this case there shall be none4 ,if you choose to quit1 you will do so without let or hindrance from me2 but if you quit1 others will take your places without let or hindrance from you4 ,you will be paid in full to-night4 ,when you leave1 you must take your tools with you1 that there may be no excuse for coming back4 ,when you leave the place1 the incident will be closed so far as you and ,i are concerned1 and it will not be opened unless ,i find some of you trying to interfere with the men ,i shall engage to take your places4 ,i think you make a serious mistake in following blind leaders who are doing you material injury1 for sentimental reasons2 but you must decide this for yourselves4 ,if1 after sober thought1 any of you feel disposed to return1 you can get a job if there is a vacancy2 but no man who works for me during this strike will be displaced by a striker4 ,you may put that in your pipes and smoke it4 ,nelson will pay you off to-night4 ,the strike was ordered for ,wednesday4 ,on the morning of that day the seven carpenters whom ,i had engaged arrived at my office ready for work4 ,i took them to the station and started for ,four ,oaks4 ,at a station five miles from ,exeter we quitted the train1 hired two carriages1 and were driven to the farm without passing through the village4 ,we arrived without incident1 the men had their dinners1 and at one o'clock the hammers and saws were busy again4 ,we had lost but one half day4 ,the two non-union men whom ,nelson had spoken of were also at work1 and three days later the spokesman of the strikers threw up his card and joined our force4 ,we had no serious trouble4 ,it was thought wise to keep the new men on the place until the excitement had passed1 and we had to warn some of the old ones off two or three times1 but nothing disagreeable happened1 and from that day to this ,four ,oaks has remained non-unionized4 ,,chapter ,,xiii ,,planning ,,for ,,the ,,trees ,the morning of ,september #agth a small frost fell1--just enough to curl the leaves of the corn and show that it was time for it to be laid by4 ,thompson1 ,johnson1 ,anderson1 and the two men from the woods1 who were diverted from their post-splitting for the time being1 went gayly to the corn fields and attacked the standing grain in the old-fashioned way4 ,this was not economical2 but ,i had no corn reaper1 and there was none to hire1 for the frost had struck us all at the same time4 ,the five men were kept busy until the two patches--about forty-three acres--were in shock4 ,this brought us to the #bdth4 ,in the meantime the men and women moved from the cottage to the more commodious farm-house4 ,polly had found excuses for spending #ajj more on the furnishings of this house1--two beds and a lot of other things4 ,sunday gave the people a chance to arrange their affairs2 and they certainly appreciated their improved surroundings4 ,the cottage was moved to its place on the line1 and the last of the seeding on the north forty was done4 ,ten tons of fertilizer were sown on this forty-acre tract 7at a cost of #bej71 and it was then left to itself1 not to be trampled over by man or beast1 except for the stretching of fences or for work around some necessary buildings1 until the middle of the following ,may4 ,we did not sow any wheat that year1--there was too much else to be done of more importance4 ,there is not much money in wheat-farming unless it be done on a large scale1 and ,i had no wish to raise more than ,i could feed to advantage4 ,wheat was to be a change food for my fowls2 but just then ,i had no fowls to feed1 and there were more than two hundred bushels in stacks ready for the threshers1 which ,i could hold for future hens4 ,the ploughmen were now directed to commence deep ploughing on ,no4 #ad1--the forty acres set apart for the commercial orchard4 ,this tract of land lay well for the purpose4 ,its surface was nearly smooth1 with a descent to the west and southwest that gave natural drainage4 ,i have been informed that an orchard would do better if the slope were to the northeast4 ,that may be true1 but mine has done well enough thus far1 and1 what is more to the point1 ,i had no land with a northeast slope4 ,the surface soil was thin and somewhat impoverished1 but the subsoil was a friable clay in which almost anything would grow if it was properly worked and fed4 ,it was my desire to make this square block of forty acres into a first-class apple orchard for profit4 ,seven years from planting is almost too soon to decide how well ,i have succeeded1 but the results attained and the promises for the future lead me to believe that there will be no failure in my plan4 ,the three essentials for beginning such an orchard are3 prepare the land properly1 get good stock 7healthy and true to name71 and plant it well4 ,i could do no more this year than to plough deep1 smooth the surface1 and plant as well as ,i knew how4 ,increased fertility must come from future cultivation and top dressing4 ,the thing most prominent in my plan was to get good trees well placed in the ground before cold weather set in4 ,at my time of life ,i could not afford to wait for another autumn1 or even until spring4 ,i had1 and still have1 the opinion that a fall-planted tree is nearly six months in advance of one planted the following spring4 ,of course there can be no above-ground growth during that time1 but important things are being done below the surface4 ,the roots find time to heal their wounds and to send out small searchers after food1 which will be ready for energetic work as soon as the sun begins to warm the soil4 ,the earth settles comfortably about these roots and is moulded to fit them by the autumn rains4 ,if the stem is well braced by a mound of earth1 and if a thick mulch is placed around it1 much will be done below ground before deep frosts interrupt the work2 and if1 in the early spring1 the mulch and mound are drawn back1 the sun's influence will set the roots at work earlier by far than a spring tree could be planted4 ,other reasons for fall planting are that the weather is more settled1 the ground is more manageable1 help is more easily secured1 and the nurserymen have more time for filling your order4 ,any time from ,october #ae until ,december #aj will answer in our climate1 but early ,november is the best4 ,i had decided to plant the trees in this orchard twenty-five feet apart each way4 ,in the forty acres there would be fifty-two rows1 with fifty-two trees in each row1--or twenty-seven hundred in all4 ,i also decided to have but four varieties of apples in this orchard1 and it was important that they should possess a number of virtues4 ,they must come into early bearing1 for ,i was too old to wait patiently for slow-growing trees2 they must be of kinds most dependable for yearly crops1 for ,i had no respect for off years2 and they must be good enough in color1 shape1 and quality to tempt the most fastidious market4 ,i studied catalogues and talked with pomologists until my mind was nearly unsettled1 and finally decided upon ,jonathan1 ,wealthy1 ,rome ,beauty1 and ,northwestern ,greening1--all winter apples1 and all red but the last4 ,i was helped in my decision1 so far as the ,jonathans and ,rome ,beauties were concerned1 by the discovery that more than half of the old orchard was composed of these varieties4 ,there is little question as to the wisdom of planting trees of kinds known to have done well in your neighborhood4 ,they are just as likely to do well by you as by your neighbor4 ,if the fruit be to your liking1 you can safely plant1 for it is no longer an experiment2 some one else has broken that ground for you4 ,in casting about for a reliable nurseryman to whom to trust the very important business of supplying me with young trees1 ,i could not long keep my attention diverted from ,rochester1 ,new ,york4 ,perhaps the reason was that as a child ,i had frequently ridden over the plank road from ,henrietta to ,rochester1 and my memory recalled distinctly but three objects on that road1--the house of ,frederick ,douglass1 ,mount ,hope ,cemetery1 and a nursery of young trees4 ,everything else was obscure4 ,i fancy that in fifty years the ,douglass house has disappeared1 but ,mount ,hope ,cemetery and the tree nursery seem to mock at time4 ,the soil and climate near ,rochester are especially favorable to the growing of young trees1 and my order went to one of the many reliable firms engaged in this business4 ,the order was for thirty-four hundred trees1--twenty-seven hundred for the forty-acre orchard and seven hundred for the ten acres farthest to the south on the home lot4 ,polly had consented to this invasion of her domain1 for reasons4 ,she said3-- ,it is a long way off1 rather flat and uninteresting1 and ,i do not see exactly how to treat it4 ,apple trees are pretty at most times1 and picturesque when old4 ,you can put them there1 if you will seed the ground and treat it as part of the lawn4 ,i hate your old straight rows1 but ,i suppose you must have them4 ,yes1 ,i guess ,i shall have to have straight rows1 but ,i will agree to the lawn plan after the third year4 ,you must give me a chance to cultivate the land for three years4 ,your tree-man must be absolutely reliable4 ,you have to trust him much and long4 ,not only do you depend upon him to send you good and healthy stock1 but you must trust1 for five years at least1 that this stock will prove true to name4 ,the most discouraging thing which can befall a horticulturist is to find his new fruit false to purchase labels4 ,after wait1 worry1 and work he finds that he has not what he expected1 and that he must begin over again4 ,it is cold comfort for the tree-man to make good his guarantee to replace all stock found untrue1 for five years of irreplaceable time has passed4 ,when you have spent time1 hope1 and expectation as well as money1 looking for results which do not come1 your disappointment is out of all proportion to your financial loss1 be that never so great4 ,in the best-managed nurseries there will be mistakes1 but the better the management the fewer the mistakes4 ,pay good prices for young trees1 and demand the best4 ,there is no economy in cheap stock1 and the sooner the farmer or fruit-grower comprehends this fact1 the better it will be for him4 ,i ordered trees of three years' growth from the bud1--this would mean four-year-old roots4 ,perhaps it would have been as well to buy smaller ones 7many wise people have told me so71 but ,i was in such a hurry6 ,i wanted to pick apples from these trees at the first possible moment4 ,i argued that a sturdy three-year-old would have an advantage over its neighbor that was only two4 ,however small this advantage1 ,i wanted it in my business--my business being to make a profitable farm in quick time4 ,the ten acres of the home lot were to be planted with three hundred ,yellow ,transparent1 three hundred ,duchess of ,oldenburg1 and one hundred mixed varieties for home use4 ,i selected the ,transparent and the ,duchess on account of their disposition to bear early1 and because they are good sellers in a near market1 and because a fruit-wise friend was making money from an eight-year-old orchard of three thousand of these trees1 and advised me not to neglect them4 ,my order called for thirty-four hundred three-year-old apple trees of the highest grade1 to be delivered in good condition on the platform at ,exeter for the lump sum of #eej4 ,the agreement had been made in ,august1 and the trees were to be delivered as near the #bjth of ,october as practicable4 ,apple trees comprised my entire planting for the autumn of #ahie4 ,i wanted to do much other work in that line1 but it had to be left for a more convenient season4 ,hundreds of fruit trees1 shade trees1 and shrubs have since been planted at ,four ,oaks1 but this first setting of thirty-four hundred apple trees was the most important as well as the most urgent4 ,the orchard was to be a prominent feature in the factory ,i was building1 and as it would be slower in coming to perfection than any other part1 it was wise to start it betimes4 ,i have kicked myself black and blue for neglecting to plant an orchard ten years earlier4 ,if ,i had done this1 and had spent two hours a month in the management of it1 it would now be a thing of beauty and an income-producing joy forever1--or1 at least1 as long as my great-grandchildren will need it4 ,there is no danger of overdoing orcharding4 ,the demand for fruit increases faster than the supply1 and it is only poor quality or bad handling that causes a slack market4 ,if the general farmer will become an expert orchardist1 he will find that year by year his ten acres of fruit will give him a larger profit than any forty acres of grain land2 but to get this result he must be faithful to his trees4 ,much of the time they are caring for themselves1 and for the owner1 too2 but there are times when they require sharp attention1 and if they do not get it promptly and in the right way1 they and the owner will suffer4 ,fruit growing as a sole occupation requires favorable soil1 climate1 and market1 and also a considerable degree of aptitude on the part of the manager1 to make it highly profitable4 ,a fruit-grower in our climate must have other interests if he would make the most of his time4 ,while waiting for his fruit he can raise food for hens and hogs2 and if he feeds hens and hogs1 he should keep as many cows as he can4 ,he will then use in his own factory all the raw material he can raise4 ,this will again be returned to the land as a by-product1 which will not only maintain the fertility of the farm1 but even increase it4 ,if his cows are of the best1 they will yield butter enough to pay for their food and to give a profit2 the skim milk1 fed to the hogs and hens1 will give eggs and pork out of all proportion to its cost2 and everything that grows upon his land can thus be turned off as a finished product for a liberal price1 and yet the land will not be depleted4 ,the orchard is better for the hens and hogs and cows1 and they are better for the orchard4 ,these industries fit into each other like the folding of hands2 they seem mutually dependent1 and yet they are often divorced1 or1 at best1 only loosely related4 ,this view may seem to be the result of post hoc reasoning1 but ,i think it is not4 ,i believe ,i imbibed these notions with my mother's milk1 for ,i can remember no time when they were not mine4 ,the psalmist said1 ,comfort me with apples2 and the psalmist was reputed a wise man4 ,with only sufficient wisdom to plant an orchard1 ,i live in high expectation of finding the same comfort in my old age4 ,,chapter ,,xiv ,,planting ,,of ,,the ,,trees ,september proved as dry as ,august was wet1--only half an inch of water fell2 and the seedings would have been slow to start had they depended for their moisture upon the clouds4 ,by ,october #a1 however1 green had taken the place of brown on nearly all the sixty acres we had tilled4 ,the threshers came and threshed the wheat and oats4 ,of wheat there were #caa bushels1 of oats1 #abgb4 ,we stored this grain in the cottage until the granary should be ready1 and stacked the straw until the forage barn could receive it4 ,my plan from the first has been to shelter all forage1 even the meanest1 and bright oat straw is not low in the scale4 ,on the #ajth the horse stable was far enough advanced to permit the horses to be moved1 and the old barn was deserted4 ,a neighbor who had bought this barn at once pulled it down and carted it away4 ,in this transaction ,i held out several days for #ej1 but as my neighbor was obdurate ,i finally accepted his offer4 ,the first entry on the credit side of my farm ledger is1 ,by one old barn1 #de4 ,the receipts for ,october1 ,november1 and ,december1 were3-- ,by one old barn #de4jj ,by apples on trees 7#aec trees at #a4he each7 #bhc4jj ,by #dhj bushels of potatoes at #cj cents per bushel #add4jj ,by five old sows1 not fat #ce4jj ,one cow #ae4jj ,three cows #gj4jj ,two cows #ce4jj ,three cows1 two heifers1 nine calves #ahg4jj ,forty-three shoats and gilts1 average #afb lb41 at #b cents per lb #aci4jj ,total #iec4jj ,the young hogs had eaten most of my small potatoes and some of my corn before we parted with them in late ,november4 ,these sales were made at the farm1 and at low prices1 for ,i was afraid to send such stuff to market lest some one should find out whence it came4 ,the ,four ,oaks brand was to stand for perfection in the future1 and ,i was not willing to handicap it in the least4 ,top prices for gilt-edged produce is what intensive farming means2 and if there is money in land1 it will be found close to this line4 ,the potatoes had been dug and sold1 or stored in the cellar of the farm-house2 the apples from the trees reserved for home use had been gathered1 and we were ready for the fall planting4 ,while waiting for the stock to arrive1 we had time to get in all the hay and most of the straw into the forage barn1 which was now under roof4 ,on ,saturday1 the #bfth1 word came that sixteen immense boxes had arrived at ,exeter for us4 ,three teams were sent at once1 and each team brought home two boxes4 ,three trips were made1 and the entire prospective orchard was safely landed4 ,monday saw our whole force at work planting trees4 ,small stakes had been driven to give the exact centre for each hole1 so that the trees1 viewed from any direction1 would be in straight lines4 ,sam1 ,zeb1 and ,judson were to dig the holes1 putting the surface dirt to the right1 and the poor earth to the left2 ,i was to prune the roots and keep tab on the labels2 ,johnson and ,anderson were to set the trees1--,anderson using a shovel and ,johnson his hands1 feet1 and eyes2 while ,thompson was to puddle and distribute the trees4 ,the puddling was easily done4 ,we sawed an oil barrel in halves1 placed these halves on a stone boat1 filled them two-thirds full of water1 and added a lot of fine clay4 ,into this thin mud the roots of each tree were dipped before planting4 ,my duty was to shorten the roots that were too long1 and to cut away the bruised and broken ones4 ,the top pruning was to be done after the trees were all set and banked4 ,the stock was fine in every respect1--fully up to promise4 ,watching ,johnson set his first tree convinced me that he knew more about planting than ,i did4 ,he lined and levelled it2 he pawed surface dirt into the hole1 and churned the roots up and down2 more dirt1 and he tamped it2 still more dirt1 and he tramped it2 yet more dirt1 and he stamped it until the tree stood like a post2 then loose dirt1 and he left it4 ,i was sure ,johnson knew his business too well to need advice from a tenderfoot1 so ,i went back to my root pruning4 ,we were ten days planting these thirty-four hundred trees1 but we did it well1 and the days were short4 ,we finished on the #gth of ,november4 ,the trees were now to be top pruned4 ,i told ,johnson to cut every tree in the big orchard back to a three-foot stub1 unless there was very good reason for leaving a few inches 7never more than six71 and ,i turned my back on him and walked away as ,i said these cruel words4 ,it seemed a shame to cut these bushy1 long-legged1 handsome fellows back to dwarfish insignificance and brutish ugliness1 but it had to be done4 ,i wanted stocky1 thrifty1 low-headed business trees1 and there was no other way to get them4 ,the trees in the lower1 or ten-acre1 orchard1 were not treated so severely4 ,their long legs were left1 and their bushy tops were only moderately curtailed4 ,we would try both high and low heading4 ,on the night of ,november #aa the shredders came and set up their great machine on the floor of the forage barn1 ready to commence work the next morning4 ,there were ten men in the shredding gang4 ,i furnished six more1 and ,bill ,jackson came with two others to change work with me2 that is1 my men were to help him when the machine reached his farm4 ,we worked nineteen men and four teams three and a half days on the forty-three acres of corn1 and as a result1 had a tremendous mow of shredded corn fodder and an immense pile of half-husked ears4 ,for the use of the machine and the wages of the ten men ,i paid #aje4 ,poor economy6 ,before next corn-shredding time ,i owned a machine1--smaller indeed1 but it did the work as well 7though not as quickly71 and it cost me only #bae1 and was good for ten years4 ,the weather had favored me thus far4 ,the wet ,august had put the ground into good condition for seeding1 and the dry ,september and ,october had permitted our buildings to be pushed forward1 but now everything was to change4 ,a light rain began on the morning of the #aeth 7,i did not permit it to interrupt the shredding1 which was finished by noon71 and by night it had developed into a steady downpour that continued1 with interruptions1 for six weeks4 ,november and ,december of #ahie gave us rain and snow fall equal to twelve and a half inches of water4 ,plans at ,four ,oaks had to be modified4 ,there was no more use for the ploughs4 ,nos4 #aj and #aa1 and much of the home lot were left until spring4 ,i had planned to mulch heavily all the newly set trees1 and for this purpose had bought six carloads of manure 7at a cost of #gb72 but this manure could not be hauled across the sodden fields1 and must needs be piled in a great heap for use in the spring4 ,the carpenters worked at disadvantage1 and the farm men could do little more than keep themselves and the animals comfortable4 ,they did1 however1 finish one good job between showers4 ,they tile-drained the routes for the two roads on the home lot1--the straight one east and west through the building line1 about #ajjj feet1 and the winding carriage drive to the site of the main house1 about #ahej feet4 ,the tile pipe cost #abc4 ,they also set a lot of fence posts in the soft ground4 ,building progressed slowly during the bad weather1 but before the end of ,december the horse barn1 the woodshed1 the granary1 the forage barn1 and the power-house were completed1 and most of the machinery was in place4 ,the machinery consisted of a fifteen horse-power engine1 with shafting running to the forage barn1 the granary1 and the woodshed4 ,a power-saw was set in the end of the shed1 a grinding mill in the granary1 and a fodder-cutter in the forage barn4 ,the cost of these items was3-- ,engine and shafting #ahg4jj ,saw #bd4jj ,mill #cb4jj ,feed-cutter and carrier #gf4jj ,total #cai4jj ,i gave the services of my two carpenters1 ,thompson and ,sam1 during most of this time to ,nelson1 for ,i had but little work for them1 and he was not making much out of his job4 ,the last few days of #ahie turned clear and cold1 and the barometer set fair4 ,the change chirked us up1 and we ended the year in good spirits4 ,,chapter ,,xv ,,polly',s ,,judgment ,,hall ,before closing the books1 we should take account of stock1 to see what we had purchased with our money4 ,imprimis3 #cbj acres of good land1 satisfactory to the eye1 well fenced and well groomed2 #cdjj apple trees1 so well planted as to warrant a profitable future2 a water and sewer system as good as a city could supply2 farm buildings well planned and sufficient for the day2 an abundance of food for all stock1 and to spare2 an intelligent and willing working force2 machinery for more than present necessity2 eight excellent horses and their belongings2 six cows1 moderately good2 two pigs and two score fowls1 to be eaten before spring1 and a lot of fun4 ,what price ,i shall have to put against this last item to make the account balance1 ,i can tell better when ,i foot the other side of the ledger4 ,but first ,i must add a few items to the debit account4 ,moving the cottage cost #cj4 ,i paid #acd for grass seed and seed rye4 ,the wage account for six men and two women for five months was #gce4 ,their food account was #bgg4 ,of course the farm furnished milk1 cream1 butter1 vegetables1 some fruit1 fresh pork1 poultry1 and eggs4 ,there were also some small freight bills1 which had not been accounted for1 amounting to #ca1 and #h had been spent in transportation for the men4 ,then the farm must be charged with interest on all money advanced1 when ,i had completed my additions4 ,the rate was to be five per cent1 and the time three months4 ,on the last day of the year ,i went to the farm to pay up to date all accounts4 ,i wished to end the year with a clean score4 ,i did not know what the five months had cost me 7,i would know that evening71 but ,i did know that ,i had had the time of my life in the spending1 and ,i would not whine4 ,i felt a little nervous when ,i thought of going over the figures with ,polly1--she was such a judicious spender of money4 ,but ,i knew her criticism would not be severe1 for she was hand-in-glove with me in the project4 ,i tried to find fault with myself for wastefulness1 but some excellent excuse would always crop up4 ,your water tower is unnecessary4 ,yes1 but it adds to the landscape1 and it has its use4 ,you have put up too much fencing4 ,true1 but ,i wanted to feel secure1 and the old fences were such nests of weeds and rubbish4 ,you have spent too much money on the farm-house4 ,i think not1 for the laborer is worthy of his hire1 and also of all reasonable creature comforts4 ,and thus it went on4 ,i would not acknowledge myself in the wrong2 nor1 arguing how ,i might1 could ,i find aught but good in my labors4 ,i devoutly hoped to be able to put the matter in the same light when ,i stood at the bar in ,polly's judgment hall4 ,the day was clear1 cool1 and stimulating4 ,a fair fall of snow lay on the ground1 clean and wholesome1 as country snow always is4 ,i wished that the house was finished 7it was not begun71 and that the family was with me in it4 ,another ,christmas time will find us here1 ,god willing1 and many a one thereafter4 ,i spent three hours at the farm1 doing a little business and a lot of mooning1 and then returned to town4 ,the children were off directly after dinner1 intent on holiday festivities1 so that ,polly and ,i had the house to ourselves4 ,i felt that we needed it4 ,i invited my partner into the den1 lighted a pipe for consolation1 unlocked the drawer in which the farm ledger is kept1 gave a small deprecatory cough1 and said3-- ,my dear1 ,i am afraid ,i have spent an awful lot of money in the last five months4 ,you see there is such a quantity of things to do at once1 and they run into no end of money4 ,you know1 ,i-- ,of course ,i know it1 and ,i know that you have got the worth of it1 too4 ,wouldn't that console you6 ,how was ,i to know that ,polly would hail from that quarter8 ,i would have kissed her hand1 if she would have permitted such liberty2 ,i kissed her lips1 and was ready to defend any sum total which the ledger dare show4 ,do you know how much it is8 said ,polly4 ,not within a million6 ,i was reckless then1 and hoped the total would be great1 for had not ,polly said that she knew ,i had got the worth of my money8 ,and who was to gainsay her8 ,it is more than ,i planned for1 ,i know1 but ,i do not see how ,i could use less without losing precious time4 ,we started into this thing with the theory that the more we put into it1 without waste1 the more we would ultimately get out of it4 ,our theory is just as sound to-day as it was five months ago4 ,we will win out all right in the end1 ,mr4 ,headman1 for we will not put the price-mark on health1 freedom1 happiness1 or fun1 until we have seen the debit side of the ledger4 ,how much do you want to spend for the house8 said ,i4 ,do you mean the house alone8 ,no2 the house and carriage barn4 ,i'll pay for the trees1 shrubs1 and kickshaws in the gardens and lawns4 ,you started out with a plan for a #aj1jjj house1 didn't you8 ,well1 ,i don't think that's enough4 ,you ought to give me #ae1jjj for the house and barn and let me see what ,i can do with it2 and you ought to give it to me right away1 so that you cannot spend it for pigs and foolish farm things4 ,i'll do it within ten days1 ,polly2 and ,i won't meddle in your affairs if you will agree to keep within the limit4 ,it's a bargain1 said ,polly1 and the house will be much more livable than this one4 ,what do you think we could sell this one for8 ,about #cc1jjj or #cd1jjj1 ,i think4 ,and will you sell it8 ,of course1 if you don't object4 ,sell1 to be sure2 it would be foolish to keep it1 for we'll be country folk in a year4 ,i have a theory1 said ,i1 that when we live on the farm we ought to credit the farm with what it costs us for food and shelter here1--providing1 of course1 that the farm feeds and shelters us as well4 ,it will do it a great deal better4 ,we will have a better house1 better food1 more company1 more leisure1 more life1 and more everything that counts1 than we ever had before4 ,we'll fix the value of those things when we've had experience1 said ,i4 ,now let's get at the figures4 ,i tell you plainly that ,i don't know what they foot up1--less than #dj1jjj1 ,i hope4 ,don't let's worry about them1 no matter what they say4 ,this from prudent1 provident ,polly6 ,certainly not1 said ,i1 as bold as a lion4 ,there are thirty-five items on the debit side of the ledger and a few little ones on the credit side4 ,hold your breath while ,i add them4 ,i have spent #dd1cca and have received #iec1 which leaves a debit balance of #dc1cgh4 ,that isn't so awfully bad1 when you think of all the fun you've had4 ,fun comes high at this time of the year1 doesn't it1 ,polly8 ,much depends on what you call high4 ,you have waited and worked a long time for this4 ,i won't say a word if you spend all you have in the world4 ,it's yours4 ,mine and yours and the children's2 but ,i won't spend it all4 ,seventy or seventy-five thousand dollars1 besides your house and barn money1 shall be my limit4 ,there is still an item of interest to be added to this account4 ,interest6 ,why1 ,john ,williams1 do you mean to tell me that you borrowed this money8 ,i thought it was your own to do as you liked with4 ,have you got to pay interest on it8 ,it was mine1 but ,i loaned it to the farm4 ,before ,i made this loan ,i was getting five per cent on the money4 ,i must now look to the farm for my five per cent4 ,if it cannot pay this interest promptly1 ,i shall add the deferred payment to the principal1 and it shall bear interest4 ,this must be done each year until the net income from the farm is greater than the interest account4 ,whatever is over will then be used to reduce the principal4 ,that's a long speech1 but ,i don't think it's very clear4 ,i don't see why a man should pay interest on his own money4 ,the farm is yours1 isn't it8 ,you bought it with your own money1 didn't you8 ,what difference does it make whether you charge interest or not8 ,not the least difference in the world to us1 ,polly1 but a great deal to the experiment4 ,oh1 yes1 ,i forgot the experiment4 ,and how much interest do you add8 ,five hundred and forty-two dollars4 ,also1 #ge to the lawyer and #e for recording the deed1 making the whole debt of the farm to me #dd1jjj even4 ,does it come out just even #dd1jjj8 ,i believe you've manipulated the figures4 ,not on your life6 ,add them yourself4 ,they were put down at all sorts of times during the past five months4 ,my dear1 ,i wish you a good-night and a happy ,new ,year4 ,you have given me a very happy ending for the old one4 ,,chapter ,,xvi ,,winter ,,work ,the new year opened full of all sorts of interests and new projects4 ,there were so many things to plan for and to commence at the farm that we often got a good deal mixed up4 ,i can hardly expect to make a connected narrative of the various plans and events1 so will follow each one far enough to launch it and then leave it for future development4 ,little snow fell in ,january and ,february '#if4 ,the weather was average winter weather1 and a good deal of outdoor work was done4 ,on the #b;d ,i went to the farm to plan with ,thompson an outline for the two months4 ,i had decided to make ,thompson the foreman1 for ,i had watched him carefully for five months and was satisfied that ,i might go farther and fare a great deal worse4 ,indeed1 ,i thought myself very fortunate to have found such a dependable man4 ,he was temperate and good-natured1 and he had a bluff1 hearty way with the other men that made it easy for them to accept his directions4 ,he was thorough1 too1 in his work4 ,he knew how a job should be done1 and he was not satisfied until it was finished correctly4 ,he was not a worker for work's sake1 as was ,anderson1 but he was willing to put his shoulder to the wheel for results4 ,wait till ,i get my shoulder under it1 was a favorite expression with him1 and ,i am frank to say that when this conjunction took place there was apt to be something doing4 ,thompson is still at ,four ,oaks1 and it will be a bad day for the farm when he leaves4 ,thompson1 said ,i1 you are to be working foreman out here1 and ,i want you to put your mind on the business and keep it there4 ,i cannot raise your wages1 for ,i have a system2 but you shall have #ej as a ,christmas present if things go well4 ,will you stay on these terms8 ,i will stay1 all right1 ,dr4 ,williams1 and ,i will give the best ,i've got4 ,i like the looks of this place1 and ,i want to see how you are going to work it out4 ,that being settled1 ,i told ,thompson of some things that must be done during ,january and ,february4 ,you must get out a great lot of wood1 have it sawed1 and store it in the shed1 more than enough for a year's use4 ,the wood should be taken from that which is already down4 ,don't cut any standing trees1 even though they are dead4 ,use all limbs that are large enough1 but pile the brushwood where it can be burned4 ,we must do wise forestry in these woods1 and we will have an unlimited supply of fuel4 ,i mean that the wood lot shall grow better rather than worse as the years go by4 ,we cannot do much for it now1 but more in time4 ,you must see to it that the men are not careless about young trees1--no breaking or knocking down will be in order4 ,another thing to look after is the ice supply4 ,i will get ,nelson to build an ice-house directly1 and you must look around for the ice4 ,have you any idea as to where it can be had8 ,a big company is getting ice on ,round ,lake three miles west1 and ,i suppose they will sell you what you want1 said ,thompson1 and our teams can haul it all right4 ,what do you suppose they will charge per ton on their platform8 ,from twenty-five to forty cents1 ,i reckon4 ,all right1 make as good a bargain as you can1 and attend to it at the best time4 ,when the teams are not hauling ice or wood1 let them draw gravel from ,french's pit4 ,it will be hard to get it out in the winter1 but ,i guess it can be done1 and we will need a lot of it on these roads4 ,have it dumped at convenient places1 and we will put it on the drives in the spring4 ,another thing1--we must have a bridge across the brook on each lane4 ,you will find timbers and planks enough in the piles from the old barns to make good bridges1 and the men can do the work4 ,then there is all that wire for the inside fences to stretch and staple2 but mind1 no barbed wire is to be put on top of inside fences4 ,these five jobs will keep you busy for the next two months1 for there'll be only four men besides yourself to do them4 ,i am going to set ,sam at the chicken plant4 ,i'll see you before long1 and we'll go over the cow and hog plans2 but you have your work cut out for the next two months4 ,by the way1 how much of an ice-house shall ,i need8 ,how many cows are you going to milk8 ,about forty when we run at full speed2 perhaps half that number this year4 ,well1 then you'd better build a house for four hundred tons4 ,that won't be too big when you are on full time1 and it's a mighty bad thing to run short of ice4 ,i saw ,nelson the same day and contracted with him for an ice-house capable of holding four hundred tons1 for #ijj4 ,the walls of the house to be of three thicknesses of lumber with two air spaces 7one four inches1 the other two7 without filling4 ,as a result of the conference with ,thompson1 ,i had1 before the first of ,march1 a wood-house full of wood1 which seemed a supply for two years at full steam2 an ice-house nearly full of ice2 two serviceable bridges across the brook2 the wire fencing almost completed2 and eighty loads of gravel1--about one-third of what ,i needed4 ,the whole cash outlay was1-- #cjj tons of ice at #cj cents per ton #ij4jj #hj tons of gravel at #be cents per load #bj4jj ,fence staples #ai4jj ------ ,total #abi4jj ,the conference with ,sam ,jones1 the hen man1 was deferred until my next visit1 and my plans for the cow barn1 dairy-house1 and hog-house were left to ,nelson for consideration1 he promising to give me estimates within a few days4 ,,chapter ,,xvii ,,what ,,shall ,,we ,,ask ,,of ,,the ,,hen8 ,sam ,jones1 the chicken-loving man1 was as pleased as a boy with a new top when ,i began to talk of a hen plant4 ,he had a lot of practical knowledge of the business1 for he had failed in it twice2 and ,i could furnish any amount of theory1 and enough money to prevent disaster4 ,in his previous attempts he had invested nearly all his small capital in a plant that might yield two hundred eggs a day2 he had to buy all foods in small quantities1 and therefore at high prices2 and he had to give his whole time to a business which was too small and too much on the hand-to-mouth order to give him a living profit4 ,my theory of the business was entirely different4 ,i could plan for results1 and1 what was more to the point1 ,i could wait for them4 ,mistakes1 accidents1 even disasters1 were disarmed by a bank account2 my bread and butter did not depend upon the temper of a whimsical hen4 ,the food would cost the minimum4 ,all grains and green food1 and most of the animal food1 in the form of skim milk1 would be furnished by the farm4 ,i meant also to develop a plant large enough to warrant the full attention of an able-bodied man4 ,i felt no hesitation about this venture1 for ,i did not intend to ask more of my hens than a well-disposed hen ought to be willing to grant4 ,i do not ask a hen to lay a double-yolk every day in the year4 ,that is too much to expect of a creature in whom the mother instinct is prominent1 and who wishes also to have a new dress for herself at least once in that time4 ,i do not wish a hen to work overtime for me4 ,if she will furnish me with eight dozen of her finished product per annum1 ,i will do the rest4 ,whatever she does more than that shall redound to her credit4 ,two-hundred-eggs-a-year hens are scarcer than hens with teeth1 and ,i was not looking for the unusual4 ,a hen can easily lay one hundred eggs in three hundred and sixty-five days1 and yet find time for domestic and social affairs4 ,she can feel that she is not a subject for charity1 while at the same time she retains her self-respect as a hen of leisure4 ,i have the highest regard for this domestic fowl1 and ,i would not for a great deal impose a too arduous task upon her4 ,i feel like encouraging her in her peculiar industry1 for which she is so eminently fitted1 but not like forcing her into strenuous efforts that would rob her of vivacity and dull her social and domestic impulses4 ,no2 if the hen will politely present me with one hundred eggs a year1 ,i will thank her and ask no more4 ,some one will say3 ,how can you make hens pay if they don't lay more than eight dozen eggs a year8 ,eggs sometimes sell as low as twelve cents per dozen4 ,four ,oaks hens never have laid one-cent eggs1 and never will4 ,they would quit work if such a price were suggested4 ,ninety per cent of the eggs from ,four ,oaks have sold for thirty cents or more per dozen1 and the demand is greater than the supply4 ,the ,four ,oaks certificate that the egg is not thirty-six hours old when it reaches the egg cup1 makes two and a half cents look small to those who can afford to pay for the best4 ,to lack confidence in the egg is a serious matter at the breakfast table1 and a person who can insure perfect trust will not lack patronage4 ,if1 therefore1 a hen will lay eight dozen eggs1 she is welcome to say to an acquaintance3 ,i have just handed the ,headman a two-dollar bill1 for she knows that ,i have not paid fifty cents for her food4 ,of course the wages of the hen man and his food and the interest on the plant must be counted1 but ,i do not propose to count them twice4 ,four ,oaks is a factory where several things are made1 each in a measure dependent on1 and useful to1 the others1 and we cannot itemize costs of single products because of this mutual dependence4 ,i feel certain that ,i could not drop one of the factory's industries without loss to each of the others4 ,for this reason ,i kept a very simple set of books4 ,i charged the farm with all money spent for it1 and credited it with all moneys received4 ,even now ,i have no very definite knowledge of what it costs to keep a hen1 a hog1 or a cow2 nor do ,i care4 ,such data are greatly influenced by location1 method of getting supplies1 and market fluctuations4 ,i furnish most of my food1 and my own market4 ,my crops have never entirely failed1 and ,i take little heed whether they be large or small4 ,they are not for sale as crops1 but as finished products4 ,i am not willing to sell them at any price1 for ,i want them consumed on the place for the sake of the land4 ,corn has sold for eighty cents a bushel since ,i began this experiment1 yet at that time ,i fed as much as ever and was not tempted to sell a bushel1 though ,i could easily have spared five thousand4 ,when it went down to twenty-eight cents1 ,i did not care1 for corn and oats to me are simply in transition state1--not commodities to be bought or sold4 ,they cost me1 one year with another1 about the same4 ,an abundant harvest fills my granaries to overflowing2 a bad harvest doesn't deplete them1 for ,i do not sell my surplus for fear that ,i1 too1 may have to buy out of a high market4 ,i have bought corn and oats a few times1 but only when the price was decidedly below my idea of the feeding value of these grains4 ,i can find more than twenty-eight cents in a bushel of corn1 and more than eighteen cents in thirty-two pounds of oats4 ,but ,i am away off my subject4 ,i began to talk about the hen plant1 and have wandered to my favorite fad1--the factory farm4 ,,chapter ,,xviii ,,white ,,wyandottes ,sam1 said ,i1 ,i am going to start this poultry plant from just as near the beginning of things as possible4 ,i want you to dispose of every hen on the place within the next twenty days1 and to burn everything that has been used in connection with them4 ,we've cleared this land of disease germs1 if there were germs in it1 by turning it bottom-side up2 now let's start free from the pestiferous vermin that make a hen's life unhappy4 ,no stock1 either old or young1 shall be brought here4 ,when we want to change our breeding1 we'll buy eggs from the best fanciers and hatch them in our own incubators4 ,it will then be our own fault if we don't keep our chickens comfortable and free from their enemies4 ,this is sound theory1 and we'll try how it works out in practice4 ,certainly it will be easier to keep clean if we start clean4 ,not one board or piece of lumber that has been used for any other purpose shall find place in my hen-houses4 ,eternal vigilance makes a full egg basket2 and a full egg basket means a lot of money at the year's end4 ,i will never find fault with you for being too careful ,attend to the details in such way as suits you best1 provided the result is thorough and everlasting cleanliness4 ,nothing less will win out1 and nothing less will meet the requirements of our factory rules4 ,the first thing to do is to get the incubating cellar made4 ,it ought to be four feet in the ground and four feet out of it4 ,make it ten feet by fifteen1 inside measure1 and you can easily run five two-hundred-egg incubators4 ,build it near the south fence in ,no4 #d1--that's the lot for the hens4 ,the walls are to be of brick1 and we'll have a brick floor put in1 for it's too cold to concrete it now4 ,gables are to point east and west1 and each is to have a window2 put the door in the middle of the south wall1 and shingle the roof4 ,digging through three feet of frost will be hard1 but it must be done1 and done quickly4 ,i want you to start your incubator lamps before the #c;d of ,february4 ,i can dig the hole without much trouble1--big fire on the ground for two or three hours will help1--and ,i can put on the roof and do all the carpenter work1 but ,i can't lay the brick4 ,i'll look out for that part of the job1 but ,i want you to see that things are pushed1 for ,i shall have a thousand eggs here by ,february #ast and another thousand by the #beth1 and these eggs mean money4 ,what do you have to pay for them8 ,ten cents apiece1--#bjj for two thousand eggs4 ,well1 ,i should say6 ,are they hand-painted8 ,i wouldn't have had to quit business if ,i could have sold my eggs at a quarter of that price4 ,that's all right1 ,sam1 but you didn't sell ,white ,wyandotte eggs for hatching4 ,i've contracted with two of the best-known fanciers of ,wyandottes in the country to send me five hundred eggs apiece ,february #ast and #beth4 ,i don't think the price is high for the stock4 ,have you decided to keep 'dottes8 ,i hoped you would try ,leghorns2 they're great layers4 ,yes1 they're great summer layers1 but the ,american birds will beat them hollow in winter2 and ,i must have as steady a supply of eggs as possible4 ,my customers don't stop eating eggs in winter1 and they'll be willing to pay more for them at that season4 ,the ,leghorn is too small to make a good broiler1 and as half the chicks come cockerels1 we must look out for that4 ,why do you throw down the ,plymouth ,rocks8 ,they're bigger than 'dottes1 and just as good layers4 ,i threw down the barred ,plymouth ,rocks on account of color2 ,i like white hens best4 ,it was hard to decide between ,white ,rocks and ,wyandottes1 for there's mighty little difference between them as all-around hens4 ,i really think ,i chose the 'dottes because the first reply to my letters was from a man who was breeding them4 ,they are 'beauts1' all of them1 and ,i'll give them a good chance to spread themselves1 said ,sam4 ,what percentage of hatch may we expect from purchased eggs8 ,about sixty chicks out of every hundred eggs1 ,i reckon4 ,that would be doing pretty well1 wouldn't it8 ,if we had good luck with the sixty chicks1 how many would grow up8 ,fifty ought to4 ,of these fifty1 can we count on twenty-five pullets8 ,yes4 ,that's what ,i was getting at4 ,you think we might1 by good luck1 raise twenty-five pullets from each hundred eggs4 ,i'll cut that in the middle and be satisfied with twelve1 or even with ten4 ,at that rate the two thousand eggs that cost #bjj will give me two hundred pullets to begin the egg-making next ,november4 ,that's not enough2 we ought to raise just twice that number4 ,i'll spend as much more on eggs to be hatched by the middle of ,april or the first of ,may1 and then we can reasonably expect to go into next winter with four hundred pullets4 ,they will cost the farm a dollar apiece1 but the farm will have four hundred cockerels to sell at fifty cents each1 which will materially reduce the cost4 ,i think you put that pretty low1 sir2 we ought to raise more than four hundred pullets out of four thousand eggs4 ,everything more will be clear gain4 ,i shall be satisfied with four hundred4 ,we must also get at the brooder house4 ,this is the order in which ,i want the buildings to stand in the chicken lot3 first1 the incubating house1 #aj feet from the south line2 #dj feet north of this1 the brooder house2 and #abj feet north of that1 the first hen-house1 with runs #ajj feet deep4 ,we'll build other houses for the birds as we need them4 ,they are all to face to the south4 ,if the brooder house is #ej feet long and #ae feet wide1 it can easily care for the eight hundred chicks1 and for half as many more1 if we are lucky enough to get them4 ,we'll have a five-foot walk against the north wall of this house1 and a ten-foot space north and south through the centre for heating plant and food4 ,this will leave a space at each side ten by twenty feet1 to be cut into five pens four feet by ten1 each of which will mother a hundred chicks or more4 ,there must be plenty of glass in the south wall1 and we'll use overhead water pipes in each hover4 ,there's no hurry about the poultry-houses4 ,you can build one in the early summer1 and perhaps another in the fall4 ,i expect you to do the carpenter work on these houses4 ,i'll see the mason at once and have him ready by the time you've dug the hole4 ,the incubators will be here in good time1 and we want everything ready for work as soon as the eggs arrive4 ,sam was pleased with his job2 it was exactly to his liking4 ,he took real delight in caring for fowls1 and he was especially anxious to prove to me that it was not so much lack of knowledge as lack of capital that had caused the downfall of his previous efforts4 ,sam could not then understand why one man could sell his eggs at thirty-six cents a dozen when his neighbor could get only sixteen2 he found out later4 ,the mason's work for the incubator house and the foundation wall for the brooder house cost #bij4 ,the lumber bill for these two1 including doors and windows1 was #dfd4 ,the five incubators1 #fe1 and the hot-water heater for the brooder house1 #fh1 made the total #hig4 ,add to this #djj paid during two months for eggs1 and we have #abig as the cost of starting the poultry plant4 ,,chapter ,,xix ,,fried ,,pork ,i had given ,nelson this sketch as a guide in working out the plan for the cow barn3 ,length over all1 #acj feet2 width1 #dj feet4 ,this parallelogram was to be divided lengthwise into three equal spaces1 one in the centre for a driveway1 and one on each side for the cow platforms and feeding mangers4 ,twenty feet at the west end of the barn was partitioned off1 one corner for a small granary1 the other for a kitchen in which the food was to be prepared4 ,these rooms were each thirteen feet by twenty4 ,at the other end of the building1 ten feet on each side was given over to hospital purposes1--a lying-in ward ten feet by thirteen being on each side of the driveway4 ,the foundation for this building was to be of stone1 and the entire floor of cement2 and the walls were to be sealed within and sheeted without1 and then covered with ship lap boards1 making three thicknesses of boards4 ,it was to be one story high4 ,an east-and-west passage1 cutting the main drive at right angles1 divided the barn at its middle4 ,at the south end of this passage was a door leading to the dairy-house1 which was on the building line #aej feet away4 ,the four spaces made by these passages were each subdivided into ten stalls five feet wide4 ,two doors on the north and two on the south gave exit for the cows4 ,i had placed my limit at forty milch cows1 and ,i thought this stable would furnish suitable quarters for that number4 ,if ,i had to rebuild1 ,i would make some modifications4 ,experience is a good teacher2 but the stable has served its purpose1 and ,i cannot quarrel with the results4 ,the chief defect is in the distribution of water4 ,the supply is abundant1 but it is let on only in the kitchen1 whence it is supplied to the cows by means of a hose or a barrel swung between wheels4 ,illustration ,in the kitchen are appliances for mixing and cooking food1 and for warming the drinking water in winter4 ,nelson and ,i discussed the sketch plan given below1 and he found some fault with it4 ,i would not be dissuaded from my views1 however1 and ,nelson had to yield4 ,i was as opinionated in those days as a theoretical amateur is apt to be2 and it was hard to give up my theories at the suggestion of a person who had only experience to guide him4 ,the best plan1 as ,i have long since learned1 is to mix the two and use the solid substance that results from their combination4 ,we located the site of the building1 and talked plans until the low sun of ,january #hth disappeared in the west4 ,then we adjourned to the sitting room of the farm-house to finish the matter so far as was possible4 ,an hour and a half passed1 and we were in fair accord1 when ,mrs4 ,thompson came into the room to say that supper was ready1 and to ask us to join the men at table before starting homeward4 ,i was glad of the opportunity1 for ,i was curious to know if ,mrs4 ,thompson set a good table4 ,we went into the dining room just as the farm family was ready to sit down4 ,there were ten of us1--two women1 six men1 ,nelson1 and myself2 and as we sat down1 ,i noticed with pleasure that each had evidently taken some thought of the obligations which a table ought to impose4 ,the table was clothed in clean white1 and there was a napkin at each plate4 ,nelson and ,i had the only perfectly fresh ones1 and this ,i took as evidence that napkins were usual4 ,the food was all on the table1 and was very satisfactory to look at4 ,thompson sat at one end1 and before him1 on a great platter1 lay two dozen or more pieces of fried salt pork1 crisp in their shells of browned flour1 and fit for a king4 ,on one side of the platter was a heaping dish of steaming potatoes4 ,a knife had been drawn once around each1 just to give it a chance to expand and show mealy white between the gaping circles that covered its bulk4 ,at the other side was a boat of milk gravy1 which had followed the pork into the frying-pan and had come forth fit company for the boiled potatoes4 ,i went back forty years at one jump1 and said1-- ,i now renew my youth4 ,is there anything better under the sun than fried salt pork and milk gravy8 ,if there is1 don't tell me of it1 for ,i have worshipped at this shrine for forty years1 and my faith must not be shaken4 ,such a supper twice or thrice a week would warm the cockles of my old heart2 but ,polly says1 ,no modern cook can make these things just right2 and if not just right1 they are horrid4 ,that is true2 it takes an artist or a mother to fry salt pork and make milk gravy4 ,there were other things on the table1--quantities of bread and butter1 apple sauce 7in a dish that would hold half a peck71 stacks of fresh ginger-bread1 tea1 and great pitchers of milk2 but naught could distract my attention from the pice de rsistance4 ,thrice ,i sent my plate back1 and then could do no more4 ,that meal convinced me that ,i could trust ,mrs4 ,thompson4 ,a woman who could fry salt pork as my mother did1 was a woman to be treasured4 ,i left the farm-house at #g1 and reached home by #h4de4 ,polly was not quite pleased with my late hours2 she said it did not worry her not to know where ,i was1 but it was annoying4 ,can't you have a telephone put into the farm-house8 ,it would be convenient in a lot of ways4 ,why1 of course2 ,i don't see why it can't be done at once4 ,i'll make application this very night4 ,it was six weeks before we really got a wire to the farm1 but after that we wondered how we ever got along without it4 ,,chapter ,,xx ,a ,,ration ,,for ,,product ,nelson was to commence work on the cow-house at once2 at least1 the mason was4 ,i left the job as a whole to ,nelson1 and he made some sort of contract with the mason4 ,the agreement was that ,i should pay #dbfj for the barn complete4 ,the machinery we put into it was very simple1--a water heater and two cauldrons for cooking food4 ,all three cost about #fj4 ,thompson had selected six cows1 from those bought with the place1 as worth wintering4 ,they were now giving from six to eight quarts each1 and were due to come in in ,april and ,may4 ,an eight-quart-a-day cow was not much to my liking1 but ,thompson said that with good care they would do better in the spring4 ,four of those cows ought to make fine milkers1 he said2 they are built for it1--long bodies1 big bags1 milk veins that stand out like crooked welts1 light shoulders1 slender necks1 and lean heads4 ,they are young1 too2 and if you'll dehorn them1 ,i believe they'll make your thoroughbreds hump themselves to keep up with them at the milk pail4 ,you see1 these cows never had more than half a chance to show what they could do4 ,they have never been 'fed for milk4' ,farmers don't do that much4 ,they think that if a cow doesn't bawl for food or drink she has enough4 ,i suppose she has enough to keep her from starving1 and perhaps enough to hold her in fair condition1 but not enough to do this and fill the milk pail1 too4 ,i read somewhere about a ration for 'maintenance' and one for 'product1' and there was a deal of difference4 ,most farmers don't pay much attention to these things1 and ,i guess that's one reason why they don't get on faster4 ,you've got the whole matter down fine in that 'ration for product1' ,thompson1 and that's what we want on this farm4 ,a ration that will simply keep a cow or a hen in good health leaves no margin for profit4 ,cows and hens are machines1 and we must treat them as such4 ,crowd in the raw material1 and you may look for large results in finished product4 ,the question ought always to be1 ,how much can a cow eat and drink8 not1 ,how little can she get on with8 ,grain and forage are to be turned into milk1 and the more of these foods our cows eat1 the better we like it4 ,if these machines work imperfectly1 we must get rid of them at once and at any price4 ,it will not pay to keep a cow that persistently falls below a high standard4 ,we waste time on her1 and the smooth running of the factory is interrupted4 ,i'm going to place a standard on this farm of nine thousand pounds a year for each matured cow2 ,i don't think that too high4 ,if a cow falls much below that amount1 she must give place to a better one1 for ,i'm not making this experiment entirely for my health4 ,the standard isn't too high1 yet it's enough to give a fine profit4 ,it means at least three hundred and fifty pounds of butter a year1 and in this case the butter means at least thirty cents a pound1 or more than #ajj a year for each cow4 ,this is all profit1 if one wishes to figure it by itself1 for the skimmed milk will more than pay for the food and care4 ,but why did you say dehorn the cows8 ,well1 ,i notice that a man with a club is almost sure to find some use for it4 ,if he isn't pounding the fence or throwing it at a dog1 he's snipping daisies or knocking the heads off bull-thistles4 ,he's always doing something with it just because he has it in his hand4 ,it's the same way with a cow4 ,if she has horns1 she'll use them in some way1 and they take her mind off her business4 ,no1 sir2 a cow will do a lot better without horns4 ,there's mighty little to distract her attention when her clubs are gone4 ,what breeds of cows have you handled1 ,thompson8 ,not any thoroughbreds that ,i know of2 mostly common kinds and grade ,jerseys or ,holsteins4 ,i'm going to put a small herd of thorough bred ,holsteins on the place4 ,why don't you try thoroughbred ,jerseys' ,they'll give as much butter1 and they won't eat more than half as much4 ,you don't quite catch my idea1 ,thompson4 ,i want the cow that will eat the most1 if she is1 at the same time1 willing to pay for her food4 ,i mean to raise a lot of food1 and ,i want a home market for it4 ,what comes from the land must go back to it1 or it will grow thin4 ,the ,holstein will eat more than the ,jersey1 and1 while she may not make more butter1 she will give twice as much skimmed milk and furnish more fertilizer to return to the land4 ,fresh skimmed milk is a food greatly to be prized by the factory-farm man2 and when we run at full speed1 we shall have three hundred thousand pounds of it to feed4 ,i have purchased twenty three-year-old ,holstein cows1 in calf to advanced registry bulls1 and they are to be delivered to me ,march #aj4 ,i shall want you to go and fetch them4 ,i also bought a young bull from the same herd1 but not from the same breeding4 ,these twenty-one animals will cost1 by the time they get here1 #bbjj4 ,i shall give the bull to my neighbor ,jackson4 ,he will be proud to have it1 and ,i shall be relieved of the care of it4 ,be good to your neighbor1 ,thompson1 if by so doing you can increase the effectiveness of the factory farm4 ,we will start the dairy with twenty thoroughbreds and six scrubs4 ,i shall probably buy and sell from time to time2 but of one thing ,i am certain3 if a cow cannot make our standard1 she goes to the butcher1 be she mongrel or thoroughbred4 ,what do you think of ,judson as a probable dairyman8 ,i shouldn't wonder if he would do first-rate4 ,he's a quiet fellow1 and cows like that4 ,he has those roans tagging him all over the place2 and if a horse likes a man1 it's because he's nice and quiet in his ways4 ,i notice that he can milk a cow quicker than the other men1 and it ain't because he don't milk dry--,i sneaked after him twice4 ,the cow just gives down for him better than for the others4 ,,chapter ,,xxi ,,the ,,razorback ,we have now launched three of the four principal industries of our factory farm4 ,the fourth is perhaps the most important of all1 if a single member of a group of mutually dependent industries can have this distinction4 ,there is no question that the farmer's best friend is the hog4 ,he will do more for him and ask less of him than any other animal4 ,all he asks is to be born4 ,that is enough for this non-ruminant quadruped1 who can find his living in the earth1 the roadside ditch1 or the forest1 and who1 out of a supply of grass1 roots1 or mast1 can furnish ham and bacon to the king's taste and the poor man's maintenance4 ,the half-wild razorback1 with never a clutch of corn to his back1 gives abundant food to the mountaineer over whose forest he ranges4 ,the cropped or slit ear is the only evidence of human care or human ownership4 ,he lives the life of a wild beast1 and in the autumn he dies the death of a wild beast2 while his flesh1 made rich with juices of acorns1 beechnuts1 and other sweet masts1 nourishes a man whose only exercise of ownership is slaughter4 ,the hog that can make his own living1 run like a deer1 and drink out of a jug1 has done more for the pioneer and the backwoodsman than any other animal4 ,take this semi-wild beast away from his wild haunts1 give him food and care1 and he will double his gifts4 ,add a hundred generations of careful selection1 until his form is so changed that it is beyond recognition1 and again the product will be doubled4 ,the spirit of swine is not changed by civilization or good breeding2 such as it was on that day when the herd ran down a steep place and was drowned in the sea1 such it is to-day4 ,a fixed determination to have its own way dominated the creature then1 and a pig-headed desire to be the greatest food-producing machine in the world is its ruling passion now4 ,that the hog has succeeded in this is beyond question2 for no other food animal can increase its own weight one hundred and fifty fold in the first eight months of its life4 ,all over the world there is a growing fondness for swine flesh1 and the ever increasing supply doesn't outrun the demand4 ,since the dispersion of the tribes of ,israel there has been no persistent effort to depopularize this wonderful food maker4 ,pig has more often been the food of the poor than of the rich1 but now rich and poor alike do it honor4 ,old ,ben ,jonson said3-- ,now pig is meat1 and a meat that is nourishing and may be desired1 and consequently eaten3 it may be eaten2 yea1 very exceedingly well eaten4 ,hundreds have praised the rasher of ham1 and thousands the flitch of bacon2 it took the stroke of but one pen to make roast pig classical4 ,the pig of to-day is so unlike his distant progenitor that he would not be recognized2 if by any chance he were recognized1 it would be only with a grunt of scorn for his unwieldy shape and his unenterprising spirit4 ,gone are the fleet legs1 great head1 bulky snout1 terrible jaws1 warlike tusks1 open nostrils1 flapping ears1 gaunt flanks1 and racing sides2 and with these has gone everything that told of strength1 freedom1 and wild life4 ,in their place has come a cuboidal mass1 twice as long as it is broad or high1 with a place in front for mouth and eyes1 and a foolish-looking leg under each corner4 ,a mighty fall from freedom's lofty heights1 but a wonderfully improved machine4 ,the modern hog is to his progenitor as the man with the steam-hammer to the man with the stone-hammer1--infinitely more useful1 though not so free4 ,it is not easy to overestimate the value of swine to the general farmer2 but to the factory farmer they are indispensable4 ,they furnish a profitable market for much that could not be sold1 and they turn this waste material into a surprising lot of money in a marvellously short time4 ,a pig should reach his market before he is nine months old4 ,from the time he is new-born until he is #bej days old1 he should gain at least one pound a day1 which means five cents1 in ordinary times4 ,during this time he has eaten1 of things which might possibly have been sold1 perhaps five dollars' worth4 ,at #bej days1 with a gain of one pound a day1 he is worth1 one year with another1 #ab4ej4 ,this is putting it too low for my market1 but it gives a profit of not less than #f a head after paying freight and commissions4 ,it is1 then1 only a question of how many to keep and how to keep them4 ,to answer the first half of this question ,i would say1 ,keep just as many as you can keep well4 ,it never pays to keep stock on half rations of food or care1 and pigs are not exceptions4 ,in answering the other half of the question1 how to keep them1 ,i shall have to go into details of the first building of a piggery at ,four ,oaks4 ,as in the case of the hens1 ,i determined to start clean4 ,hogs had been kept on the farm for years1 and1 so far as ,i could learn1 there had been no epizotic disease4 ,the swine had had free range most of the time1 and the specimens which ,i bought were healthy and as well grown as could be expected4 ,they were not what ,i wanted1 either in breed or in development1 so they had been disposed of1 all but two4 ,these ,i now consigned to the tender care of the butcher1 and ordered the sty in which they had been kept to be burned4 ,i had planned to devote lot ,no4 #b to a piggery4 ,there are five acres in this lot1 and ,i thought it large enough to keep four or five hundred pigs of all sizes in good health and good condition for forcing4 ,some of the swine1 not intended for market1 would have more liberty2 but close confinement in clean pens and small runs was to be the rule4 ,to crowd hogs in this way1 and at the same time to keep them free from disease1 would require special vigilance4 ,the ordinary diseases that come from damp and draughts could be fended off by carefully constructed buildings4 ,cleanliness and wholesome food ought to do much1 and isolation should accomplish the rest4 ,i have established a perfect quarantine about my hog lot1 and it has never been broken4 ,after the first invoices of swine in the winter and spring of #ahif1 no hog1 young or old1 has entered my piggery1 save by the way of a sixty-day quarantine in the wood lot1 and very few by that way4 ,my pigs are several hundred yards from the public roads1 and my neighbor1 ,jackson1 has planted a young orchard on his land to the north of my hog lots1 and permits no hogs in this planting4 ,i have thus secured practical isolation4 ,i have rarely sent swine to fairs or stock shows4 ,in the few instances in which ,i have broken this rule ,i have sold the stock shown1 never returning it to ,four ,oaks4 ,isolation1 cleanliness1 good food1 good water1 and a constant supply of ashes1 charcoal1 and salt1 have kept my herd 7thus far7 from those dreadfully fatal diseases that destroy so many swine4 ,if ,i can keep the specific micro-organism that causes hog-cholera off my place1 ,i need not fear the disease4 ,the same is true of swine plague4 ,these diseases are of bacterial origin1 and are communicated by the transference of bacteria from the infected to the non-infected4 ,i propose to keep my healthy herd as far removed as possible from all sources of infection4 ,i have carried these precautions so far that ,i am often scoffed at4 ,i require my swineherd1 when returning from a fair or a stock show1 to take a full bath and to disinfect his clothing before stepping into the pig-house4 ,this may seem an unnecessary refinement in precautionary measures1 but ,i do not think so4 ,it has served me well3 no case of cholera or plague has shown itself at ,four ,oaks4 ,what would ,i do if disease should appear8 ,i do not know4 ,i think1 however1 that ,i should fight it as hard as possible at close quarters1 killing the seriously ill1 and burning all bodies4 ,after the scourge had passed ,i would dispose of all stock as best ,i could1 and then burn the entire plant 7fences and all71 plough deep1 cover the land white as snow with lime1 leave it until spring1 plough again1 and sow to oats4 ,during the following summer ,i would rebuild my plant and start afresh4 ,a whole year would be lost1 and some good buildings1 but ,i think it would pay in the end4 ,there would be no safety for the herd while a single colony of cholera or plague bacteria was harbored on the place2 and while neither might1 for years1 appear in virulent form1 yet there would be constant small losses and constant anxiety4 ,one cannot afford either of these annoyances1 and it is usually wise to take radical measures4 ,if we apply sound business rules to farm management1 we shall at least deserve success4 ,i chose to keep thoroughbred swine for the reason that all the standard varieties are reasonably certain to breed true to a type which1 in each breed1 is as near pork-making perfection as the widest experience can make it4 ,most of our good hogs are bred from ,english or ,chinese stock4 ,modifications by climate1 care1 crossing1 and wise selection have procured a number of excellent varieties1 which are distinct enough to warrant separate names1 but which are nearly equal as pork-makers4 ,in color one could choose between black1 black and white1 and white and red4 ,i wanted white swine2 not because they are better than swine of other colors1 for ,i do not think they are1 but for sthetic reasons4 ,my poultry was to be white1 and white predominated in my cows2 why should not my swine be white also1--or as white as their habits would permit8 ,i am told on all sides that the black hog is the hardiest1 that it fattens easier1 and that for these reasons it is a better all-round hog4 ,this may be true1 but ,i am content with my white ones4 ,when some neighbor takes a better bunch of hogs to market1 or gets a better price for them1 than ,i do1 ,i may be persuaded to think as he talks4 ,thus far ,i have sold close to the top of the market1 and my hogs are never left over4 ,perhaps my hogs eat more than those of my neighbors4 ,i hope they do1 for they weigh more1 on a weight for age scale1 and ,i do not think they are air crammed1 for you cannot fatten capons so4 ,i am more than satisfied with my ,chester ,whites4 ,they have given me a fine profit each year1 and ,i should be ungrateful if ,i did not speak them fair4 ,i wished to get the hog industry started on a liberal scale1 and scoured the country1 by letter1 for the necessary animals4 ,i found it difficult to get just what ,i wanted4 ,perhaps ,i wanted too much4 ,this is what ,i asked for3 ,a registered young sow due to farrow her second litter in ,march or ,april4 ,by dint of much correspondence and a considerable outlay of money1 ,i finally secured nineteen animals that answered the requirements4 ,i got them in twos and threes from scattered sources1 and they cost an average price of #ca per head delivered at ,four ,oaks4 ,a young boar1 bred in the purple1 cost #bg4 ,my foundation herd of ,chester ,whites thus cost me #fad1--too much for an economical start2 but1 again1 ,i was in a hurry4 ,the hogs began to arrive in ,february1 and were put into temporary quarters pending the building of the house for the brood sows1 which house must now be described4 ,it was a low building1 #aej by #cj feet1 divided by a six-foot alley-way into halves1 each #aej by #ab feet4 ,each of these halves was again divided into fifteen pens #aj by #ab feet1 with a #aj by #cj run for each pen4 ,this was the general plan for the brood-house for thirty sows4 ,at the east end of this house was a room #ae by #cj feet for cooking food and storing supplies for a few days4 ,the building was of wood with plank floors4 ,it stands there yet1 and has answered its purpose2 but it was never quite satisfactory4 ,i wanted cement floors and a more sightly building4 ,i shall probably replace it next year4 ,when it was built the weather was unfavorable for laying cement1 and ,i did not wish to wait for a more clement season4 ,the house and the fences for the runs cost #bajj4 ,on the #fth of ,march ,thompson called me to one of the temporary pens and showed me a family of the prettiest new-born animals in the world1--a fine litter of no less than nine new-farrowed pigs4 ,i felt that the fourth industry was fairly launched1 and that we could now work and wait4 ,,chapter ,,xxii ,,the ,,old ,,orchard ,march was unusually raw even for that uncooked month4 ,the sun had to cross the line before it could make much impression on the deep frost4 ,after the #aeth1 however1 we began to find evidences that things were stirring below ground4 ,the red and yellow willows took on brighter colors1 the bark of the dogwood assumed a higher tone1 and the catkins and lilac buds began to swell with the pride of new sap4 ,if our old orchard was to be pruned while dormant1 it must be done at once4 ,thompson and ,i spent five days of hard work among the trees1 cutting out all dead limbs1 crossing branches1 and suckers4 ,we called the orchard old1 but it was so only by comparison1 for it was not out of its teens2 and ,i did not wish to deal harshly with it4 ,a good many unusual things were being done for it in a short time1 and it was not wise to carry any one of them too far4 ,it had been fertilized and ploughed in the fall1 and now it was to be pruned and sprayed1--all innovations4 ,the trees were well grown and thrifty4 ,they had given a fair crop of fruit last year1 and they were well worth considerable attention4 ,they could not hereafter be cultivated1 for they were all in the soiling lot for the cows1 but they could be pruned and sprayed4 ,the lack of cultivation would be compensated by the fertilization incident to a feeding lot4 ,the trees would give shade and comfort to the cows1 while the cows fed and nourished the trees1--a fair exchange4 ,the crop of the year before1 though half the apples were stung1 had brought nearly #cjj4 ,with better care1 and consequently better fruit1 we could count on still better results1 for the varieties were excellent 7,baldwins1 ,jonathans1 and ,rome ,beauties72 so we trimmed carefully and burned the rubbish4 ,this precaution1 especially in the case of dead limbs1 is important1 for most dead wood in young trees is due to disease1 often infectious1 and should be burned at once4 ,i bought a spraying-pump 7for #ac71 which was fitted to a sound oil barrel1 and we were ready to make the first attack on fungus disease with the ,bordeaux mixture4 ,this was done by ,johnson and ,anderson late in the month4 ,another vigorous spraying with the same mixture when the buds were swelling1 another when the flower petals were falling1 and still another when the fruit was as large as peas 7the last two sprayings had ,paris green added to the ,bordeaux mixture71 and the fight against apple enemies was ended for that year4 ,thompson had gone for the cows4 ,he left ,march #i1 and returned with the beauties on ,friday the #agth4 ,they were all my fancy had painted them1--large1 gentle-eyed1 with black and white hair over soft butter-yellow skin1 and all the points that distinguish these marvellous milk-machines4 ,they were bestowed as needs must until the cow barn was completed4 ,one of them had dropped a bull calf two days before leaving the home farm4 ,the calf had been left1 and the mother was in an uncomfortable condition1 with a greatly distended udder and milk streaming from her four teats1 though ,thompson had relieved her thrice while en route4 ,i was greatly pleased with the cows1 but must not spend time on them now1 for things are happening in my factory faster than ,i can tell of them4 ,johnson had built some primitive hotbeds for early vegetables out of old lumber and oiled muslin4 ,he had filled them with refuse from the horse stable and had sown his seeds4 ,,chapter ,,xxiii ,,the ,,first ,,hatch ,on ,february #c the incubator lamps were lighted under the first invoice of one thousand eggs4 ,the incubating cellar was to ,sam's liking1 and he felt confident that three weeks of strict attention to temperature1 moisture1 and the turning of eggs1 would bring results beyond my expectations4 ,after the seventh day1 on which he had tested or candled the eggs1 he was willing to promise almost anything in the way of a hatch1 up to seventy-five or eighty per cent4 ,in the intervals of attendance on the incubators he was hard at work on the brooder-house1 which must be ready for its first occupants by the #beth4 ,everything went smoothly until the #ahth4 ,that morning ,sam met me with a long face4 ,something went wrong with one of my lamps last night1 said he4 ,i looked at them at ten o'clock and they were all right1 but at six this morning one of the thermometers was registering #abb1 and the whole batch was cooked4 ,not the whole thousand1 ,sam6 ,no1 but #agj fertile eggs1 and that spoils a twenty-dollar bill and a lot of good time4 ,what in the name of the black man ever got into that lamp of mine is more than ,i know4 ,it's just my luck6 ,it's everybody's luck who tries to raise chickens by wholesale1 and we must copper it4 ,don't be downed by the first accident1 ,sam2 keep fighting and you'll win out4 ,the brooder-house was ready when the first chicks picked the shells on the #bdth1 and within thirty-six hours we had #ejc little white balls of fluff to transfer from the four incubators to the brooder-house4 ,we put about a hundred together in each of five brooders1 fed them cut oats and wheat with a little coarse corn meal and all the fresh milk they could drink1 and they throve mightily4 ,the incubators were filled again on the #bfth1 and from that hatch we got #eeb chicks4 ,on the #bast of ,march they were again filled1 and on the #acth of ,april we had #dgg more to add to the colony in the brooder-house4 ,for the last time we started the lamps ,april #aeth1 and on the #fth of ,may we closed the incubating cellar and found that #baji chicks had been hatched from the #djjj eggs4 ,the last hatch was the best of all1 giving #fjg4 ,i don't think we have ever had as good results since1 though to tell the truth ,i have not attempted to keep an exact count of eggs incubated4 ,my opinion is that fifty per cent is a very good average hatch1 and that one should not expect more4 ,in ,september1 when the young birds were separated1 the census report was #gbc pullets and #gfd cockerels1 showing an infant mortality of #fbb1 or twenty-nine per cent4 ,the accidents and vicissitudes of early chickenhood are serious matters to the unmothered chick1 and they must not be overlooked by the breeder who figures his profits on paper4 ,after the first year ,i kept no tabs on the chickens hatched2 my desire was to add each year #fjj pullets to my flock1 and after the third season to dispose of as many hens4 ,it doesn't pay to keep hens that are more than two and a half years old4 ,i have kept from #abjj to #afjj laying hens for the past six years4 ,i do not know what it costs to feed one or all of them1 but ,i do know what moneys ,i have received for eggs1 young cockerels1 and old hens1 and ,i am satisfied4 ,there is a big profit in keeping hens for eggs if the conditions are right and the industry is followed1 in a businesslike way1 in connection with other lines of business2 that is1 in a factory farm4 ,if one had to devote his whole time to the care of his plant1 and were obliged to buy almost every morsel of food which the fowls ate1 and if his market were distant and not of the best1 ,i doubt of great success2 but with food at the lowest and product at the highest1 you cannot help making good money4 ,i do not think ,i have paid for food used for my fowls in any one year more than #ejj2 grits1 shells1 meat meal1 and oil meal will cover the list4 ,i do not wish to induce any man or woman to enter this business on account of the glowing statements which these pages contain4 ,i am ideally situated4 ,i am near one of the best markets for fine food2 ,i can sell all the eggs my hens will lay at high prices2 food costs the minimum1 for it comes from my own farm2 ,i utilize skim-milk1 the by-product from another profitable industry1 to great advantage2 and ,i had enough money to carry me safely to the time of product4 ,in other words1 ,i could build my factory before ,i needed to look to it for revenue4 ,i do not claim that this is the only way1 but ,i do claim that it is the way for the fore-handed middle-aged man who wishes to change from city to country life without financial loss4 ,younger people with less means can accomplish the same results1 but they must offset money by time4 ,the principle of the factory farm will hold as well with the one as with the other4 ,to intensify farming is the only way to get the fat of the land4 ,the nations of the old world have nearly reached their limit in food production4 ,they are purchasers in the open market4 ,this country must be that market2 and it behooves us to look to it that the market be well stocked4 ,there is land enough now and to spare1 but will it be so fifty or a hundred years hence8 ,our arid lands will be made fertile by irrigation1 but they will add only a small percentage to the amount already in quasi-cultivation4 ,our future food supplies must be drawn largely from the six million farms now under fences4 ,these farms must be made to yield fourfold their present product1 or they will fall short1 not only of the demands made upon them1 but also of their possibilities4 ,that is why ,i preach the gospel of intensive farming1 for grain1 hay1 market1 and factory farm alike4 ,i will put the chickens out of the way for the present1 referring to them from time to time and indicating their general management1 the cost of their houses and food1 and the amount of money received for eggs and fowls4 ,i do not think my plant would win the approval of fanciers1 and it is not in all ways up to date2 but it is clean1 healthy1 and commodious1 and the birds attend as strictly to business as a reasonable owner could wish4 ,i shall be glad to show it to any one interested enough to search it out1 and to go into the details of the business and show how ,i have been able to make it so remunerative4 ,sam is with me no longer4 ,for three years he did good service and saved money1 and the lurid nose grew dim4 ,there is1 however1 a limit to human endurance4 ,like victims of other forms of circular insanity1 the dipsomaniac completes his cycle in an uncertain period and falls upon bad times4 ,for a month before we parted company ,i saw signs of relapse in ,sam4 ,he was loquacious at times1 at other times morose4 ,he talked about going into business for himself1 and his nose took on new color4 ,i labored with him1 but to no purpose2 the spirit of unrest was upon him1 and it had to work its own4 ,i held him firm long enough to secure another man1 and then we parted1 he to do business for himself1 ,i to get on as best ,i could4 ,sam painted his nose and raised chickens and other things until his savings had flown2 then he got a position with a woman who runs a broiler plant1 and for two years he has given good service4 ,he will probably continue in ways of well-doing until the next cycle is complete1 when the beacon light will blaze afresh and he will follow it on to the rocks4 ,such a man is more to be pitied than condemned1 for his anchor is sure to drag at times4 ,,chapter ,,xxiv ,,the ,,holstein ,,milk ,,machine ,during the month of ,march the teams hauled more gravel4 ,they also distributed the manure that had been purchased in the fall for mulching the trees4 ,while the ground was still frozen this mulch was placed near the trees1 to be used as soon as the sun had warmed the earth4 ,the mound of dirt at the base of each tree was of course levelled down before this dressing was applied4 ,i never afterward purchased stable or stock-yard manure1 though ,i could often have used it to advantage2 for ,i did not think it safe to purchase this kind of fertilizer for a farm where large numbers of animals are kept4 ,the danger from infection is too great4 ,large quantities of barnyard manure were furnished yearly out of my own pits1 and ,i supplemented it with a good deal of the commercial variety4 ,i try to turn back to the land each year more than ,i take from it1 but ,i do not dare to go to a stock-yard for any part of my supply4 ,it was not until ,i had mentally established a quarantine for my hogs that ,i realized the danger from those six carloads of manure2 and ,i promised myself then that no such breach of quarantine should again occur4 ,the cows arrived on ,st4 ,patrick's ,day4 ,our herd was then composed of the twenty ,holstein heifers 7coming three years old71 and six of the best of the common cows purchased with the farm4 ,within forty days the herd was increased by the addition of twenty-three calves4 ,twenty-five were born1 but two were dead4 ,of this number1 eighteen were ,holsteins eligible for registration1 ten heifers1 and eight bulls4 ,each calf was taken from its mother on the third day and fed warm skim-milk from a patent feeder three times a day1 all it would drink4 ,when three weeks old1 seven of the ,holstein calves and the five from the common cows were sent to market4 ,they brought #e4be each above the expense of selling1 or #fc for the bunch4 ,the ten ,holstein heifer calves were of course held2 and one bull calf1 which had a double cross of ,pieterje #b;d and ,pauline ,paul1 and which seemed an unusually fair specimen1 was kept for further development4 ,the cow barn was finished about ,april #ast1 and shortly after that the herd was established in permanent quarters4 ,as the dairy-house was unfinished1 and there was no convenient way of disposing of the milk which now flowed in abundance1 ,i bought a separator 7for #bjj7 and sent the cream to a factory1 using the fresh skim-milk for the calves and young pigs and chickens4 ,from ,march #bb1 when ,i began to sell1 until ,may #aj1 when my dairy-house was in working order1 ,i received #bjc for cream4 ,thompson had sold milk from the old cows1 from ,august to ,december1 #ahie1 to the amount of #acb4 ,this item should have been entered on the credit side for the last year1 but as it was not1 we will make a note of it here4 ,these are the only sales of milk and cream made from ,four ,oaks since ,i bought the land4 ,the milk supply from my herd started out at a tremendous rate1 considering the age of the cows4 ,it must be borne in mind that none of the thoroughbreds was within three years of her 7probable7 best2 yet they were doing nobly1 one going as high as fifty-two pounds of milk in one day1 and none falling below thirty-six as a maximum4 ,the common cows did nearly as well at first1 four of them giving a maximum of thirty-two pounds each in twenty-four hours4 ,it was easy to see the difference between the two sorts1 however4 ,the old ones had reached maturity and were doing the best they could2 the others were just beginning to manufacture milk1 and were building and regulating their machinery for that purpose4 ,the ,holsteins1 though young1 were much larger than the old cows1 and were enormous feeders4 ,a third or a half more food passed their great1 coarse mouths than their less aristocratic neighbors could be coaxed to eat4 ,food1 of course1 is the one thing that will make milk2 other things being equal1 then the cow that consumes the most food will produce the most milk4 ,this is the secret of the ,holsteins' wonderful capacity for assimilating enormous quantities of food without retaining it under their hides in the shape of fat4 ,they have been bred for centuries with the milk product in view1 and they have become notable machines for that purpose4 ,they are not the cows for people to keep who have to buy feed in a high market1 for they are not easy keepers in any sense2 but for the farmer who raises a lot of grain and roughage which should be fed at his own door1 they are ideal4 ,they will eat much and return much4 ,as to feeding for milk1 ,i have followed nearly the same plan through my whole experiment4 ,i keep an abundance of roughage1 usually shredded corn1 before the cows all the time4 ,when it has been picked over moderately well1 it is thrown out for bedding1 and fresh fodder is put in its place4 ,the finer forages1 timothy1 red-top1 clover1 alfalfa1 and oat straw1 are always cut fine1 wetted1 and mixed with grain before feeding4 ,this food is given three times a day in such quantities as will be eaten in forty-five minutes4 ,green forage takes the place of dry in season1 and fresh vegetables are served three times a week in winter4 ,the grain ration is about as follows3 ,by weight1 corn and cob meal1 three parts2 oatmeal1 three parts2 bran1 three parts2 gluten meal1 two parts2 linseed meal1 one part4 ,the cash outlay for a ton of this mixture is about #ab2 this price1 of course1 does not include corn and oats1 furnished by the farm4 ,a ,holstein cow can digest fifteen pounds of this grain a day4 ,this means about two and a half tons a year1 with a cash outlay of #cj per annum for each head4 ,fresh water is always given four times a day1 and much of the time the cows have ready access to it4 ,in cold weather the water is warmed to about #fe ,f4 ,the cows are let out in a twenty-acre field for exercise every day1 except in case of severe storms4 ,they are fed forage in the open when the weather is fine and insects are not troublesome1 and they sometimes sleep in the open on hot nights2 but by far the largest part of their time is spent in their own stalls away from chilling winds and biting flies4 ,in their stables they are treated much as fine horses are1--well bedded1 well groomed1 and well cared for in all ways4 ,a quiet1 darkened stable conduces rumination4 ,loud talking1 shouting1 or laughing are not looked upon with favor in our cow barn4 ,on the other hand1 continuous sounds1 if at all melodious1 seem to soothe the animals and increase the milk flow4 ,judson1 who has proved to be our best herdsman1 has a low croon in his mouth all the time4 ,it can hardly be called a tune1 though ,i believe he has faith in it1 but it has a fetching way with the herd4 ,i have never known him to be quick1 sharp1 or loud with the cows4 ,when things go wrong1 the crooning ceases4 ,when it is resumed1 all is well in the cow world4 ,the other man1 ,french1 who is an excellent milker1 and who stands well with the cows1 has a half hiss1 half whistle1 such as ,english stable-boys use1 except that it runs up and down five notes and is lost at each end4 ,the cows like it and seem to admire ,french for his accomplishment even more than ,judson1 for they follow his movements with evident pleasure expressed in their great ox eyes4 ,rigid rules of cleanliness are carried out in every detail with the greatest exactness4 ,the house and the animals are cared for all the time as if on inspection4 ,before milking1 the udders are carefully brushed and washed1 and the milker covers himself entirely with a clean apron4 ,as each cow is milked1 the milker hangs the pail on a spring balance and registers the exact weight on a blackboard4 ,he then carries the milk through the door that leads to the dairy-house1 and pours it into a tank on wheels4 ,this ends his responsibility4 ,the dairymaid is then in charge4 ,,chapter ,,xxv ,,the ,,dairymaid ,of course ,i had trouble in getting a dairymaid4 ,i was not looking for the bouncing1 buxom1 red-cheeked1 arms-akimbo1 butter-colored-hair sort4 ,i didn't care whether she were red-cheeked and bouncing or not1 but for obvious reasons ,i didn't want her hair to be butter-colored4 ,what ,i did want was a woman who understood creamery processes1 and who could and would make the very giltest of gilt-edged butter4 ,i commenced looking for my paragon in ,january4 ,i interviewed applicants of both sexes and all nationalities1 but there was none perfect2 no1 not one4 ,i was not exactly discouraged1 but ,i certainly began to grow anxious as the time approached when ,i should need my dairymaid1 and need her badly4 ,one day1 while looking over the ,rural ,new ,yorker 7,i was weaned on that paper71 ,i saw the following advertisement4 ,wanted3 ,employment on a dairy-farm by a married couple who understand the business4 ,if this were true1 these two persons were just what ,i needed2 but1 was it true8 ,i had tried a score of greater promise and had not found one that would do4 ,was ,i to flush two at once1 and would they fall to my gun8 ,a small town in one of the ,middle ,western states was given as the address1 and ,i wrote at once4 ,my letter was strong in requirements1 and asked for particulars as to experience1 age1 references1 and nationality4 ,the reply came promptly1 and was more to my liking than any ,i had received before4 ,name1 ,french2 ,americans1 newly married1 twenty-eight and twenty-six respectively2 experience four and three years in creamery and dairy work2 references1 good2 the couple wished to work together to save money to start a dairy of their own4 ,i was pleased with the letter1 which was an unusual one to come from native-born ,americans4 ,our people do not often hunt in couples after this manner4 ,i telegraphed them to come to the city at once4 ,it was late in ,april when ,i first saw the ,frenches4 ,the man was tall and raw-boned1 but good-looking1 with a frank manner that inspired confidence4 ,he was a farmer's son with a fair education1 who had saved a little money1 and had married his wife out of hand lest some one else should carry her off while he was building the nest for her4 ,i took her when ,i could get her1 he said1 and would have done it with a two-dollar bill in my pocket rather than have taken chances4 ,the woman was worthy of such an extreme measure1 for she looked capable of caring for both4 ,she was a fine pattern of a country girl1 with a head full of good sense1 and very useful-looking hands and arms4 ,her face was good to look upon2 it showed strength of character and a definite object in life4 ,she said she understood the creamery processes in all their niceties1 and that she could make butter good enough for ,queen ,victoria4 ,the proposition offered by this young couple was by far the best ,i had received1 and ,i closed with them at once4 ,i agreed to pay each #be a month to start with1 and explained my plan of an increasing wage of #a a month for each period of six months' service4 ,they thought they ought to have #cj level4 ,i thought so1 too1 if they were as good as they promised4 ,but ,i had a fondness for my increasing scale1 and ,i held to it4 ,these people were skilled laborers1 and were worth more to begin with than ordinary farm hands4 ,that is why ,i gave them #be a month from the start4 ,six hundred dollars a year for a man and wife1 with no expense except for clothing1 is good pay4 ,they can easily put away #djj out of it1 and it doesn't take long to get fore-handed4 ,i think the ,frenches have invested #ejj a year1 on an average1 since they came to ,four ,oaks4 ,it is now time to get at the dairy-house1 since the dairy and the dairymaid are both in evidence4 ,the house was to be on the building line1 and both ,polly and ,i thought it should have attractive features4 ,we decided to make it of dark red paving brick4 ,it was to be eighteen feet by thirty1 with two rooms on the ground4 ,the first1 or south room1 ten feet by eighteen1 was fitted for storing fruit1 and afforded a stairway to the rooms above1 which were four in number besides the bath4 ,the larger room was of course the butter factory1 and was equipped with up-to-date appliances1--arator1 ,pasteurizer1 cooler1 separator1 ,babcock tester1 swing churn1 butter-worker1 and so on4 ,the house was to have steep gables and projecting eaves1 with a window in each gable1 and two dormer windows in each roof4 ,the walls were to be plastered1 and the ground floor was to be cement4 ,it cost #acge4 ,as motive power for the churn and separator1 a two-sheep-power treadmill has proved entirely satisfactory4 ,it is worked by two sturdy wethers who are harbored in a pleasant house and run1 close to the power-house1 and who pay for their food by the sweat of their brows and the wool from their backs4 ,they do not appear to dislike the demnition grind1 which lasts but an hour twice a day2 they go without reluctance to the tramp that leads nowhere1 and the futile journey which would seem foolish to anything wiser than a sheep4 ,this sheep-power is one of the curios of the place4 ,my grand-girls never lose their interest in it1 and it has been photographed and sketched more times than there are fingers and toes on the sheep4 ,the expenditure for equipment1 from separator to sheep1 was #ced4 ,i made an arrangement with a fancy grocer in the city to furnish him thirty pounds1 more or less1 of fresh 7unsalted7 butter1 six days in the week1 at thirty-three cents a pound1 ,i to pay express charges4 ,i bought six butter-carriers with ice compartments for #c4ge each1 #bc in all1 and arranged with the express company to deliver my packages to the grocer for thirty cents each4 ,the butter netted me thirty-two cents a pound that year1 or about #fj a week4 ,in ,july ,i bought four thoroughbred ,holsteins1 four years old1 in fresh milk1 and in ,october1 six more1 at an average price of #abj a head1--#abjj in all4 ,these renforcements made it possible for me to keep my contract with the middleman1 and often to exceed it4 ,the dairy industry was now fairly launched and in working order4 ,it had cost1 not to be exact1 #gjjj1 and it was reasonably sure to bring back to the farm about #fj a week in cash1 besides furnishing butter for the family and an immense amount of skim-milk and butter-milk to feed to the young animals on the place4 ,,chapter ,,xxvi ,,little ,,pigs ,by ,april #ast all my sows had farrowed4 ,there was much variation in the number of pigs in these nineteen litters4 ,one noble mother gave me thirteen1 two of which promptly died4 ,three others farrowed eleven each1 and so down to one ungrateful mother who contributed but five to the industry at ,four ,oaks4 ,the average1 however1 was good2 #aed pigs on ,april #ajth were all that a halfway reasonable factory man could expect4 ,these youngsters were left with their mothers until eight weeks old2 then they were put1 in bunches of thirty1 into the real hog-house1 which was by that time completed4 ,it was #bjj feet long and #ej feet wide1 with a #aj-;foot passageway through the length of it4 ,on either side were #aj pens #bj feet by #bj1 each connected with a run #bj feet by #abj4 ,the house stood on a platform or bed of cement #ij by #bjj feet1 which formed the floor of the house and extended #bj feet outside of each wall1 to secure cleanliness and a dry feeding-place in the open4 ,the cement floor was expensive 7#aabj as first cost71 but ,i think it has paid for itself several times over in health and comfort to the herd4 ,the structure on this floor was of the simplest2 a double wall only five feet high at the sides1 shingled roof1 broken at the ridge to admit windows1 and strong partitions4 ,it cost #cajj4 ,as in the brood-sow house1 there is a kitchen at the west end4 ,the #aej little pigs made but a small showing in this great house1 which was intended to shelter six hundred of all sizes1 from the eight-weeks-old baby pig to the nine-months-old three-hundred-pounder ready for market4 ,pigs destined for market never leave this house until ripe for killing4 ,at six or seven months a few are chosen to remain on the farm and keep up its traditions2 but the great number live their ephemeral lives of eight months luxuriously1 even opulently1 until they have made the ham and bacon which1 poor things1 they cannot save1 and then pass into the pork barrel or the smoke-house without a sigh of regret4 ,they toil not1 neither do they spin2 but they have a place in the world's economy1 and they fit it perfectly4 ,so long as one animal must eat another1 the man animal should thank the hog animal for his generosity4 ,now that my big hog-house seemed so empty1 ,i would gladly have sent into the highways and byways to buy young stock to fill it2 but ,i dared not break my quarantine4 ,i could easily have picked up one hundred or even two hundred new-weaned pigs1 within six or eight miles of my place1 at about #a4ej each1 and they would have grown into fat profit by fall2 but ,i would not take a risk that might bear ill fruit4 ,i had slight depressions of spirits when ,i visited my piggery during that summer2 but ,i chirked up a little in the fall1 when the brood sows again made good4 ,but more of that anon4 ,,chapter ,,xxvii ,,work ,,on ,,the ,,home ,,forty ,april and ,may made amends for the rudeness of ,march1 and the ploughs were early afield4 ,thompson1 ,zeb1 ,johnson1 and sometimes ,anderson1 followed the furrows1 first in #aj and #aa1 and lastly in #ac4 ,number #i had a fair clover sod1 and was not disturbed4 ,we ploughed in all about #aad acres1 but we did not subsoil4 ,we spent twenty days ploughing and as many more in fitting the ground for seed4 ,the weather was unusually warm for the season1 and there was plenty of rain4 ,by the middle of ,may1 oats were showing green in ,nos4 #h1 #aj1 #aa1 #ab1 and #ac1--sixty-two acres4 ,the corn was well planted in #ae and the west three-quarters of #ad1--;eighty-two acres4 ,the other ten acres in the young orchard was planted to fodder corn1 sown in drills so that it could be cultivated in one direction4 ,the ten-acre orchard on the south side of the home lot was used for potatoes1 sugar beets1 cabbages1 turnips1 etc41 to furnish a winter supply of vegetables for the stock4 ,the outlook for alfalfa was not bright4 ,in the early spring we fertilized it again1 using five hundred pounds to the acre1 though it seemed like a conspicuous waste4 ,the warm rains and days of ,april and ,may brought a fine crop of weeds2 and about the middle of ,may ,i turned ,anderson loose in the fields with a scythe1 and he mowed down everything in sight4 ,after that things soon began to look better in the alfalfa fields4 ,as the season was favorable1 we were able to cut a crop of over a ton to the acre early in ,july1 and nearly as much in the latter part of ,august4 ,we cut forty tons from these twenty acres within a year from seeding1 but ,i suspect that was unusual luck4 ,i had used thirteen hundred pounds of commercial fertilizer to the acre1 and the season was very favorable for the growth of the plant4 ,i have since cut these fields three times each year1 with an average yield of five tons to the acre for the whole crop4 ,i like alfalfa1 both as green and as dry forage4 ,when we use it green1 we let it lie in swath for twenty-four hours1 that it may wilt thoroughly before feeding4 ,it is then fit food for hens1 hogs1 and1 in limited quantities1 for cows1 and is much relished4 ,when used dry1 it is always cut fine and mixed with ground grains4 ,in this shape it is fed liberally to hens and hogs1 and also to milch cows2 for the latter it forms half of the cut-food ration4 ,while the crops are growing1 we will find time to note the changes on the home lot4 ,nearly in front of the farm-house1 and fifty yards distant1 was a space well fitted for the kitchen garden4 ,we marked off a plat two hundred feet by three hundred1 about one and a half acres1 carted a lot of manure on it1 and ploughed it as deep as the subsoiler would reach4 ,this was done as soon as the frost permitted4 ,we expected this garden to supply vegetables and small fruits for the whole colony at ,four ,oaks4 ,an acre and a half can be made exceedingly productive if properly managed4 ,along the sides of this garden we planted two rows of currant and gooseberry bushes1 six feet between rows1 and the plants four feet apart in the rows4 ,the ends of the plat were left open for convenience in horse cultivation4 ,ten feet outside these rows of bush fruit was planted a line of quince trees1 thirty on each side1 and twenty feet beyond these a row of cherry trees1 twenty in each row4 ,near the west boundary of the home lot1 and north of the lane that enters it1 ,i planted two acres of dwarf pear trees--,bartlett and ,duchess1--three hundred trees to the acre4 ,i also planted six hundred plum trees--,abundance1 ,wickson1 and ,gold--in the chicken runs on lot #d4 ,after ,may #a1 when he was relieved from his farm duties1 ,johnson had charge of the planting and also of the gardening1 and he took up his special work with energy and pleasure4 ,the drives on the home lot were slightly rounded with ploughs and scraper1 and then covered with gravel4 ,the open slope intended for the lawn was now to be treated4 ,it comprised about ten acres1 irregular in form and surface1 and would require a good deal of work to whip it into shape4 ,a lawn need not be perfectly graded1--in fact1 natural inequalities with dips and rises are much more attractive2 but we had to take out the asperities4 ,we ploughed it thoroughly1 removed all stumps and stones1 levelled and sloped it as much as pleased ,polly1 harrowed it twice a week until late ,august1 sowed it heavily to grass seed1 rolled it1 and left it4 ,polly had the house in her mind's eye4 ,she held repeated conversations with ,nelson1 and was as full of plans and secrets as she could hold4 ,by agreement1 she was to have a free hand to the extent of #ae1jjj for the house and the carriage barn4 ,i never really examined the plans1 though ,i saw the blue prints of what appeared to be a large house with a driving entrance on the east and a great wide porch along the whole south side4 ,i did not know until it was nearly finished how large1 convenient1 and comfortable it was to be4 ,a hall1 a great living-room1 the dining room1 a small reception room1 and an office1 bedroom1 and bath for me1 were all on the ground floor1 besides a huge wing for the kitchen and other useful offices4 ,above stairs there was room for the family and a goodly number of friends4 ,we had agreed that the house should be simple in all ways1 with no hard wood except floors1 and no ornamentation except paint and paper4 ,it must be larger than our needs1 for we looked forward to delightful visits from many friends4 ,we were to have more leisure than ever before for social life1 and we desired to make the most of our opportunities4 ,a country house is by all odds the finest place to entertain friends and to be entertained by them4 ,they come on invitation1 not as a matter of form1 and they stay long enough to put by questions of weather1 clothes1 and servant-girls1 and to get right down to good old-fashioned visiting4 ,real heart-to-heart talks are everyday occurrences in country visits1 while they are exceptional in city calls4 ,we meant to make much of our friends at ,four ,oaks1 and to have them make much of us4 ,we have discovered new values even in old friends1 since we began to live with them1 weeks at a time1 under the same roof4 ,their interests are ours1 and our plans are warmly taken up by them4 ,there is nothing like it among the turmoils and interruptions of town life1 and the older we grow the more we need this sort of rest among our friends4 ,the guest book at the farm will show very few weeks1 in the past six years1 when friends haven't been with us1 and ,polly and ,i feel that the pleasure we have received from this source ought to be placed on the credit side of the farm ledger4 ,another reason for a company house was that ,jack and ,jane would shortly be out of school4 ,it was not at all in accord with our plan that they should miss any pleasure by our change4 ,indeed1 we hoped that the change would be to their liking and to their advantage4 ,,chapter ,,xxviii ,,discounting ,,the ,,market ,we broke ground for the house late in ,may1 and ,nelson said that we should be in it by ,thanksgiving ,day4 ,soon after the plans were settled ,polly informed me that she should not spend much money on the stable4 ,can't do it1 she said1 and do what ,i ought to on the house4 ,i will give you room for six horses2 the rest1 if you have more1 must go to the farm barn4 ,i cannot spend more than #aajj or #abjj on the barn4 ,polly was boss of this department1 and ,i was content to let her have her way4 ,she had already mulcted me to the extent of #dcf for trees1 plants1 and shrubs which were even then grouped on the lawn after a fashion that pleased her4 ,i need not go into the details of the lawn planting1 the flower garden1 the pergola1 and so forth4 ,i have a suspicion that ,polly has in mind a full account of the fight for the home forty1 in a form greatly better than ,i could give it1 and it is only fair that she should tell her own story4 ,i am not the only one who admires her landscape1 her flower gardens1 and her woodcraft4 ,many others do honor to her tastes and to the evidence of thought which the home lot shows4 ,she disclaims great credit1 for she says1 ,one has only to live with a place to find out what it needs4 ,as ,i look back to the beginning of my experiment1 ,i see only one bit of good luck that attended it4 ,building material was cheap during the months in which ,i had to build so much4 ,nothing else specially favored me1 while in one respect my experiment was poorly timed4 ,the price of pork was unusually low4 ,for three years1 from #ahif1 the price of hogs never reached #e per hundred pounds in our market1--a thing unprecedented for thirty years4 ,i never sold below three and a half cents1 but the showing would have been wonderfully bettered could ,i have added another cent or two per pound for all the pork ,i fattened4 ,the average price for the past twenty-five years is well above five cents a pound for choice lots4 ,corn and all other foods were also cheap2 but this made little difference with me1 because ,i was not a seller of grain4 ,in #ahif ,i was1 however1 a buyer of both corn and oats4 ,in ,september of that year corn sold on ',change at #ai-a_/b cents a bushel1 and oats at #ad-c_/d4 ,these prices were so much below the food value of these grains that ,i was tempted to buy4 ,i sent a cash order to a commission house for five thousand bushels of each4 ,i stored this grain in my granary1 against the time of need1 at a total expense of #ahej1--ba cents a bushel for corn and #af for oats4 ,i had storage room and to spare1 and ,i knew that ,i could get more than a third of a cent out of each pound of corn1 and more than half a cent out of each pound of oats4 ,i recalled the story of a man named ,joseph who did some corn business in ,egypt a good many years ago1 much in this line1 and who did well in the transaction4 ,there was no dream of fat kine in my case2 but ,i knew something of the values of grains1 and it did not take a reader of riddles to show me that when ,i could buy cheaper than ,i could raise1 it was a good time to purchase4 ,as ,i said once before1 there have been no serious crop failures at ,four ,oaks1--indeed1 we can show better than an average yield each year2 but this extra corn in my cribs has given me confidence in following my plan of very liberal feeding4 ,with this grain on hand ,i was able to cut twenty acres of oats in ,nos4 #aj and #aa for forage4 ,this was done when the grain was in the milk1 and ,i secured about sixty tons of excellent hay1 much loved by horses4 ,we got from ,no4 #i a little less than twelve tons of clover1--alfalfa furnished forty tons2 and there was nearly twenty tons of old hay left over from that originally purchased4 ,with all this forage1 good of its kind1 there was1 however1 no timothy or red top1 which is by all odds the best hay for horses4 ,i determined to remedy this lack before another year4 ,as soon as the oats were off lots #aj and #aa1 they were ploughed and crossed with the disk harrow4 ,from then until ,september #a1 these fields were harrowed each week in half lap1 so that by the time we were ready to seed them they were in excellent condition and free from weeds4 ,about ,september #a they were sown to timothy and red top1 fifteen pounds each to the acre1 top-dressed with five hundred pounds of fertilizer1 harrowed once more1 rolled1 and left until spring1 when another dose of fertilizer was used4 ,i wished to establish twenty acres of timothy and as much alfalfa1 to furnish the hay supply for the farm4 ,with one hundred tons of alfalfa and sixty of timothy1 which ,i could reasonably expect1 ,i could get on splendidly4 ,from the first ,i have practised feeding my hay crop for immediate returns4 ,the land receives five hundred pounds of fertilizer per acre when it is sown1 a like amount again in the spring1 and1 as soon as a crop is cut1 three hundred pounds an acre more4 ,this usually gives a second crop of timothy about ,september #a1 if the season is at all favorable4 ,the alfalfa is cut at least three times1 and for each cutting it receives three hundred pounds of plant food per acre4 ,in the course of a year ,i spend from #aj to #ab an acre for my grass land4 ,in return ,i get from each acre of timothy1 in two cuttings1 about three and a half tons2 worth1 at an average selling price1 #ab a ton4 ,the alfalfa yields nearly five tons per acre1 and has a feeding value of #aj a ton4 ,i have sold timothy hay a few times1 but ,i feel half ashamed to say so1 for it is against my view of justice to the land4 ,i find oat hay cheaper to raise than timothy1 and1 as it is quite as well liked by the horses1 ,i have been tempted to turn a part of my timothy crop into money directly from the field4 ,,chapter ,,xxix ,,from ,,city ,,to ,,country ,in early ,july ,i went through my young orchard1 which had been cut back so ruthlessly the previous autumn1 and carefully planned a head for each tree4 ,quite a bunch of sprouts had started from near the top of each stub1 and were growing luxuriantly4 ,out of each bunch ,i selected three or four to form the head2 the rest were rubbed off or cut out with a sharp knife or pruning shears4 ,it surprised me to see what a growth some of these sprouts had made2 sixteen or eighteen inches was not uncommon4 ,big roots and big bodies were pushing great quantities of sap toward the tops4 ,of course ,i bought farm machinery during this first season1--mower1 reaper1 corn reaper1 shredder1 and so on4 ,in ,october ,i took account of expenditures for machinery1 grass seed1 and fertilizer1 and found that ,i had invested #hcc4 ,i had also1 at an expense of #hej1 built a large shed or tool-house for farm implements4 ,it is one of the rules at ,four ,oaks to grease and house all tools when not in actual use4 ,i believe the observation of this rule has paid for the shed4 ,in ,october #ahif ,i had a good offer for my town house1 and accepted it4 ,i had purchased the property eleven years before for #bb1jjj1 but1 as it was in bad condition1 ,i had at once spent #ijjj on it and the stable4 ,i sold it for #cd1jjj1 with the understanding that ,i could occupy it for the balance of the year if ,i wished4 ,after selling the house1 ,i calculated the cost of the elementary necessities1 food and shelter1 which ,i had been willing to pay during many years of residence in the city4 ,the record ran about like this3-- ,interest at #e on house valued at #cd1jjj #agjj4jj ,yearly taxes on same #cdj4jj ,insurance #hj4jj ,fuel and light #bej4jj ,wages for one man and three women #abjj4jj ,street sprinkling1 watchman1 etc4 #ij4jj ,food1 including water1 ice1 etc4 #aeej4jj ,making a total of #ebaj4jj ,it cost me #ajj a week to shelter and feed my family in the city4 ,this1 of course1 took no account of personal expenses1--travel1 sight-seeing1 clothing1 books1 gifts1 or the thousand and one things which enter more or less prominently into the everyday life of the family4 ,if the farm was to furnish food and shelter for us in the future1 it would be no more than fair to credit it with some portion of this expenditure1 which was to cease when we left the city home4 ,what portion of it could be justly credited to the farm was to be decided by comparative comforts after a year of experience4 ,i did not plan our exodus for the sake of economy1 or because ,i found it necessary to retrench2 our rate of living was no higher than we were willing and able to afford4 ,our object was to change occupation and mode of life without financial loss1 and without moulting a single comfort4 ,we wished to end our days close to the land1 and we hoped to prove that this could be done with both grace and profit4 ,i had no desire to lose touch with the city1 and there was no necessity for doing so4 ,four ,oaks is less than an hour from the heart of town4 ,i could leave it1 spend two or three hours in town1 and be back in time for luncheon without special effort2 and ,polly would think nothing of a shopping trip and friends home with her to dinner4 ,the people of ,exeter were nearly all city people who were so fortunate as not to be slaves to long hours4 ,they were rich by work or by inheritance1 and they gracefully accepted the otium cum dignitate which this condition permitted4 ,social life was at its best in ,exeter1 and many of its people were old acquaintances of ours4 ,a noted country club spread its broad acres within two miles of our door1 and ,i had been favorably posted for membership4 ,it did not look as though we should be thrust entirely upon our own resources in the country2 but at the worst we had resources within our own walls and fences that would fend off all but the most violent attacks of ennui4 ,we were both keenly interested in the experiment4 ,nothing that happened on the farm went unchallenged4 ,the milk product for the day was a thing of interest2 the egg count could not go unnoted2 a hatch of chickens must be seen before they left the incubator2 a litter of new-born pigs must be admired2 horses and cows were forever doing things which they should or should not do2 men and maids had griefs and joys to share with mistress or ,headman2 flowers were blooming1 trees were leafing1 a robin had built in the black oak1 a gopher was tunnelling the rose bed1--a thousand things1 full of interest1 were happening every day4 ,as a place where things the most unexpected do happen1 recommend me to a quiet farm4 ,but we were not to depend entirely upon outside things for diversion4 ,books we had galore1 and we both loved them4 ,many a charming evening have ,i spent1 sometimes alone1 more often with two or three congenial friends1 listening to ,polly's reading4 ,this is one of her most delightful accomplishments4 ,her friends never tire of her voice1 and her voice never tires of her friends4 ,we all grow lazy when she is about2 but there are worse things than indolence4 ,no1 we did not mean to drop out of anything worth while2 but we were pretty well provisioned against a siege1 if inclement weather or some other accident should lock us up at the farm4 ,to keep still better hold of the city1 ,i suggested to ,tom and ,kate that they should keep open house for us1 or any part of us1 whenever we were inclined to take advantage of their hospitality4 ,this would give us city refuge after late functions of all sorts4 ,the plan has worked admirably4 ,i devote #abjj a year out of the #ebjj of food-and-shelter money to the support of our city shelter at ,kate's house1 and the balance1 #djjj1 is entered at the end of each year on the credit side of the farm ledger4 ,nor do ,i think this in any way unjust4 ,we do not expect to get things for nothing1 and we do not wish to4 ,if the things we pay for now are as valuable as those we paid for six or eight years ago1 we ought not to find fault with an equal price4 ,i have repeatedly polled the family on this question1 and we all agree that we have lost nothing by the change1 and that we have gained a great deal in several ways4 ,our friends are of like opinion2 and ,i am therefore justified in crediting ,four ,oaks with a considerable sum for food and shelter4 ,we have bettered our condition without foregoing anything1 and without increasing our expenses4 ,that is enough4 ,,chapter ,,xxx ,,autumn ,,reckoning ,we harvested the crops in the autumn of #ahif1 and were thankful for the bountiful yield4 ,nearly sixteen hundred bushels of oats and twenty-seven hundred bushels of corn made a proud showing in the granary1 when added to its previous stock4 ,the corn fodder1 shredded by our own men and machine1 made the great forage barn look like an overflowing cornucopia1 and the only extra expense attending the harvest was #ca paid for threshing the oats4 ,three important items of food are consumed on the farm that have to be purchased each year1 and as there is not much fluctuation in the price paid1 we may as well settle the per capita rate for the milch cows and hogs for once and all4 ,at each year's end we can then easily find the cash outlay for the herds by multiplying the number of stock by the cost of keeping one4 ,my ,holstein cows consume a trifle less than three tons of grain each per year1--about fifteen pounds a day4 ,taking the ration for four cows as a matter of convenience1 we have3 corn and cob meal1 three tons1 and oatmeal1 three tons1 both kinds raised and ground on the farm1 and not charged in this account2 wheat bran1 three tons at #ah1 #ed2 gluten meal1 two tons at #bd1 #dh2 oil meal1 one ton1 #bf2 total cash outlay for four cows1 #abh1 or #cb per head4 ,this estimate is1 however1 about #b too liberal4 ,we will1 hereafter1 charge each milch cow #cj1 and will also charge each hog fattened on the place #a for shorts and middlings consumed4 ,this is not exact1 but it is near enough1 and it greatly simplifies accounts4 ,as ,i kept twenty-six cows ten months1 and ten more for an average of four and a half months1 the feeding for #ahif would be equivalent to one year for thirty cows1 or #ijj4 ,to this add #abj for swine food and #be for grits and oyster shells for the chickens1 and we have #ajde paid for food for stock4 ,shoeing the horses for the year and repairs to machinery cost #aeg4 ,the purchased food for eight employees for twelve months and for two additional ones for eight months1 amounted to #gcd4 ,the wage account1 including #ej extra to ,thompson1 was #bceh4 ,a second hen-house1 a duplicate of the first1 was built before ,october4 ,it was intended that each house should accommodate four hundred laying hens4 ,we have now on the place five of these houses2 but only two of them1 besides the incubator and the brooder-house1 were built in #ahif4 ,as offset to the heavy expenditure of this year1 ,i had not much to show4 ,seven hundred cockerels were sold in ,november for #cdb4 ,in ,october the pullets began laying in desultory fashion1 and by ,november they had settled down to business2 and that quarter they gave me #gjc dozen eggs to sell4 ,as these eggs were marketed within twenty-four hours1 and under a guarantee1 ,i had no difficulty in getting thirty cents a dozen1 net4 ,november eggs brought #baa1 and the ,december out-put1 #beb4 ,i sold #fjj bushels of potatoes for #aej1 and the apples from #aej of the old trees 7which1 by the way1 were greatly improved this year7 brought #dej on the trees4 ,the cows did well4 ,in the thirty-three weeks from ,may #ab to ,december #ca1 ,i sold a little more than #ffjj pounds of butter1 which netted me #babg4 ,we had #abb young hogs to sell in ,december4 ,they had been crowded as fast as possible to make good weight1 and they went to market at an average of #bij pounds a head4 ,the price was low1 but ,i got the top of the market1--#c4ee a hundred1 which amounted to #aagj after paying charges4 ,i had reserved twenty-five of the most likely young sows to stay on the farm1 and had transferred eight to the village butcher1 who was to return them in the shape of two barrels of salt pork1 thirty-two smoked hams and shoulders1 and a lot of bacon4 ,the old sows farrowed again in ,september and early ,october1 and we went into the winter with #afb young pigs4 ,i get these details out of the way now in order to turn to the family and the social side of life at ,four ,oaks4 ,,chapter ,,xxxi ,,the ,,children ,the house did not progress as fast as ,nelson had promised1 and it was likely to be well toward ,christmas before we could occupy it4 ,as the days shortened1 ,polly and ,i found them crowded with interests4 ,life at ,four ,oaks was to mean such a radical change that we could not help speculating about its influence upon us and upon the children4 ,would it be satisfactory to us and to them8 ,or should we find after a year or two of experiment that we had been mistaken in believing that we could live happier lives in the country than in town8 ,a year and a half of outdoor life and freedom from professional responsibilities had wrought a great change in me4 ,i could now eat and sleep like a hired man1 and it seemed preposterous to claim that ,i was going to the country for my health4 ,my medical adviser1 however1 insisted that ,i had not gotten far enough away from the cause of my breakdown1 and that it would be unwise for me to take up work again for at least another year4 ,in my own mind there was a fixed opinion that ,i should never take it up again4 ,i loved it dearly2 but ,i had given long1 hard service to it1 and felt that ,i had earned the right to freedom from its exacting demands4 ,i have never lost interest in this1 the noblest of professions1 but ,i had done my share1 and was now willing to watch the work of others4 ,in my mind there was no doubt about the desirability of the change4 ,i have always loved the thought of country life1 and now that my thoughts were taking material shape1 ,i was keen to push on4 ,polly looked toward the untrammelled life we hoped to lead with as great pleasure as ,i4 ,but how about the children8 ,would it appeal to them with the same force as to us8 ,the children have thus far been kept in the background4 ,i wanted to start my factory farm and to get through with most of its dull details before introducing them to the reader1 lest ,i should be diverted from the business to the domestic1 or social1 proposition4 ,the farm is laid by for the winter1 and most of the details needed for a just comprehension of our experiment have been given4 ,from this time on we will deal chiefly with results4 ,we will watch the out-put from the factory1 and commend or find fault as the case may deserve4 ,the social side of life is quite as important as the commercial1 for though we gain money1 if we lose happiness1 what profit have we8 ,let us study the children to see what chances for happiness and good fellowship lie in them4 ,kate is our first-born4 ,she is a bright1 beautiful woman of five-and-twenty1 who has had a husband these six years1 one daughter for four years1 and1 wonderful to relate1 another daughter for two years4 ,she is quick and practical1 with strong opinions of her own1 prompt with advice and just as prompt with aid2 a woman with a temper1 but a friend to tie to in time of stress4 ,she has the education of a good school1 and what is infinitely better1 the cultivation of an observing mind4 ,she is quick with tongue and pen1 but her quickness is so tempered by unquestioned friendliness that it fastens people to her as with a cord4 ,she overflows with interests of every description1 but she is never too busy to listen sympathetically to a child or a friend4 ,she is the practical member of the family1 and we rarely do much out of the ordinary without first talking it over with ,kate4 ,tom ,hamilton1 her husband1 is a young man who is getting on in the world4 ,he is clever in his profession1 and sure to succeed beyond the success of most men4 ,he is quiet in manner1 but he seems to have a way of managing his quick1 handsome wife1 which is something of a surprise to me1 and to her also1 ,i fancy4 ,they are congenial and happy1 and their children are beings to adore4 ,tom and ,kate are to live in town4 ,they are too young for the joys of country life1 and must needs drag on as they are1 loved and admired by a host of friends4 ,they can1 and will1 however1 spend much time at ,four ,oaks2 and ,i need not say they approved our plans4 ,jack is our second4 ,he was a junior at ,yale1 and ,i am shy of saying much about him lest ,i be accused of partiality4 ,enough to say that he is tall1 blond1 handsome1 and that he has gentle1 winning ways that draw the love of men and women4 ,he is a dreamer of dreams1 but he has a sturdy drop of ,puritan blood in his veins that makes him strong in conviction and brave in action4 ,jack has never caused me an hour of anxiety1 and ,i was ever proud to see him in any company4 ,concerning ,jane1 ,i must be pardoned in advance for a father's favoritism4 ,she is my youngest1 and to me she seems all that a father could wish4 ,of fair height and well moulded1 her physique is perfect4 ,good health and a happy life had set the stamp of superb womanhood upon her eighteen years4 ,any effort to describe her would be vain and unsatisfactory4 ,suffice it to say that she is a pure blonde1 with eyes1 hair1 and skin just to my liking4 ,she is quiet and shy in manner1 deliberate in speech1 sensitive beyond measure1 wise in intuitive judgment1 clever in history and literature1 but always a little in doubt as to the result of putting seven and eight together1 and not unreasonably dominated by the rules of orthography4 ,she is fond of outdoor life1 in love with horses and dogs1 and withal very much of a home girl4 ,every one makes much of ,jane1 and she is not spoiled1 but rather improved by it4 ,she was in her second year at ,farmington1 and1 like all ,farmington students1 she cared more for girls than for boys4 ,these were the children whom ,i was to transport from the city1 where they were born1 to the quiet life at ,four ,oaks4 ,after carefully taking their measures1 ,i felt little hesitation about making the change4 ,they1 of course1 had known of the plan1 and had often been to the farm2 but they were still to find out what it really meant to live there4 ,a saddle horse and dogs galore would square me with ,jane1 beyond question2 but what about ,jack8 ,time must decide that4 ,his plan of life was not yet formed1 and we could afford to wait4 ,we did not have much time in which to weigh these matters1 for the ,christmas holidays were near1 and the youngsters would soon be home4 ,we planned to be settled in the new house when they arrived4 ,,chapter ,,xxxii ,,the ,,home-,,coming ,in arranging to move my establishment ,i was in a quandary as to what it was best to do for a coachman4 ,lars had been with me fifteen years4 ,he came a green ,swedish lad1 developed into a first-class coachman1 married a nice girl--and for twelve years he and his wife lived happily in the rooms above my stable4 ,two boys were born to them1 and these lads were now ten and twelve years of age4 ,shortly after ,i bought the farm ,lars was so unfortunate as to lose his good wife1 and he and the boys were left forlorn4 ,a relative came and gave them such care as she could1 but the mother and wife was missed beyond remedy4 ,in his depression ,lars took to drink1 and things began to go wrong in the stable4 ,he was not often drunk1 but he was much of the time under the influence of alcohol1 and consequently not reliable4 ,i had done my best for the poor fellow1 and he took my lectures and chidings in the way they were intended1 and1 indeed1 he tried hard to break loose from the one bad habit1 but with no good results4 ,his evil friends had such strong hold on him that they could and would lead him astray whenever there was opportunity4 ,polly and ,i had many talks about this matter4 ,she was growing timid under his driving1 and yet she was attached to him for long and faithful service4 ,let's chance it1 she said4 ,if we get him away from these people who lead him astray1 he may brace up and become a man again4 ,but what about the boys1 ,polly8 said ,i4 ,we ought to be able to find something for the boys to do on the farm1 and they can go to school at ,exeter4 ,can't they drive the butter-cart out each morning and home after school8 ,they're smart chaps1 you know1 and used to doing things4 ,polly had found a way1 and ,i was heartily glad of it1 for ,i did not feel like giving up my hold on the man and the boys4 ,lars was glad of the chance to make good again1 and he willingly agreed to go4 ,he was to receive #bc a month4 ,this was less than he was getting in the city1 but it was the wage which we were paying that year at the farm1 and he was content2 for the boys were each to receive #e a month1 and to be sent to school eight months a year for three years4 ,this matter arranged1 we began to plan for the moving4 ,i had five horses in my stable1--a span of blacks for the carriage and three single drivers4 ,besides the horses1 harness1 and equipment1 there was a large carriage1 a brougham1 a ,goddard phton1 a runabout1 and a cart4 ,i exchanged the brougham and the ,goddard for a station wagon and a park phton1 as more suitable for country use4 ,the barn equipment was all sent in one caravan1 ,thompson and ,zeb coming into town to help ,lars drive out4 ,our lares and penates were sent by freight on ,december #ag4 ,polly had managed to coax another thousand dollars out of me for things for the house2 and these1 with the furniture from our old home1 made a brave showing when we gathered around the big fire in the living room1 ,december #bb1 for our first night in the country4 ,tom1 ,kate1 and the grand-girls were with us to spend the holidays1 and so1 too1 was the lady whom we call ,laura4 ,i shall not try to say much about ,laura4 ,she was a somewhat recent friend4 ,how we ever came to know her well1 was half a mystery2 and how we ever got on before we knew her well1 was a whole one4 ,roaring fires and shaded lamps gave an air of homelike grace to our new house1 and we decided that we would never economize in either wood or oil2 they seemed to stir the home spirit more than ever did coal or electricity4 ,the day had been a busy one for the ladies1 but they were pleased with results as they looked around the well-ordered house and saw the work of their hands4 ,before separating for the night1 ,kate said3-- ,i'm going to town to-morrow1 and ,i'll pick up ,jane and ,jack in time to take the four o'clock train out4 ,papa will meet us at the station1 and ,momee will greet us at the doorstep4 ,make an illumination1 ,momee1 and we will carry them by storm4 ,tom will have to take a later train1 but he will be here in time for dinner4 ,the afternoon of the #bc;d1 the children came1 and there was no failure in ,kate's plan4 ,the youngsters were delighted with everything4 ,jane said3-- ,i always wanted to live on a farm4 ,i can have a saddle horse now1 and keep as many dogs as ,i like1 can't ,i1 ,dad8 ,you shall have the horse1 and the dogs1 too1 when you come to stay4 ,daddy1 said ,jack1 this will be great for you4 ,let me finish at an agricultural college1 so that ,i can be of some practical help4 ,not on your life1 my son6 ,what your daddy doesn't know about farming wouldn't spoil a cup of tea6 ,while you are at home ,i will give you daily instruction in this most wholesome and independent business1 which will be of incalculable benefit to you1 and which1 ,i am frank to say1 you cannot get in any agricultural college4 ,college1 indeed6 ,i have spent thousands of hours in dreaming and planning what a farm should be like6 ,do you suppose ,i am going to let these visions become contaminated by practical knowledge8 ,not by a long way6 ,i have1 in the silent watches of the night1 reduced the art to mathematical exactness1 and ,i can show you the figures4 ,don't talk to me about colleges6 ,after supper we took the children through the house4 ,every part was inspected1 and many were the expressions of pleasure and admiration4 ,they were delighted with their rooms1 and apparently with everything else4 ,we finally quieted down in front of the open fire and discussed plans for the holidays4 ,the children decided that it must be a house party4 ,florence ,marcy is with an aunt for whom she doesn't particularly care1 and ,minnie will just jump at the chance of spending a week in the country1 said ,jane4 ,you can invite three girls1 and ,jack can have three men4 ,of course ,jessie ,gordon will be here4 ,we will drive over in the morning and make sure of her4 ,jack1 whom will you ask8 ,get some good men out here1 won't you8 ,the best in the world1 little sister1 and you will have to keep a sharp lookout or you will lose your heart to one of them4 ,frank ,howard will count it a lark4 ,he has stuck to the business as faithfully as if he were not heir to it1 and he will come sure to-morrow night4 ,dear old ,phil--my many years' chum--will come because ,i ask him4 ,these two are all right1 and we can count on them4 ,the other one is ,jim ,jarvis1--the finest man in college4 ,tell us about him1 ,jack4 ,jarvis's father lives in ,montana1 and has a lot of gold mines and other things to keep him busy4 ,he doesn't have time to pay much attention to his son1 who is growing up after his own fashion4 ,jim's mother is dead1 and he has neither brother nor sister1--nothing but money and beauty and health and strength and courage and sense and the stanchest heart that ever lifted waistcoat6 ,he has been on the eleven three years4 ,they want him in the boat1 but he'll not have it2 says it's not good work for a man4 ,he's in the first division1 well toward the front1 too1 and in the best society4 ,he's taken a fancy to me1 and ,i'm dead gone on him4 ,he's the man for you to shun1 little woman1 unless you wish to be led captive4 ,there are others1 ,jack1 so don't worry about me4 ,but do you think you can secure this paragon8 ,not a doubt of it6 ,i'll wire him in the morning1 and he'll be here as soon as steam can bring him2 he's my best chum1 you know4 ,this would make our party complete4 ,we were all happy and pleased1 and the evening passed before we knew it4 ,,chapter ,,xxxiii ,,christmas ,,eve ,the next day was a busy one for all of us4 ,polly and ,jane drove to the ,gordons and secured ,miss ,jessie1 and then ,jane went to town to fetch her other friends4 ,jack went with her1 after having telegraphed to ,jim ,jarvis4 ,they all came home by mid-afternoon1 just as a message came from ,jarvis3 ,will be on deck at six4 ,florence ,marcy and ,minnie ,henderson were former neighbors and schoolmates of ,jane's4 ,they were fine girls to look at and bright girls to talk with2 blondes1 eighteen1 high-headed1 full of life1 and great girls for a house party4 ,phil and ,frank were good specimens of their kinds4 ,frank was a little below medium height1 slight1 blond1 vivacious to a degree1 full of fun1 and the most industrious talker within miles2 he would stir things up at a funeral4 ,phil ,stone was tall1 slender1 dark1 quiet1 well-dressed1 a good dancer1 and a very agreeable fellow in the corner of the room1 where his low musical voice was most effective4 ,jessie ,gordon came at five o'clock4 ,we were all very fond of ,jessie1 and who could help it8 ,she was tall 7considerably above the average height71 slender1 straight as an arrow1 graceful in repose and in motion4 ,she carried herself like a queen1 with a proud kind of shyness that became her well4 ,her head was small and well set on a slender neck1 her hair dark1 luxurious1 wavy1 and growing low over a broad forehead1 her eyes soft brown1 shaded by heavy brows and lashes4 ,she had a ,grecian nose1 and her mouth was a shade too wide1 but it was guarded by singularly perfect and sensitive lips4 ,her chin was pronounced enough to give the impression of firmness2 indeed1 save for the soft eyes and sensitive mouth1 firmness predominated4 ,she was not a great talker1 yet every one loved to listen to her4 ,she laughed with her eyes and lips1 but rarely with her voice4 ,she enjoyed intensely1 and could1 therefore1 suffer intensely4 ,she was a dear girl in every way4 ,all was now ready for the dbut of ,jack's paragon4 ,jack had driven to the station to fetch him1 and presently the sound of wheels on the gravel drive announced the arrival of the last guest4 ,i went into the hall to meet the men4 ,daddy1 ,i want you to know my chum1 ,jim ,jarvis1--the finest all-round son of old ,eli4 ,jarvis1 this is my daddy1--the finest father that ever had son6 ,i'm right glad to meet you1 ,mr4 ,jarvis2 your renown has preceded you4 ,i fear1 ,doctor1 it has exceeded me as well4 ,jack is not to be trusted on all subjects4 ,but1 indeed1 ,i thank you for your hospitality2 it was a godsend to me4 ,as we entered the living room1 ,polly came forward and ,i presented ,jarvis to her4 ,you are more than welcome1 ,mr4 ,jarvis6 ,jack's 'best friend' is certain of a warm corner at our fireside4 ,madam1 ,i find no word of thanks1 but ,i do thank you4 ,i have envied ,jack his home letters and the evidences of mother care more than anything else1--and ,god knows there are enough other things to envy him for4 ,i have no mother1 and my father is too busy to pay much attention to me4 ,i wish you would adopt me2 ,i'll try to rival ,jack in all that is dutiful4 ,she did adopt him then and there1 for who could refuse such a son6 ,brown hair1 brown eyes1 brown skin1 a frank1 rugged1 clean-shaven face1 features strong enough to excite criticism and good enough to bear it2 broad-shouldered1 deep-chested1 strong in arm and limb1 he carried his six feet of manhood like an ,apollo in tweeds4 ,he was introduced to the girls1--the men he knew1--but he was not so quick in his speeches to them4 ,our ,hercules was only mildly conscious of his merits1 and was evidently relieved when ,jack hurried him off to his room to dress for dinner4 ,when he was fairly out of hearing there was a chorus of comments4 ,the girls all declaimed him handsome1 and the boys said3-- ,that isn't the best of it1--he's a trump6 ,wait till you know him4 ,jane was too loyal to ,jack to admit that his friend was any handsomer or in any way a finer fellow than her brother4 ,who said he was8 said ,frank1 ,jack ,williams is out and out the finest man ,i know4 ,we were sizing him up by such fellows as ,phil and me4 ,jack's the most popular man at ,yale1 said ,phil1 but he's too modest to know it2 ,jarvis will tell you so4 ,he thinks it's a great snap to have ,jack for his chum4 ,these things were music in my ears1 for ,i was quite willing to agree with the boys1 and the mother's eyes were full of joy as she led the way to the dining room4 ,that was a jolly meal4 ,nothing was said that could be remembered1 and yet we all talked a great deal and laughed a great deal more4 ,city1 country1 farm1 college1 and seminary were touched with merry jests4 ,light wit provoked heavy laughter1 and every one was the better for it4 ,it was nine o'clock before we left the table4 ,i heard ,jarvis say3-- ,miss ,jane1 ,i count it very unkind of ,jack not to have let me go to ,farmington with him last term4 ,he used to talk of his 'little sister' as though she were a miss in short dresses4 ,jack is a deep and treacherous fellow6 ,rather say1 a very prudent brother1 said ,jane4 ,however1 you may come to the ,elm ,tree ,inn in the spring term1 if ,jack will let you4 ,i'll work him all winter1 was ,jarvis's reply4 ,,chapter ,,xxxiv ,,christmas ,christmas light was slow in coming4 ,there was a hush in the air as if the earth were padded so that even the footsteps of ,nature might not be heard4 ,out of my window ,i saw that a great fall of snow had come in the night4 ,the whole landscape was covered by fleecy down--soft and white as it used to be when ,i first saw it on the hills of ,new ,england4 ,no wind had moved it2 it lay as it fell1 like a white mantle thrown lightly over the world4 ,great feathery flakes filled the air and gently descended upon the earth1 like that beautiful ,spirit that made the plains of ,judea bright two thousand years ago4 ,it seemed a fitting emblem of that nature which covered the unloveliness of the world by ,his own beauty1 and changed the dark spots of earth to pure white4 ,it was an ideal ,christmas morning1--clean and beautiful4 ,such a wealth of purity was in the air that all the world was clothed with it4 ,the earth accepted the beneficence of the skies1 and the trees bent in thankfulness for their beautiful covering4 ,it was a morning to make one thoughtful1--to make one thankful1 too1 for home and friends and country1 and a future that could be earned1 where the white folds of usefulness and purity would cover man's inheritance of selfishness and passion4 ,for an hour ,i watched the big flakes fall2 and1 as ,i watched1 ,i dreamed the dream of peace for all the world4 ,the brazen trumpet of war was a thing of the past4 ,the white dove of peace had built her nest in the cannon's mouth and stopped its awful roar4 ,the federation of the world was secured by universal intelligence and community of interest4 ,envy and selfishness and hypocrisy1 and evil doing and evil speaking1 were deeply covered by the snowy mantle that brought peace on earth and good will to men4 ,my dream was not dispelled by any rude awakening4 ,as the house threw off the fetters of the night and gradually struggled into activity1 it was in such a fresh and loving manner and with such thoughtful solicitude for each member of our world1 that ,i walked in my dream all day4 ,the snow fell rapidly till noon1 and then the sun came forth from the veil of clouds and cast its southern rays across the white expanse with an effect that drew exclamations of delight from all who had eyes to see4 ,no wind stirred the air1 but ever and anon a bright avalanche would slide from bough or bush1 sparkle and gleam as the sun caught it1 and then sink gently into the deep lap spread below4 ,the bough would spring as if to catch its beautiful load1 and1 failing in this1 would throw up its head and try to look unconcerned1--though quite evidently conscious of its bereavement4 ,the appearance of the sun brought signs of life and activity4 ,the men improvised a snow-plough1 the strong horses floundering in front of it made roads and paths through the two feet of feathers that hid the world4 ,after lunch1 the young people went for a frolic in the snow4 ,two hours later the shaking of garments and stamping of feet gave evidence of the return of the party4 ,stepping into the hall ,i was at once surrounded by the handsomest troupe of ,esquimaux that ever invaded the temperate zone4 ,the snow clung lovingly to their wet clothing and would not be shaken off2 their cheeks were flushed1 their eyes bright1 and their voices pitched at an out-of-doors key4 ,away to your rooms1 every one of you1 and get into dry clothes1 said ,i4 ,don't dare show yourselves until the dinner bell rings4 ,i'll send each of you a hot negus1--it's a prescription and must be taken2 ,i'm a tyrant when professional4 ,we saw nothing more of them until dinner4 ,the young ladies came in white1 with their maiden shoulders losing nothing by contact with their snow-white gowns4 ,all but ,miss ,jessie1 whose dress was a pearl velvet1 buttoned close to her slender throat4 ,i loved this style best1 but ,i could never believe that anything could be prettier than ,jane's white shoulders4 ,the table was loaded1 as ,christmas tables should be1 and1 as ,i asked ,god's blessing on it and us1 the thought came that the answer had preceded the request and that we were blessed in unusual degree4 ,after dinner the rugs in the great room were rolled up1 and the young folks danced to ,laura's music1 which could inspire unwilling feet4 ,but there were none such that night4 ,tom and ,kate led off in the newest and most fantastic waltz1 others followed1 and ,polly and ,i were the only spectators4 ,an hour of this1 and then we gathered around the hearth to hear ,polly read ,the ,christmas ,carol4 ,no one reads like ,polly4 ,her low1 soft voice seems never to know fatigue1 but runs on like a musical brook4 ,when the reading was over1 a hush of satisfied enjoyment had taken possession of us all4 ,it was not broken when ,miss ,jessie turned to the piano and sang that glorious hymn1 ,lead1 ,kindly ,light4 ,jack was close beside her1 his blue eyes shining with an appreciation of which any woman might be proud1 and his baritone in perfect harmony with her rich contralto4 ,the young ladies took the higher part1 ,frank added his tenor1 and even ,phil and ,i leaned heavily on ,jarvis's deep bass4 ,my effort was of short duration2 a lump gathered in my throat that caused me to turn away4 ,polly was searching fruitlessly for something to dry the tears that overran her eyes1 and ,i was able to lend her aid1 but the accommodation was of the nature of a call loan4 ,as we separated for the night1 ,jarvis said3 ,lady mother1 this day has been a revelation to me4 ,if ,i live a hundred years1 ,i shall never forget it4 ,i was slow in bringing it to a close4 ,as ,i loitered in my room1 ,i heard the shuffling of slippered feet in the hall1 and a timid knock at ,polly's door4 ,it was quickly opened for ,jane and ,jessie1 and ,i heard sobbing voices say3-- ,momee1 we want to cry on your bed1 and1 ,oh1 ,mrs4 ,williams1 why can't all days be like this6 ,polly's voice was low and indistinct1 but ,i know that it carried strong and loving counsel2 and1 as ,i turned to my pillow1 ,i was still dreaming the dream of the morning4 ,,chapter ,,xxxv ,,we ,,close ,,the ,,books ,,for '#if ,the morning after ,christmas broke clear1 with a wind from the south that promised to make quick work of the snow4 ,the young people were engaged for the evening1 as indeed for most evenings1 in the hospitable village1 and they spent the day on the farm as pleased them best4 ,there were many things to interest city-bred folk on a place like ,four ,oaks4 ,everything was new to them1 and they wanted to see the workings of the factory farm in all its detail4 ,they made friends with the men who had charge of the stock1 and spent much time in the stables4 ,polly and ,i saw them occasionally1 but they did not need much attention from us4 ,we have never found it necessary to entertain our friends on the farm4 ,they seem to do that for themselves4 ,we simply live our lives with them1 and they live theirs with us4 ,this works well both for the guests and for the hosts4 ,the great event of the holiday week was a ,new ,year ,eve dance at the ,country ,club4 ,every member was expected to appear in person or by proxy1 as this was the greatest of many functions of the year4 ,sunday was warm and sloppy1 and little could be done out of doors4 ,part of the household were for church1 and the rest lounged until luncheon2 then ,polly read ,sonny until twilight1 and ,laura played strange music in the half-dark4 ,the next day the men went into town to look about1 and to lunch with some college chums4 ,as they would not return until five1 the ladies had the day to themselves4 ,they read a little1 slept a little1 and talked much1 and were glad when five o'clock and the men came4 ,tea was so hot and fragrant1 the house so cosey1 and the girls so pretty1 that ,jack said3-- ,what chumps we men were to waste the whole day in town6 ,and what do you expect of men1 ,mr4 ,jack8 said ,jessie4 ,yes1 ,i know1 the old story of pearls and swine1 but there are pearls and pearls4 ,do you mean that there are more pearls than swine1 ,mr4 ,jack8 ,for1 if you do1 ,i will take issue with you4 ,if ,i am a swine1 ,i will be an sthetic one and wear the pearl that comes my way1 said ,jack1 looking steadily into the eyes of the high-headed girl4 ,will you have one lump or two8 ,one1 said ,jack1 as he took his cup4 ,the last day of the year came all too quickly for both young and old at ,four ,oaks4 ,polly and ,i went into hiding in the office in the afternoon to make up the accounts for the year4 ,as ,polly had spent the larger lump sum1 ,i could face her with greater boldness than on the previous occasion4 ,here is an excerpt from the farm ledger3-- ,expended in #ahif #dc1cji ,interest on previous account #b1bjj ,total #de1eji ,receipts #e1aje ,net expense #dj1djd ,previous account #dd1jjj #hd1djd ,the farm owes me a little more than #hd1jjj4 ,not so good as ,i hoped1 and not so bad as ,i feared1 said ,polly4 ,we will win out all right1 ,mr4 ,headman1 though it does seem a lot of money4 ,like the ,irishman's pig1 quoth ,i4 ,pat said1 ',it didn't weigh nearly as much as ,i expected1 but ,i never thought it would4' ,there was little to depress us in the past1 and nothing in the present1 so we joined the young people for the dance at the ,club4 ,,chapter ,,xxxvi ,,our ,,friends ,after our guests had departed1 to college or school or home1 the house was left almost deserted4 ,we did not shut it up1 however4 ,fires were bright on all hearths1 and lamps were kept burning4 ,we did not mean to lose the cheeriness of the house1 though much of the family had departed4 ,for a wonder1 the days did not seem lonesome4 ,after the fist break was over1 we did not find time to think of our solitude1 and as the weeks passed we wondered what new wings had caused them to fly so swiftly4 ,each day had its interests of work or study or social function4 ,stormy days and unbroken evenings were given to reading4 ,we consumed many books1 both old and new1 and we were not forgotten by our friends4 ,the dull days of winter did not drag2 indeed1 they were accepted with real pleasure4 ,our lives had hitherto been too much filled with the hurry and bustle inseparable from the fashionable existence-struggle of a large city to permit us to settle down with quiet nerves to the real happiness of home4 ,so much of enjoyment accompanies and depends upon tranquillity of mind1 that we are apt to miss half of it in the turmoil of work-strife and social-strife that fill the best years of most men and women4 ,it is a pity that all overwrought people cannot have a chance to relax their nerves1 and to learn the possibilities of happiness that are within them4 ,most of the jars and bickerings of domestic life1 most of the mental and moral obliquities1 depend upon threadbare nerves1 either inherited or uncovered by friction incident to getting on in the world4 ,i never understood the comforts that follow in the wake of a quiet1 unambitious life1 until such a life was forced upon me4 ,when you discover these comforts for the first time1 you marvel that you have foregone them so long1 and are fain to recommend them to all the world4 ,polly and ,i had gotten on reasonably well up to this time2 but before we became conscious of any change1 we found ourselves drawn closer together by a multitude of small interests common to both4 ,after twenty-five years of married life it will compensate any man to take a little time from business and worry that he may become acquainted with his wife4 ,a few fortunate men do this early in life1 and they draw compound interest on the investment2 but most of us feel the cares of life so keenly that we take them home with us to show in our faces and to sit at our tables and to blight the growth of that cheerful intercourse which perpetuates love and cements friendship in the home as well as in the world4 ,there were no serious cares nowadays1 and time passed so smoothly at ,four ,oaks that we wondered at the picnic life that had fallen to us4 ,the village of ,exeter was alive in all things social4 ,the city families who had farms or country places near the village were so fond of them that they rarely closed them for more than two or three months1 and these months were as likely to come in summer as in winter4 ,our friends the ,gordons made ,homestead ,farm their permanent residence1 though they kept open house in town4 ,beyond the ,gordons' was the modest home of an ,irish baronet1 ,sir ,thomas ,o',hara4 ,sir ,tom was a bachelor of sixty4 ,he had run through two fortunes 7as became an ,irish baronet7 in the racing field and at ,homburg1 and as a young man he had lived ten years at ,limmer's tavern in ,london4 ,when not in training to ride his own steeple-chasers1 he was putting up his hands against any man in ,england who would face him for a few friendly rounds4 ,he was not always victorious1 either in the field1 before the green cloth1 or in the ring2 but he was always a kind-hearted gentleman who would divide his last crown with friend or foe1 and who could accept a beating with grace and unruffled spirit4 ,he could never ride below the welter weight1 and after a few years he outgrew this weight and was forced to give up the least expensive of his diversions4 ,the green cloth now received more of his attention1 and1 as a matter of course1 of his money4 ,things went badly with him1 and he began to see the end of his second fortune before he called a halt4 ,bad times in ,ireland seriously reduced his rents1 and he was forced to dispose of his salable estates4 ,then he came to this country in the hope of recouping himself1 and to get away from the fast set that surrounded him4 ,i can resist anything but temptation1 this warm-hearted ,irishman would say2 and that was the keynote of his character4 ,though ,sir ,tom was only sixty years old1 he looked seventy4 ,he was much broken in health by gout and the fast pace of his early manhood4 ,but his spirit was untouched by misfortune1 disease1 or hardship4 ,his courage was as good as when he served as a subaltern of the ,guards in the trenches before ,sebastopol1 or presented his body as a mark for the sledge-hammer blows of ,tom ,sayers1 just for diversion4 ,his constitution must have been superb1 for even in his decrepitude he was good to look upon3 five feet ten1 fine body1 slightly given to rotundity1 legs a little shrunken in the shanks1 but giving unmistakable signs of what they had been 7not lost1 but gone before1 as he would say of them71 hands and feet aristocratic in form and well cared for1 and a fine head set on broad shoulders4 ,his hair was thin1 and he parted it with great exactness in the middle4 ,his eyes were brown1 large1 and of exceeding softness4 ,his nose was straight in spite of many a contusion1 and his whole expression was that of a high-bred gentleman somewhat the worse for wear4 ,sir ,tom was perfectly groomed when he came forth from his chamber1 which was usually about ten in the morning4 ,those of us who had access to his rooms often wondered how he ever got out of them looking so immaculate1 for they were a perfectly impassable jungle to the stranger4 ,such a tangle of trunks1 hand-bags1 rug bundles1 clothes1 boots1 pajamas1 newspapers1 scrap-books1 ,b4 ,s4 bottles1 could hardly be found anywhere else in the world4 ,he had a fondness for newspaper clippings1 and had trunks of them1 sorted into bundles or pasted in scrap-books4 ,old volumes of ,bell's ,life filled more than one trunk1 and on one occasion when he and ,i were spending a long evening together1 in celebration of his recent recovery from an attack of gout1 and when he had done more than usual justice to the ,b4 ,s4 bottles and less than usual justice to his gout1 he showed me the record of a long-gone year in which this same ,bell's ,life called him the first among the gentlemen riders in the ,united ,kingdom1 and proved this assertion by showing how he had won most of the great steeple-chases in ,england and ,ireland1 riding his own horses4 ,this was the nearest approach to boasting that ever came to my knowledge in the years of our close friendship1 and ,i would never have thought of it as such had ,i not seen that he regarded it as unwarrantable self-praise4 ,i have never known a more simple1 kind-hearted1 agreeable1 and lovable gentleman than this broken-down sporting man and gambler4 ,i loved him as a brother2 and though he has passed out of my life1 ,i still love the memory of his genial face1 his courtesy1 his unselfish friendship1 more than words can express4 ,a tender heart and a gentle spirit found strange housing in a body given over to reckless prodigality4 ,the combination1 tempered by time and exhaustion1 showed nothing that was not lovable2 and it is scant praise to say that ,sir ,thomas was much to me4 ,he was just as acceptable to ,polly4 ,no woman could fail to appreciate the homage which he never failed to show to the wife and mother4 ,many winter evenings at ,four ,oaks were made brighter by his presence1 and we grew to expect him at least three nights each week4 ,his plate was placed on our round table these nights1 and he rarely failed to use it2 and the ,b4 ,s4 bottles were near at hand1 and his favorite brand of cigars within easy reach4 ,i light a 'baccy' by your permission1 ,mrs4 ,williams1 and a courtly bow accompanied the words4 ,at #i4cj ,william came to bring ,sir ,tom home4 ,the leave-taking was always formal with ,polly1 but with me it was1 ,ta-ta1 ,williams--see you later1 and our guest would hobble out on his poor crippled feet1 waving his hand gallantly1 with a voice as cheery as a boy's4 ,another family whom ,i wish the reader to know well is the ,kyrles4 ,for more than twenty-five years we have known no joys or sorrows which they did not feel1 and no interests that touched them have failed to leave a mark on us4 ,we could not have been more intimate or better friends had the closest blood tie united us4 ,the acquaintance of young married couples had grown into a friendship that was bearing its best fruit at a time when best fruit was most appreciated4 ,we do not consider a pleasure more than half complete until we have told it to ,will and ,frances ,kyrle1 for their delight doubles our happiness4 ,they were among the earliest of my patients1 and they are easily first among our friends4 ,i have watched more than a half-dozen of their children from infancy to adult life1 and this alone would be a strong bond2 but in addition to this is the fact that the whole family1 from father to youngest child1 possess in a wonderful degree that subtle sense of true camaraderie which is as rare as it is charming4 ,the ,kyrles lived in the city1 but they were foot-free1 and we could count on having them often4 ,four ,oaks was to be1 if we had our way1 a country home for them almost as much as for us4 ,indeed1 one of the rooms was called the ,kyrles' room1 and they came to it at will4 ,enough about our friends4 ,we must go back to the farm interests1 which are1 indeed1 the only excuse for this history4 ,,chapter ,,xxxvii ,,the ,,headman',s ,,job ,our life at ,four ,oaks began in earnest in ,january1 #ahig4 ,even during the winter months there was no lack of employment and interest for the ,headman4 ,i breakfasted at seven1 and from that time until noon ,i was as busy as if ,i were working for #bj a month4 ,the master's eye is worth more than his hand in a factory like mine4 ,my men were1 and are1 an unusual lot1--intelligent1 sober1 and willing1--but they1 like others1 are apt to fall into routine ways1 and thereby to miss points which an observing proprietor would not overlook4 ,the cows1 for instance1 were all fed the same ration4 ,fifteen pounds of mixed grains was none too much for the big ,holstein milk-makers1 who were yielding well and looking in perfect health2 but the common cows were taking on too much flesh and falling off in milk4 ,i at once changed the ration for these six cows by leaving out the corn entirely and substituting oat straw for alfalfa in the cut feed4 ,the change brought good results in five of the cows2 the other one did not pick up in her milk1 and after a reasonable trial ,i sold her4 ,the herd was doing excellently for mid-winter1--the yield amounted to a daily average of #hdj pounds throughout the month1 and ,i was able to make good my contract with the middleman4 ,i could see breakers ahead1 however1 and it behooved me to make ready for them4 ,i decided to buy ten more thoroughbreds in new milk1 if ,i could find them4 ,i wrote to the people from whom ,i had purchased the first herd1 and after a little delay secured nine cows in fresh milk and about four years old4 ,this addition came in ,february1 and kept my milk supply above the danger point4 ,since then ,i have bought no cows4 ,thirty-four of these thoroughbreds are still at ,four ,oaks--two of them have died1 and three have been sold for not keeping up to the standard--and are doing grand service4 ,their numbers have been renforced by twenty of their best daughters1 so there are at this writing fifty-four milch cows and five yearling heifers in the herd4 ,most of the calves have been disposed of as soon as weaned4 ,i have no room for more stock on my place1 and it doesn't pay to keep them to sell as cows4 ,four ,oaks is not a breeding farm1 but a factory farm1 and everything has to be subordinated to the factory idea4 ,my thoroughbred calves have brought me an average price of #ab each at four to six weeks1 sold to dairymen1 and ,i am satisfied to do business in that way4 ,the nine milch cows which ,i bought to complete the herd cost1 delivered at ,four ,oaks1 #ajab4 ,all the grain fed to cows1 horses1 and hogs1 and a portion of that fed to chickens1 is ground fine before feeding4 ,the grinding is done in the granary by a mill with a capacity of forty bushels an hour4 ,we make corn meal1 corn and cob meal1 and oatmeal enough for a week's supply in a few hours4 ,all hay and straw is cut fine1 before being fed1 by a power cutter in the forage barn1 and from thence is taken by teams in box racks to the feeding rooms1 where it is wetted with hot water and mixed with the ground feed for the cows and horses1 and steamed or cooked with the ground feed for the hogs and hens4 ,alfalfa is the only hay used for the hens1 and wonderfully good it is for them4 ,besides feed for the hogs1 we have to provide ashes1 salt1 and charcoal for them4 ,these three things are kept constantly before them in narrow troughs set so near the wall that they cannot get their feet into them4 ,we carefully save all wood ashes for the hogs and hens1 and we burn our own charcoal in a pit in the wood lot4 ,five cords of sound wood make an abundant supply for a year4 ,i think this side dish constantly before swine goes a long way toward keeping them healthy4 ,clean pens1 well-balanced and well-cooked food1 pure water1 and this medicine can be counted on to keep a growing and fattening herd healthy during its nine months of life4 ,it is claimed that it is unnatural and artificial to confine these young things within such narrow limits1 and so it is2 but the whole scheme is unnatural1 if you please4 ,the pig is born to die1 and to die quickly1 for the profit and maintenance of man4 ,what could be more unnatural8 ,would he be better reconciled to his fate after spending his nine months between field and sty8 ,i wot not4 ,the ,chester ,white is an indolent fellow1 and ,i suspect he loves his comfortable house1 his cool stone porch1 his back yard to dig in1 his neighbors across the wire fence to gossip with1 and his well-balanced1 well-cooked food served under his own nose three times a day4 ,at least he looks content in his piggery1 and grows faster and puts on more flesh in his #bej days than does his neighbor of the field4 ,if the hog's profitable life were twice or thrice as long1 ,i would advocate a wider liberty for the early part of it2 but as it doesn't pay to keep the animal after he is nine months old1 the quickest way to bring him to perfection is the best4 ,one cannot afford to graze animals of any kind when one is trying to do intensive farming4 ,it is indirect1 it is wasteful of space and energy1 and it doesn't force the highest product4 ,grazing1 as compared with soiling1 may be economical of labor1 but as ,i understand economics that is the one thing in which we do not wish to economize4 ,the multiplication of well-paid and well-paying labor is a thing to be specially desired4 ,if the soiling farm will keep two or three more men employed at good wages1 and at the same time pay better interest than the grazing farm1 it should be looked upon as much the better method4 ,the question of furnishing landscape for hogs is one that borders too closely on the sthetic or the sentimental to gain the approval of the factory-farm man4 ,what is true of hogs is also true of cows4 ,they are better off under the constant care of intelligent and interested human beings than when they follow the rippling brook or wind slowly o'er the lea at their own sweet pleasure4 ,the truth is1 the rippling brook doesn't always furnish the best water1 and the lea furnishes very imperfect forage during nine months of the year4 ,a twenty-acre lot in good grass1 in which to take the air1 is all that a well-regulated herd of fifty cows needs4 ,the clean1 cool1 calm stable is much to their liking1 and the regular diet of a first-class cow-kitchen insures a uniform flow of milk4 ,what is true of hogs and cows is true also of hens4 ,the common opinion that the farm-raised hen that has free range is healthier or happier than her sister in a well-ordered hennery is not based on facts4 ,freedom to forage for one's self and pick up a precarious living does not always mean health1 happiness1 or comfort4 ,the strenuous life on the farm cannot compare in comfort with the quiet house and the freedom from anxiety of the well-tended hen4 ,the vicissitudes of life are terrible for the uncooped chicken4 ,the occupants of air1 earth1 and water lie in wait for it4 ,it is fair game for the hawk and the owl2 the fox1 the weasel1 the rat1 the wood pussy1 the cat1 and the dog are its sworn enemies4 ,the horse steps on it1 the wheel crushes it2 it falls into the cistern or the swill barrel2 it is drenched by showers or stiffened by frosts1 and1 as the ,english say1 it has a rather indifferent time of it4 ,if it survive the summer1 and some chickens do1 it will roost and shiver on the limb of an apple tree4 ,its nest will be accessible only to the mink and the rat2 and1 like ,rachel1 it will mourn for its children1 which are not4 ,no1 the well-yarded hen has by all odds the best of it4 ,the wonder is that1 with three-fourths of the poultry at large and making its own living1 hens still furnish a product1 in this country alone1 #ajj1jjj1jjj greater in value than the whole world's output of gold4 ,our annual production of eggs and poultry foots up to #bhj1jjj1jjj1--d apiece for every man1 woman1 and child1--and yet people say that hens do not pay6 ,each flock of forty hens at ,four ,oaks has a house sixteen feet by twenty1 and a run twenty feet by one hundred4 ,i hear no complaints of close quarters or lack of freedom1 but ,i do hear continually the song of contentment1 and ,i see results daily that are more satisfactory than those of any oil well or mine in which ,i have ever been interested4 ,,chapter ,,xxxviii ,,spring ,,of '#ig ,sam began to make up his breeding pens in ,january4 ,he selected #aej of his favorites1 divided them into #aj flocks of #ae1 added a fine cockerel to each pen 7we do not allow cocks or cockerels to run with the laying hens71 and then began to set the incubator house in order4 ,he filled the first incubator on ,saturday1 ,january #cj1 and from that day until late in ,april he was able to start a fresh machine about every six days4 ,sam reports the total hatch for the year as #aiag chicks1 out of which number he had1 when he separated them in the early autumn1 #fgh pullets to put in the runs for laying hens1 and #fec cockerels to go to the fattening pens4 ,these figures show that ,sam was a first-class chicken man4 ,we secured #cjj tons of ice at the side of the lake for #ih1 having to pay a little more that year than the last1 on account of the heavy fall of snow4 ,the wood-house was replenished1 although there was still a good deal of last year's cut on hand4 ,we did not fell any trees1 for there was still a considerable quantity of dead wood on the ground which should be used first4 ,i wanted to clear out much of the useless underbrush1 but we had only time to make a beginning in this effort at forestry4 ,we went over perhaps ten acres across the north line1 removing briers and brush4 ,everything that looked like a possible future tree was left4 ,around oak and hickory stumps we found clumps of bushes springing from living roots4 ,these we cut away1 except one or possibly two of the most thrifty4 ,we trimmed off the lower branches of those we saved1 and left them to make such trees as they could4 ,i have been amazed to see what a growth an oak-root sprout will make after its neighbors have been cut away4 ,there are some hundreds of these trees in the forest at ,four ,oaks1 from five to six inches in diameter1 which did not measure more than one or two inches five years ago4 ,as the underbrush was cleared from the wood lot1 ,i planned to set young trees to fill vacant spaces4 ,the ,european larch was used in the first experiment4 ,in the spring of #ahig ,i bought four thousand seedling larches for #hj1 planted them in nursery rows in the orchard1 cultivated them for two years1 and then transplanted them to the forest4 ,the larch is hardy and grows rapidly2 and as it is a valuable tree for many purposes1 it is one of the best for forest planting4 ,i have planted no others thus far at ,four ,oaks1 as the four thousand from my little nursery seem to fill all unoccupied spaces4 ,fresh mulching was piled near all the young fruit trees1 to be applied as soon as the frost was out of the ground4 ,several hundreds of loads of manure were hauled to the fields1 to be spread as soon as the snow disappeared4 ,i always return manure to the land as soon as it can be done conveniently4 ,the manure from the hen-house was saved this year to use on the alfalfa fields1 to see how well it would take the place of commercial fertilizer4 ,i may as well give the result of the experiment now4 ,it was mixed with sand and applied at the rate of eight hundred pounds an acre for the spring dressing over a portion of the alfalfa1 against four hundred pounds an acre of the fertilizer #c3h3h4 ,after two years ,i was convinced that1 when used alone1 it is not of more than half the value of the fertilizer4 ,my present practice is to use five hundred pounds of hen manure and two hundred pounds of fertilizer on each acre for the spring dressing1 and two hundred pounds an acre of the fertilizer alone after each cutting except the last4 ,we have ten or twelve tons of hen manure each year1 and it is nearly all used on the alfalfa or the timothy as spring dressing4 ,it costs nothing1 and it takes off a considerable sum from the fertilizer account4 ,i am not at all sure that the scientists would approve this method of using it2 ,i can only give my experience1 and say that it brings me satisfactory crops4 ,there was much snow in ,january and ,february1 and in ,march much rain4 ,when the spring opened1 therefore1 the ground was full of water4 ,this was fortunate1 for ,april and ,may were unusually dry months1--only #a4af inches of water4 ,the dry ,april brought the ploughs out early2 but before we put our hands to the plough we should make a note of what the first quarter of #ahig brought into our strong box4 ,sold3 ,butter 4 4 4 4 #hdb4jj ,eggs 4 4 4 4 #dja4jj ,cow 4 4 4 4 #ce4jj ,two sows 4 4 4 #ai4jj ,total 4 4 4 #abig4jj ,fifteen of the young sows farrowed in ,march1 and the other #i in ,april1 as also did #ah old ones4 ,the young sows gave us #adg pigs1 and the old ones #afa1 so that the spring opened with an addition to our stock of #cjj head of young swine4 ,between ,march #a and ,may #aj were born #be calves1 which were all sold before ,july #a4 ,the population of our factory farm was increasing so rapidly that it became necessary to have more help4 ,we already had eight men and three women1 besides the help in the big house4 ,one would think that eight men could do the work on a farm of #cbj acres1 and so they can1 most of the time2 but in seed-time and harvest they are not sufficient at ,four ,oaks4 ,we could not work the teams4 ,up to ,march1 #ahig1 ,sam had full charge of the chickens1 and also looked after the hogs1 with the help of ,anderson4 ,judson and ,french had their hands full in the cow stables1 and ,lars was more than busy with the carriage horses and the driving4 ,thompson was working foreman1 and his son ,zeb and ,johnson looked after the farm horses during the winter and did the general work4 ,from that time on ,sam gave his entire time to the chickens1 ,anderson his entire time to the hogs1 and ,johnson began gardening in real earnest4 ,this left only ,thompson and ,zeb for general farm work4 ,again ,i advertised for two farm hands4 ,i selected two of the most promising applicants and brought them out to the farm4 ,thompson discharged one of them at the end of the first day for persistently jerking his team1 and the other discharged himself at the week's end1 to continue his tramp4 ,once more ,i resorted to the city papers4 ,this time ,i was more fortunate1 for ,i found a young ,swede1 square-built and blond-headed1 who said he had worked on his father's farm in the old country1 and had left it because it was too small for the five boys4 ,otto was slow of speech and of motion1 but he said he could work1 and ,i hired him4 ,the other man whom ,i sent to the farm at the same time proved of no use whatever4 ,he stayed four days1 and was dismissed for innocuous desuetude4 ,still another man whom ,i tried did well for five weeks1 and then broke out in a most profound spree1 from which he could not be weaned4 ,he ended up by an assault on ,otto in the stable yard4 ,the ,swede was taken by surprise1 and was handsomely bowled over by the first onslaught of his half-drunk1 half-crazed antagonist4 ,as soon1 however1 as his slow mind took in the fact that he was being pounded1 he gathered his forces1 and1 with a grunt for a war-cry1 rolled his enemy under him1 sat upon his stomach1 and1 flat-handed1 slapped his face until he shouted for aid4 ,the man left the farm at once1 and ,i commended the ,swede for having used the flat of his hand4 ,in spite of bad luck with the new men we were able to plough and seed #add acres by ,may #aj4 ,lots ,nos4 #h1 #ab1 #ac1 and #ad were planted to corn1 and ,no4 #ae sowed to oats1 and the #aj acres on the home lot were divided between sweet fodder corn1 potatoes1 and cabbage4 ,the abundant water in the soil gave the crops a fair start1 and ,june proved an excellent growing month1 a rainfall of nearly four inches putting them beyond danger from the short water supply of ,july and ,august4 ,indeed1 had it not been for the generosity of ,june we should have been in a bad way1 for the next three months gave a scant four inches of rain4 ,the oats made a good growth1 though the straw was rather short1 and the corn did very well indeed1--due largely to thorough cultivation4 ,twelve acres of oats were cut for forage1 and the rest yielded #cc bushels to the acre1--a little over #acjj bushels4 ,the alfalfa and timothy made a good start4 ,from the former we cut1 late in ,june1 #b tons to the acre1 and from the timothy1 in ,july1 #b tons1--#ej tons of timothy and #de of alfalfa4 ,each of these fields received the usual top-dressing after the crop was cut2 but the timothy did not respond1--the late season was too dry4 ,we cut two more crops from the alfalfa field1 which together made a yield of a little more than #b tons4 ,the alfalfa in that dry summer gave me #ie tons of good hay1 proving its superiority as a dry-weather crop4 ,johnson started the one-and-one-half-acre vegetable and fruit garden in ,april1 and devoted much of his time to it4 ,his primitive hotbeds gradually emptied themselves into the garden1 and we now began to taste the fruit of our own soil1 much to the pleasure of the whole colony4 ,it is surprising what a real gardener can do with a garden of this size4 ,by feeding soil and plants liberally1 he is able to keep the ground producing successive crops of vegetables1 from the day the frost leaves it in the spring until it again takes possession in the fall1 without doing any wrong to the land4 ,indeed1 our garden grows better and more prolific each year in spite of the immense crops that are taken from it4 ,this can be done only by a person who knows his business1 and ,johnson is such a person4 ,he gave much of his time to this practical patch1 but he also worked with ,polly among the shrubs on the lawn1 and in her sunken flower garden1 which is the pride of her life4 ,we shall hear more about this flower garden later on4 ,the accounts for the second quarter of the year show these items on the income side3-- ,butter #ajeb4jj ,eggs #cgi4jj ,twenty-five calves #bge4jj -------- ,total #agjf4jj ,,chapter ,,xxxix ,,the ,,young ,,orchard ,one of the most enjoyable occupations of a farmer's life is the care of young trees4 ,until your experience in this work is of a personal and proprietary nature1 you will not realize the pleasure it can afford4 ,the intimate study of plant life1 especially if that plant life is yours1 is a never failing source of pleasurable speculation1 and a thing upon which to hang dreams4 ,you grow to know each tree1 not only by its shape and its habit of growth1 but also by peculiarities that belong to it as an individual4 ,the erect1 sturdy bearing of one bespeaks a frank1 bold nature1 which makes it willing to accept its surroundings and make the most of them2 while the crooked1 dwarfish nature of another requires the utmost care of the husbandman to keep it within the bounds of good behavior4 ,and yet we often find that the slow-growing1 ill-conditioned young tree1 if properly cared for1 will bring forth the finest fruit at maturity4 ,to study the character and to watch the development of young trees is a pleasing and useful occupation for the man who thinks of them as living things with an inheritance that cannot be ignored4 ,that seeds in all appearance exactly alike should send forth shoots so unlike1 is a wonder of ,nature2 and that young shoots in the same soil and with the same care should show such dissimilarity in development1 is a riddle whose answer is to be found only in the binding laws of heredity4 ,that a tiny bud inserted under the bark of a well-grown tree can change a sour root to a sweet bough1 ought to make one careful of the buds which one grafts on the living trunk of one's tree of life4 ,the young orchard can teach many lessons to him who is willing to be taught2 in the hands of him who is not1 the schoolmaster has a very sorry time of it1 no matter how he sets his lessons4 ,the side pockets of my jacket are usually weighted down with pruning-shears1 a sharp knife1 and a handled copper wire1--always1 indeed1 in ,june1 when ,i walk in my orchard4 ,june is the month of all months for the prudent orchardist to go thus armed1 for the apple-tree borer is abroad in the land4 ,when the quick eye of the master sees a little pile of sawdust at the base of a tree1 he knows that it is time for him to sit right down by that tree and kill its enemy4 ,the sharp knife enlarges the hole1 which is the trail of the serpent1 and the sharp-pointed1 flexible wire follows the route until it has reached and transfixed the borer4 ,this is the only way4 ,it is the nature of the borer to maim or kill the tree2 it is for the interest of the owner that the tree should live4 ,the conflict is irrepressible1 and the weakest must go to the wall4 ,the borer evil can be reduced to a minimum by keeping the young trees banked three or four inches high with firm dirt or ashes2 but borers must be followed with the wire1 once they enter the bark4 ,the sharp knife and the pruning-shears have other uses in the ,june orchard4 ,limbs and sprouts will come in irregular and improper places1 and they should be nipped out early and thus save labor and mutilation later on4 ,sprouts that start from the eyes on the trunk can be removed by a downward stroke of the gloved hand4 ,all intersecting or crossing boughs are removed by knife or scissors1 and branches which are too luxuriant in growth are cut or pinched back4 ,careful guidance of the tree in ,june will avoid the necessity of severe correction later on4 ,a man ought to plant an orchard1 if for no other reason1 that he may have the pleasure of caring for it1 and for the companionship of the trees4 ,this was the second year of growth for my orchard1 and ,i was gratified by the evidences of thrift and vigor4 ,fine1 spreading heads adorned the tops of the stubs of trees that had received such 7apparently7 cruel treatment eighteen months before4 ,the growth of these two seasons convinced me that the four-year-old root and the three-year-old stem1 if properly managed1 have greater possibilities of rapid development than roots or stems of more tender age4 ,i think ,i made no mistake in planting three-year-old trees4 ,as ,i worked in my orchard ,i could not help looking forward to the time when the trees would return a hundred-fold for the care bestowed upon them4 ,they would begin to bring returns1 in a small way1 from the fourth year1 and after that the returns would increase rapidly4 ,it is safe to predict that from the tenth to the fortieth year a well-managed orchard will give an average yearly income of #ajj an acre above all expenses1 including interest on the original cost4 ,a fifty-acre orchard of well-selected apple trees1 near a first-class market and in intelligent hands1 means a net income of #ejjj1 taking one year with another1 for thirty or forty years4 ,what kind of investment will pay better8 ,what sort of business will give larger returns in health and pleasure8 ,i do not mean to convey the idea that forty years is the life of an orchard2 hundreds of years would be more correct4 ,as trees die from accident or decrepitude1 others should take their places4 ,thus the lease of life becomes perpetual in hands that are willing to keep adding to the soil more than the trees and the fruit take from it4 ,comparatively few owners of orchards do this1 and those who belong to the majority will find fault with my figures2 but the thinking few1 who do not expect to enjoy the fat of the land without making a reasonable return1 will say that ,i am too conservative1--that a well-placed1 well-cared-for1 well-selected1 and well-marketed orchard will do much better than my prophecy4 ,nature is a good husbandman so far as she goes1 but her scheme contemplates only the perpetuation of the tree1 by seeds or by other means4 ,nature's plan is to give to each specimen a nutritive ration4 ,anything beyond this is thrown away on the individual1 and had better be used for the multiplying of specimens4 ,when man comes to ask something more than germinating seeds from a plant1 he must remove it from the crowded clump1 give it more light and air1 and feed it for product4 ,in other words1 he must give it more nitrogen1 phosphoric acid1 and potash than it can use for simple growth and maintenance1 and thus make it burst forth into flower-or fruit-product4 ,nature produces the apple tree1 but man must cultivate it and feed it if he would be fed and comforted by it4 ,people who neglect their orchards can get neither pleasure nor profit from them1 and such persons are not competent to sit in judgment upon the value of an apple tree4 ,only those who love1 nourish1 and profit by their orchards may come into the apple court and speak with authority4 ,,chapter ,,xl ,,the ,,timothy ,,harvest ,on ,friday1 the #beth1 the children came home from their schools1 and with them came ,jim ,jarvis to spend the summer holidays4 ,our invitation to ,jarvis had been unanimous when he bade us good-by in the winter4 ,jack was his chum1 ,polly had adopted him1 ,i took to him from the first1 and ,jane1 in her shy way1 admired him greatly4 ,the boys took to farm life like ducks to water4 ,they were hot for any kind of work1 and hot1 too1 from all kinds4 ,i could not offer anything congenial until the timothy harvest in ,july4 ,when this was on1 they were happy and useful at the same time1--a rare combination for boys4 ,the timothy harvest is attractive to all1 and it would be hard to find a form of labor which contributes more to the sthetic sense than does the gathering of this fragrant grass4 ,at four o'clock on a fine morning1 with the barometer set fair1 ,thompson started the mower1 and kept it humming until #f4cj1 when ,zeb1 with a fresh team1 relieved him4 ,zeb tried to cut a little faster than his father1 but he was allowed no more time4 ,promptly at nine he was called in1 and there was to be no more cutting that day4 ,at eleven o'clock the tedder was started1 and in two hours the cut grass had been turned4 ,at three o'clock the rake gathered it into windrows1 from which it was rolled and piled into heaps1 or cocks1 of six hundred or eight hundred pounds each4 ,the cutting of the morning was in safe bunches before the dew fell1 there to go through the process of sweating until ten o'clock the next day4 ,it was then opened and fluffed out for four hours1 after which all hands and all teams turned to and hauled it into the forage barn4 ,the grass that was cut one morning was safely housed as hay by the second night1 if the weather was favorable2 if not1 it took little harm in the haycocks1 even from foul weather4 ,it is the sun-bleach that takes the life out of hay4 ,this year we had no trouble in getting fifty tons of as fine timothy hay as horses could wish to eat or man could wish to see4 ,we began to cut on ,tuesday1 the #fth of ,july1 and by ,saturday evening the twenty-acre crop was under cover4 ,the boys blistered their hands with the fork handles1 and their faces1 necks1 and arms with the sun's rays1 and claimed to like the work and the blisters4 ,indeed1 tossing clean1 fragrant hay is work fit for a prince2 and a man never looks to better advantage or more picturesque than when1 redolent with its perfume1 he slings a jug over the crook in his elbow and listens to the gurgle of the home-made ginger ale as it changes from jug to throat4 ,there may be joys in other drinks1 but for solid comfort and refreshment give me a ,july hay-field at #c ,p4,m41 a jug of water at forty-eight degrees1 with just the amount of molasses1 vinegar1 and ginger that is ,polly's secret1 and ,i will give cards and spades to the broadest goblet of bubbles that was ever poured1 and beat it to a standstill4 ,add to this a blond head under a broad hat1 a thin white gown1 such as grasshoppers love1 and you can see why the emptying of the jug was a satisfying function in our field2 for ,jane was the one who presided at these afternoon teas4 ,often ,jane was not alone2 ,florence or ,jessie1 or both1 or others1 made hay while the sun shone in those ,july days1 and many a load went to the barn capped with white and laughter4 ,the young people decided that a hay farm would be ideal--no end better than a factory farm--and advised me to put all the land into timothy and clover4 ,i was not too old to see the beauties of haying-time1 with such voluntary labor2 but ,i was too old and too much interested with my experiment to be cajoled by a lot of youngsters4 ,i promised them a week of haying in each fifty-two1 but that was all the concession ,i would make4 ,laura said3-- ,we are commanded to make hay while the sun shines2 and the sun always shines at ,four ,oaks1 for me4 ,it was pretty of her to say that2 but what else would one expect from ,laura8 ,the twelve acres from which the fodder oats had been cut were ploughed and fitted for sugar beets and turnips4 ,i was not at all certain that the beets would do anything if sown so late1 but ,i was going to try4 ,of the turnips ,i could feel more certain1 for doth not the poet say3-- ,the #beth day of ,july1 ,sow your turnips1 wet or dry8 ,as the #beth fell on ,sunday1 ,i tried to placate the agricultural poet by sowing half on the #bdth and the other half on the #bfth1 but it was no use4 ,whether the turnip god was offended by the fractured rule and refused his blessing1 or whether the dry ,august and ,september prevented full returns1 is more than ,i can say4 ,certain it is that ,i had but a half crop of turnips and a beggarly batch of beets to comfort me and the hogs4 ,some little consolation1 however1 was found in ,polly's joy over a small crop of currants which her yearling bushes produced4 ,i also heard rumors of a few cherries which turned their red cheeks to the sun for one happy day1 and then disappeared4 ,cock ,robin's breast was red the next morning1 and on this circumstantial evidence ,polly accused him4 ,he pleaded not guilty1 and strutted on the lawn with his thumbs in the armholes of his waistcoat and his suspected breast as much in evidence as a pouter pigeon's4 ,a jury1 mostly of blackbirds1 found the charge not proven1 and the case was dismissed4 ,i was convinced by the result of this trial that the only safe way would be to provide enough cherries for the birds and for the people too1 and ordered fifty more trees for fall planting4 ,i found by experience1 that if one would have bird neighbors 7and who would not871 he must provide liberally for their wants and also for their luxuries4 ,i have stolen a march as to the cherries by planting scores of mulberry trees1 both native and ,russian4 ,birds love mulberries even better than they do cherries1 and we now eat our pies in peace4 ,to make amends for this ruse1 ,i have established a number of drinking fountains and free baths2 all of which have helped to make us friends4 ,in ,august ,i sold1 near the top of a low market1 #aef young hogs4 ,at #d4ej per hundred1 the bunch netted me #ahjg4 ,they did not weigh quite as much as those sold the previous autumn1 and ,i found two ways of accounting for this4 ,the first and most probable was that fall pigs do not grow so fast as those farrowed in the spring4 ,this is sufficient to account for the fact that the herd average was twenty pounds lighter than that of its predecessor4 ,i could not1 however1 get over the notion that ,anderson's nervousness had in some way taken possession of the swine 7we have ,holy ,writ for a similar case71 and that they were wasted in growth by his spirit of unrest4 ,he was uniformly kind to them and faithful with their food1 but there was lacking that sense of cordial sympathy which should exist between hog and man if both would appear at their best4 ,even when ,anderson came to their pens reeking with the rich savor of the food they loved1 their ears would prick up 7as much as a ,chester ,white's ears can71 and with a woof6 they would shoot out the door1 only to return in a moment with the greatest confidence4 ,i never heard that woof and saw the stampede without looking around for the steep place and the sea1 feeling sure that the incident lacked only these accessories to make it a catastrophe4 ,anderson was good and faithful1 and he would work his arms and legs off for the pigs2 but the spirit of unrest entered every herd which he kept1 though neither he nor ,i saw it clearly enough to go and tell it in the city4 ,with other swineherds my hogs averaged from fifteen to eighteen pounds better than with faithful ,anderson1 and ,i am1 therefore1 competent to speak of the gross weight of the spirit of contentment4 ,,chapter ,,xli ,,strike ,,at ,,gordon',s ,,mine ,frank ,gordon owned a coal mine about six miles west of the village of ,exeter1 and four miles from ,four ,oaks4 ,a village called ,gordonville had sprung up at the mouth of the mine4 ,it was the home of the three hundred miners and their families1--mostly ,huns1 but with a sprinkling of ,cornishmen4 ,the houses were built by the owner of the mine1 and were leased to the miners at a small yearly rental4 ,they were modest in structure1 but they could be made inviting and neat if the occupants were thrifty4 ,no one was allowed to sell liquor on the property owned by the ,gordons1 but outside of this limit was a fringe of low saloons which did a thriving business off the improvident miners4 ,there had never been a strike at ,gordonville1 and such a thing seemed improbable1 for ,gordon was a kind master1 who paid his men promptly and looked after their interests more than is usual for a capitalist4 ,it was1 therefore1 a distinct surprise when the foreman of the mine telephoned to ,gordon one ,july morning that the men had struck work4 ,gordon did not understand the reason of it1 but he expressed himself as being heartily glad1 for financial reasons1 that the men had gone out4 ,he had more than enough coal on the surface and in cars to supply the demand for the next three months1 and it would be money in his pocket to dispose of his coal without having to pay for the labor of replacing it4 ,during the day the reason for the strike was announced4 ,from the establishment of the mine it had been the custom for the miners to have their tools sharpened at a shop built and run by the property4 ,this was done for the accommodation of the men1 and the charge for keeping the tools sharp was ten cents a week for each man1 or #e a year4 ,for twenty years no fault had been found with the arrangement2 it had been looked upon as satisfactory1 especially by the men4 ,a walking delegate1 mousing around the mine1 and finding no other cause for complaint1 had lighted upon this practice1 and he told the men it was a shame that they should have to pay ten cents a week out of their hard-earned wages for keeping their tools sharp4 ,he said that it was the business of the property to keep the tools sharp1 and that the men should not be called upon to pay for that service2 that they ought1 in justice to themselves and for the dignity of associated labor1 to demand that this onerous tax be removed2 and1 to insure its removal1 he declared a strike on4 ,this was the reason1 and the only reason1 for the strike at ,gordon's mine4 ,three hundred men quit work1 and three hundred families suffered1 many of them for the necessities of life1 simply because a loud-mouthed delegate assured them that they were being imposed upon4 ,things went on quietly at the mine4 ,there was no riot1 no disturbance4 ,gordon did not go over1 but simply telephoned to the superintendent to close the shaft houses1 shut down the engines1 put out the fires1 and let things rest1 at the same time saying that he would hold the superintendent and the bosses responsible for the safety of the plant4 ,the men were disappointed1 as the days went by1 that the owner made no effort to induce them to resume work4 ,they had believed that he would at once accede to their demand1 and that they would go back to work with the tax removed4 ,this1 however1 was not his plan4 ,weeks passed and the men became restless4 ,they frequented the saloons more generally1 spent their remaining money for liquor1 and went into debt as much as they were permitted for more liquor4 ,they became noisy and quarrelsome4 ,the few men who were opposed to the strike could make no headway against public opinion4 ,these men held aloof from the saloons1 husbanded their money1 and confined themselves as much as possible to their own houses4 ,things had gone on in this way for six weeks4 ,the men grew more and more restless and more dissipated4 ,again the walking delegate came to encourage them to hold out4 ,mounted on an empty coal car1 he made an inflammatory speech to the men1 advising them not only to hold out against the owner1 but also to prevent the employment of any other help4 ,if this should not prove sufficient1 he advised them to wreck the mining property and to fire the mine1--anything to bring the owner to terms4 ,jack and ,jarvis went for a long walk one day1 and their route took them near ,gordonville4 ,seeing the men collected in such numbers around a coal car1 they approached1 and heard the last half of this inflammatory speech4 ,as the walking delegate finished1 ,jack jumped up on the car1 and said3-- ,mc,ginnis has had his say2 now1 men1 let me have mine4 ,there are always two sides to a question4 ,you have heard one1 let me give you the other4 ,i am a delegate1 self-appointed1 from the amalgamated ,order of ,thinkers1 and ,i want you to listen to our view of this strike1--and of all strikes4 ,i want you also to think a little as well as to listen4 ,you have been led into this position by a man whose sole business is to foment discords between working-men and their employers4 ,the moment these discords cease1 that moment this man loses his job and must work or starve like the rest of you4 ,he is1 therefore1 an interested party1 and he is more than likely to be biassed by what seems to be his interest4 ,he has made no argument2 he has simply asserted things which are not true1 and played upon your sympathies1 emotions1 and passions1 by the use of the stale war-cries--'oppression1' 'down-trodden working-man1' 'bloated bond-holders1' and1 most foolish of all1 'the conflict between ,capital and ,labor4' ,you have not thought this matter out for yourselves at all4 ,that is why ,i ask you to join hands for a little while with the ,order of ,thinkers and see if there is not some good way out of this dilemma4 ,mc,ginnis said that the ,company has no right to charge you for keeping your tools sharp4 ,in one sense this is true4 ,you have a perfect right to work with dull tools1 if you wish to2 you have the right to sharpen your own tools2 and you also have the right to hire any one else to do it for you4 ,you work 'by the ton1' you own your pickaxes and shovels from handle to blade1 and you have the right to do with them as you please4 ,there are three hundred of you who use tools2 you each pay ten cents a week to the ,company for keeping them sharp1--that is1 in round numbers1 #aejj a year4 ,there are two smiths at work at #ej a month 7that is #abjj71 and a helper at #be a month 7#cjj more71 making just #aejj paid by the ,company in wages4 ,if you will think this matter out1 you will see that there is a dead loss to the ,company of the coal used1 the wear and tear of the instruments1 and the interest1 taxes1 insurance1 and degeneration of the plant4 ,is the ,company under obligation to lose this money for you8 ,not at all6 ,the ,company does this as an accommodation and a gratuity to you1 but not as a duty4 ,just as much coal would be taken from the ,gordon mine if your tools were never sharpened1 only it would require more men1 and you would earn less money apiece4 ,you could not get this sharpening done at private shops so cheaply1 and you cannot do it yourselves4 ,you have no more right to ask the ,company to do this work for nothing than you have to ask it to buy your tools for you4 ,it would be just as sensible for you to strike because the ,company did not send each of you ten cents' worth of ice-cream every ,sunday morning1 as it is for you to go out on this matter of sharpening tools4 ,but1 suppose the ,company were in duty bound to do this thing for you1 and suppose it should refuse2 would that be a good reason for quitting work8 ,not by any means6 ,you are earning an average of #b a day1--nearly #af1jjj a month4 ,you've 'been out' six weeks4 ,if you gain your point1 it will take you fifteen years to make up what you've already lost4 ,if you have the sense which ,god gives geese1 you will see that you can't afford this sort of thing4 ,but the end is not yet4 ,you are likely to stay out six weeks longer1 and each six weeks adds another fifteen years to your struggle to catch up with your losses4 ,is this a load which thinking people would impose upon themselves8 ,not much6 ,you will lose your battle1 for your strike is badly timed4 ,it seems to be the fate of strikes to be badly timed2 they usually occur when1 on account of hard times or over-supply1 the employers would rather stop paying wages than not4 ,that's the case now4 ,four months of coal is in yards or on cars1 and it's an absolute benefit to the ,company to turn seventy or eighty thousand dollars of dead product into live money4 ,don't deceive yourselves with the hope that you are distressing the owner by your foolish strike2 you are putting money into his pockets while your families suffer for food4 ,there is no great principle at stake to make your conduct seem noble and to call forth sympathy for your suffering1--only foolishness and the blind following of a demagogue whose living depends upon your folly4 ,mc,ginnis talked to you about the conflict between capital and labor4 ,that is all rot4 ,there is not and there cannot be such a conflict4 ,labor makes capital1 and without capital there would be no object in labor4 ,they are mutually dependent upon each other1 and there can be no quarrel between them1 for neither could exist after the death of the other4 ,the capitalist is only a laborer who has saved a part of his wages1 --either in his generation or in some preceding one4 ,any man with a sound mind and a sound body can become a capitalist4 ,when the laborer has saved one dollar he is a capitalist1--he has money to lend at interest or to invest in something that will bring a return4 ,the second dollar is easier saved than the first1 and every dollar saved is earning something on its own account4 ,all persons who have money to invest or to lend are capitalists4 ,of course1 some are great and some are small1 but all are independent1 for they have more than they need for immediate personal use4 ,i am going to tell you how you may all become capitalists2 but first ,i want to point out your real enemies4 ,the employer is not your enemy1 capital is not your enemy1 but the saloonkeeper is1--and the most deadly enemy you can possibly have4 ,in that fringe of shanties over yonder live the powers that keep you down2 there are the foes that degrade you and your families1 forcing you to live little better than wild beasts4 ,your food is poor1 your clothing is in rags1 your children are without shoes1 your homes are desolate1 there are no schools and no social life4 ,year follows year in dreary monotone1 and you finally die1 and your neighbors thrust you underground and have an end of you4 ,misery and wretchedness fill the measure of your days1 and you are forgotten4 ,this dull1 brutish condition is self-imposed1 and to what end8 ,that some dozen harpies may fatten on your flesh2 that your labor may give them leisure2 that your suffering may give them pleasure2 that your sweat may cool their brows1 and your money fill their tills6 ,what do you get in return8 ,whiskey1 to poison your bodies and pervert your minds2 whiskey1 to make you fierce beasts or dull brutes2 whiskey1 to make your eyes red and your hands unsteady2 whiskey1 to make your homes sties and yourselves fit occupants for them2 whiskey1 to make you beat your wives and children2 whiskey1 to cast you into the gutter1 the most loathsome animal in all the world4 ,this is cheap whiskey1 but it costs you dear4 ,all that makes life worth living1 all that raises man above the brute1 and all the hope of a future life1 are freely given for this poor whiskey4 ,the man who sells it to you robs you of your money and also of your manhood4 ,you pay him ten times 7often twenty times7 as much as it cost him1 and yet he poses as your friend4 ,i'm not going to say anything against beer1 for ,i don't think good beer is very likely to hurt a man4 ,i will say this1 however1--you pay more than twice what it is worth4 ,this is the point ,i would make3 beer is a food of some value1 and it should be put on a food basis in price4 ,it isn't more than half as valuable as milk1 and it shouldn't cost more than half as much4 ,you can have good beer at three or four cents a quart1 if you will let whiskey alone4 ,i promised to tell you how to become capitalists1 each and every one of you1 and ,i'll keep my word if you'll listen to me a little longer4 ,while ,jack had been speaking1 some of the men had shown considerable interest and had gradually crowded their way nearer to the boy4 ,thirty or forty ,cornishmen and perhaps as many others of the better sort were close to the car1 and seemed anxious to hear what he had to say4 ,back of these1 however1 were the large majority of the miners and the hangers-on at the saloons1 who did not wish to hear1 and did not mean that others should hear1 what the boy had to say4 ,led by ,mc,ginnis and the saloon-keepers1 they had kept up such a row that it had been impossible for any one1 except those quite near the car1 to hear at all4 ,now they determined to stop the talk and to bounce the boy4 ,they made a vigorous rush for the car with shouts and uplifted hands4 ,a gigantic ,cornishman mounted the car1 and said1 in a voice that could easily be heard above the shouting of the crowd3-- ,wait--wait a bit1 men6 ,the lad is a brave one1 and ye maun own to that6 ,there be small 'urt in words1 and mebbe 'e 'ave tole a bit truth4 ,me and me mates 'ere are minded to give un a chance4 ,if ye men don't want to 'ear 'im1 you don't 'ave to stay2 but don't 'e dare touchen with a finger1 or1 by ,god6 ,tom ,carkeek will kick the stuffin' out en 'e6 ,this was enough to prevent any overt act1 for ,tom ,carkeek was the champion wrestler in all that county2 he was fiercer than fire when roused1 and he would be backed by every ,cornishman on the job4 ,jack went on with his talk4 ,the ',order of ,thinkers' claim that you men and all of your class spend one-third of your entire wages for whiskey and beer4 ,there are exceptions1 but the figures will hold good4 ,i am going to call the amount of your wages spent in this way1 one-fourth4 ,the yearly pay-roll of this mine is1 in round numbers1 #bjj1jjj4 ,fifty thousand of this goes into the hands of those harpies1 who grow rich as you grow poor4 ,you are surprised at these figures1 and yet they are too small4 ,i counted the saloons over there1 and ,i find there are eleven of them4 ,divide #ej1jjj into eleven parts1 and you would give each saloon less than #ejjj a year as a gross business4 ,not one of those places can run on the legitimate percentage of a business which does not amount to more than that4 ,do you suppose these men are here from charitable motives or for their health8 ,not at all4 ,they are here to make money1 and they do it4 ,five or six hundred dollars is all they pay for the vile stuff for which they charge you #ejjj4 ,they rob you of manhood and money alike4 ,now1 what would be the result if you struck on these robbers8 ,i will tell you4 ,in the first place1 you would save #ej1jjj each year1 and you would be better men in every way for so doing4 ,you would earn more money1 and your children would wear shoes and go to school4 ,that would be much1 and well worth while2 but that is not the best of it4 ,i will make a proposition to you1 and ,i will promise that it shall be carried out on my side exactly as ,i state it4 ,this is a noble property4 ,in ten years it has paid its owner #ejj1jjj1--ej1jjj a year4 ,it is sure to go on in this way under good management4 ,i offer1 in the name of the owner1 to bond this property to you for #cjj1jjj for five years at six per cent4 ,of course this is an unusual opportunity4 ,the owner has grown rich out of it1 and he is now willing to retire and give others a chance4 ,his offer to you is to sell the mine for half its value1 and1 at the same time1 to give you five years in which to pay for it4 ,i will add something to this proposition1 for ,i feel certain that he will agree to it4 ,it is this3 ,mr4 ,gordon will build and equip a small brewery on this property1 in which good1 wholesome beer can be made for you at one cent a glass4 ,you are to pay for the brewery in the same way that you pay for the other property2 it will cost #be1jjj4 ,this will make #cbe1jjj which you are to pay during the next five years4 ,how8 ,let me tell you4 ,the property will give you a net income of #dj1jjj or #ej1jjj1 and you will save #ej1jjj more when you give up whiskey and get your beer for less than one-fourth of what it now costs you4 ,the general store at which you have always traded will be run in your interests1 and all that you buy will be cheaper4 ,the market will be a cooperative one1 which will furnish you meat1 fattened on your own land1 at the lowest price4 ,your fruit and vegetables will come from these broad acres1 which will be yours and will cost you but little4 ,you will earn more money because you will be sober and industrious1 and your money will purchase more because you will deal without a middleman4 ,you will be better clothed1 better fed1 and better men4 ,your wives will take new interest in life1 and there will be carpets on your floors1 curtains at your windows1 vegetables behind your cottages1 and flowers in front of them4 ,all these things you will have with the money you are now earning1 and at the same time you will be changing from the laborer to the capitalist4 ,the mine gives you a profit of #dj1jjj1 and you save one-fourth of your wages1 which makes #ej1jjj more1--#ij1jjj in all4 ,what are you to do with this8 ,less than #bj1jjj will cover the interest4 ,you will have #gj1jjj to pay on the principal4 ,this will reduce the interest for the next year more than #cjjj4 ,each year you can do as well1 and by the time the five years have passed you will own the mine1 the land1 the brewery1 the store1 the market1 and this blessed blacksmith shop about which you have had so much fuss1 and also a bank with a paid-up capital of #ej1jjj4 ,you are capitalists1 every one of you1 at the end of five years1 if you wish to be1 and if you are willing to give up the single item1--whiskey4 ,do you like the plan8 ,do you like the prospect8 ,turn it over and see what objections you can find4 ,if you are willing to go into it1 come over to ,four ,oaks some day and we will go more into details4 ,mc,ginnis gave you one side of the picture3 ,i have given you the other4 ,you are at liberty to follow whichever you please4 ,jack and ,jarvis jumped off the car and struck out for home4 ,carkeek and his ,cornishmen followed the lads until they were well clear of the village1 to protect them1 and then ,carkeek said3--,me and the others like for to hear 'e talk1 mister1 and we like for to 'ear 'e talk more4 ,all right1 ,goliath1 said ,jack4 ,come over any time and we'll make plans4 ,,chapter ,,xlii ,,the ,,riot ,two days later the boys1 returning from the city1 were met by ,jane and ,jessie in the big carriage to be driven home4 ,halfway to ,four ,oaks the carriage suddenly halted1 and a confused murmur of angry voices gave warning of trouble4 ,jack opened the door and stood upon the step4 ,fifteen or twenty drunken miners block the way1--they are holding the horses1 said he4 ,let me out2 ,i'll soon clear the road1 said ,jarvis1 trying to force his way past ,jack4 ,sit still1 ,hercules2 ,i am slower to wrath than you are4 ,let me talk to them1 and ,jack took three or four steps forward1 followed closely by ,jarvis4 ,well1 men1 what do you want8 ,there is no good in stopping a carriage on the highroad4 ,we want work and money and bread1 said a great bearded ,hun who was nearest to ,jack4 ,this is no way to get either4 ,we have no work to offer1 there is no bread in the carriage1 and not much money4 ,you are dead wrong in this business1 and you are likely to get into trouble4 ,i can make some allowance when ,i remember the bad whiskey that is in you1 but you must get out of our way2 the road is public and we have the right to use it4 ,not until you have paid toll1 said the ,hun4 ,that's the rooster who said we drank whiskey and didn't work4 ,he's the fellow who would rob a poor man of his liberty1 came a voice in the crowd4 ,knock his block off6 ,break his back6 ,let me at him1 and a score of other friendly offers came from the drunken crowd4 ,jack stood steadily looking at the ruffians1 his blue eyes growing black with excitement and his hands clenched tightly in the pockets of his reefer4 ,slowly1 men1 slowly1 said he4 ,if you want me1 you may have me4 ,there are ladies in the carriage2 let them go on2 ,i'll stay with you as long as you like4 ,you are brave men1 and you have no quarrel with ladies4 ,ladies1 eh6 said the ,hun1 ladies6 ,i never saw anything but women4 ,let's have a look at them1 boys4 ,this speech was drunkenly approved1 and the men pressed forward4 ,jack stood firm1 his face was white1 but his eyes flamed4 ,stand off6 ,there are good men who will die for those ladies1 and it will go hard but bad men shall die first4 ,the ,hun disregarded the warning4 ,i'll have a look into-- ,hell6 said the slow-of-wrath ,jack1 and his fist went straight from the shoulder and smote the ,hun on the point of the jaw4 ,it was a terrible blow1 dealt with all the force of a trained athlete1 and inspired by every impulse which a man holds dear2 and the half-drunken brute fell like a stricken ox4 ,catching the club from the falling man1 ,jack made a sudden lunge forward at the face of the nearest foe4 ,now1 ,jim6 he shouted1 as the full fever of battle seized him4 ,his forward lunge had placed another miner hors de combat1 and ,jarvis sprang forward and secured the wounded man's bludgeon4 ,back to back1 ,jack1 and mind your guard6 ,the odds were eighteen to two against the young men1 but they did not heed them4 ,back to back they stood1 and the heavy clubs were like feathers in their strong hands4 ,their skill at single stick was of immense advantage1 for it built a wall of defence around them4 ,the crazy-drunk miners rushed upon them with the fierceness of wild beasts2 they crowded in so close as to interfere with their own freedom of movement2 they sought to overpower the two men by weight of numbers and by showers of blows4 ,jack and ,jim were kept busy guarding their own heads1 and it was only occasionally that they could give an aggressive blow4 ,when these opportunities came1 they were accepted with fierce delight1 and a miner fell with a broken head at every blow4 ,two fell in front of ,jack and three went down under ,jarvis's club4 ,the battle had now lasted several minutes1 and the strain on the young men was telling on their wind2 they struck as hard and parried as well as at first1 but they were breathing rapidly4 ,the young men cheered each other with joyous words2 they felt no need of aid4 ,beats football hollow6 panted ,jarvis4 ,go in1 old man6 you're a dandy full-back6 came between strokes from ,jack4 ,let us leave the boys for a minute and see what the girls are doing4 ,when ,jarvis got out of the carriage1 he said3-- ,lars1 if there is trouble here1 you drive on as soon as you can get your horses clear4 ,never mind us2 we'll walk home4 ,get the ladies to ,four ,oaks as soon as possible4 ,when the battle began1 the miners left the horses to attack the men4 ,this gave a clear road1 and ,lars was ready to drive on1 but the girls were not in the carriage4 ,they had sprung out in the excitement of the first sound of blows2 and now stood watching with glowing eyes and white faces the prowess of their champions4 ,for minutes they watched the conflict with fear and pride combined4 ,when seven or eight minutes had passed and the champions had not slain all their enemies1 some degree of terror arose in the minds of the young ladies1--terror lest their knights be overpowered by numbers or become exhausted by slaying1--and they looked about for aid4 ,lars1 remembering what ,jarvis had said1 urged the ladies to get into the carriage and be driven out of danger4 ,they repelled his advice with scorn4 ,jane said3--,i won't stir a step until the men can go with us6 ,jessie said never a word1 but she darted forward toward the fighting men1 stooped1 picked up a fallen club1 and was back in an instant4 ,mounting quickly to the box1 she said3--,i can hold the horses4 ,don't you think you can help the men1 ,lars8 ,i'd like to try1 miss1 and the coachman's coat was off in a trice and the club in his hand4 ,he was none too soon6 ,jane1 who had mounted the box with ,jessie1 cried1 ,look out1 ,jack6 just as a heavy stone crashed against the back of his head4 ,some brute in the crowd had sent it with all his force4 ,the stone broke through the ,derby hat and opened a wide gash in ,jack's scalp1 and sent him to the ground with a thousand stars glittering before his eyes4 ,jane gave a sob and covered her eyes4 ,jessie swayed as though she would fall1 but she never took her eyes from the fallen man2 her lips moved1 but she said nothing2 and her face was ghastly white4 ,jarvis heard the dull thud against ,jack's head and knew that he was falling4 ,whirling swiftly1 he stopped a savage blow that was aimed at the stricken man1 and with a back-handed cut laid the striker low4 ,all right1 ,jack2 keep down till the stars are gone4 ,he stood with one sturdy leg on each side of ,jack's body and his big club made a charmed circle about him4 ,it was not more than twenty seconds before the wheels were out of ,jack's head and he was on his feet again1 though not quite steady4 ,jack's fall had given courage to the gang1 and they made a furious attack upon ,jarvis1 who was now alone and not a little impeded by the friend at his feet4 ,as ,jack struggled to his legs1 a furious blow directed at him was parried by ,jarvis's left arm1--his right being busy guarding his own head4 ,the blow was a fearful one2 it broke the small bone in the forearm1 beat down the guard1 and came with terrible force upon poor ,jack's left shoulder1 disabling it for a minute4 ,at the same time ,jarvis received a nasty blow across the face from an unexpected quarter4 ,he was staggered by it1 but he did not fall4 ,jack's right arm was good and very angry2 a savage jab with his club into the face of the man who had struck ,jarvis laid him low1 and ,jack grinned with satisfaction4 ,things were going hard with the young men4 ,they had1 indeed1 disqualified nine of the enemy2 but there were still eight or ten more1 and through hard work and harder knocks they had lost more than half their own fighting strength4 ,at this rate they would be used up completely while there were still three or four of the enemy on foot4 ,this was when they needed aid1 and aid came4 ,no sooner had ,lars found himself at liberty and with a club in his hands than he began to use it with telling effect4 ,he attacked the outer circle1 striking every head he could reach1 and such was his sprightliness that four men fell headlong before the others became aware of this attack from the rear4 ,this diversion came at the right moment1 and proved effective4 ,there were now but six of the enemy in fighting condition1 and these six were more demoralized by the sudden and unknown element of a rear attack than by the loss of their thirteen comrades4 ,they hesitated1 and half turned to look1 and two of them fell under the blows of ,jack and ,jarvis4 ,as the rest turned to escape1 the ,swede's club felled one1 and the other three ran for dear life4 ,they did not escape1 however1 for the long legs of the young men were after them4 ,young blood is hot1 and the savage fight that had been forced upon these boys had aroused all that was savage in them4 ,in an instant they overtook two of the fleeing men1 but neither could strike an enemy in the back4 ,throwing aside their clubs1 each seized his enemy by the shoulder1 turned him face to face and smote him sore1 each after his fashion4 ,then they laughed1 took hold of hands1 and walked wearily back to the carriage4 ,jarvis's face was covered with blood1 and ,jack's neck and shoulders were drenched1--his wound had bled freely4 ,lars had relieved the ladies on the box after administering kicks and blows in generous measure to the dazed and crippled miners1 who were crawling off the road or staggering along it4 ,the ,swede had a strain of fierce ,north blood which was not easily laid when once aroused1 and he glared around the battle-field1 hoping to find signs of resistance4 ,when none were to be seen1 he donned his coachman's coat and sat the box like a sphinx4 ,the girls went quickly forward to meet the men4 ,they said little1 but they put their hands on their battered champions in a way to make the heart of man glad4 ,the men were flushed and proud1 as men have been1 and men will be1 through all time1 when they have striven savagely against other savages in the sight of their mistresses1 and have gained the victory4 ,their bruises were numb with exultation and their wounds dumb with pride4 ,there was no regret for blows given or received1--no sympathy for fallen foe4 ,the male fights1 in the presence of the female1 with savage delight1 from the lowest to the highest ranks of creation1 and we must forgive our boys for some cruel exultation as they looked on the field of strife4 ,better feelings will come when the blood flows less rapidly in their veins6 ,we must hurry home1 said ,jane1 and let papa mend you4 ,then she burst into tears4 ,oh1 ,i am so sorry and so frightened6 ,do you feel very bad1 ,jack8 ,i know you are suffering dreadfully1 ,mr4 ,jarvis4 ,can't ,i do something for you8 ,my arm is bruised a bit1 said ,jarvis2 if you don't mind1 you can steady it a little4 ,jane's soft hands clasped themselves tenderly over ,jarvis's great fist1 and she felt relieved in the thought that she was doing something for her hero4 ,she held the great right hand of ,hercules tenderly1 and ,jarvis never let her know that it was the left arm that had been broken4 ,she felt certain that he must be suffering agony1 for ever and anon his fingers would close over hers with a spasmodic grip that sent a thrill of mixed joy and pain to her heart4 ,while ,i was bandaging the broken arm ,i saw the young lady going through some pantomimic exercises with her hands1 as if seeking to revive the memory of some previous position2 then her face blazed with a light1 half pleasure and half shame1 and she disappeared4 ,when the carriage arrived at ,four ,oaks1 the story was told in few words1 and ,i immediately set to work to mend the boys4 ,jack insisted that ,jarvis should receive the first attention1 and1 indeed1 he looked the worse4 ,but after washing the blood off his face1 ,i found that beyond a severe bruise1 which would disfigure him for a few days1 his face and head were unhurt4 ,his arm was broken and badly contused4 ,after ,i had attended to it1 he said3-- ,doctor1 ,i'm as good as new2 hope ,jack is no worse4 ,i carefully washed the blood off ,jack's head and neck1 and found an ugly scalp wound at least three inches long4 ,it made me terribly anxious until ,i fairly proved that the bone was uninjured4 ,after giving the boy the tonsure1 ,i put six stitches into the scalp1 and he never said a word4 ,perhaps the cause of this fortitude could be found in the blazing eyes of ,jessie ,gordon1 which fixed his as a magnet1 while her hands clasped his tightly4 ,miss ,jessie was as white as snow1 but there was no tremor in hand or eye4 ,when it was all over1 her voice was steady and low as she said3-- ,jack ,williams1 in the olden days men fought for women1 and they were called knights4 ,it was counted a noble thing to take peril in defence of the helpless4 ,i find no record of more knightly deed than you have done to-day1 and ,i know that no knight could have done it more nobly4 ,i want you to wear this favor on your hand4 ,she kissed his hand and left the room4 ,jack didn't seem to mind the wound in his head1 but he gave great attention to his hand4 ,,chapter ,,xliii ,,the ,,result ,as soon as the first report of the battle reached me1 ,i telephoned to ,bill ,jackson1 asking him to come at once to ,four ,oaks and to bring a man with him4 ,when he arrived1 attended by his big ,irishman1 my men had already put one of the farm teams to a great farm wagon1 and had filled the box nearly full of hay4 ,we gave ,jackson a hurried account of the fight and asked him to go at once and offer relief to the wounded1--if such relief were needed4 ,jackson was willing enough to go1 but he was greatly disappointed that he had missed the fight2 it seemed unnatural that there should be a big fight in his neighborhood and he not in it4 ,i'd give a ten-acre lot to have been with you1 lads1 said the big farmer as he started off4 ,word had been sent to ,dr4 ,high to be ready to care for some broken heads4 ,two hours later ,i drove to the ,inn at ,exeter and found the doctor just commencing the work of repair4 ,thirteen men had been brought in by the wagon1 twelve of them more or less cut and bruised about the head1 and all needing some surgical attention4 ,the thirteenth man was stone dead4 ,a terrific blow on the back of the head had crushed his skull as if it had been an egg-shell1 and he must have died instantly4 ,after looking this poor fellow over to make sure that there was no hope for him1 we turned our attention to the wounded4 ,the barn had been turned into a hospital1 and in two hours we had a dozen sore heads well cared for1 and their owners comfortably placed for the night on soft hay covered by blankets from the ,inn4 ,mrs4 ,french brought tea and gruels for the thirsty1 feverish fellows1 and we placed ,otto and the big ,irishman on duty as nurses for the night4 ,the coroner had been summoned1 and arrived as we finished our work4 ,he was an energetic official1 and lost no time in getting a jury of six to listen to the statements which the wounded men would give4 ,to their credit be it said that every one who gave testimony at all1 gave it to the effect that the miners were crazy-drunk1 that they stopped the carriage1 provoked the fight1 and did their utmost to disable or destroy the enemy4 ,the coroner would listen to no further testimony1 but gave the case to the jury4 ,in five minutes their verdict was returned1 justifiable and commendable homicide by person unknown to the jury4 ,the news of a fight and the death of a miner had reached ,gordonville1 where it created intense excitement4 ,by the time the inquest was over a crowd of at least fifty miners had collected near the barn4 ,much grumbling and some loud threats were heard4 ,jackson took it upon himself to meet these angry men1 and no one could have done better4 ,stepping upon a box which raised him a foot or two above the crowd1 he said3-- ,see here1 fellows1 ,i want to say a word to you4 ,my name's ,jackson--,bill ,jackson2 perhaps some of you know me4 ,if you don't1 ,i'll introduce myself4 ,i wasn't in this fight1--worse luck for me6 but ,i am wide open for engagements in that line4 ,some one inside said that this gang must be conciliated1 and ,i thought ,i would come out and do it4 ,i understand that you feel sore over this affair1--it's natural that you should1--but you must remember that those boys out at ,four ,oaks couldn't accommodate all of you4 ,if you wouldn't mind taking me for a substitute1 ,i'll do my level best to make it lively for you4 ,you don't need cards of introduction to me2 you needn't be ,american citizens2 you needn't speak ,english2 all you have to do is to put up your hands or cock your hats1 and ,i'll know what you mean4 ,if any of you thinks he hasn't had his share of what's been going on this afternoon1 he may just call on ,bill ,jackson for the balance4 ,i want to conciliate you if ,i can6 ,i'm a good-tempered man1 and not the kind to pick a quarrel2 but if any of you low-lived dogs are looking for a fight1 ,i'm not the man to disappoint you6 ,i came out here to satisfy you in this matter and to send you home contented1 and1 by the jumping ,jews6 ,i'll do it if ,i have to break the head of every dog's son among you6 ,they told me to speak gently to you1 and by thunder1 ,i've done it2 but now ,i'm going to say a word for myself6 ,a lot of your dirty crowd attacked two of the decentest men in the county when they were riding with ladies2 one of the gang got killed and the rest got their skulls cracked4 ,would these boys fight for the girls they had with them8 ,hell's blazes6 ,i'll fight for just thinking of it6 ,just one of you duffers say 'boo' to me6 ,i'm going right through you6 ,jackson sprang into the crowd1 which parted like water before a strong swimmer4 ,he cocked his hat1 smacked his fists1 and invited any or all to stand up to him4 ,he was crazy for a fight1 to get even with ,jack and ,jarvis2 but no one was willing to favor him4 ,he marched through the gang lengthways1 crossways1 and diagonally1 but to no purpose4 ,in great disgust he returned to the barn and reported that the crowd would not be conciliated4 ,when we left1 however1 there were no miners to be seen4 ,it was after one o'clock in the morning when ,i reached home4 ,going directly to the room occupied by the boys1 ,i met ,polly on the stairs4 ,i'm glad you've come1 said she1 for ,i can't do a thing with those boys2 they are too wild for any use4 ,entering the room1 ,i found the lads in bed1 but hilarious4 ,they had sent for ,lars and had filled him full of hot stuff and commendation4 ,he was sitting on the edge of a chair between the two beds1 his honest eyes bulging and his head rolling from the effects of unusual potations4 ,the lads had tasted the cup1 too1 but lightly2 their high spirits came from other sources4 ,victories in war and in love deserve celebration2 and when the two are united1 a bit of freedom must be permitted4 ,they sat bolt upright against the heads of their beds with flushed faces and shining eyes4 ,they shouted ,greek and ,latin verse at the bewildered ,swede2 they gave him the story of ,lars ,porsena in the original1 and then in bad ,swedish4 ,they called him ,lars ,porsena1--for had he not fought gallantly8 ,then he was ,gustavus ,adolphus1--for had he not come to the aid of the ,protestants when they were in sore need8 ,and then things got mixed and the ,royal ,swede was ,lars ,adolphus or ,gustavus ,porsena ,viking all in one4 ,the honest fellow was more than half crazed by strong waters1 incomprehensible words1 and jollying up which the young chaps had given him4 ,see here1 boys1 don't you see that you're sending your noble ,swede to his ,lutzen before his time1--not dead1 indeed1 but dead drunk8 ,this isn't the sort of medicine for either of you2 you should have been asleep three hours ago4 ,i'll take your last victim home4 ,we heard no more from any of the fighters until nine in the morning4 ,in looking them over ,i found that the ,swede had as sore a head as either of the others1 though he had never taken a blow4 ,many friends came to see the boys during the days of their seclusion1 to congratulate them on their fortunate escape1 and to compliment them on their skill and courage4 ,the lads enjoyed being made much of1 and their convalescence was short and cheerful4 ,of course ,sir ,tom was the most constant and most enthusiastic visitor4 ,the warm-hearted ,irishman loved the boys always1 but now he seemed to venerate them4 ,the successful club fight appealed to his national instincts as nothing else could have done4 ,with twenty years off and a shillalah in me hand ,i would have been proud to stand with you4 ,by the ,lord1 ,i'm asking too much6 ,i'll yield the twenty years and only ask for the stick6 ,and his cane went whirling around his head1 now guarding1 now striking1 and now with elaborate flourishes1 after the most approved ,donny-brook fashion4 ,but1 me friend ,jarvis1 what is this you have on your face8 ,pond's ,extract6 ,oh1 murder6 ,what is the world coming to when fresh beef and usquebaugh are crowded to the wall by bad-smelling water6 ,look at me nose2 it is as straight as ,god made it1 and yet many a time it has been knocked to one side of me face or spread all over me features4 ,nothing but whiskey and raw beef could ever coax it back6 ,it's ,god's mercy if you are not deformed for life1 me friend4 ,such privileges are not to be neglected with impunity4 ,let me bathe your face with whiskey and put a beef-steak poultice after it1 and ,i'll have you as handsome as a girl in three days4 ,give me the steak and whiskey inside and ,i'll feel handsome at once1 said ,jarvis4 ,oh1 the rashness of youth6 said ,sir ,tom4 ,but ,i'll not say a word against it4 ,youth is the greatest luck in the world1 and ,i'll not copper it4 ,and then our sporting friend grew reminiscent and told of a time at ,limmer's when the marquis and he occupied beds in the same room1 not unlike our boys' room--only smoky and dingy--and poulticed their battered faces with beef1 and used usquebaugh inside and outside1 after ten friendly rounds4 ,queensbary's nose never resumed entirely after that night1 but mine came back like rubber4 ,maybe it was the beef--maybe it was usquebaugh2 me own preference is in favor of the latter4 ,sir ,tom came every day so long as the boys were confined to the place1 and each day he was able to develop some new incident connected with the battle which called for applause4 ,after hearing ,lars tell his story for the fourth time1 he gave him a ten-dollar note1 saying3-- ,you did nobly for a ,swede1 ,mr4 ,gustavus ,adolphus1 but ,i would give ten tenners to have had your place and your shillalah1--a ,swede for a match-lock1 but an ,irishman for a stick4 ,jack had hardly recovered when he was waited on by a committee from the mine with a request that he would make another speech4 ,he was asked to make good his offer of bonding the property1 and also to formulate a plan of cooperation for the guidance of the men4 ,jack had the plans for a cooperative mining village well digested1 and was anxious to get them before the miners4 ,as soon as he was fit he went to ,gordonville to try to organize the work4 ,jarvis of course went with him1 and ,bill ,jackson and ,sir ,tom would not be denied2 they did not say so1 but they looked as if they thought some diversion might be found4 ,in spite of the influence of strong whiskey1 however1 the meeting passed off peacefully4 ,the results that grew from this effort at reformation were so great and so far-reaching that they deserve a book for their narration4 ,,chapter ,,xliv ,,deep ,,waters ,for sharp contrasts give me the dull country4 ,the unexpected is the usual in small and in great things alike as they happen on a farm1 and ,i make no apology to the reader for entering them in my narrative4 ,i only ask him1 if he be a city man1 to take my word for the truth as to the general facts4 ,to some elaboration and embellishment ,i plead guilty1 but the groundwork is truth1 and the facts stated are as real as the foundations of my buildings or the cows in my stalls4 ,if the fortunate reader be a country man1 he will need no assurance from me1 for his eyes have seen and his ears have heard the strange and startling episodes with which the quiet country-side is filled4 ,i do not dare record all the adventures which clustered around us at ,four ,oaks4 ,people who know only the monotonous life of cities would not believe the half if told1 and ,i do not wish to invite discredit upon my story of the making of the factory farm4 ,the incidents ,i have given of the strike at ,gordon's mine are substantially correct1 and ,i would love to follow them to their sequel1--the coperative mine2 but as that is a story by itself1 ,i cannot do it now4 ,i promise myself1 however1 the pleasure of writing a history of this innovation in coal-mining at an early date4 ,it is worth the world's knowing that a copartnership can exist between three hundred equal partners without serious friction1 and that community in business interests on a large scale can be successfully managed without any effort to control personal liberty1 either domestic1 social1 or religious4 ,indeed1 ,i believe the success of this experiment is due largely to the absence of any attempt to superintend the private interests of its members1--the only bond being a common financial one1 and the one requisite to membership1 ability to save a portion of the wages earned4 ,but to go back to farm matters4 ,in ,august the ground was stirred for the second time around the young trees4 ,to do this1 the mulch was turned back and the surface for a space of three feet all around the tree was loosened by hoe or mattock1 and the mulch was then returned4 ,the trees were vigorous1 and their leaves had the polish of health1 in spite of the dry ,july and ,august4 ,the mulching must receive the credit for much of this thrift1 for it protected the soil from the rays of the sun and invited the deep moisture to rise toward the surface4 ,few people realize the amount of water that enters into the daily consumption of a tree4 ,it is said that the four acres of leaf surface of a large elm will transpire or yield to evaporation eight tons of water in a day1 and that it takes more than five hundred tons of water to produce one ton of hay1 wheat1 oats1 or other crop4 ,this seems enormous2 but an inch of rain on an acre of ground means more than a hundred tons of water1 and precipitation in our part of the country is about thirty-six inches per annum1 so that we can count on over thirty-six hundred tons of water per acre to supply this tremendous evaporation of plant life4 ,water-pot and hose look foolish in the face of these figures2 indeed1 they are poor makeshifts to keep life in plants during pinching times4 ,a much more effective method is to keep the soil loose under a heavy mulch1 for then the deep waters will rise4 ,in our climate the tree's growth for the year is practically completed by ,july #ae1 and fortunately dry times rarely occur so early4 ,we are1 therefore1 pretty certain to get the wood growth1 no matter how dry the year1 since it would take several years of unusual drought to prevent it4 ,of course the wood is not all that we wish for in fruit trees2 the fruit is the main thing1 and to secure the best development of it an abundant rainfall is needed after the wood is grown4 ,if the rain doesn't come in ,july and ,august1 heavy mulching must be the fruit-grower's reliance1 and a good one it will prove if the drought doesn't continue more than one year4 ,after ,july the new wood hardens and gets ready for the trying winter4 ,if ,july and ,august are very wet1 growth may continue until too late for the wood to harden1 and it consequently goes into winter poorly prepared to resist its rigors4 ,the result is a killing back of the soft wood1 but usually no serious loss to the trees4 ,the effort to stimulate late summer growth by cultivation and fertilization is all wrong2 use manures and fertilizers freely from ,march until early ,june1 but not later4 ,the fall mulch of manure1 if used1 is more for warmth than for fertility2 it is a blanket for the roots1 but much of its value is leached away by the suns and rains of winter4 ,i felt that ,i had made a mistake in not sowing a cover crop in my orchard the previous year4 ,there are many excellent reasons for the cover crop and not one against it4 ,the first reason is that it protects the land from the rough usage and wash of winter storms2 the second1 that it adds humus to the soil2 and the third1 if one of the legumes is used1 that it collects nitrogen from the air1 stores it in each knuckle and joint1 and holds it there until it is liberated by the decay of the plant4 ,as nitrogen is the most precious of plant foods1 and as the nitrate beds and deposits are rapidly becoming exhausted1 we must look to the useful legumes to help us out until the scientists shall be able to fix the unlimited but volatile supply which the atmosphere contains1 and thus to remove the certain1 though remote1 danger of a nitrogen famine4 ,that this will be done in the near future by electric forces1 and with such economy as to make the product available for agricultural purposes1 is reasonably sure4 ,in the meantime we must use the vetches1 peas1 beans1 and clovers which are such willing workers4 ,the legumes fulfil the three requisites of the cover crop3 protection1 humus1 and the storing of nitrogen4 ,that was why1 when the corn in the orchard was last cultivated in ,july1 ,i planted cow peas between the rows4 ,the peas made a fair growth in spite of the dry season1 and after the corn was cut they furnished fine pasture for the brood sows1 that ate the peas and trampled down the vines4 ,in the spring ploughing this black mat was turned under1 and with it went a store of fertility to fatten the land4 ,cow peas were sowed in all the corn land in #ahig1 and the rule of the farm is to sow corn-fields with peas1 crimson clover1 or some other leguminous plant4 ,as my land is divided almost equally each year between corn and oats1 which follow each other1 it gets a cover crop turned under every two years over the whole of it4 ,great quantities of manure are hauled upon the oat stubble in the early spring1 and these fields are planted to corn1 while the corn stubble is fertilized by the cover crop1 and oats are sown4 ,the land is taxed heavily every year1 but it increases in fertility and crop-making capacity4 ,for the past two years my oats have averaged forty-seven bushels and my corn nearly sixty-eight bushels per acre4 ,there is no waste land in my fields1 and we have made such a strenuous fight against weeds that they no longer seriously tax the land4 ,the wisdom of the work done on the fence rows is now apparent4 ,the ploughing and seeding made it easy to keep the brush and weeds down2 hay gathered close to the fences more than pays us for the mowing2 and we have no tall weed heads to load the wind with seeds4 ,this is a matter which is not sufficiently considered by the majority of farmers1 for weeds are allowed to tax the land almost as much as crops do1 and yet they pay no rent4 ,fence lines and corners are usually breeding beds for these pests1 and it will pay any landowner to suppress them4 ,,chapter ,,xlv ,,dogs ,,and ,,horses ,it was definitely decided in ,august that ,jane was not to go back to ,farmington4 ,we had all been of two minds over this question1 and it was a comfort to have it settled1 though ,i always suspect that my share of it was not beyond the suspicion of selfishness4 ,jane was just past nineteen4 ,she had a fair education1 so far as books go1 and she did not wish to graduate simply for the honor of a diploma4 ,indeed1 there were many studies between her and the diploma which she loathed4 ,she could never understand how a girl of healthy mind could care for mathematics1 exact science1 or dead languages4 ,english and ,french were enough for her tongue1 and history1 literature1 and metaphysics enough for her mind4 ,i can learn much more from the books in your library and from the dogs and horses than ,i can at school1 besides being a thousand times happier2 and oh1 ,dad1 if you will let me have a forge and workshop1 ,i will make no end of things4 ,this was a new idea to me1 and ,i looked into it with some interest4 ,i knew that ,jane was deft with her fingers1 but ,i did not know that she had a special wish to cultivate this deftness or to put it to practical use4 ,what can you do with a forge8 said ,i4 ,you can't shoe the horses or sharpen the ploughs4 ,can you make nails8 ,they are machine-made now1 and you couldn't earn ten cents a week1 even at horse-shoe nails4 ,i don't want to make nails1 ,dad2 ,i want to work in copper and brass1 and iron1 too1 but in girl fashion4 ,mary ,town has a forge in ,hartford1 and ,i spent lots of ,saturdays with her4 ,she says that ,i am cleverer than she is1 but of course she was jollying me1 for she makes beautiful things2 but ,i can learn1 and it's great fun4 ,what kind of things does this young lady make1 dear8 ,lamp-shades1 paper-knives1 hinges1 bag-tops1 buckles1 and lots of things4 ,she could sell them1 too1 if she had to4 ,it's like learning a trade1 ,dad4 ,all right1 child1 you shall have a forge1 if you will agree not to burn yourself up4 ,do you roll up your sleeves and wear a leather apron8 ,why1 of course1 just like a blacksmith2 only mine will be of soft brown leather and pinked at the edges4 ,so ,jane was to have her forge4 ,we selected a site for it at once in the grove to the east of the house and about #aej yards away1 and set the carpenter at work4 ,the shop proved to be a feature of the place1 and soon became a favorite resort for old and young for five o'clock teas and small gossiping parties4 ,the house was a shingled cottage1 sixteen by thirty-two1 divided into two rooms4 ,the first room1 sixteen by twenty1 was the company room1 but it contained a work bench as well as the dainty trappings of a girl's lounging room4 ,in the centre of the wall that separated the rooms was a huge brick chimney1 with a fireplace in the front room and a forge bed in the rear room1 which was the forge proper4 ,i suppose ,i must charge the #dfj which this outfit cost to the farm account and pay yearly interest on it1 for it is a fixture2 but ,i protest that it is not essential to the construction of a factory farm1 and it may be omitted by those who have no daughter ,jane4 ,there were other things hinging on ,jane's home-staying which made me think that1 from the standpoint of economy1 ,i had made a mistake in not sending her back to ,farmington4 ,it was not long before the dog proposition was sprung upon me2 insidiously at first1 until ,i had half committed myself1 and then with such force and sweep as to take me off my prudent feet4 ,my own faithful terrier1 which had dogged my heels for three years1 seemed a member of the family1 and reasonably satisfied my dog needs4 ,that ,jane should wish a terrier of some sort to tug at her skirts and claw her lace was no more than natural1 and ,i was quite willing to buy a blue blood and think nothing of the #bj or #cj which it might cost4 ,we canvassed the list of terriers1--bull1 ,boston1 fox1 ,irish1 ,skye1 ,scotch1 ,airedale1 and all1--and had much to say in favor of each4 ,one day ,jane said3-- ,dad1 what do you think of the ,russian wolf-hound8 ,fine as silk1 said ,i1 not seeing the trap2 the handsomest dog that runs4 ,i think so1 too4 ,i saw some beauties in the ,seabright kennels4 ,wouldn't one of them look fine on the lawn8--lemon and white1 and so tall and silky4 ,i saw one down there1 and he wasn't a year old1 but his tail looked like a great white ostrich feather1 and it touched the ground4 ,wouldn't it be grand to have such a dog follow me when ,i rode4 ,say1 ,dad1 why not have one8 ,what do you suppose a good one would cost8 ,i don't know1 but a good bit more than a terrier1 if they sell dogs by size4 ,may ,i write and find out8 ,there's no harm in doing that1 said ,i1 like the jellyfish that ,i am4 ,jane wasted no time1 but wrote at once1 and at least seventeen times each day1 until the reply came1 she gave me such vivid accounts of the beauties of the beasts and of the pleasure she would have in owning one1 that ,i grew enthusiastic as well1 and quite made up my mind that she should not be disappointed4 ,when the letter came1 there was suppressed excitement until she had read it1 and then excitement unsuppressed4 ,dad1 we can have ,alexis1 son of ,katinka by ,peter the ,great1 for #abe6 ,see what the letter says3 ',eleven months old1 tall and strong in quarters1 white1 with even lemon markings1 better head than ,marksman1 and a sure winner in the best of company4' ,isn't that great8 ,and ,i don't think #abe is much1 do you8 ,not for a horse or a house1 dear1 but for a dog-- ,but you know1 ,dad1 this isn't a common dog4 ,we mustn't think of it as a dog2 it's a barzoi2 that isn't too much for a barzoi1 is it8 ,not for a barzoi1 or a yacht either2 ,i guess you will have to have one or the other4 ,the ,seabright man says he has a girl dog by ,marksman out of ,katrina that is the very picture of ,alexis1 only not so large1 and he will sell both to the same person for #bjj2 they are such good friends4 ,break away1 daughter1 do you want a steam launch with your yacht8 ,but just think1 ,dad1 only #ge for this one4 ,you save #ej1 don't you see8 ,dimly1 ,i must confess1 as through a glass darkly4 ,but1 dear1 ,i may come to see it through your eyes and in the light of this altruistic dog fancier4 ,i'm such a soft one that it's a wonder ,i'm ever trusted with money4 ,the natural thing occurred once more2 the fool and his money parted company1 and two of the most beautiful dogs came to live on our lawn4 ,to live on our lawn1 did ,i say8 ,not much6 ,such wonderful creatures must have a house and grounds of their own to retire to when they were weary of using ours1 or when our presence bored them4 ,the kennel and runs were built near the carriage barn1 the runs1 twenty by one hundred feet1 enclosed with high wire netting4 ,the kennel1 eight by sixteen1 was a handsome structure of its kind1 with two compartments eight by eight 7for ,jane spoke for the future71 and beds1 benches1 and the usual fixtures which well-bred dogs are supposed to require4 ,the house for these dogs cost #bjj1 so ,i was obliged to add another #djj to the interest-bearing debt4 ,if ,jane keeps on in this fashion1 thought ,i1 ,i shall have to refund at a lower rate1--and she did keep on4 ,no sooner were the dogs safely kennelled than she began to think how fine it would look to be followed by this wonderful pair along the country roads and through the streets of ,exeter4 ,to be followed1 she must have a horse and a saddle and a bridle and a habit2 and later on ,i found that these things did not grow on the bushes in our neighborhood4 ,i drew a line at these things1 however1 and decided that they should not swell the farm account4 ,thus ,i keep from the reader's eye some of the foolishness of a doting parent who has always been as warm wax in the hands of his1 nearly always1 reasonable children4 ,in my stable were two ,kentucky-bred saddlers of much more than average quality1 for they had strains of warm blood in their veins4 ,there is no question nowadays as to the value of warm blood in either riding or driving horses4 ,it gives ability1 endurance1 courage1 and docility beyond expectation4 ,one-sixteenth thorough blood will1 in many animals1 dominate the fifteen-sixteenths of cold blood1 and prove its virtue by unusual endurance1 stamina1 and wearing capacity4 ,the blue-grass region of ,kentucky has furnished some of the finest horses in the world1 and ,i have owned several which gave grand service until they were eighteen or twenty years old4 ,an honest horseman at ,paris1 ,kentucky1 has sold me a dozen or more1 and ,i was willing to trust his judgment for a saddler for ,jane4 ,my request to him was for a light-built horse2 weight1 one thousand pounds2 game and spirited1 but safe for a woman1 and one broken to jump4 ,everything else1 including price1 was left to him4 ,in good time ,jane's horse came1 and we were well pleased with it1 as indeed we ought to have been4 ,my ,paris man wrote3 ,i send a bay mare that ought to fill the bill4 ,she is as quiet as a kitten1 can run like a deer1 and jump like a kangaroo4 ,my sister has ridden her for four months1 and she is not speaking to me now4 ,if you don't like her1 send her back4 ,but ,i did like her1 and ,i sent1 instead1 a considerable check4 ,the mare was a bright bay with a white star on her forehead and white stockings on her hind feet1 stood fifteen hands three inches1 weighed #ihj pounds1 and looked almost too light built2 but when we noted the deep chest1 strong loins1 thin legs1 and marvellous thighs1 we were free to admit that force and endurance were promised4 ,jane was delighted4 ,dad1 if ,i live to be a hundred years old1 ,i will never forget this day4 ,she's the sweetest horse that ever lived4 ,i must find a nice name for her1 and to-morrow we will take our first ride1 you and ,tom and ,aloha and ,i--yes1 that's her name4 ,we did ride the next day1 and many days thereafter2 and ,aloha proved all and more than the ,kentuckian had promised4 ,,chapter ,,xlvi ,,the ,,skim-,,milk ,,trust ,the third quarter of the year made a better showing than any previous one1 due chiefly to the sale of hogs in ,august4 ,the hens did well up to ,september1 when they began to make new clothes for themselves and could not be bothered with egg-making4 ,there were a few more than seven hundred in the laying pens1 and nearly as many more rapidly approaching the useful age4 ,the chief advantage in early chickens is that they will take their places at the nests in ,october or ,november while the older ones are dressmaking4 ,this is important to one who looks for a steady income from his hens1--,october and ,november being the hardest months to provide for4 ,a few scattered eggs in the pullet runs showed that the late ,february and early ,march chickens were beginning to have a realizing sense of their obligations to the world and to the ,headman1 and that they were getting into line to accept them4 ,more cotton-seed meal was added to the morning mash for the old hens1 and the corn meal was reduced a little and the oatmeal increased1 as was also the red pepper2 but do what you will or feed what you like1 the hen will insist upon a vacation at this season of the year4 ,you may shorten it1 perhaps1 but you cannot prevent it4 ,the only way to keep the egg-basket full is to have a lot of youngsters coming on who will take up the laying for ,october and ,november4 ,we milked thirty-seven cows during ,july1 ,august1 and ,september1 and got more than a thousand pounds of milk a day4 ,the butter sold amounted to a trifle more than #cge a month4 ,i think this an excellent showing1 considering the fact that the colony at ,four ,oaks never numbered less than twenty-four during that time1 and often many more4 ,i ought to say that the calves had the first claim to the skim-milk2 but as we never kept many for more than a few weeks1 this claim was easily satisfied4 ,it was like the bonds of a corporation1--the first claim1 but a comparatively small one4 ,the hens came next2 they held preferred stock1 and always received a five-pound1 semi-daily dividend to each pen of forty4 ,the growing pigs came last2 they held the common stock1 which was often watered by the swill and dish-water from both houses and the buttermilk and butter-washing from the dairy4 ,i hold that the feeding value of skim-milk is not less than forty cents a hundred pounds1 as we use it at ,four ,oaks4 ,this seems a high price when it can often be bought for fifteen cents a hundred at the factories2 but ,i claim that it is worth more than twice as much when fed in perfect freshness1--certainly #d a day would not buy the skim-milk from my dairy1 for it is worth more than that to me to feed4 ,this by-product is essential to the smooth running of my factory4 ,without it the chickens and pigs would not grow as fast1 and it is the best food for laying hens1--nothing else will give a better egg-yield4 ,the longer my experiment continues1 the stronger is my faith that the combination of cow1 hog1 and hen1 with fruit as a filler1 are ideal for the factory farm4 ,with such a plant well-started and well-managed1 and with favorable surroundings1 ,i do not see how a man can prevent money from flowing to him in fair abundance4 ,the record of the fourth quarter is as follows3-- ,butter #aabf4jj ,eggs #cea4jj ,hogs #ahjg4jj -------- ,total #cbhd4jj ,,chapter ,,xlvii ,,naboth',s ,,vineyard ,one hazy1 lazy ,october afternoon1 as my friend ,kyrle and ,i sat on the broad porch hitting our pipes1 sipping high balls1 and watching the men and machines in the corn-fields1 as all toiling sons of the soil should do1 he said3-- ,doctor1 ,i don't think you've made any mistake in this business4 ,lots of them1 ,kyrle2 but none too serious to mend4 ,yes1 ,i suppose so2 but ,i didn't mean it that way4 ,it was no mistake when you made the change4 ,you're right1 old man4 ,it's done me a heap of good1 and ,polly and the youngsters were never so happy4 ,i only wish we had done it earlier4 ,do you think ,i could manage a farm8 ,why1 of course you can2 you've managed your business1 haven't you8 ,you've grown rich in a business which is a great sight more taxing4 ,how have you done it8 ,by using my head1 ,i suppose4 ,that's just it2 if a man will use his head1 any business will go1--farming or making hats4 ,it's the gray matter that counts1 and the fellow that puts a little more of it into his business than his neighbor does1 is the one who'll get on4 ,but farming is different2 so much seems to depend upon winds and rains and frosts and accidents of all sorts that are out of one's line4 ,not so much as you think1 ,kyrle4 ,of course these things cut in1 but one must discount them in farming as in other lines of business4 ,a total crop failure is an unknown thing in this region2 we can count on sufficient rain for a moderate crop every year1 and we know pretty well when to look for frosts4 ,if a man will do well by his land1 the harvest will come as sure as taxes4 ,all the farmer has to do is to make the best of what ,nature and intelligent cultivation will always produce4 ,but he must use his gray matter in other ways than in just planning the rotation of crops4 ,when he finds his raw staples selling for a good deal less than actual value1--less than he can produce them for1 he should go into the market and buy against higher prices1 for he may be absolutely certain that higher prices will come4 ,but how is one to know8 ,corn changes so that one can't form much idea of its actual value4 ,no more than other staples4 ,you know what fur is worth1 because you've watched the fur market for twenty years4 ,if it should fall to half its present price1 you would feel safe in buying a lot4 ,you know that it would make just as good hats as it ever did1 and that the hats1 in all probability1 would give you the usual profit4 ,it's the same with corn and oats4 ,i know their feeding value2 and when they fall much below it1 ,i fill my granary1 because for my purpose they are as valuable as if they cost three times as much4 ,last year ,i bought ten thousand bushels of corn and oats at a tremendously low price4 ,i don't expect to have such a chance again2 but ,i shall watch the market1 and if corn goes below thirty cents or oats below twenty cents1 ,i will fill my granary to the roof4 ,i can make them pay big profits on such prices4 ,will you sell this plant1 ,williams8 ,not for a song1 you may be sure4 ,what has it cost you to date8 ,don't know exactly1--between #hj1jjj and #ij1jjj1 ,i reckon2 the books will show4 ,will you take twenty per cent advance on what the books show8 ,i'm on the square4 ,now see here1 old man1 what would be the good of selling this factory for #ajj1jjj8 ,how could ,i place the money so that it would bring me half the things which this farm brings me now8 ,could ,i live in a better house1 or have better food1 better service1 better friends1 or a better way of entertaining them8 ,you know that #ejjj or #fjjj a year would not supply half the luxury which we secure at ,four ,oaks1 or give half the enjoyment to my family or my friends4 ,don't you see that it makes little difference what we call our expenses out here1 so long as the farm pays them and gives us a surplus besides8 ,the investment is not large for one to get a living from1 and it makes possible a lot of things which would be counted rank extravagance in the city4 ,here's one of them4 ,a cavalcade was just entering the home lot4 ,first came ,jessie ,gordon on her thoroughbred mare ,lightfoot1 and with her1 ,laura on my ,jerry4 ,laura's foot is as dainty in the stirrup as on the rugs1 and she has ,jerry's consent and mine to put it where she likes4 ,following them were ,jane and ,bill ,jackson1 with ,jane's slender mare looking absolutely delicate beside the big brown gelding that carried ,jackson's #aij pounds with ease4 ,the horses all looked as if there had been something doing1 and they were hurried to the stables4 ,the ladies laughed and screamed for a season1 as seems necessary for young ladies1 and then departed1 leaving us in peace4 ,jackson filled his pipe before remarking3-- ,i've been over the ridge into the ,dunkard settlement1 and they have the cholera there to beat the band4 ,joe ,siegel lost sixty hogs in three days1 and there are not ten well hogs in two miles4 ,what do you think of that8 ,that means a hard 'fight mit ,siegel1' said ,kyrle4 ,it ought to mean a closer quarantine on this side of the ridge1 said ,i1 and you must fumigate your clothes before you appear before your swine1 ,jackson4 ,it's more likely to be swine plague than cholera at this time of the year1 but it's just as bad2 one can hardly tell the difference1 and we must look sharp4 ,how does the contagion travel1 ,doctor8 ,on horseback1 when such chumps as you can be found4 ,you probably have some millions of germs up your sleeve now1 or1 more likely1 on your back1 and ,i wouldn't let you go into my hog pen for a #bjjj note4 ,i'm so well quarantined that ,i don't much fear contagion2 but there's always danger from infected dust4 ,the wind blows it about1 and any mote may be an automobile for a whole colony of bacteria1 which may decide to picnic in my piggery4 ,this dry weather is bad for us1 and if we get heavy winds from off the ridge1 ,i'm going to whistle for rain4 ,i say1 ,williams1 when you came out here ,i thought you a tenderfoot1 sure enough1 who was likely to pay money for experience2 but1 by the jumping ,jews6 you've given us natives cards and spades4 ,i was a tenderfoot so far as practical experience goes1 but ,i tried to use the everyday sense which ,god gave me1 and ,i find that's about all a man needs to run a business like this4 ,you run it all right1 for returns1 and that's what we are after2 and ,i'm beginning to catch on4 ,i want you to tell me1 before ,kyrle here1 why you gave me that bull two years ago4 ,what's the matter with the bull1 ,jackson8 ,isn't he all right8 ,sure he's all right1 and as fine as silk2 but why did you give him to me8 ,why didn't you keep him for yourself8 ,well1 ,bill1 ,i thought you would like him1 and we were neighbors1 and-- ,you thought ,i would save you the trouble of keeping him1 didn't you8 ,well1 perhaps that did have some influence4 ,you see1 this is a factory farm from fence to fence1 except this forty which ,polly bosses1 and the utilitarian idea is on top4 ,keeping the bull didn't exactly run with my notion of economy1 especially when ,i could conveniently have him kept so near1 and at the same time be generous to a neighbor4 ,that's it1 and it's taken me two years to find it out4 ,you're trying to follow that idea all along the line4 ,you're dead right1 and ,i'm going to tag on1 if you don't mind4 ,i was glad enough for your present at the time1 and ,i'm glad yet2 but ,i've learned my lesson1 and you may bet your dear life that no man will ever again give me a bull4 ,that's right1 ,jackson4 ,now you have struck the key-note2 stick to it1 and you will make money twice as fast as you have done4 ,have a mark1 and keep your eye on it1 and your plough will turn a straight furrow4 ,jackson sent for his horse1 and just before he mounted1 ,i said1 ,are you thinking of selling your farm8 ,i used to think of it1 but ,i've been to school lately and can 'do my sums' better4 ,no1 ,i guess ,i won't sell the paternal acres2 but who wants to buy8 ,kyrle1 here1 is looking for a farm about the size of yours1 and to tell you the truth ,i should like him for a neighbor4 ,it's dollars to doughnuts that ,i could give him a whole herd of bulls4 ,indeed1 you can't do anything of the kind6 ,i wouldn't take a gold dollar from you until ,i had it tested4 ,i'm on to your curves4 ,but seriously1 ,jackson1 ,i must have more land2 my stock will eat me out of house and home by the time the factory is running full steam4 ,what would you say to a proposition of #aj1jjj for one hundred acres along my north line8 ,a year ago ,i would have jumped at it4 ,now ,i say 'nit4' ,i need it all1 ,doctor2 ,i told you ,i was going to tag on4 ,but what's the matter with the old lady's quarter across your south road8 ,nothing's the matter with the land1 only she won't sell it at any price4 ,i know2 but that drunken brute of a son will sell as soon as she's under the sod1 and they say the poor old girl is on her last legs1--down with distemper or some other beastly disease4 ,i'll tell you what ,i'll do4 ,i'll sound the renegade son and see how he measures4 ,some one will get it before long1 and it might as well be you4 ,jackson galloped off1 and ,kyrle and ,i sat on the porch and divided the widow's #afj-;acre mite4 ,it was a good strip of land1 lying a fair mile on the south road and a quarter of a mile deep4 ,the buildings were of no value1 the fences were ragged to a degree1 but ,i coveted the land4 ,it was the vineyard of ,naboth to me1 and ,i planned its future with my friend and accessory sitting by4 ,i destroyed the estimable old lady's house and barns1 ran my ploughshares through her garden and flower beds1 and turned the home site into one great field of lusty corn1 without so much as saying by your leave4 ,thus does the greed of land grow upon one4 ,but in truth1 ,i saw that ,i must have more land4 ,my factory would require more than ten thousand bushels of grain1 with forage and green foods in proportion1 to meet its full capacity1 and ,i could not hope to get so much from the land then under cultivation4 ,again1 in a few years--a very few--the fifty acres of orchard would be no longer available for crops1 and this would still further reduce my tillable land4 ,with the orchards out of use1 ,i should have but #abd acres for all crops other than hay4 ,if ,i could add this coveted #afj1 it would give me #bej acres of excellent land for intensive farming4 ,i should like it on this side of the road1 said ,i1 but ,i suppose that will have to do4 ,what will have to do8 asked ,kyrle4 ,the #afj acres over there4 ,you unconscionable wretch6 ,have you evicted the poor widow1 and she on her deathbed8 ,for stiffening the neck and hardening the heart1 commend me to the close-to-nature life of the farmer4 ,i wouldn't own a farm for worlds4 ,it risks one's immortality4 ,give me the wicked city for pasturage--and a friend who will run a farm1 at his own risk1 and give me the benefit of it4 ,,chapter ,,xlviii ,,maids ,,and ,,mallards ,we have so rarely entered our house with the reader that he knows little of its domestic machinery4 ,so much depends upon this machinery that one must always take it into consideration when reckoning the pleasures and even the comforts of life anywhere1 and this is especially true in the country4 ,we have such a lot of people about that our servants cannot sing the song of lonesomeness that makes dolor for most suburbanites4 ,they are churched as often as they wish1 and we pay city wages2 but still it is not all clear sailing in this quarter of ,polly's realm4 ,i fancy that we get on better than some of our neighbors2 but we do not brag1 and ,i usually feel that ,i am smoking my pipe in a powder magazine4 ,there is something essentially wrong in the working-girl world1 and ,i am glad that ,i was not born to set it right4 ,we cannot down the spirit of unrest and improvidence that holds possession of cooks and waitresses1 and we needs must suffer it with such patience as we can4 ,two of our house servants were more or less permanent2 that is1 they had been with us since we opened the house1 and were as content as restless spirits can be4 ,these were the housekeeper and the cook1--the hub of the house4 ,the former is a ,norwegian1 tall1 angular1 and capable1 with a knot of yellow hair at the back of her head1--ostensibly for sticking lead pencils into1--and a disposition to keep things snug and clean4 ,her duties include the general supervision of both houses and the special charge of store-rooms1 food cellars1 and table supplies of all sorts4 ,she is efficient1 she whistles while she works1 and ,i see but little of her4 ,i suspect that ,polly knows her well4 ,the cook1 ,mary1 is small1 ,irish1 gray1 with the temper of a pepper-pod and the voice of a guinea-hen suffering from bronchitis1 but she can cook like an angel4 ,she is an artist1 and ,i feel as if the seven-dollar-a-week stipend were but a tip to her1 and that sometime she will present me with a bill for her services4 ,my safeguard1 and one that ,i cherish1 is an angry word from her to the housekeeper4 ,she jeeringly asserted that she1 the cook1 got #b a week more than she1 the housekeeper1 did4 ,as every one knows that the housekeeper has #e a week1 ,i am holding this evidence against the time when ,mary asks for a lump sum adequate to her deserts4 ,the number of things which ,mary can make out of everything and out of nothing is wonderful2 and ,i am fully persuaded that all the moneys paid to a really good cook are moneys put into the bank4 ,i often make trips to the kitchen to tell ,mary that the dinner was great1 or that ,mrs4 ,kyrle wants the receipt for that pudding1 or that my friend ,kyrle asks if he may see you make a salad dressing2 but don't do it1 ,mary2 let the secret die with you4 ,the cook cackles1 like the guinea-hen that she is1 but the dishes are none the worse for the commendation4 ,the laundress is just a washerwoman1 so far as ,i know4 ,she undoubtedly changes with the seasons1 but ,i do not see her1 though the clothes are always bleaching on the grass at the back of the house4 ,the maids are as changeable as old-fashioned silk4 ,there are always two of them2 but which two1 is beyond me4 ,i tell ,polly that ,four ,oaks is a sprocket-wheel for maids1 with two links of an endless chain always on top4 ,it makes but little difference which links are up1 so the work goes smoothly4 ,polly thinks the maids come to ,four ,oaks just as less independent folk go to the mountains or the shore1 for a vacation1 or to be able to say to the policeman1 ,i've been to the country4 ,their system is past finding out2 but no matter what it is1 we get our dishes washed and our beds made without serious inconvenience4 ,the wage account in the house amounts to just #be a week4 ,my pet system of an increasing wage for protracted service doesn't appeal to these birds of passage1 who alight long enough to fill their crops with our wild rice and celery1 and then take wing for other feeding-grounds4 ,this kind of life seems fitted for mallards and maids1 and ,i have no quarrel with either4 ,from my view1 there are happier instincts than those which impel migration2 but remembering that personal views are best applied to personal use1 ,i wish both maids and mallards bon voyage4 ,,chapter ,,xlix ,,the ,,sunken ,,garden ,extending directly west from the porch for #aej feet is an open pergola1 of simple construction1 but fast gaining beauty from the rapid growth of climbers which ,polly and ,johnson have planted4 ,it is floored with brick for the protection of dainty feet1 and near the western end cluster rustic benches1 chairs1 tables1 and such things as women and gardeners love4 ,facing the west #ej feet of this pergola is ,polly's sunken flower garden1 which is her special pride4 ,it extends south #ajj feet1 and is built in the side of the hill so that its eastern wall just shows a coping above the close-cropped lawn4 ,of course the western wall is much higher1 as the lawn slopes sharply2 but it was filled in so as to make this wall-enclosed garden quite level4 ,the walls which rise above the flower beds #d feet1 are beginning to look decorated1 thanks to creeping vines and other things which a cunning gardener and ,polly know4 ,flowers of all sorts--annuals1 biennials 7triennials1 perhaps71 and perennials--cover the beds1 which are laid out in strange1 irregular fashion1 far indeed from my rectangular style4 ,these beds please the eye of the mistress1 and of her friends1 too1 if they are candid in their remarks1 which ,i doubt4 ,while excavating the garden we found a granite boulder shaped somewhat like an egg and nearly five feet long4 ,it was a big thing1 and not very shapely2 but it came from the soil1 and ,polly wanted it for the base of her sun-dial4 ,we placed it1 big end down1 in the mathematical centre of the garden 7,i insisted on that71 and sunk it into the ground to make it solid2 then a stone mason fashioned a flat space on the top to accommodate an old brass dial that ,polly had found in ,boston4 ,the dial is not half bad4 ,from the heavy1 octagonal brass base rises a slender quill to cast its shadow on the figured circle1 while around this circle old ,english characters ask1 ,am ,i not wise1 who note only bright hours8 ,a plat of sod surrounds the dial1 and ,polly goes to it at least once a day to set her watch by the shadow of the quill1 though ,i have told her a hundred times that it is seventeen minutes off standard time4 ,i am convinced that this estimable lady wilfully ignores conventional time and marks her cycles by such divisions as catalogue time1 seed-buying time1 planting time1 sprouting time1 spraying time1 flowering time1 seed-gathering time1 mulching time1 and dreary time1 until the catalogues come again4 ,i know it seemed no time at all until she had let me in to the tune of #fhg for the pergola1 walls1 and garden4 ,she bought the sun-dial with her own money1 ,i am thankful to say1 and it doesn't enter into this account4 ,i think it must have cost a pretty penny1 for she had a hat made over that spring4 ,polly has planted the lawn with a lot of shade trees and shrubs1 and has added some clumps of fruit trees4 ,few trees have been planted near the house2 the four fine oaks1 from which we take our name1 stand without rivals and give ample shade4 ,the great black oak near the east end of the porch is a tower of strength and beauty1 which is seen and known of all men1 while the three white oaks farther to the west form a clump which casts a grateful shade when the sun begins to decline4 ,the seven acres of forest to the east is left severely alone1 save where the carriage drive winds through it1 and ,polly watches so closely that the foot of the ,philistine rarely crushes her wild flowers4 ,its sacredness recalls the schoolgirl's definition of a virgin forest3 ,one in which the hand of man has never dared to put his foot into it4 ,polly wanders in this grove for hours2 but then she knows where and how things grow1 and her footsteps are followed by flowers4 ,if by chance she brushes one down1 it rises at once1 shakes off the dust1 and says1 ,i ought to have known better than to wander so far from home4 ,she keeps a wise eye on the vegetable garden1 too1 and has stores of knowledge as to seed-time and harvest and the correct succession of garden crops4 ,she and ,johnson planned a greenhouse1 which ,nelson built1 for flowers and green stuff through the winter1 she said2 but ,i think it is chiefly a place where she can play in the dirt when the weather is bad4 ,anyhow1 that glass house cost the farm #ddb1 and the interest and taxes are going on yet4 ,i as well as ,polly had to do some building that autumn4 ,three more chicken-houses were built1 making five in all4 ,each consists in ten compartments twenty feet wide1 of which each is intended to house forty hens4 ,when these houses were completed1 ,i had room for forty pens of forty each1 which was my limit for laying hens4 ,in addition was one house of ten pens for half-grown chickens and fattening fowls4 ,it would take the hatch of another year to fill my pens1 but one must provide for the future4 ,these three houses cost1 in round numbers1 #bajj1--;five times as much as ,polly's glass house1--but ,i was not going to play in them4 ,i also built a cow-house on the same plan as the first one1 but about half the size4 ,this was for the dry cows and the heifers4 ,it cost #bbcj1 and gave me stable room enough for the waiting stock1 so that ,i could count on forty milch cows all the time1 when my herd was once balanced4 ,forty cows giving milk1 six hundred swine of all ages1 putting on fat or doing whatever other duty came to hand1 fifteen or sixteen hundred hens laying eggs when not otherwise engaged1 three thousand apple trees striving with all their might to get large enough to bear fruit1--these made up my ideal of a factory farm2 and it looked as if one year more would see it complete4 ,no rain fell in ,october1 and my brook became such a little brook that ,i dared to correct its ways4 ,we spent a week with teams1 ploughs1 and scrapers1 cutting the fringe and frills away from it1 and reducing it to severe simplicity4 ,it is strange1 but true1 that this reversion to simplicity robbed it of its shy ways and rustic beauty1 and left it boldly staring with open eyes and gaping with wide-stretched mouth at the men who turned from it4 ,we put in about two thousand feet of tile drainage on both sides of what ,polly called that ditch1 and this completed the improvements on the low lands4 ,the land1 indeed1 was not too low to bear good crops1 but it was lightened by under drainage and yielded more each after year4 ,the tiles cost me five cents per foot1 or #ajj for the whole4 ,the work was done by my own men4 ,,chapter ,l ,,the ,,headman ,,generalizes ,jackson's prophecy came true4 ,the old lady died1 and before the ground was fairly settled around her the improvident son accepted a cash offer of #ge per acre for his homestead1 and the farm was added to mine4 ,this was in ,november4 ,i at once spent #fdj for #b-a_/b miles of fencing to enclose it in one field1 charging the farm account with #ab1fdj for the land and fence4 ,this transaction was a bargain1 from my point of view2 and it was a good sale1 from the standpoint of the other man1 for he put #ab1jjj away at five per cent interest1 and felt that he need never do a stroke of work again4 ,a lazy man is easily satisfied4 ,in ,december ,i sold #bhc hogs4 ,it was a choice lot1 as much alike as peas in a pod1 and gave an average weight of #bgf pounds2 but the market was exceedingly low4 ,i received the highest quotation for the month1 #c4fj per hundred1 and the lot netted #bgjb4 ,it seems hard luck to be obliged to sell fine swine at such a price1 and a good many farmers would hold their stock in the hope of a rise2 but ,i do not think this prudent4 ,when a pig is #bej days old1 if he has been pushed1 he has reached his greatest profit-growth2 and he should be sold1 even though the market be low4 ,if one could be certain that within a reasonable time1 say thirty days1 there would be a marked advance1 it might do to hold2 but no one can be sure of this1 and it doesn't usually pay to wait4 ,market the product when at its best1 is the rule at ,four ,oaks4 ,the young hog is undoubtedly at his best from eight to nine months old4 ,he has made a maximum growth on minimum feed1 and from that time on he will eat more and give smaller proportionate returns4 ,there is danger1 too1 that he will grow stale2 for he has been subjected to a forcing system which contemplated a definite time limit and which cannot extend much beyond that limit without risks4 ,force your swine not longer than nine months and sell for what you can get1 and you will make more money in the long run than by trying to catch a high market4 ,i sold in ,december something more than four hundred cockerels1 which brought #bae4 ,the apples from the old trees were good that year1 but not so abundant as the year before1 and they brought #ccg1--b4be per tree4 ,the hens laid few eggs in ,october and ,november1 though they resumed work in ,december2 but the pullets did themselves proud4 ,sam said he gathered from fourteen to twenty eggs a day from each pen of forty1 which is better than forty per cent4 ,we sold nearly eighteen hundred dozen eggs during this quarter1 for #eec4 ,the butter account showed nearly twenty-eight hundred pounds sold1 which brought #hid1 and the sale of eleven calves brought #ahj4 ,these sales closed the credit side of our ledger for the year4 ,apples #ccg4jj ,calves #acj4jj ,cockerels #bae4jj #aghe doz4 eggs #eec4jj #bgij lb4 butter #hid4jj #bhc hogs #bgjb4jj -------- ,total #dhca4jj ,in making up the expense account of that year and the previous one1 ,i found that ,i should be able in future to say with a good deal of exactness what the gross amount would be1 without much figuring4 ,the interest account would steadily decrease1 ,i hoped1 while the wage account would increase as steadily until it approached #eejj2 that year it was #dffb4 ,each man who had been on the farm more than six months received #ah more that year than he did the year before1 and this increase would continue until the maximum wage of #dj a month was reached2 but while some would stay long enough to earn the maximum1 others would drop out1 and new men would begin work at #bj a month4 ,i felt safe1 therefore1 in fixing #eejj as the maximum wage limit of any year4 ,time has proven the correctness of this estimate1 for #ecgb is the most ,i have paid for wages during the seven years since this experiment was inaugurated4 ,the food purchased for cows1 hogs1 and hens may also be definitely estimated4 ,it costs about #cj a year for each cow1 #a for each hog1 and thirty cents for each hen4 ,everything else comes from the land1 and is covered by such fixed charges as interest1 wages1 taxes1 insurance1 repairs1 and replenishments4 ,the food for the colony at ,four ,oaks1 usually bought at wholesale1 doesn't cost more than #e a month per capita4 ,this seems small to a man who is in the habit of paying cash for everything that enters his doors2 but it amply provides for comforts and even for luxuries1 not only for the household1 but also for the stranger within the gates4 ,in the city1 where water and ice cost money and the daily purchase of food is taxed by three or four middlemen1 one cannot realize the factory farmer's independence of tradesmen4 ,i do not mean that this sum will furnish terrapin and champagne1 but ,i do not understand that terrapin and champagne are necessary to comfort1 health1 or happiness4 ,let us look for a moment at some of the things which the factory farmer does not buy1 and perhaps we shall see that a comfortable existence need not demand much more4 ,his cows give him milk1 cream1 butter1 and veal2 his swine give roast pig1 fresh pork1 salt pork1 ham1 bacon1 sausages1 and lard2 his hens give eggs and poultry2 his fields yield hulled corn1 samp1 and corn meal2 his orchards give apples1 pears1 peaches1 quinces1 plums1 and cherries2 his bushes give currants1 gooseberries1 strawberries1 raspberries1 blackberries2 his vines give grapes2 his forests give hickory nuts1 butternuts1 and hazel nuts2 and1 best of all1 his garden gives more than twenty varieties of toothsome and wholesome vegetables in profusion4 ,the whole fruit and vegetable product of the temperate zone is at his door1 and he has but to put forth his hand and take it4 ,the skilled housewife makes wonderful provision against winter from the opulence of summer1 and her storehouse is crowded with innumerable glass cells rich in the spoils of orchard and garden4 ,there is scant use for the grocer and the butcher under such conditions4 ,i am so well convinced that my estimate of #e a month is liberal that ,i have taxed the account with all the salt used on the farm4 ,,chapter ,,li ,,the ,,grand-,,girls ,the click of ,jane's hammer began to be heard in ,november1 and hardly a day passed without some music from this ,forge in the ,forest4 ,sir ,tom made a permanent station of the workshop1 where he spent hours in a comfortable chair1 drawing nourishment from the head of his cane and pleasure from watching the girl at the anvil4 ,i suspect that he planted himself in the corner of the forge to safeguard ,jane2 for he had an abiding fear that she would take fire1 and he wished to be near at hand to put her out4 ,he procured a small ,babcock extinguisher and a half-dozen hand-grenades1 and with these instruments he constituted himself a very efficient volunteer fire department4 ,he made her promise1 also1 that she would have definite hours for heavy work1 that he might be on watch2 and so fond was she of his company1 or rather of his presence1 for he talked but little1 that she kept close to the schedule4 ,laura had a favorite corner in the forge1 where she often turned a hem or a couplet4 ,she was equally dexterous at either2 and ,sir ,tom watched her1 too1 with an admiring eye4 ,i once heard him say3-- ,milady ,laura1 it is the regret of me life that ,i came into the world a generation too soon4 ,laura sometimes went away--she called it going home1 but we scoffed the term--and the doldrums blew until she returned4 ,sir ,tom dined with us nearly every evening through the fall and early winter2 and when he1 and ,kate and ,tom and the grand-girls1 and the ,kyrles1 and ,laura were at ,four ,oaks1 there was little to be desired4 ,the grand-girls were nearly five and seven now1 and they were a great help to the ,headman4 ,my terrier was no closer to my heels from morning to night than were these youngsters4 ,they took to country life like the young animals they were1 and made friends with all1 from ,thompson down4 ,they must needs watch the sheep as they walked their endless way on the treadmill night and morning2 they thrust their hands into hundreds of nests and placed the spoils in ,sam's big baskets2 they watched the calves at their patent feeders1 which deceived the calves1 but not the girls2 they climbed into the grain bins and tobogganed on the corn2 they haunted the cow-barn at milking time and wondered much2 but the chiefest of their delights was the beautiful white pig which ,anderson gave them4 ,a little movable pen was provided for this favorite1 and the youngsters fed it several times a day with warm milk from a nursing-bottle1 like any other motherless child4 ,the pig loved its foster-mothers1 and squealed for them most of the time when it was not eating or sleeping2 fortunately1 a pig can do much of both4 ,it grew playful and intelligent1 and took on strange little human ways which made one wonder if ,darwin were right in his conclusion that we are all ascended from the ape4 ,i have seen features and traits of character so distinctly piggish as to rouse my suspicions that the genealogical line is not free from a cross of sus scrofa4 ,the pig grew in stature and in wisdom1 but not in grace1 from day to day1 until it threatened to dominate the place4 ,however1 it was lost during the absence of its friends1--to be replaced by a younger one at the next visit4 ,do your pigs get lost when you are away8 asked ,no4 #a4 ,not often1 dear4 ,it's only pet pigs that runds away1 said ,no4 #b1 and ,i don't care1 for it rooted me4 ,the pet pig is still a favorite with the grand-girls1 but it always runs away in the fall4 ,kate loved to come to ,four ,oaks1 and she spent so much time there that she often said3-- ,we have no right to that #abjj2 we spend four times as much time here as you all do in town4 ,that's all right daughter1 but ,i wish you would spend twice as much time here as you do1 and ,i also wish that the #abjj were twice as much as it is4 ,time was running so smoothly with us that we knocked on wood each morning for fear our luck would break4 ,the cottage which had once served as a temporary granary1 and which had been moved to the building line two years before1 was now turned into an overflow house against the time when ,jack should come home for the winter vacation4 ,polly had decided to have just as many as we can hold1 and some more1 and as the heaviest duties fell upon her1 the rest of us could hardly find fault4 ,the partitions were torn out of the cottage1 and it was opened up into one room1 except for the kitchen1 which was turned into a bath-room4 ,six single iron beds were put up1 and the place was made comfortable by an old-fashioned1 air-tight1 sheet-iron stove with a great hole in the top through which big chunks and knots of wood were fed4 ,this stove would keep fire all night1 and1 while not up to latter-day demands1 it was quite satisfactory to the warm-blooded boys who used it4 ,the expense of overhauling the cottage was #bad4 ,tom1 ,kate1 and the grand-girls were to be with us1 of course1 and so were the ,kyrles1 ,sir ,tom1 ,jessie ,gordon1 ,florence1 ,madeline1 and ,alice ,chase4 ,jack was to bring ,jarvis and two other men besides ,frank and ,phil of last year's party4 ,the six boys were bestowed in the cottage1 where they made merry without seriously interrupting sleep in the main house4 ,the others found comfortable quarters under our roof1 except ,sir ,tom1 who would go home some time in the night1 to return before lunch the next day4 ,with such a houseful of people1 the cook was worked to the bone2 but she gloried in it1 and cackled harder than ever4 ,i believe she gave warning twice during those ten days2 but ,polly has a way with her which ,mary cannot resist4 ,i do not think we could have driven that cook out of the house with a club when there was such an opportunity for her to distinguish herself4 ,her warnings were simply matters of habit4 ,the holidays were filled with such things as a congenial country house-party can furnish--the wholesomest1 jolliest things in the world2 and the end1 when it came1 was regretted by all4 ,i grew to feel a little bit jealous of ,jarvis's attentions to ,jane1 for they looked serious1 and she was not made unhappy by them4 ,jarvis was all that was honest and manly1 but ,i could not think of giving up ,jane1 even to the best of fellows4 ,i wanted her for my old age4 ,i suspect that a loving father can dig deeper into the mud of selfishness than any other man1 and yet feel all the time that he is doing ,god service4 ,it is in accord with nature that a daughter should take the bit in her teeth and bolt away from this restraining selfishness1 but the man who is left by the roadside cannot always see it in that light4 ,,chapter ,,lii ,,the ,,third ,,beckoning ,on the afternoon of ,december #ca ,i called a meeting of the committee of ways and means1 and ,polly and ,i locked ourselves in my office4 ,it was then two and a half years since we commenced the experiment of building a factory farm1 which was to supply us with comforts1 luxuries1 and pleasures of life1 and yet be self-supporting3 a continuous experiment in economics4 ,the building of the factory was practically completed1 though not all of its machinery had yet been installed4 ,we had spent our money freely1--too freely1 perhaps2 and we were now ready to watch the returns4 ,polly said3-- ,there are some things we are sure of3 we like the country1 and it likes us4 ,i have spent the happiest year of my life here4 ,we've entertained more friends than ever before1 and they've been better entertained1 so that we are all right from the social standpoint4 ,you are stronger and better than ever before1 and so am ,i4 ,credit the farm with these things1 ,mr4 ,headman1 and you'll find that it doesn't owe us such an awful amount after all4 ,are these things worth #ajj1jjj8 ,now1 ,john1 you don't mean that you've spent #ajj1jjj6 ,what in the world have you done with it8 ,just pigs and cows and chickens-- ,and greenhouses and sunken gardens and pergolas and kickshaws1 said ,i4 ,but seriously1 ,polly1 ,i think that we can show value for all that we have spent2 and the whole amount is not three times what our city house cost1 and that only covered our heads4 ,how do you figure values here8 ,we get a great deal more than simply shelter out of this place1 and we have tangible values1 too4 ,here are some of them3 #dhj acres of excellent land1 so well groomed and planted that it is worth of any man's money1 #abj per acre1 or #eg1fjj2 buildings1 water-plant1 etc41 all as good as new1 #dj1jjj2 #dd cows1 #ddjj2 #aj heifers nearly two years old1 #ejj2 #h horses1 #abjj2 #ej brood sows1 #ajjj2 #cej young pigs1 #agjj2 #acjj laying hens1 #acjj2 tools and machinery1 #aejj2 that makes well over #ajj1jjj in sight1 besides all the things you mentioned before4 ,you haven't counted the six horses in my barn4 ,they haven't been charged to the farm1 ,polly4 ,or the trees you've planted8 ,no1 they go with the land to increase its value4 ,and my gardens1 too8 ,yes1 they are fixtures and count with the acres4 ,you see1 this1 land didn't cost quite #ge an acre1 but ,i hold it #ej better for what we've done to it2 ,i don't believe ,bill ,jackson would sell his for less4 ,i offered him #aj1jjj for a hundred acres1 and he refused4 ,we've put up the price of real estate in this neighborhood1 ,mrs4 ,williams4 ,well1 let's get at the figures4 ,i'm dying to see how we stand4 ,i have summarized them here3-- ,to additional land and development of plant #bj1cec4jj ,to interest on previous investment #d1bbj4jj ,wages #d1ffb4jj ,food for twenty-five people #a1ebc4jj ,food for stock #b1abj4jj ,taxes and insurance #bjg4jj ,shoeing and repairs #cji4jj ---------- ,making in all #cc1cid4jj spent this year4 ,the receipts are3-- ,first quarter #a1big4jj ,second quarter #a1gjf4jj ,third quarter #c1bhd4jj ,fourth quarter #d1hca4jj --------- ,making #aa1aah4jj ,but we agreed to pay #djjj a year to the farm for our food and shelter1 if it did as well by us as the town house did4 ,shall we do it1 ,polly8 ,why1 of course2 we've been no end more comfortable here4 ,well1 if we don't expect to get something for nothing1 ,i think we ought to add it4 ,adding #djjj will make the returns from the farm #ae1aah1 leaving #ah1bgf to add to the interest-bearing debt4 ,last year this debt was #hd1djd4 ,add this year's deficit1 and we have #ajb1fhj4 ,a good deal of money1 ,polly1 but ,i showed you well over #ajj1jjj in assets1--at our own price1 to be sure1 but not far wrong4 ,will you ever have to increase the debt8 ,i think not4 ,i believe we shall reduce it a little next year1 and each year thereafter4 ,but1 supposing it only pays expenses1 how can you put on as much style on the interest of #ajj1jjj anywhere else as you can here8 ,it can't be done4 ,when the fruit comes in and this factory is running full time1 it will earn well on toward #be1jjj a year1 and it will not cost over #ad1jjj to run it1 interest and all4 ,it won't take long at that rate to wipe out the interest-bearing debt4 ,you'll be rich1 ,polly1 before you're ten years older4 ,you are rich now1 in imagination and expectation1 ,mr4 ,headman1 but ,i'll bank with you for a while longer4 ,but what's the use of charging the farm with interest when you credit it with our keeping8 ,there isn't much reason in that1 ,polly4 ,it's about as broad as it is long4 ,i simply like to keep books in that way4 ,we charge the farm with a little more than #djjj interest1 and we credit it with just #djjj for our food and shelter4 ,we'll keep on in this way because ,i like it4 ,,chapter ,,liii ,,the ,,milk ,,machine ,in opening the year #ahih ,i was faced by a larger business proposition than ,i had originally planned4 ,when ,i undertook the experiment of a factory farm1 ,i placed the limit of capital to be invested at about #fj1jjj4 ,now ,i found that ,i had exceeded that amount by a good many thousand dollars1 and ,i knew that the end was not yet4 ,the factory was not complete1 and it would be several years before it would be at its best in output4 ,while it had cost me more than was originally contemplated1 and while there was yet more money to be spent1 there was still no reason for discouragement4 ,indeed1 ,i felt so certain of ultimate profits that ,i was ready to put as much into it as could possibly be used to advantage4 ,the original plan was for a soiling farm on which ,i could milk thirty cows1 fatten two hundred hogs1 feed a thousand hens1 and wait for thirty-five hundred fruit trees to come to a profitable age4 ,with this in view1 ,i set apart forty acres of high1 dry land1 for the feeding-grounds1 twenty acres of which was devoted to the cows2 and ,i now found that this twenty-acre lot would provide an ample exercise field for twice that number4 ,it was in grass 7timothy1 red-top1 and blue grass71 and the cows nibbled persistently during the short hours each day when they were permitted to be on it2 but it was never reckoned as part of their ration4 ,the sod was kept in good condition and the field free from weeds1 by the use of the mowing-machine1 set high1 every ten or twenty days1 according to the season4 ,following the mower1 we use a spring-tooth rake which bunched the weeds and gathered or broke up the droppings2 and everything the rake caught was carted to the manure vats4 ,our big ,holsteins do not suffer from close quarters1 so far as ,i am able to judge1 neither do they take on fat4 ,from thirty minutes to three hours 7depending on the weather71 is all the outing they get each day2 but this seems sufficient for their needs4 ,the well-ventilated stable with its moderate temperature suits the sedentary nature of these milk machines1 and ,i am satisfied with the results4 ,i cannot1 of course1 speak with authority of the comparative merits of soiling versus grazing1 for ,i have had no experience in the latter2 but in theory soiling appeals to me1 and in practice it satisfies me4 ,when ,i found ,i could keep more cows on the land set apart for them1 ,i built another cow stable for the dry cows and the heifers1 and added four stalls to my milk stable by turning each of the hospital wards into two stalls4 ,the ten heifers which ,i reserved in the spring of #ahif were now nearly two years old4 ,they were expected to come in in the early autumn1 when they would supplement the older herd4 ,the cows purchased in #ahie were now five years old1 and quite equal to the large demand which we made upon them4 ,they had grown to be enormous creatures1 from thirteen hundred to fourteen hundred pounds in weight1 and they were proving their excellence as milk producers by yielding an average of forty pounds a day4 ,we had1 and still have1 one remarkable milker1 who thinks nothing of yielding seventy pounds when fresh1 and who doesn't fall below twenty-five pounds when we are forced to dry her off4 ,i have no doubt that she would be a successful candidate for advanced registration if we put her to the test4 ,for ten months in each year these cows give such quantities of milk as would surprise a man not acquainted with this noble ,dutch family4 ,my five common cows were good of their kind1 but they were not in the class with the ,holsteins4 ,they were not robber cows1 for they fully earned their food2 but there was no great profit in them4 ,to be sure1 they did not eat more than two-thirds as much as the ,holsteins2 but that fact did not stand to their credit1 for the basic principle of factory farming is to consume as much raw material as possible and to turn out its equivalent in finished product4 ,the common cows consumed only two-thirds as much raw material as the ,holsteins1 and turned out rather less than two-thirds of their product1 while they occupied an equal amount of floor space2 consequently they had to give place to more competent machines4 ,they were to be sold during the season4 ,why dairymen can be found who will pay #ej apiece for cows like those ,i had for sale 7better1 indeed1 than the average71 is beyond my method of reckoning values4 ,twice #ej will buy a young cow bred for milk1 and she would prove both bread and milk to the purchaser in most cases4 ,the question of food should settle itself for the dairyman as it does for the factory farmer4 ,the more food consumed1 the better for each1 if the ratio of milk be the same4 ,my ,holsteins are great feeders2 more than #b tons of grain1 #b-a_/b tons of hay1 and #d or #e tons of corn fodder1 in addition to a ton of roots or succulent vegetables1 pass through their great mouths each year4 ,the hay is nearly equally divided between timothy1 oat hay1 and alfalfa2 and when ,i began to figure the gross amount that would be required for my #ej ,holstein gourmands1 ,i saw that the widow's farm had been purchased none too quickly4 ,to provide #ajj tons of grain1 #abe tons of hay1 and #bjj or #cjj tons of corn fodder for the cows alone1 was no slight matter2 but ,i felt prepared to furnish this amount of raw material to be transmuted into golden butter4 ,the ,four ,oaks butter had made a good reputation1 and the four oak leaves stamped on each mould was a sufficient guarantee of excellence4 ,my city grocer urged a larger product1 and ,i felt safe in promising it2 at the same time1 ,i held him up for a slight advance in price4 ,heretofore it had netted me #cb cents a pound1 but from ,january #a1 #ahih1 ,i was to have #cc-a_/c cents for each pound delivered at the station at ,exeter1 ,i agreeing to furnish at least #ej pounds a day1 six days in a week4 ,this was not always easily done during the first eight months of that year1 and ,i will confess to buying #fdj pounds to eke out the supply for the colony2 but after the young heifers came in1 there was no trouble1 and the purchased butter was more than made up to our local grocer4 ,it will be more satisfactory to deal with dairy matters in lump sums from now on4 ,the contract with the city grocer still holds1 and1 though he often urges me to increase my herd1 ,i still limit the supply to #cjj pounds a week1--sometimes a little more1 but rarely less4 ,i believe that #ch to #dd cows in full flow of milk will make the best balance in my factory2 and a well-balanced factory is what ,i am after4 ,i am told that animals are not machines1 and that they cannot be run as such4 ,my animals are2 and ,i run them as ,i would a shop4 ,there is no sentiment in my management4 ,if a cow or a hog or a hen doesn't work in a satisfactory way1 it ceases to occupy space in my shop1 just as would an imperfect wheel4 ,the utmost kindness is shown to all animals at ,four ,oaks4 ,this rule is the most imperative one on the place1 and the one in which no extenuating circumstances are taken into account4 ,there are two equal reasons for this3 the first is a deep-rooted aversion to cruelty in all forms2 and the second is1 it pays4 ,but kindness to animals doesn't imply the necessity of keeping useless ones or those whose usefulness is below one's standard4 ,if a man will use the intelligence and attention to detail in the management of stock that is necessary to the successful running of a complicated machine1 he will find that his stock doesn't differ greatly from his machine4 ,the trouble with most farmers is that they think the living machine can be neglected with impunity1 because it will not immediately destroy itself or others1 and because it is capable of a certain amount of self-maintenance2 while the dead machine has no power of self-support1 and must receive careful and punctual attention to prevent injury to itself and to other property4 ,if a dairyman will feed his cows as a thresher feeds the cylinder of his threshing-machine1 he will find that the milk will flow from the one about as steadily as the grain falls from the other4 ,intensive factory farming means the use of the best machines pushed to the limit of their capacity through the period of their greatest usefulness1 and then replaced by others4 ,pushing to the limit of capacity is in no sense cruelty4 ,it is predicated on the perfect health of the animal1 for without perfect condition1 neither machine nor animal can do its best work4 ,it is simply encouraging to a high degree the special function for which generations of careful breeding have fitted the animal4 ,that there is gratification in giving milk1 no well-bred cow or mother will deny4 ,it is a joyous function to eat large quantities of pleasant food and turn it into milk4 ,heredity impels the cow to do this1 and it would take generations of wild life to wean her from it4 ,as well say that the cataleptic trance of the pointer1 when the game bird lies close and the delicate scent fills his nostrils1 is not a joy to him1 or that the ,dalmatian at the heels of his horse1 or the foxhound when ,reynard's trail is warm1 receive no pleasure from their specialties4 ,do these animals feel no joy in the performance of service which is bred into their bones and which it is unnatural or freakish for them to lack8 ,no one who has watched the bred-for-milk cow can doubt that the joys of her life are eating1 drinking1 sleeping1 and giving milk4 ,pushing her to the limit of her capacity is only intensifying her life1 though1 possibly1 it may shorten it by a year or two4 ,while she lives she knows all the happiness of cow life1 and knows it to the full4 ,what more can she ask8 ,she would starve on the buffalo grass which supports her half-wild sister1 northers would freeze her1 and the snow would bury her4 ,she is a product of high cow-civilization1 and as such she must have the intelligent care of man or she cannot do her best4 ,with this care she is a marvellous machine for the making of the only article of food which in itself is competent to support life in man4 ,if my ,holsteins are not machines1 they resemble them so closely that ,i will not quarrel with the name4 ,what is true of the cow1 is true also of the pork-making machine that we call the hog4 ,his wild and savage progenitor is lost1 and we have in his place a sluggish animal that is a very model as a food producer4 ,his three pleasures are eating1 sleeping1 and growing fat4 ,he follows these pleasures with such persistence that #bej days are enough to perfect him4 ,it can certainly be no hardship to a pig to encourage him in a life of sloth and gluttony which appeals to his taste and to my profit4 ,custom and interest make his life ephemeral2 ,i make it comfortable4 ,from the day of his birth until we separate1 ,i take watchful care of him4 ,during infancy he is protected from cold and wet1 and his mother is coddled by the most nourishing foods1 that she may not fail in her duty to him4 ,during childhood he is provided with a warm house1 a clean bed1 and a yard in which to disport himself1 and is fed for growth and bone on skim-milk1 oatmeal1 and sweet alfalfa4 ,during his youth1 corn meal is liberally added to his diet1 also other dainties which he enjoys and makes much of2 and during his whole life he has access to clean water1 and to the only medicine which a pig needs1--a mixture of ashes1 charcoal1 salt1 and sulphur4 ,when he has spent #bej happy days with me1 we part company with feelings of mutual respect1--he to finish his mission1 ,i to provide for his successor4 ,my early plan was to turn off #bjj of this finished product each year1 but ,i soon found that ,i could do much better4 ,one can raise a crop of hogs nearly as quickly as a crop of corn1 and with much more profit1 if the food be at hand4 ,there was likely to be an abundance of food4 ,i was more willing to sell it in pig skins than in any other packages4 ,my plan was now to turn off1 not #bjj hogs each year1 but #fjj or more4 ,i had #fj well-bred sows1 young and old1 and ,i could count on them to farrow at least three times in two years4 ,the litters ought to average #g each1 say #bb pigs in two years2 #fj times #bb are #acbj1 and half of #acbj is #ffj4 ,yes1 at that rate1 ,i could count on about #fjj finished hogs to sell each year4 ,but if my calculations were too high1 ,i could easily keep #aj more brood sows1 for ,i had sufficient room to keep them healthy4 ,the two five-acre lots1 ,nos4 #c and #e1 had been given over to the brood sows when they were not caring for young litters in the brood-house4 ,comfortable shelters and a cemented basin twelve feet by twelve1 and one foot deep1 had been built in each lot4 ,the water-pipe that ran through the chicken lot 7,no4 #d7 connected with these basins1 as did also a drain-pipe to the drain in the north lane1 so that it was easy to turn on fresh water and to draw off that which was soiled4 ,through this device my brood sows had access to a water bath eight inches deep1 whenever they were in the fields4 ,my hogs1 young or old1 have never been permitted to wallow in mud4 ,we have no mud-holes at ,four ,oaks to grow stale and breed disease4 ,the breeding hogs have exercise lots and baths1 but the young growing and fattening stock have neither4 ,they are kept in runs twenty feet by one hundred1 in bunches of from twenty to forty1 according to age1 from the time they are weaned until they leave the place for good4 ,this plan1 which ,i did not intend to change1 opened a question in my mind that gave me pause4 ,it was this3 ,can ,i hope1 even with the utmost care1 to keep the house for growing and fattening swine free from disease if ,i keep it constantly full of swine8 ,the more ,i thought about it the less probable it appeared4 ,the pig-house had cost me #dcbj4 ,another would cost as much1 if not more1 and ,i did not like to go to the expense unless it were necessary4 ,i worked over this problem for several days1 and finally came to the conclusion that ,i should never feel easy about my swine until ,i had two houses for them1 besides the brood-house for the sows4 ,i therefore gave the order to ,nelson to build another swine-house as soon as spring opened4 ,my plan was1 and ,i carried it out1 to move all the colonies every three months1 and to have the vacant house thoroughly cleaned1 sprayed with a powerful germicide1 and whitewashed4 ,the runs were to be turned over1 when the weather would permit1 and the ground sown to oats or rye4 ,the new house was finished in ,june1 and the pigs were moved into it on ,july #ast with a lease of three months4 ,my mind has been easy on the question of the health of my hogs ever since2 and with reason1 for there has been no epizotic or other serious form of disease in my piggery1 in spite of the fact that there are often more than #abjj pigs of all degrees crowded into this five-acre lot4 ,the two pig-houses and the brood-house1 with their runs1 cover the whole of the lot1 except the broad street of sixty feet just inside my high quarantine fence1 which encloses the whole of it4 ,,chapter ,,liv ,,bacon ,,and ,,eggs ,each hog turned out from my piggery weighing #bgj pounds or more1 has eaten of my substance not less than #ejj pounds of grain1 #bej pounds of chopped alfalfa1 #bej pounds of roots or vegetables1 and such quantities of skimmed milk and swill as have fallen to his share4 ,i could reckon the approximate cost of these foods1 but ,i will not do so4 ,all but the middlings and oil meal come from the farm and are paid for by certain fixed charges heretofore mentioned4 ,the middlings and oil meal are charged in the food for animals account at the rate of #a a year for each finished hog4 ,the truth is that a large part of the food which enters into the making of each #cjj pounds of live pork1 is of slow sale1 and that for some of it there is no sale at all1--for instance1 house swill1 dish-water1 butter-washings1 garden weeds1 lawn clippings1 and all sorts of coarse vegetables4 ,a hog makes half his growth out of refuse which has no value1 or not sufficient to warrant the effort and expense of selling it4 ,he has unequalled facilities for turning non-negotiable scrip into convertible bonds1 and he is the greatest moneymaker on the farm4 ,if the grain ration were all corn1 and if there were a roadside market for it at #ce cents a bushel1 it would cost #c4ab2 the alfalfa would be worth #a4de1 and the vegetables probably #fe cents1 under like conditions1 making a total of #e4bb as a possible gross value of the food which the hog has eaten4 ,the gross value of these things1 however1 is far above their net value when one considers time and expense of sale4 ,the hog saves all this trouble by tucking under his skin slow-selling remnants of farm products and making of them finished assets which can be turned into cash at a day's notice4 ,to feed the hogs on the scale now planned1 ,i had to provide for something like #gjjj bushels of grain1 chiefly corn and oats1 #ajj tons of alfalfa1 and an equal amount of vegetables1 chiefly sugar beets and mangel-wurzel4 ,certainly the widow's land would be needed4 ,the poultry had also outgrown my original plans1 and ,i had built with reference to my larger views4 ,there were five houses on the poultry lot1 each #bjj feet long1 and each divided into ten equal pens4 ,four of these houses were for the laying hens1 which were divided into flocks of #dj each2 while the other house was for the growing chickens and for cockerels being fattened for market4 ,there were now on hand more than #acjj pullets and hens1 and ,i instructed ,sam to run his incubator overtime that season1 so as to fill our houses by autumn4 ,i should need #hjj or #ijj pullets to make our quota good1 for most of the older hens would have to be disposed of in the autumn1--all but about #bjj1 which would be kept until the following spring to breed from4 ,i believe that a three-year-old hen that has shown the egg habit is the best fowl to breed from1 and it is the custom at ,four ,oaks to reserve specially good pens for this purpose4 ,the egg habit is unquestionably as much a matter of heredity as the milk or the fat producing habit1 and should be as carefully cultivated4 ,with this end in view1 ,sam added young cockerels to four of his best-producing flocks on ,january #a1 and by the #aeth he was able to start his incubators4 ,breeding and feeding for eggs is on the same principle as feeding and breeding for milk4 ,it is no more natural for a hen to lay eggs for human consumption than it is for the robin to do so1 or for the cow to give more milk than is sufficient for her calf4 ,man's necessity has made demands upon both cow and hen1 and man's intelligence has converted individualists into socialists in both of these races4 ,they no longer live for themselves alone4 ,as the cow1 under favorable conditions1 finds pleasure in giving milk1 so does the hen under like conditions take delight in giving eggs1--else why the joyous cackle when leaving her nest after doing her full duty8 ,she gloats over it1 and glories in it1 and announces her satisfaction to the whole yard4 ,it is something to be proud of1 and the cackling hen knows it better than you or ,i4 ,it can be no hardship to push this egg machine to the limit of its capacity4 ,it adds new zest to the life of the hen1 and multiplies her opportunities for well-earned self-congratulation4 ,our hens are fed for eggs1 and we get what we feed for4 ,i said of my hens that ,i would not ask them to lay more than eight dozen eggs each year1 and ,i will stick to what ,i said4 ,but ,i do not reject voluntary contributions beyond this number4 ,indeed1 ,i accept them with thanks1 and give ,biddy a word of commendation for her gratuity4 ,eight dozen eggs a year will pay a good profit1 but if each of my hens wishes to present me with two dozen more1 ,i slip #fb cents into my pocket and say1 ,i am very much obliged to you1 miss1 or madam1 as the case may be4 ,most of my hens do remember me in this substantial way1 and the ,white ,wyandottes are in great favor with the ,headman4 ,the houses in which my hens live are almost as clean as the one ,i inhabit 7and ,polly is tidy to a degree72 their food is as carefully prepared as mine1 and more punctually served2 their enemies are fended off1 and they are never frightened by dogs or other animals1 for the five-acre lot on which their houses and runs are built is enclosed by a substantial fence that prevents any interloping2 book agents never disturb their siestas1 nor do tree men make their lives hideous with lithographs of impossible fruit on improbable trees4 ,whether ,i am indebted to one or to all of these conditions for my full egg baskets1 ,i am unable to say2 but ,i do not purpose to make any change1 for my egg baskets are as full as a reasonable man could wish4 ,as nearly as ,i can estimate1 my hens give thirty per cent egg returns as a yearly average--about #abj eggs for each hen in #cfe days4 ,this is more than ,i ask of them1 but ,i do not refuse their generosity4 ,every egg is worth1 in my market1 #b-a_/b cents1 which means that the yearly product of each hen could be sold for #c4 ,something more than two thousand dozen are consumed by the home colony or the incubators2 the rest find their way to the city in clean cartons of one dozen each1 with a stencil of ,four ,oaks and a guarantee that they are not twenty-four hours old when they reach the middleman4 ,in return for this #c a year1 what do ,i give my hens besides a clean house and yard8 ,a constant supply of fresh water1 sharp grits1 oyster shells1 and a bath of road dust and sifted ashes1 to which is added a pinch of insect powder4 ,twice each day five pounds of fresh skim-milk is given to each flock of forty4 ,in the morning they have a warm mash composed of 7for #afjj hens7 #ej pounds of alfalfa hay cut fine and soaked all night in hot water1 #ej pounds of corn meal1 #ej pounds of oat meal1 #ej pounds of bran1 and #bj pounds of either meat meal or cotton-seed meal4 ,at noon they get #ajj pounds of mixed grains--wheat and buckwheat usually--with some green vegetables to pick at2 and at night #abe to #aej pounds of whole corn4 ,there are variations of this diet from time to time1 but no radical change4 ,i have read much of a balanced ration1 but ,i fancy a hen will balance her own ration if you give her the chance4 ,milk is one of the most important items on this bill of fare1 and all hens love it4 ,it should be fed entirely fresh1 and the crocks or earthen dishes from which it is eaten should be thoroughly cleansed each day4 ,four ounces for each hen is a good daily ration1 and we divide this into two feedings4 ,our #afjj hens eat about #ge tons of grain a year4 ,add to this the #ajj tons which #ej cows will require1 #bjj tons for the swine1 and #be tons for the horses1 and we have #djj tons of grain to provide for the stock on the factory farm4 ,nearly a fourth of this1 in the shape of bran1 gluten meal1 oil meal1 and meat meal1 must be purchased1 for we have no way of producing it4 ,for the other #cjj tons we must look to the land or to a low market4 ,three hundred tons of mixed grains means something like #ac1jjj bushels1 and ,i cannot hope to raise this amount from my land at present4 ,fortunately the grain market was to my liking in ,january of #ahih2 and though there were still more than #gjjj bushels in my granary1 ,i purchased #ejjj bushels of corn and as much oats against a higher market4 ,the corn cost #bg cents a bushel and the oats #bb1 delivered at ,exeter1 the #aj1jjj bushels amounting to #bdej1 to be charged to the farm account4 ,i was now prepared to face the food problem1 for ,i had more than #ag1jjj bushels of grain to supplement the amount the farm would produce1 and to tide me along until cheap grain should come again1 or until my land should produce enough for my needs4 ,the supply in hand plus that which ,i could reasonably expect to raise1 would certainly provide for three years to come1 and this is farther than the average farmer looks into the future4 ,but ,i claim to be more enterprising than an average farmer1 and determined to keep my eyes open and to take advantage of any favorable opportunity to strengthen my position4 ,in the meantime it was necessary to force my trees1 and to secure more help for the farm work4 ,to push fruit trees to the limit of healthy growth is practical and wise4 ,they can accomplish as much in growth and development in three years1 when judiciously stimulated1 as in five or six years of the lick-and-a-promise kind of care which they usually receive4 ,a tree must be fed first for growth and afterward for fruit1 just as a pig is managed1 if one wishes quick returns4 ,to plant a tree and leave it to the tenderness of nature1 with only occasional attention1 is to make the heart sick1 for it is certain to prove a case of hope deferred4 ,in the fulness of time the tree and happy-go-lucky nature will prove themselves equal to the development of fruit2 but they will be slow in doing it4 ,it is quite as well for the tree1 and greatly to the advantage of the horticulturist1 to cut two or three years out of this unprofitable time4 ,all that is necessary to accomplish this is3 to keep the ground loose for a space around the tree somewhat larger than the spread of its branches2 to apply fertilizers rich in nitrogen2 to keep the whole of the cultivated space mulched with good barn-yard manure1 increasing the thickness of the mulch with coarse stuff in the fall1 so as to lengthen the season of root activity2 and to draw the mulch aside about ,st4 ,patrick's ,day1 that the sun's rays may warm the earth as early as possible4 ,moderate pruning1 nipping back of exuberant branches1 and two sprayings of the foliage with ,bordeaux mixture1 to keep fungus enemies in check1 comprise all the care required by the growing tree4 ,this treatment will condense the ordinary growth of five years into three1 and the tree will be all the better for the forcing4 ,as soon as fruit spurs and buds begin to show themselves1 the treatment should be modified1 but not remitted4 ,less nitrogen and more phosphoric acid and potash are to be used1 and the mulch should not be removed in the early spring4 ,the objects now are1 to stimulate the fruit buds and to retard activity in the roots until the danger from late frosts is past4 ,as a result of this kind of treatment1 many varieties of apple trees will give moderate crops when the roots are seven1 and the trunks are six years old4 ,fruit buds showed in abundance on many of my trees in the fall of #ahig1 especially on the ,duchess and the ,yellow ,transparent1 and ,i looked for a small apple harvest that year4 ,,chapter ,,lv ,,the ,,old ,,time ,,farm-,,hand ,with all my industries thus increasing1 the necessity for more help became imperative4 ,french and ,judson had their hands more than full in the dairy barns1 and had to be helped out by ,thompson4 ,anderson could not give the swine all the attention they needed1 and was assisted by ,otto1 who proved an excellent swineherd4 ,sam had the aid of ,lars's boys with the poultry1 and very efficient aid it was1 considering the time they could give to it4 ,they had to be off with the market wagon at #g4dj1 and did not return from school until #d ,p4,m4 ,lars was busy in the carriage barn2 and though we spared him as much as possible from driving1 he had to be helped out by ,johnson at such times as the latter could spare from his greenhouse and hotbeds4 ,zeb took care of the farm teams2 but the winter's work of distributing forage and grain1 getting up wood and ice1 hauling manure1 and so forth1 had to be done in a desultory and irregular manner4 ,the spring work would find us wofully behindhand if ,i did not look sharp4 ,i had been looking sharp since ,january set in1 and had experienced1 for the first time1 real difficulties in finding anything like good help4 ,hitherto ,i had been especially fortunate in this regard4 ,i had met some reverses1 but in the main good luck had followed me4 ,i had nine good men who seemed contented and who were all saving money1--an excellent sign of stability and contentment4 ,even ,lars had not fallen from grace but once1 and that could hardly be charged against him1 for ,jack and ,jarvis had tempted him beyond resistance2 while ,sam's nose was quite blanched1 and he was to all appearances firmly seated on the water wagon4 ,really1 ,i did not know what labor troubles meant until #ahih1 but since then ,i have not had clear sailing4 ,from my previous experience with working-men1 ,i had formed the opinion that they were reasoning and reasonable human beings1--with peculiarities1 of course2 and that as a class they were ready to give good service for fair wages and decent treatment4 ,in early life ,i had been a working-man myself1 and ,i thought ,i could understand the feelings and sympathize with the trials of the laborer from the standpoint of personal experience4 ,i was sorely mistaken4 ,the laboring man of to-day is a different proposition from the man who did manual labor before the war4 ,that he is more intelligent1 more provident1 happier1 or better in any way1 ,i sincerely doubt2 that he is restless1 dissatisfied1 and less efficient1 ,i believe2 that he is unreasonable in his demands and regardless of the interests of his employer1 ,i know4 ,there are many shining exceptions1 and to these ,i look for the ultimate regeneration of labor2 but the rule holds true4 ,i do not believe that the principles of life have changed in forty years4 ,i do not believe that an intelligent1 able-bodied man need be a servant all his life1 or that industry and economy miss their rewards1 or that there is any truth in the theory that men cannot rise out of the rut in which they happen to find themselves4 ,the trouble is with the man1 not with the rut4 ,he spends his time in wallowing rather than in diligently searching for an outlet or in honestly working his way up to it4 ,heredity and environment are heavy weights1 but industry and sobriety can carry off heavier ones4 ,i have sympathy for weakness of body or mind1 and patience for those over whom inheritance has cast a baleful spell2 but ,i have neither patience nor sympathy for a strong man who rails at his condition and makes no determined effort to better it4 ,the time and money wasted in strikes1 agitations1 and arbitrations1 if put to practical use1 would better the working-man enough faster than these futile efforts do4 ,i have no quarrel with unions or combinations of labor1 so far as they have the true interests of labor for an object2 but ,i do quarrel with the spirit of mob rule and the evidences of conspicuous waste1 which have grown so rampant as to overshadow the helpful hand and to threaten1 not the stability of society--for in the background ,i see six million conservative sons of the soil who will look to the stability of things when the time comes--but the unions themselves4 ,i remember my first summer on a farm4 ,it lasted from the first day of ,april to the thirty-first day of ,october1 and on the evening of that day ,i carried to my father #bh1 the full wage for seven months4 ,i could not have spent one cent during that time1 for ,i carried the whole sum home2 but ,i do not remember that ,i was conscious of any want4 ,the hours on the farm were not short2 an eight-hour day would have been considered but a half-day4 ,we worked from sun to sun1 and ,i grew and knew no sorrow or oppression4 ,the next year ,i received the munificent wage of #f a month1 and the following year1 #h4 ,in after years1 in brick-yards1 sawmills1 lumber woods1 or harvest fields1 there was no arbitrary limit put upon the amount of work to be done4 ,if ,i chose to do the work of a man and a half1 ,i got #a4ej for doing it1 and it would have been a bold and sturdy delegate who tried to hold me from it4 ,i felt no need of help from outside4 ,i was fit to care for myself1 and ,i minded not the long hours1 the hard work1 or the hard bed4 ,this life was preliminary to a fuller one1 and it served its use4 ,i know what tired legs and back mean1 and ,i know that one need not have them always if he will use the ordinary sense which ,god gives4 ,genius1 or special cleverness1 is not necessary to get a man out of the rut of hard manual labor4 ,just plain1 everyday sense will do4 ,but before ,i had secured the three men for whom ,i was in search1 ,i began to feel that this common sense of which we speak so glibly is a rare commodity under the working-man's hat4 ,i advertised1 sent to agencies and intelligence offices1 interviewed and inspected1 consulted friends and enemies1 and so generally harrowed my life that ,i was fit to give up the whole business and retire into a cave4 ,by actual count1 ,i saw more than one hundred men1 of all ages1 sizes1 and colors4 ,eight of these were tried1 of whom five were found wanting4 ,early in ,february ,i had settled upon three sober men to add to our colony4 ,as none of these lasted the year out1 ,i may be forgiven for not introducing them to the reader4 ,they served their purpose1 and mine too1 and then drifted on4 ,,chapter ,,lvi ,,the ,,syndicate ,i do not wish to take credit for things which gave me pleasure in the doing1 or to appear altruistic in my dealings with the people employed at ,four ,oaks4 ,i tell of our business and other relations because they are details of farm history and rightfully belong to these pages4 ,if ,i dealt fairly by my men and established relations of mutual confidence and dependence1 it was not in the hope that my ways might be approved and commended1 but because it paid1 in more ways than one4 ,i wanted my men to have a lively interest in the things which were of importance to me1 that their efforts might be intelligent and direct2 and ,i was glad to enter into their schemes1 either for pleasure or for profit1 with such aid as ,i could give4 ,cordial understanding between employee and employer puts life into the contract1 and disposes of perfunctory service1 which simply recognizes a definite deed for a definite compensation4 ,uninterested labor leaves a load of hay in the field to be injured1 just because the hour for quitting has come1 while interested labor hurries the hay into the barn to make it safe1 knowing that the extra half-hour will be made up to it in some other way4 ,it pays the farmer to take his help into a kind of partnership1 not always in his farm1 but always in his consideration4 ,that is why my farm-house was filled with papers and magazines of interest to the men2 that is why ,i spent many an evening with them talking over our industries2 that is why ,i purchased an organ for them when ,i found that ,mrs4 ,french1 the dairymaid1 could play on it2 that is why ,i talked economy to them and urged them to place some part of each month's wage in the ,exeter ,savings ,bank2 and that is why1 early in #ahih1 ,i formulated a plan for investing their wages at a more profitable rate of interest4 ,i asked each one to give me a statement of his or her savings up to date4 ,they were quite willing to do this1 and ,i found that the aggregate for the eight men and three women was #becj4 ,anderson1 who saved most of his wages1 had an account in a city savings bank1 and did not join us in our syndicate1 though he approved of it4 ,the money was made up of sums varying from #ij1 ,lena's savings1 to #dfj owned by ,judson1 the buggy man4 ,my proposition was this3 ,pool the funds1 buy ,chicago1 ,rock ,island1 and ,pacific stock1 and hold it for one or two years4 ,the interest would be twice as much as they were getting from the bank1 while the prospect of a decided advance was good4 ,i said to them3-- ,i have owned ,chicago1 ,rock ,island1 and ,pacific stock for more than three years4 ,i commenced to buy at fifty-seven1 and ,i am still buying1 when ,i can get hold of a little money that doesn't have to go into this blessed farm4 ,it is now eighty-one1 and it will go higher4 ,i am so sure of this that ,i will agree to take the stock from each or all of you at the price you pay for it at any time during the next two years4 ,there is no risk in this proposition to you1 and there may be a very handsome return4 ,they were pleased with the plan1 and we formed a pool to buy thirty shares of stock4 ,thompson and ,i were trustees1 and the certificate stood in our names2 but each contributor received a pro-rata interest2 ,lena1 one thirtieth2 ,judson1 five-thirtieths2 and the others between these extremes4 ,the stock was bought at eighty-two4 ,i may as well explain now how it came out1 for ,i am not proud of my acumen at the finish4 ,a little more than a year later the stock reached #abb1 and ,i advised the syndicate to sell4 ,they were all pleased at the time with the handsome profit they had made1 but ,i suspect they have often figured what they might have made if the boss hadn't been such a chump1 for we have seen the stock go above two hundred4 ,this was not the only enterprise in which our colony took a small share4 ,the people at ,four ,oaks are now content to hold shares in one of the great trusts1 which they bought several points below par1 and which pay #a4 per cent every three months4 ,even ,lena1 who held only one share of the ,c41 ,r4,i41 ,p4 five years ago1 has so increased her income-bearing property that she is now looked upon as a catch by her acquaintances4 ,if ,i am correctly informed1 she has an annual income of #aje1 independent of her wages4 ,,chapter ,,lvii ,,the ,,death ,,of ,,sir ,,tom ,at #g4cj on the morning of ,march #af1 ,dr4 ,high telephoned me that ,sir ,thomas ,o',hara was seriously ill1 and asked me to come at once4 ,it took but a few minutes to have ,jerry at the door1 and1 breasting a cold1 thin rain at a sharp gallop1 ,i was at my friend's door before the clock struck eight4 ,dr4 ,high met me with a heavy face4 ,sir ,tom is bad1 said he1 with double pneumonia1 and ,i am awfully afraid it will go hard with him4 ,i remembered that my friend's pale face had looked a shade paler than usual the evening before1 and that there had been a pinched expression around the nose and mouth1 as if from pain2 but ,sir ,tom had many twinges from his old enemy1 gout1 which he did not care to discuss1 and ,i took little note of his lack of fitness4 ,he touched the brandy bottle a little oftener than usual1 and left for home earlier2 but his voice was as cheery as ever1 and we thought only of gout4 ,he was taken with a hard chill on his way home1 which lasted for some time after he was put to bed2 but he would not listen to the requests of ,william and the faithful cook that the doctor be summoned4 ,at last he fell into a heavy sleep from which it was hard to rouse him1 and the servants followed their own desire and called ,dr4 ,high4 ,he came as promptly as possible1 and did all that could be done for the sick man4 ,a hurried examination convinced me that ,dr4 ,high's opinion of the gravity of the case was correct1 and we telephoned at once for a specialist from the city1 and for a trained nurse4 ,after a short consultation with ,dr4 ,high ,i rentered my friend's room1 and ,i fear that my face gave me away1 for ,sir ,tom said3-- ,be a man1 ,williams1 and tell the whole of it4 ,my dear old man1 this is a tough proposition1 but you must buck up and make a game fight4 ,we have sent for ,dr4 ,jones and a nurse1 and we will pull you through1 sure4 ,you will try1 for sure1 but ,i reckon the call has come for me to cash in me checks4 ,when that little devil ,frost hit me right and left in me chest last night1 ,i could see me finish2 and ,i heard the banshee in me sleep1 and that means much to a ,sligo man4 ,not to this ,sligo man1 ,i hope1 said ,i1 though ,i knew that we were in deep waters4 ,the wise man and the nurse came out on the #aj4cj train1 the nurse bringing comfort and aid1 but the physician neither4 ,after thoroughly examining the patient1 he simply confirmed our fears4 ,serious disease to overcome1 and only scant vital forces2 no reasonable ground for hope4 ,sir ,tom gave me a smile as ,i entered the room after parting from the specialist4 ,i've discounted the verdict1 said he1 and the foreman needn't draw such a long face4 ,i've had my fling1 like a true ,irishman1 and ,i'm ready to pay the bill4 ,i won't have to come back for anything1 ,williams2 there's nothing due me2 but ,i must look sharp for ,william and the old girl in the kitchen1--faithful souls1--for they will be strangers in a strange land4 ,will you send for a lawyer8 ,the lawyer came1 and a codicil to ,sir ,thomas's will made the servants comfortable for life4 ,all that day and the following night we hung around the sick bed1 hoping for the favorable change that never came4 ,on the morning of the #agth it was evident that he would not live to see the sun go down4 ,we had kept all friends away from the sick chamber2 but now1 at his request1 ,polly1 ,jane1 and ,laura were summoned1 and they came1 with blanched faces and tearful eyes1 to kiss the brow and hold the hands of this dear man4 ,he smiled with contentment on the group1 and said3-- ,me friends have made such a heaven of this earth that perhaps ,i have had me full share4 ,sir ,tom1 said ,i1 shall ,i send for a priest8 ,a priest6 ,what could ,i do with a priest8 ,me forebears were on the ,orange side of ,boyne ,water1 and we have never changed color4 ,would you like to see a clergyman8 ,no1 no2 just the grip of a friend's hand and these angels around me4 ,asking pardon is not me long suit1 ,williams1 but perhaps the time has come for me to play it4 ,if the good ,god will be kind to me ,i will thank ,him1 as a gentleman should1 and ,i will take no advantage of ,his kindness2 but if ,he cannot see ,his way clear to do that1 ,i will take what is coming4 ,dear ,sir ,tom1 said ,jane1 with streaming eyes1 ,god cannot be hard with you1 who have been so good to every one4 ,if there's little harm in me life1 there's but scant good1 too2 ,i can't find much credit4 ,me good angel has had an easy time of it1 more's the pity2 but ,janie1 if you love me1 ,le ,bon ,dieu will not be hard on me4 ,he cannot be severe with a poor ,irishman who never stacked the cards1 pulled a race1 or turned his back on a friend1 and who is loved by an angel4 ,i asked ,sir ,tom what we should do for him after he had passed away4 ,it would be foine to sleep in the woods just back of ,janie's forge1 where ,i could hear the click of her hammer if the days get lonely2 but there's a little castle1 ,god save the mark1 out from ,sligo4 ,me forebears are there1--the lucky ones1--and me wish is to sleep with them2 but ,i doubt it can be4 ,indeed it can be1 and it shall be1 too1 said ,polly4 ,we will all go with you1 ,sir ,tom1 when ,june comes1 and you shall sleep in your own ground with your own kin4 ,i don't deserve it1 ,mrs4 ,williams1 indeed ,i don't1 but ,i would lie easier there4 ,that sod has known us for a thousand years1 and it's the greenest1 softest1 kindest sod in all the world2 but little ,i'll mind when the breath is gone4 ,i'll not be asking that much of you4 ,my dear old chap1 we won't lose sight of you until that green sod covers the stanchest heart that ever beat4 ,polly is right4 ,we'll go with you to ,sligo1--all of us1--,polly and ,jane and ,jack and ,i1 and ,kate and the babies1 too1 if we can get them4 ,you shall not be lonesome4 ,lonesome1 is it8 ,i'll be in the best of company4 ,me heart is at rest from this moment1 and ,i'll wait patiently until ,i can show you ,sligo4 ,this is a fine country1 ,mrs4 ,williams1 and it has given me the truest friends in all the world1 but the ground is sweet in ,sligo4 ,his breath came fainter and faster1 and we could see that it would soon cease4 ,after resting a few minutes1 ,sir ,tom said3-- ,me lady ,laura1 do you mind that prayer song1 the second verse8 ,laura's voice was sobbing and uncertain as it quavered3-- ,other refuge have ,i none1 but it gained courage and persuasiveness until it filled the room and the heart of the man with1-- ,cover my defenceless head1 ,with the shadow of ,thy wing4 ,a gentle smile and the relaxing of closed hands completed the story of our loss1 though the real weight of it came days and months later4 ,it was long before we could take up our daily duties with anything like the familiar happiness4 ,something had gone out of our lives that could never be replaced1 and only time could salve the wounds4 ,the dear man who had gone was no friend to solemn faces1 and living interests must bury dead memories2 but it was a long time before the click of ,jane's hammer was heard in her forge2 not until ,laura had said1 ,it will please him1 ,jane4 ,,chapter ,,lviii ,,bacteria ,january1 ,february1 and ,march passed with more than the usual snow and rain1--fully ten inches of precipitation2 but the spring proved neither cold nor late4 ,during these three months we sold butter to the amount of #abhc1 and #gdg worth of eggs2 in all1 #bjcj4 ,the ploughs were started in the highest land on the #aath of ,april1 and were kept going steadily until they had turned over nearly #bhj acres4 ,i decided to put the whole of the widow's field into corn1 lots #h1 #ab1 and #ae 7#hd acres7 into oats1 and #ej acres of the orchards into roots and sweet fodder corn4 ,number #ac was to be sown with buckwheat as soon as the rye was cut for green forage4 ,i decided to raise more alfalfa1 for we could feed more to advantage1 and it was fast gaining favor in my establishment4 ,it is so productive and so nutritious that ,i wonder it is not more generally used by farmers who make a specialty of feeding stock4 ,it contains as much protein as most grains1 and is wholesome and highly palatable if properly cured4 ,it should be cut just as it is coming into flower1 and should be cured in the windrow4 ,the leaves are the most nutritious part of the plant1 and they are apt to fall off if the cutting be deferred1 or if the curing be done carelessly4 ,lot ,no4 #i was to be fitted for alfalfa as soon as the season would permit4 ,first1 it must receive a heavy dressing of manure1 to be ploughed under4 ,the ordinary plough was to be followed in this case by a subsoiler1 to stir the earth as deep as possible4 ,when the seed was sown1 the land was to receive five hundred pounds an acre of high-grade fertilizer1 and one hundred pounds an acre of infected soil4 ,the peculiar bacterium that thrives on congenial alfalfa soil is essential to the highest development of the plant4 ,without its presence the grass fails in its chief function--the storing of nitrogen--and makes but poor growth4 ,when the alfalfa bacteria are abundant1 the plant flourishes and gathers nitrogen in knobs and bunches in its roots and in the joints of its stems4 ,i sent to a very successful alfalfa grower in ,ohio for a thousand pounds of soil from one of his fields1 to vaccinate my field with4 ,this is not always necessary1--indeed1 it rarely is1 for alfalfa seed usually carry enough bacteria to inoculate favorable soils2 but ,i wished to see if this infected soil would improve mine4 ,i have not been able to discover any marked advantage from its use2 the reason being that my soil was so rich in humus and added manures that the colonies of bacteria on the seeds were quite sufficient to infect the whole mass4 ,under less favorable conditions1 artificial inoculation is of great advantage4 ,wonderful are the secrets of nature4 ,the infinitely small things seem to work for us and the infinitely large ones appear suited to our use2 and yet1 perhaps1 this is all seeming and appearing4 ,we may ourselves be simply more advanced bacteria1 working blindly toward the solution of an infinite problem in which we are concerned only as means to an end4 ,why should the spirit of mortal be proud1 until it has settled its relative position with both ,sirius and the micro-organisms1 or has estimated its stature by view-points from the bacterial world and from the constellation of ,lyra4 ,until we have been able to compare opinions from these extremes1 if indeed they be extremes1 we cannot expect to make a correct estimate of our value in the economy of the universe4 ,i fancy that we are apt to take ourselves too seriously1 and that we will sometime marvel at the shadow which we did not cast4 ,,chapter ,,lix ,,match-,,making ,the home lot took on a home look in the spring of #ahih4 ,the lawn lost its appearance of newness2 the trees became acquainted with each other2 the shrubs were on intimate terms with their neighbors1 and broke into friendly rivalry of blossoms2 the gardens had a settled-down look1 as if they had come to stay2 and even the wall flowers were enjoying themselves4 ,these efforts of nature to make us feel at ease were thankfully received by ,polly and me1 and we voted that this was more like home than anything else we had ever had2 and when the fruit trees put forth their promise of an autumn harvest in great masses of blossoms1 we declared that we had made no mistake in transforming ourselves from city to country folk4 ,aristocracy is of the land1 said ,polly4 ,it always has been and always will be the source of dignity and stability4 ,i feel twice as great a lady as ,i did in the tall house on ,b---- ,street4 ,so you don't want to go back to that tall house1 madam8 ,indeed ,i don't4 ,why should ,i8 ,i don't know why you should1 only ,i remember ,lot's wife looked back toward the city4 ,don't mention that woman6 ,she didn't know what she wanted4 ,you won't catch me looking toward the city1 except once a week for three or four hours1 and then ,i hurry back to the farm to see what has happened in my garden while ,i've been away4 ,but how about your friends1 ,polly8 ,you know as well as ,i that we haven't lost a friend by living out here1 and that we've tied some of them closer4 ,no1 sir6 ,no more city life for me4 ,it may do for young people1 who don't know better1 but not for me4 ,it's too restricted1 and there's not enough excitement4 ,country life fits us like paper on the wall1 said ,i1 but how about the youngsters8 ,if we insist on keeping children1 we must take them into our scheme of life4 ,of course we must1 but children are an unknown quantity4 ,they are x in the domestic problem1 and we cannot tell what they stand for until the problem is worked out4 ,i don't see why we can't find the value of x in the country as easily as in the city4 ,they have had city and school life1 now let them see country life2 the x will stand for wide experience at least4 ,jane likes it thus far1 said ,i1 and ,i think she will continue2 but ,i don't feel so sure about ,jack4 ,you're as blind as a bat--or a man4 ,jane loves country life because she's young and growing2 but there's a subconscious sense which tells her that she's simply fitting herself to be carried off by that handsome giant1 ,jim ,jarvis4 ,she doesn't know it1 but it's the truth all the same1 and it will come as sure as tide2 and when it does come1 her life will be run into other moulds than we have made1 no matter how carefully4 ,i wonder where this modern ,hercules is most vulnerable4 ,i'll slay him if ,i find him mousing around my ,jane4 ,you will slay nothing1 ,mr4 ,headman1 and you know it2 you will just take what's coming to you1 as others have done since the world was young4 ,well1 ,i give fair warning2 it's 'hands off ,jane1' for lo1 these many years1 or some one will be brewing 'harm tea' for himself4 ,you bark so loud no one will believe you can bite1 said this saucy1 match-making mother4 ,how about ,jack8 said ,i4 ,have you settled the moulds he is to be run in8 ,not entirely2 but ,i am not as one without hope4 ,jack will be through college in ,june1 and will go abroad with us for ,july and ,august2 he will be as busy as possible with the miners from the moment he comes back2 he is much in love with ,jessie1 the ,gordon's have no other child1 the property is large1 ,homestead ,farm is only three miles1 and-- ,slow up1 ,polly6 ,slow up6 ,your main line is all right1 but your terminal facilities are bad4 ,jack is to be educated1 travelled1 employed1 engaged1 married1 endowed with ,homestead ,farm1 and all that2 but you mustn't kill off the ,gordons4 ,i swing the red lantern in front of that train of thought4 ,let ,jack and ,jessie wait till we are through with ,four ,oaks and the ,gordons have no further use for ,homestead ,farm1 before thinking of coupling that property on to this4 ,don't be a greater goose than you can help1 said ,polly4 ,you know what ,i mean4 ,men are so short-sighted6 ,laura says1 'the ,headman ought to have a small dog and a long stick'2 but no matter1 ,i'll keep an eye on the children1 and you needn't worry about country life for them4 ,they'll take to it kindly4 ,well1 they ought to1 if they have any appreciation of the fitness of things4 ,did you ever see weather made to order before8 ,i feel as if ,i had been measured for it4 ,it suits my garden down to the ground1 said ,polly1 who hates slang4 ,it was planned for the farmer1 madam4 ,if it happens to fit the rose-garden mistress1 it is a detail for you to note and be thankful for1 but the great things are outside the rose gardens4 ,look at that corn-field6 ,a crow could hide in it anywhere4 ,what have crows hiding got to do with corn1 ,i'd like to know8 ,when ,i was a boy the farmers used to say1 ',if it will cover a crow's back on the ,fourth of ,july1 it will make good corn1' and ,i am farmering with old saws when ,i can't find new ones4 ,it's all of three weeks yet to the ,fourth of ,july1 and your corn will cover a turkey by that time4 ,i hope so1 but we shan't be here to see it1 more's the pity1 as ,sir ,tom would say4 ,do you know1 ,kate says she won't go over4 ,she doesn't think it would pay for so short a trip4 ,why do you insist upon eight weeks8 ,well1 now1 ,i like that6 ,when did ,i ever insist on anything1 ,mrs4 ,williams8 ,not since ,i knew you well1 did ,i8 ,but be honest1 ,polly4 ,who has done the cutting down of this trip8 ,you and the youngsters may stay as long as you please1 but ,i will be back here ,september #ast unless the ,normania breaks a shaft4 ,i wish we could go over on a ,german boat4 ,i hate the ,cunarders4 ,so do ,i1 but we must land at ,queenstown4 ,we must put ,sir ,tom under the sod at that little castle out from ,sligo4 ,then we can do ,holland and ,belgium1 and have a week or ten days in ,london4 ,that will be enough4 ,i do hope ,johnson will take good care of my flowers2 it's the very most important time1 you know1 and if he neglects them-- ,he won't neglect them1 ,polly2 even if he does1 they can be easily replaced4 ,but the hay harvest1 now1 that's different2 if they spoil the timothy or cut the alfalfa too late6 ,bother your alfalfa6 ,what do ,i care for that8 ,kate's coming out with the babies1 and ,i'm going to put her in full charge of the gardens4 ,she'll look after them1 ,i'm sure4 ,i'll tell you another bit of news3 ,jim ,jarvis is bound to go with us1 ,jack says1 and he has asked if we'll let him4 ,how long have you had that up your sleeve1 young woman8 ,i don't like it a little bit6 ,that is why you talked so like an oracle a little while ago6 ,what does ,jane say8 ,she doesn't say much1 but ,i think she wouldn't object4 ,of course she can't object4 ,you sick a big brute of a man on to a little girl1 and she don't dare object2 but ,i'll feed him to the fishes if he worries her4 ,to be sure you will1 ,mr4 ,ogre4 ,anybody would be sure of that to hear you talk4 ,don't chaff me1 ,polly4 ,this is a serious business4 ,if you sell my girl1 ,i'm going to buy a new one4 ,i'll ask ,jessie ,gordon to go with us and1 if ,jack is half the man ,i take him to be1 he'll replenish our stock of girls before we get back4 ,who is match-making now8 ,i don't care what you call it4 ,i shall take out letters of marque and reprisal4 ,i won't raise girls to be carried off by the first privateer that makes sail for them1 without making some one else suffer4 ,if ,jarvis goes1 ,jessie goes1 that's flat4 ,i think it will be an excellent plan1 ,mr4 ,bad ,temper1 and ,i've no doubt that we can manage it4 ,don't say 'we' when you talk of managing it4 ,i tell you ,i'm entirely on the defensive until some one robs me1 then ,i'll take what is my neighbor's if ,i can get it4 ,if it were not for my promise to ,sir ,tom1 ,i wouldn't leave the farm for a minute6 ,and ,i would establish a quarantine against all giants for at least five years4 ,you know you like ,jarvis4 ,he is one of the best4 ,that's all right1 ,polly4 ,he's as fine as silk1 but he isn't fine enough for our ,jane yet4 ,,chapter ,,lx ,i ,,told ,,you ,,so ,it may be the limitless horizon1 it may be the comradery of confinement1 it may be the old superstition of a plank between one and eternity1 or it may be some occult influence of ship and ocean2 but certain it is that there is no such place in all the world as a deck of a transatlantic liner for softening young hearts1 until they lose all semblance of shape1 and for melting them into each other so that out of twain there comes but one4 ,i think ,polly was pleased to watch this melting process1 as it began to show itself in our young people1 from the safe retreat of her steamer chair and behind the covers of her book4 ,i couldn't find that she read two chapters from any book during the whole voyage1 or that she was miserable or discontented4 ,she just watched with a comfortable ,i told you so expression of countenance2 and she never mentioned home lot or garden or roses1 from dock to dock4 ,it is as natural for a woman to make matches as for a robin to build nests1 and ,i suppose ,i had as much right to find fault with the one as with the other4 ,i did not find fault with her1 but neither could ,i understand her2 so ,i fretted and fumed and smoked1 and walked the deck and bet on everything in sight and out of sight1 until the soothing influence of the sea took hold of me1 and then ,i drifted like the rest of them4 ,no1 ,i will not say like the rest of them1 for ,i could not forgive this waste of space given over to water4 ,in other crossings ,i had not noted the conspicuous waste with any feeling of loss or regret2 but other crossings had been made before ,i knew the value of land4 ,i could not get away from the thought that it would add much to the wealth of the world if the mountains were removed and cast into the sea4 ,not only that1 but it would curb to some extent the ragings of this same turbulent sea1 which was rolling and tossing us about for no really good reason that ,i could discover4 ,the ,atlantic had lost much of its romance and mystery for me1 and ,i wondered if ,i had ever felt the enthusiasm which ,i heard expressed on all sides4 ,there she spouts6 came from a dozen voices1 and the whole passenger list crowded the port rail1 just to see a cow whale throwing up streams of water1 not immensely larger than the streams of milk which my cow ,holsteins throw down4 ,the crowd seemed to take great pleasure in this sight1 but to me it was profitless4 ,i have known the day when ,i could watch the graceful leaps and dives of a school of porpoises1 as it kept with easy fin1 alongside of our ocean greyhound1 with pleasure unalloyed by any feeling of non-utility4 ,but now these hogs of the sea reminded me of my ,chester ,whites1 and the comparison was so much in favor of the hogs of the land1 that ,i turned from these spectacular1 useless things1 to meditate upon the price of pork4 ,even ,mother ,carey's chickens gave me no pleasure1 for they reminded me of a far better brood at home1 and ,i cheerfully thanked the noble ,wyandottes who were working every third day so that ,i could have a trip to ,europe4 ,to be sure1 ,i had ,european trips before ,i had ,wyandottes2 to have them both the same year was the marvel4 ,before we reached ,queenstown1 ,jarvis had gained some ground by twice picking me out of the scuppers2 but as ,i resented his steadiness of foot and strength of hand1 it was not worth mentioning4 ,i could see1 however1 that these feats were great in ,jane's eyes4 ,the double rescue of a beloved parent1 from1 not exactly a watery grave1 but a damp scupper1 would never be forgotten4 ,the giant let her adore his manly strength and beauty1 and ,i could only secretly hope that some wave--tidal if necessary--would take him off his feet and send him into the scuppers4 ,but he had played football too long to be upset by a watery wave1 and ,i was balked of my revenge4 ,jack and ,jessie were rather a pleasure to me than otherwise4 ,they settled right down to the heart-softening business in such matter-of-fact fashion that their hearts must have lost contour before the voyage was half over4 ,polly dismissed them from her mind with a sigh of satisfaction1 and ,i then hoped that she would find some time to devote to me1 but ,i was disappointed4 ,she assured me that those two were safely locked in the fold1 but that she could not set her mind at rest until the other two were safe4 ,after that she promised to take me in hand2 whether for reward or for punishment left me guessing4 ,the six and a half days finally came to an end1 and we debarked for ,queenstown4 ,the journey across ,ireland was made as quickly as slow trains and a circuitous route would permit1 and we reached ,sligo on the second day4 ,sir ,thomas's agent met us1 and we drove at once to the little castle out from ,sligo4 ,it proved to be a very old little castle1 four miles out1 overlooking the bay4 ,it was low and flat1 with thick walls of heavy stone pierced by a few small windows1 and a broad door made of black ,irish oak heavily studded with iron4 ,from one corner rose a square tower1 thirty feet or more in height1 covered with wild vines that twined in and out through the narrow1 unglazed windows4 ,within was a broad1 low hall1 from which opened four rooms of nearly equal size4 ,there was little evidence that the castle had been inhabited during recent years1 though there was an ancient woman care-taker who opened the great door for us1 and then took up the ,irish peasant's wail for the last of the ,o',haras4 ,she never ceased her crooning except when she spoke to us1 which was seldom2 but she placed us at table in the state dining room1 and served us with stewed kid1 potatoes1 and goat's milk4 ,the walls of the dining room were covered with ancient pictures of the ,o',haras1 but none so recent as a hundred years4 ,we could well believe ,sir ,tom's words1 the sod has known us for a thousand years1 when we looked upon the score of pictures1 each of which stood for at least one generation4 ,the agent told us that our friend had never lived at the castle1 but that he had visited the place as a child1 and again just before leaving for ,america4 ,a wall-enclosed lot about two hundred feet square was the kindest sod in all the world to an ,o',hara1 and here we placed our dear friend at rest with the lucky ones of his race4 ,no one of the race ever deserved more luck than did our ,sir ,tom4 ,the young clergyman who read the service assured us that he had found it2 and our minds gave the same evidence1 and our hearts said ,amen1 as we turned from his peaceful resting-place by the green waters of ,sligo ,bay4 ,two days later we were comfortably lodged at ,the ,hague1 from which we intended to do the little kingdom of ,holland by rail1 by canal1 or on foot1 as we should elect4 ,,chapter ,,lxi ,,the ,,belgian ,,farmer ,leaving ,holland with regret1 we crossed the ,schelde into ,belgium1 the cockpit of ,europe4 ,it is here that one sees what intensive farming is like4 ,no fences to occupy space1 no animals roaming at large1 nothing but small strips of land tilled to the utmost1 chiefly by hand4 ,little machinery is used1 and much of the work is done after primitive fashions2 but the land is productive1 and it is worked to the top of its bent4 ,the peasant-farmer soils his cows1 his sheep1 his swine1 in a way that is economical of space and food1 if not of labor1 and manages to make a living and to pay rent for his twenty-acre strip of land4 ,his methods do not appeal to the ,american farmer1 who wastes more grain and forage each year than would keep the ,netherlander1 his family1 and his stock2 but there is a lesson to be learned from this subdivision and careful cultivation of land4 ,belgian methods prove that ,mother ,earth can care for a great many children if she be properly husbanded1 and that the sooner we recognize her capacity the better for us4 ,abandoned farms are not known in ,belgium and ,france1 though the soil has been cultivated for a thousand years1 and was originally no better than our ,new ,england farms1 and not nearly so good as hundreds of those which are practically given over to old fields in ,virginia4 ,it is neglect that impoverishes land1 not use4 ,intelligent use makes land better year by year4 ,the only way to wear out land is to starve and to rob it at the same time4 ,food for man and beast may be taken from the soil for thousands of years without depleting it4 ,all it asks in return is the refuse1 carefully saved1 properly applied1 and thoroughly worked in to make it available4 ,if1 in addition to this1 a cover crop of some leguminous plant be occasionally turned under1 the soil may actually increase in fertility1 though it be heavily cropped each year4 ,it would pay the young ,american farmer to study ,belgian methods1 crude though they are1 for the insight he could gain into the possibilities of continuous production4 ,the greatest number of people to the square mile in the inhabited globe live in this little1 ill-conditioned kingdom1 and most of them get their living from the soil4 ,it has been the battle-field of ,europe3 a thousand armies have harrowed it2 human blood has drenched it from ,lige to ,ostend2 it has been depopulated again and again4 ,but it springs into new life after each catastrophe1 simply because the soil is prolific of farmers1 and they cannot be kept down4 ,like the poppies on the field of ,waterloo1 which renew the blood-red strife each year1 the ,belgian peasant-farmer springs new-born from the soil1 which is the only mother he knows4 ,after two weeks in ,holland1 two in ,belgium1 and two in ,london1 we were ready to turn our faces toward home4 ,we took the train to ,southampton1 and a small side-wheel steamer carried us outside ,southampton waters1 where we tossed about for thirty minutes before the ,normania came to anchor4 ,the wind was blowing half a gale from the north1 and we were glad to get under the lee of the great vessel to board her4 ,the transfer was quickly made1 and we were off for ,new ,york4 ,the wind gained strength as the day grew old1 but while we were in the ,solent the bluff coast of ,devon and ,cornwall broke its force sufficiently to permit us to be comfortable on the port side of the ship4 ,as night came on1 great clouds rolled up from the northwest and the wind increased4 ,darkness1 as of ,egypt1 fell upon us before we passed the ,lizard1 and the only things that showed above the raging waters were the beacon lights1 and these looked dim and far away4 ,occasionally a flash of lightning threw the waters into relief1 and then made the darkness more impenetrable4 ,as we steamed beyond the ,lizard and the protecting ,cornish coast1 the full force of the gale1 from out the ,irish ,sea1 struck us4 ,we were going nearly with it1 and the good ship pitched and reared like an angry horse1 but did not roll much4 ,pitching is harder to bear than rolling1 and the decks were quickly vacated4 ,i turned into my stateroom soon after ten o'clock1 and then happened a thing which will hold a place in my memory so long as ,i have one4 ,i did not feel sleepy1 but ,i was nervous1 restless1 and half sick4 ,i lay on my lounge for perhaps half an hour1 and then felt impelled to go on deck4 ,i wrapped myself in a great waterproof ulster1 pulled my storm cap over my ears1 and climbed the companionway4 ,two or three electric bulbs in sheltered places on deck only served to make the darkness more intense4 ,i crawled forward of the ladies' cabin1 and1 supporting myself against the donkey-engine1 peered at the light above the crow's-nest and tried to think that ,i could see the man on watch in the nest4 ,i did see him for an instant1 when the next flash of lightning came1 and also two officers on the bridge2 and ,i knew that ,captain ,bahrens was in the chart house4 ,when the next flash came1 ,i saw the other lookout man making his short turns on the narrow space of bow deck1 and was tempted to join him2 why1 ,i do not know4 ,i crept past the donkey-engine1 holding fast to it as ,i went1 until ,i reached the iron gate that closes the narrow passage to the bow deck4 ,with two silver dollars in my teeth ,i staggered across this rail-guarded plank1 and when the next flash came ,i was sitting at the feet of the lookout man with the two silver dollars in my outstretched hand4 ,he took the money1 and let me crawl forward between the anchors and the high bulwark of the bows4 ,the sensations which this position gave me were strange beyond description4 ,darkness was thick around me2 at one moment ,i was carried upward until ,i felt that ,i should be lost in the black sky1 and the next moment the downward motion was so terrible that the blacker water at the bottom of the sea seemed near4 ,i cannot say that ,i enjoyed it1 but ,i could not give it up4 ,when the great bow rose1 ,i stood up1 and1 looking over the bulwark1 tried to see either sky or water1 but tried in vain1 save when the lightning revealed them both4 ,when the bow fell1 ,i crouched under the bulwark and let the sea comb over me4 ,how long ,i remained at this weird post1 ,i do not know2 but ,i was driven from it in such terror as ,i hope never to feel again4 ,an unusually large wave carried me nearer the sky than ,i liked to be1 and just as the sharp bow of the great iron ship was balancing on its crest for the desperate plunge1 a glare of lightning made sky and sea like a sheet of flame and curdled the blood in my veins4 ,in the trough of the sea1 under the very foot of the immense steamship1 lay a delicate pleasure-boat1 with its mast broken flush with its deck1 and its helpless body the sport of the cruel waves4 ,the light did not last longer than it would take me to count five1 but in that time ,i saw four figures that will always haunt me4 ,two sailors in yachting costume were struggling hopelessly with the tiller1 and the wild terror of their faces as they saw the huge destruction that hung over them is simply unforgettable4 ,the other two were different4 ,a strong1 blond man1 young1 handsome1 and brave ,i know1 stood bareheaded in front of the cockpit4 ,with a sudden1 vehement motion he drew the head of a girl to his breast and held it there as if to shut out the horrible world4 ,there was no fear in his face1--just pain and distress that he was unable to do more4 ,i am thankful that ,i did not see the face of the girl4 ,her brown hair has floated in my dreams until ,i have cried out for help2 what would her face have done8 ,in the twinkling of an eye it was over4 ,i heard a sound as when one breaks an egg on the edge of a cup1--no more4 ,i screamed with horror1 ran across the guarded plank1 climbed the gate1 and fell headlong and screaming over the donkey-engine4 ,picking up my battered self1 ,i shouted3 ,bahrens6 ,bahrens6 for ,god's sake1 help6 ,man overboard6 ,stop the ship6 ,i reached the ladder to the bridge just as the captain came out of the chart house4 ,for ,god's sake1 stop the ship6 ,you've run down a boat with four people6 ,stop her1 can't you6 ,it can't be done1 man4 ,if we've run down a boat1 it's all over with it and all in it4 ,i can't risk a thousand lives without hope of saving one4 ,this is a gale1 ,doctor1 and we have our hands full4 ,i turned from him in horror and despair4 ,i stumbled to my stateroom1 dropped my wet clothing in the middle of the floor1 and knew no more until the trumpet called for breakfast4 ,the rush of green waters was pounding at my porthole2 the experience of the night came back to me with horror2 the reek of my wet clothes sickened my heart1 and ,i rang for the steward4 ,take these things away1 ,gustav1 and don't bring them back until they are dry and pressed4 ,what things does the ,herr ,doctor speak for8 ,the wet things there on the floor4 ,excuse me1 but ,i have seen no things wet4 ,you ,dutch chump6 said ,i1 half rising1 what do you mean by saying--,well1 ,i'll be damned6 ,there were my clothes1 dry and folded1 on the couch1 and my ulster and cap on their hook1 without evidence of moisture or use4 ,gustav1 remind me to give you three rix-dollars at breakfast4 ,danke1 ,herr ,doctor4 ,of such stuff are dreams made4 ,but ,i will know those terror-stricken sailors if ,i do not see them for a hundred years2 and ,i am glad the dark-haired girl did not realize the horror1 but simply knew that the man loved her2 and ,i often think of the man who did the nice thing when no one was looking1 and whose face was not terrorized by the crack of doom4 ,,chapter ,,lxii ,,home-,,coming ,even ,polly was satisfied with our young people before we entered ,new ,york ,bay4 ,if anything in their left pulmonaries had remained unsoftened during the voyage out and the comradery of the ,netherlands1 it was melted into non-resistance by the homeward trip4 ,i could not long hold out against the evidence of happiness that surrounded me1 and ,i gave a half-grudging consent that ,jarvis and ,jane might play together for the next three or four years1 if they would not ask to play for keeps until those years had passed4 ,they readily gave the promise1 but every one knows how such promises are kept4 ,the children wore me out in time1 as all children do in all kinds of ways1 and got their own ways in less than half the contract period4 ,i cannot put my finger on any punishment that has befallen them for this lack of filial consideration1 and ,i am fifteen-sixteenths reconciled4 ,i was downright glad that ,jack made good with ,jessie ,gordon4 ,she was the sort of girl to get out the best that was in him1 and ,i was glad to have her begin early4 ,try as ,i might1 ,i could not feel unhappy that beautiful ,september morning as we steamed up the finest waterway to the finest city in the world4 ,deny it who will1 ,i claim that our ,empire ,city and its environments make the most impressive human show4 ,there is more life1 vigor1 utility1 gorgeousness about it than can be found anywhere else2 and it has the snap and elasticity of youth1 which are so attractive4 ,no man who claims the privilege of ,american citizenship can sail up ,new ,york ,bay without feeling pride in his country and satisfaction in his birthright4 ,one doesn't disparage other cities and other countries when he claims that his own is the best4 ,we were not specially badly treated at the custom-house1--no worse1 indeed1 than smugglers1 thieves1 or pirates would have been2 and we escaped1 after some hours of confinement1 without loss of life or baggage1 but with considerable loss of dignity4 ,how can a self-respecting1 middle-aged man 7to be polite to myself7 stand for hours in a crowded shed1 or lean against a dirty post1 or sit on the sharp edge of his open trunk1 waiting for a ,superior ,being with a gilt band around his hat1 without losing some modicum of dignity8 ,and how1 when this ,superior ,being calls his number and kicks his trunk1 is he to know that he is a free-born ,american citizen and a lineal descendant of ,roger ,williams8 ,the evidence is entirely from within4 ,how is he to support a countenance and mien of dignity while the secrets of his chest are laid bare and the contents of his trunk dumped on the dirty floor8 ,and how must his eyes droop and his face take on a hang-dog look when his second-best coat is searched for diamonds1 and his favorite 7though worn7 pajamas punched for pearls4 ,there are concessions to be made for one's great and glorious country1 and the custom-house is one of them4 ,perhaps we will do better sometime1 and perhaps1 though this is unlikely1 the customs inspectors of the future will disguise themselves as gentlemen4 ,we finally passed the inquisition1 and1 with stuffed trunks and ruffled spirits1 took cabs for the station1 and were presently within the protecting walls at ,four ,oaks1 there to forget lost dignities in the cultivation of land and new ones4 ,,chapter ,,lxiii ,,an ,,hundred ,,fold ,kate declared that she had had the time of her life during her nine weeks' stay at ,four ,oaks4 ,people here every day1 and the house full over ,sunday4 ,we've kept the place humming1 said she1 and you may be thankful if you find anything here but a mortgage4 ,when ,tom and ,i get rich1 we are going to be farm people4 ,don't wait for that1 daughter4 ,start your country home early and let it grow up with the children4 ,it doesn't take much money to buy the land and to get fruit trees started4 ,if ,tom will give it his care for three hours a week1 he will make it at least pay interest and taxes1 and it will grow in value every year until you are ready to live on it4 ,think how our orchards would look now if we had started them ten years ago6 ,they would be fit to support an average family4 ,there1 ,dad1 don't mount your hobby as soon as ever you get home4 ,but we have had a good time out here4 ,do you really think farming is all beer and skittles8 ,it has been smooth sailing for me thus far1 and ,i believe it is simply a business with the usual ups and downs2 but ,i mean to make the ups the feature in this case4 ,are you really glad to get back to it8 ,didn't you want to stay longer8 ,i had a fine trip1 and all that1 but ,i give you this for true2 ,i don't think it would make me feel badly if ,i were condemned to stay within forty miles of this place for the rest of my life4 ,i can't go so far as that with you1 ,dad1 but perhaps ,i may when ,i'm older4 ,yes1 age makes a difference4 ,at forty a man is a fool or a farmer1 or both2 at fifty the pull of the land is mighty2 at sixty it has full possession of him2 at seventy it draws him down with other forces than that which ,newton discovered1 and at eighty it opens for him and kindly tucks the sod around him4 ,mother ,earth is no stepmother1 but warm and generous to all1 and ,i think a fellow is lucky who comes to her for long years of bounty before he is compelled to seek her final hospitality4 ,but1 ,dad1 we can't all be farmers4 ,of course not1 and there's the pity of it2 but almost every man can have a plot of ground on which each year he can grow some new thing1 if only a radish or a leaf of lettuce1 to add to the real wealth of the world4 ,i tell you1 young lady1 that all wealth springs out of the ground4 ,you think that riches are made in ,wall ,street1 but they are not2 they are only handled and manipulated4 ,stop the work of the farmer from ,april to ,october of any year1 and ,wall ,street would be a howling wilderness4 ,the ,street makes it easier to exchange a dozen eggs for three spools of silk1 or a pound of butter for a hat pin1 but that's all2 it never created half the intrinsic value of twelve eggs or sixteen ounces of butter4 ,it's only the farmer who is a wealth producer1 and it's high time that he should be recognized as such4 ,he's the husbandman of all life2 without him the world would be depopulated in three years4 ,you don't half appreciate the profession which your ,dad has taken up in his old age4 ,that sounds all right1 but ,i don't think the farmer would recognize himself from that description4 ,he doesn't live up to his possibilities1 does he8 ,mighty few people do4 ,a farmer may be what he chooses to be4 ,he's under no greater limitations than a business or a professional man4 ,if he be content to use his muscle blindly1 he will probably fall under his own harrow4 ,so1 too1 would the merchant or the lawyer who failed to use his intelligence in his business4 ,the farmer who cultivates his mind as well as his land1 uses his pencil as often as his plough1 and mixes brains with brawn1 will not fall under his own harrow or any other man's4 ,he will never be the drudge of soil or of season1 for to a large extent he can control the soil and discount the season4 ,no other following gives such opportunity for independence and self-balance4 ,almost thou persuadest me to become a farmer1 said ,kate1 as we left the porch1 where ,i had been admiring my land while ,i lectured on the advantages of husbandry4 ,polly came out of the rose garden1 where she had been examining her flowers and setting her watch1 and said3-- ,kate1 you and the grand-girls must stay this month out1 anyway4 ,it seems an age since we saw you last4 ,all right1 if ,dad will agree not to fire farm fancies and figures at me every time he catches me in an easy-chair4 ,i'll promise1 but you don't know what you're missing4 ,four ,oaks looked great1 and ,i was tempted to tramp over every acre of it1 saying to each1 ,you are mine2 but first ,i had a little talk with ,thompson4 ,everything has been greased for us this summer1 said ,thompson4 ,we got a bumper crop of hay1 and the oats and corn are fine6 ,i allow you've got fifty-five bushels of oats to the acre in those shocks1 and the corn looks like it stood for more than seventy4 ,we sold nine more calves the end of ,june1 for #ajd4 ,mr4 ,tom must have a lot of money for you1 for in ,august we sold the finest bunch of shoates you ever saw1--#cab of them4 ,they were not extra heavy1 but they were fine as silk4 ,mr4 ,tom said they netted #d4ae per hundred1 and they averaged a little over #bfj pounds4 ,i went down with them1 and the buyers tumbled over each other to get them4 ,i was mighty proud of the bunch1 and brought back a check for #cdjg4 ,good for you1 ,thompson6 ,that's the best sale yet4 ,some of the heifers will be coming in the last of this month or the first of next4 ,don't you want to get rid of those five scrub cows8 ,better wait six weeks1 and then you may sell them4 ,do you know where you can place them8 ,jackson was looking at them a few days ago1 and said he would give #ce apiece for them2 but they are worth more4 ,not for us1 ,thompson1 and not for him1 either1 if he saw things just right4 ,they're good for scrubs2 but they don't pay well enough for us1 and if he wants them he can have them at that price about the middle of ,october4 ,the credit account for the second quarter of #ahih stood3-- #bc calves 4 4 4 4 4 #bgj4jj ,eggs 4 4 4 4 4 4 #fcg4jj ,butter 4 4 4 4 4 4 #acad4jj ,total4 4 4 4 4 4 #bbba4jj ,,chapter ,,lxiv ,,comfort ,,me ,,with ,,apples ,september added a new item to our list of articles sold2 small1 indeed1 but the beginning of the fourth and last product of our factory farm1--fruit from our newly planted orchards4 ,the three hundred plum trees in the chicken runs gave a moderate supply for the colony1 and the dwarf-pear trees yielded a small crop2 but these were hardly included in our scheme4 ,i expected to be able1 by and by1 to sell #bjj or #cjj worth of plums2 but the chief income from fruit would come from the fifty acres of young apple orchards4 ,i hope to live to see the time when these young orchards will bring me at least #e a year for each tree2 and if ,i round out my expectancy 7as the life-insurance people figure it71 ,i may see them do much better4 ,in the interim the day of small things must not be despised4 ,in our climate the ,yellow ,transparent and the ,duchess do not ripen until early ,september1 and ,i was therefore at home in time to gather and market the little crop from my six hundred trees4 ,the apples were carefully picked1 for they do not bear handling well1 and the perfect ones were placed in half-bushel boxes and sent to my city grocer4 ,not one defective apple was packed1 for ,i was determined that the ,four ,oaks stencil should be as favorably known for fruit as for other products4 ,the grocer allowed me fifty cents a box4 ,the market is glutted with apples1 but not your kind1 said he4 ,can you send more8 ,i could not send more1 for my young trees had done their best in producing ninety-six boxes of perfect fruit4 ,boxes and transportation came to ten cents for each box1 and ,i received #ch for my first shipment of fruit4 ,i cannot remember any small sum of money that ever pleased me more1--except the #bh which ,i earned by seven months of labor in my fourteenth year2 for it was first fruits of the last of our interlacing industries4 ,thirty-eight dollars divided among my trees would give one cent to each2 but four years later these orchards gave net returns of ninety cents for each tree1 and in four years from now they will bring more than twice that amount4 ,at twelve years of age they will bring an annual income of #c each1 and this income will steadily increase for ten or fifteen years4 ,at the time of writing1 ,february1 #aijc1 they are good for #a a year1 which is five per cent of #bj4 ,would ,i take #bj apiece for these trees8 ,not much1 though that would mean #gj1jjj4 ,i do not know where ,i could place #gj1jjj so that it would pay five per cent this year1 six per cent next year1 and twenty per cent eight or ten years from now4 ,of course1 #gj1jjj would be an exorbitant price to pay for an orchard like mine2 but it must be remembered that ,i am old and cannot wait for trees to grow4 ,if a man will buy land at #ej or #fj an acre1 plant it to apple trees 7not less than sixty-five to the acre71 and bring these trees to an age when they will produce fruit to the value of #a4ej each1 they will not have cost more than #a4ej per tree for the land1 the trees1 and the labor4 ,i am too old to begin over again1 and ,i wish to see a handsome income from my experiment before my eyes are dim2 but why on earth young men do not take to this kind of investment is more than ,i can see4 ,it is as safe as government bonds1 and infinitely safer than most mercantile ventures4 ,it is a dignified employment1 free from the ordinary risks of business2 and it is not likely to be overdone4 ,all one needs is energy1 a little money1 and a good bit of well-directed intelligence4 ,this combination is common enough to double our rural population1 relieve the congestion in trades and underpaid employments1 and add immensely to the wealth of the country4 ,if we can only get the people headed for the land1 it will do much toward solving the vexing labor problems1 and will draw the teeth of the communists and the anarchists2 for no one is so willing to divide as he who cannot lose by division4 ,to the man who has a plot of ground which he calls his own1 division doesn't appeal with any but negative force4 ,neither should it1 until all available lands are occupied4 ,then he must move up and make room for another man by his side4 ,the sales for the quarter ending ,september #cj were as follows3-- #if half-bushel boxes of apples #ch4jj #i calves #ajd4jj ,eggs #edc4jj ,butter #abic4jj ,hogs #cdjg4jj -------- ,total #eche4jj ,this was the best total for any three months up to date1 and it made me feel that ,i was getting pretty nearly out of the woods1 so far as increasing my investment went4 ,including my new hog-house and ten thousand bushels of purchased grain1 the investment1 thought ,i1 must represent quite a little more than #ajj1jjj1 and ,i hoped not to go much beyond that sum1 for ,polly looked serious when ,i talked of six figures1 though she was reconciled to any amount which could be stated in five4 ,my buildings were all finished1 and were good for many years2 and if they burned1 the insurance would practically replace them4 ,my granary was full enough of oats and corn to provide for deficits of years to come2 and my flocks and herds were now at their maximum1 since ,sam had turned more than eight hundred pullets into the laying pens4 ,i began to feel that the factory would soon begin to run full time and to make material returns for its equipment4 ,it would1 of course1 be several years before the fruit would make much showing1 but ,i am a patient man1 and could wait4 ,,chapter ,,lxv ,,the ,,end ,,of ,,the ,,third ,,year ,polly1 said ,i1 on the evening of ,december #ca1 let's settle the accounts for the year1 and see how much we must credit to 'experience' to make the figures balance4 ,aren't you going to credit anything to health1 and good times generally8 ,if not1 you don't play fair4 ,we'll keep those things in reserve1 to spring on the enemy at a critical moment2 perhaps they won't be needed4 ,i fancy you will have to bring all your reserves into action this time1 ,mr4 ,headman1 for you promised to make a good showing at the end of the third year4 ,well1 so ,i will2 at least1 according to my own estimate2 but others may not see it as ,i do4 ,don't let others see it at all1 then4 ,the experiment is yours1 isn't it8 ,yes1 for us2 but it's more than a personal matter4 ,i want to prove that a factory farm is sound in theory and safe in practice1 and that it will fit the needs of a whole lot of farmers4 ,i hardly think that 'a whole lot of farmers1' or of any other kind of people1 will put #ajj1jjj into a farm on any terms4 ,don't you think you've been a little extravagant8 ,only on the home forty1 ,polly4 ,i will expound this matter to you some time until you fall asleep1 but not to-day4 ,we have other business on hand4 ,i want to give you this warning to begin with3 you are not to jump to a conclusion or on to my figures until you have fairly considered two items which enter into this year's expense account4 ,i've built an extra hog-house and have bought ten thousand bushels of grain1 at a total expense of about #fjjj4 ,neither of these items was really needed this year2 but as they are our insurance against disease and famine1 ,i secured them early and at low prices4 ,they won't appear in the expense account again1--at least1 not for many years1--and they give me a sense of security that is mighty comforting4 ,but what if ,anderson sets fire to your piggery1 or lightning strikes your granary1--how about the expense account then8 ,what do you suppose fire insurance policies are for8 ,to paper the wall8 ,no1 madam1 they are to pay for new buildings if the old ones burn up4 ,i charge the farm over #bjj a year for this security1 and it's a binding contract4 ,well1 ,i'll try and forget the #fjjj if you'll get to the figures at once4 ,all right4 ,first1 let me go over the statement for the last quarter of the year4 ,the sales were3 apples1 from #aej old trees at #c per tree1 #dej2 #aj calves1 #aae2 #cfj hens and #ejj cockerels1 #dcj2 #e cows 7the common ones1 to ,jackson7 at #ce each1 #age2 eggs1 #hbg2 butter1 #acaa2 and #bha hogs1 rushed to market in ,december when only about eight months old and sold for #c4gj per hundred to help swell this account1 #bfdi2 making a total for the fourth quarter of #eieg4 ,the items of expense for the year were3-- ,interest on investment #e1acb4jj ,new hog-house #d1bbj4jj #aj1jjj bu4 of grain #b1dej4jj ,food for colony #e1cbb4jj ,food for stock #a1fdj4jj ,seeds and fertilizers #b1aee4jj ,insurance and taxes #gcj4jj ,shoeing and repairs #cdi4jj ,replenishments #dej4jj ,total #bb1gfj4jj ,the credit account reads3 first quarter1 #bjcj2 second quarter1 #bbba2 third quarter1 #echg2 fourth quarter1 #eieg2 total1 #ae1eie4 ,if we take out the #ffgj for the extra piggery and the grain1 the expense account and the income will almost balance1 even leaving out the #djjj which we agreed to pay for food and shelter4 ,i think that's a fair showing for the three years1 don't you8 ,possibly it is2 but what a lot of money you pay for wages4 ,it's the largest item4 ,yes1 and it always will be4 ,i don't claim that a factory farm can be run like a grazing or a grain farm4 ,one of its objects is to furnish well-paid employment to a lot of people4 ,we've had nine men and two lads all the year1 and three extra men for seven months1 three women on the farm and five in the house1--twenty-two people to whom we've paid wages this year4 ,doesn't that count for anything8 ,how many did we keep in the city8 ,four1--three women and a man4 ,then we give employment to eighteen more people at equally good wages and in quite as wholesome surroundings4 ,do you realize1 ,polly1 that the maids in the house get #acjj out of the #ecjj1--one quarter of the whole8 ,possibly there is a suspicion of extravagance on the home forty4 ,not a bit of it6 ,you know that you proved to me that it cost us #ebjj a year for board and shelter in the city1 and you only credit the farm with #djjj4 ,that other #abjj would more than pay the extra wages4 ,i really don't think it costs as much to live here as it did on ,b----,street1 and any one can see the difference4 ,you are right4 ,if we call our plant an even #ajj1jjj1 which at five per cent would mean #ejjj a year1--where can you get house1 lawns1 woods1 gardens1 horses1 dogs1 servants1 liberty1 birds1 and sun-dials on a wide and liberal scale for #ejjj a year1 except on a farm like this8 ,you can't buy furs1 diamonds1 and yachts with such money anyhow or anywhere1 so personal expenditures must be left out of all our calculations4 ,no1 the wage account will always be the large one1 and ,i am glad it is so1 for it is one finger of the helping hand4 ,you haven't finished with the figures yet4 ,you don't know what to add to our permanent investment4 ,that's quickly done4 ,nineteen thousand five hundred and ninety-five dollars from twenty-two thousand seven hundred and sixty dollars leaves three thousand one hundred and sixty-five dollars to charge to our investment4 ,i resent the word 'permanent1' which you underscored just now1 for each year we're going to have a surplus to subtract from this interest-bearing debt4 ,precious little surplus you'll have for the next few years1 with ,jack and ,jane getting married1 and-- ,but1 ,polly1 you can't charge weddings to the farm1 any more than we can yachts and diamonds4 ,i don't see why4 ,a wedding is a very important part of one's life1 and ,i think the farm ought to be made to pay for it4 ,i quite agree with you2 but we must add #cafe to the old farm debt1 and take up our increased burden with such courage as we may4 ,in round figures it is #ajf1jjj4 ,does that frighten you1 ,polly8 ,a little1 perhaps2 but ,i guess we can manage it4 ,you would have been frightened three years ago if some one had told you that you would put #ajf1jjj into a farm of less than five hundred acres4 ,you're right4 ,spending money on a farm is like other forms of vice1--hated1 then tolerated1 then embraced4 ,but seriously1 a man would get a bargain if he secured this property to-day for what it has cost us4 ,i wouldn't take a bonus of #ej1jjj and give it up4 ,you'll hardly find a purchaser at that price1 and ,i'm glad you can't1 for ,i want to live here and nowhere else4 ,,chapter ,,lxvi ,,looking ,,backward ,with the close of the third year ends the detailed history of the factory farm4 ,all ,i wish to do further is to give a brief synopsis of the debit and credit accounts for each of the succeeding four years4 ,first ,i will say a word about the people who helped me to start the factory4 ,thompson and his wife are still with me1 and they are well on toward the wage limit4 ,johnson has the gardens and ,lars the stables1 and ,otto is chief swineherd4 ,french and his wife act as though they were fixtures on the place1 as indeed ,i hope they are4 ,they have saved a lot of money1 and they are the sort who are inclined to let well enough alone4 ,judson is still at ,four ,oaks1 doing as good service as ever2 but ,i fancy that he is minded to strike out for himself before long4 ,he has been fortunate in money matters since he gave up the horse and buggy2 he informed me six months ago that he was worth more than #ejjj4 ,i shouldn't have had five thousand cents if ,i'd stuck to that darned old buggy1 said he1 and ,i guess ,i'll have to thank you for throwing me down that day4 ,zeb has married ,lena1 and a little cottage is to be built for them this winter1 just east of the farm-house2 and ,lena's place is to be filled by her cousin1 who has come from the old country4 ,anderson and ,sam both left in #ahih1--poor1 faithful ,anderson because his heart gave out1 and ,sam because his beacon called him4 ,lars's boys1 now sixteen and eighteen1 have full charge of the poultry plant1 and are quite up to ,sam in his best days4 ,of course ,i have had all kinds of troubles with all sorts of men2 but we have such a strong force of reliables that the atmosphere is not suited to the idler or the hobo1 and we are1 therefore1 never seriously annoyed4 ,of one thing ,i am certain3 no man stays long at our farm-house without apprehending the uses of napkin and bath-tub1 and these are strong missionary forces4 ,through careful tilth and the systematic return of all waste to the land1 the acres at ,four ,oaks have grown more fertile each year4 ,the soil was good seven years ago1 and we have added fifty per cent to its crop capacity4 ,the amount of waste to return to the land on a farm like this is enormous1 and if it be handled with care1 there will be no occasion to spend much money for commercial fertilizers4 ,i now buy fertilizers only for the mid-summer dressing on my timothy and alfalfa fields4 ,the apple trees are very heavily mulched1 even beyond the spread of their branches1 with waste fresh from the vats1 and once a year a light dressing of muriate of potash is applied4 ,the trees have grown as fast as could be desired1 and all of them are now in bearing4 ,the apples from these young trees sold for enough last year to net ninety cents for each tree1 which is more than the trees have ever cost me4 ,in #ahih these orchards yielded #ch2 in #ahii1 #afe2 in #aijj1 #ecj2 in #aija1 #aaag4 ,seven years from the date of planting these trees1 which were then three years old1 ,i had received in money #dgbj1 or #abjj more than ,i paid for the fifty acres of land on which they grew4 ,if one would ask for better returns1 all he has to do is to wait2 for there is a sort of geometrical progression inherent in the income from all well-cared-for orchards1 which continues in force for about fifteen years4 ,there is1 however1 no rule of progress unless the orchards are well cared for1 and ,i would not lead any one to the mistake of planting an orchard and then doing nothing but wait4 ,cultivate1 feed1 prune1 spray1 dig bores1 fight mice1 rabbits1 aphides1 and the thousand other enemies to trees and fruit1 and do these things all the time and then keep on doing them1 and you will win out4 ,omit all or any of them1 and the chances are that you will fail of big returns4 ,but orcharding is not unique in this4 ,every form of business demands prompt1 timely1 and intelligent attention to make it yield its best4 ,the orchards have been my chief care for seven years2 the spraying1 mulching1 and cultivation have been done by the men1 but ,i think ,i have spent one whole year1 during the past seven1 among my trees4 ,do ,i charge my orchards for this time8 ,no2 for ,i have gotten as much good from the trees as they have from me1 and honors are easy4 ,a meditative man in his sixth lustrum can be very happy with pruning-hook and shears among his young trees4 ,if he cannot1 ,i am sincerely sorry for him4 ,i have not increased my plant during the past four years4 ,my stock consume a little more than ,i can raise2 but there are certain things which a farm will not produce1 and there are other things which one had best buy1 thus letting others work their own specialties4 ,if ,i had more land1 would ,i increase my stock8 ,no1 unless ,i had enough land to warrant another plant4 ,my feeding-grounds are filled to their capacity from a sanitary point of view1 and it would be foolish to take risks for moderate returns4 ,if ,i had as much more land1 ,i would establish another factory2 but this would double my business cares without adding one item to my happiness4 ,as it is1 the farm gives me enough to keep me keenly interested1 and not enough to tire or annoy me4 ,so far as profits go1 it is entirely satisfactory4 ,it feeds and shelters my family and twenty others in the colony1 and also the stranger within the gates1 and it does this year after year without friction1 like a well-oiled machine4 ,not only this4 ,each year for the past four1 it has given a substantial surplus to be subtracted from the original investment4 ,if ,i live to be sixty-eight years of age1 the farm will be my creditor for a considerable sum4 ,i have bought no corn or oats since ,january1 #ahih4 ,the seventeen thousand bushels which ,i then had in my granary have slowly grown less1 though there has never been a day when we could not have measured up seven thousand or eight thousand bushels4 ,i shall probably buy again when the market price pleases me1 for ,i have a horror of running short2 but ,i shall not sell a bushel1 though prices jump to the sky4 ,i have seen the time when my corn and oats would have brought four times as much as ,i paid for them1 but they were not for sale4 ,they are the raw material1 to be made up in my factory1 and they are worth as much to me at twenty cents a bushel as at eighty cents4 ,what would one think of the manager of a silk-thread factory who sold his raw silk1 just because it had advanced in price8 ,silk thread would advance in proportion1 and how does the manager know that he can replace his silk when needed1 even at the advanced price8 ,when corn went to eighty cents a bushel1 hogs sold for #h4be a hundred1 and my twenty-cent corn made pork just as fast as eighty-cent corn would have done1 and a great deal cheaper4 ,once ,i sold some timothy hay1 but it was to discount the season1 just as ,i bought grain4 ,on ,july #ah1 #aija1 a tremendous rain and wind storm beat down about forty acres of oats beyond recovery4 ,the next day my mowing machines1 working against the grain1 commenced cutting it for hay4 ,before it was half cut1 ,i sold to a livery-stable keeper in ,exeter fifty tons of bright timothy for #fjj4 ,the storm brought me no loss1 for the horses did quite as well on the oat hay as they ever had done on timothy1 and #fjj more than paid for the loss of the grain4 ,during the first three years of my experiment hogs were very low1--lower1 indeed1 than at any other period for forty years4 ,it was not until #ahii that prices began to improve4 ,during that year my sales averaged #d4ej a hundred4 ,in #aijj the average was #e4be1 in #aija it was #f4aj1 and in #aijb it was just #g4 ,it will be readily appreciated that there is more profit in pork at seven cents a pound than at three and a half cents2 but how much more is beyond me1 for it cost no more to get my swine to market last year than it did in #ahif4 ,i charge each hog #a for bran and shorts2 this is all the ready money ,i pay out for him4 ,if he weighs three hundred pounds 7a few do71 he is worth #aj4ej at #c4ej a hundred1 or #ba at #g a hundred2 and it is a great deal pleasanter to say #a from #ba1 leaves #bj1 than to say #a from #aj4ej leaves #i4ej4 ,of course1 #a a head is but a small part of what the hog has cost when ready for market1 but it is all ,i charge him with directly1 for his other expenses are carried on the farm accounts4 ,the marked increase in income during the past four years is wholly due to the advance in the price of pork and the increased product of the orchards4 ,the expense account has not varied much4 ,the fruit crop is charged with extra labor1 packages1 and transportation1 before it is entered1 and the account shows only net returns4 ,i have had to buy new machinery1 but this has been rather evenly distributed1 and doesn't show prominently in any year4 ,in #aijj ,i lost my forage barn4 ,it was struck by lightning on ,june #ac1 and burned to the ground4 ,fortunately1 there was no wind1 and the rain came in such torrents as to keep the other buildings safe4 ,i had to scour the country over for hay to last a month1 and the expense of this1 together with some addition to the insurance money1 cost the farm #ajjj before the new structure was completed4 ,i give below the income and the outgo for the last four years3-- ,,income ,,expenses ,,to ,,the ,,good #ahii #ag1ghj4jj #ae1dbj4jj #b1cfj4jj #aijj #ai1dfj4jj #af1dhj4jj #b1ihj4jj #aija #ba1dbd4jj #ae1ebj4jj #e1ijd4jj #aijb #bc1cfe4jj #ae1fgc4jj #g1fib4jj ----------- ,making a total to the good of #ah1icf4jj ,these figures cover only the money received and expended4 ,they take no account of the #djjj per annum which we agreed to pay the farm for keeping us1 so long as we made it pay interest to us4 ,four times #djjj are #af1jjj which1 added to #ah1icf1 makes almost #ce1jjj to charge off from the #ajf1jjj of original investment4 ,polly was wrong when she spoke of it as a permanent investment4 ,four years more of seven-dollar pork and thrifty apple growth will make this balance of #ga1jjj look very small4 ,the interest is growing rapidly less1 and it will be but a short time before the whole amount will be taken off the expense account4 ,when this is done1 the yearly balance will be increased by the addition of #ejjj1 and we may be able to make the farm pay for weddings1 as ,polly suggested4 ,,chapter ,,lxvii ,,looking ,,forward ,i am not so opinionated as to think that mine is the only method of farming4 ,on the contrary1 ,i know that it is only one of several good methods2 but that it is a good one1 ,i insist4 ,for a well-to-do1 middle-aged man who was obliged to give up his profession1 it offered change1 recreation1 employment1 and profit4 ,my ability to earn money by my profession ceased in #ahie1 and ,i must needs live at ease on my income1 or adopt some congenial and remunerative employment1 if such could be found4 ,the vision of a factory farm had flitted through my brain so often that ,i was glad of the opportunity to test my theories by putting them into practice4 ,fortunately ,i had money1 and to spare2 for ,i had but a vague idea of what money would be needed to carry my experiment to the point of self-support4 ,i set aside #fj1jjj as ample1 but ,i spent nearly twice that amount without blinking4 ,it is quite likely that ,i could have secured as good and as prompt returns with two-thirds of this expenditure4 ,i plead guilty to thirty-three per cent lack of economy2 the extenuating circumstances were1 a wish to let the members of my family do much as they pleased and have good things and good people around them1 and a somewhat luxurious temperament of my own4 ,polly and ,i were too wise 7not to say too old7 to adopt farming as a means of grace through privations4 ,we wanted the good there was in it1 and nothing else2 but as a secondary consideration ,i wished to prove that it can be made to pay well1 even though one-third of the money expended goes for comforts and kickshaws4 ,it is not necessary to spend so much on a five-hundred-acre farm1 and a factory farm need not contain so many acres4 ,any number of acres from forty to five hundred1 and any number of dollars from #ejjj to #ajj1jjj1 will do1 so long as one holds fast to the rules3 good clean fences for security against trespass by beasts1 or weeds2 high tilth1 and heavy cropping2 no waste or fallow land2 conscientious return to the land of refuse1 and a cover crop turned under every second year2 the best stock that money can buy2 feed for product1 not simply to keep the animals alive2 force product in every way not detrimental to the product itself2 maintain a strict quarantine around your animals1 and then depend upon pure food1 water1 air1 sunlight1 and good shelter to keep them healthy2 sell as soon as the product is finished1 even though the market doesn't please you2 sell only perfect product under your own brand2 buy when the market pleases you and thus discount the seasons2 remember that interdependent industries are the essence of factory farming2 employ the best men you can find1 and keep them interested in your affairs2 have a definite object and make everything bend toward that object2 plant apple trees galore and make them your chief care1 as in time they will prove your chief dependence4 ,these are some of the principles of factory farming1 and one doesn't have to be old1 or rich1 to put them into practice4 ,i would exchange my age1 money1 and acres for youth and forty acres1 and think that ,i had the best of the bargain2 and ,i would start the factory by planting ten acres of orchard1 buying two sows1 two cows1 and two setting hens4 ,youth1 strength1 and hustle are a great sight better than money1 and the wise youth can have a finer farm than mine before he passes the half-century mark1 even though he have but a bare forty to begin with4 ,i do not take it for granted that every man has even a bare forty2 but millions of men who have it not1 can have it by a little persistent self-denial2 and when an able-bodied man has forty acres of ground under his feet1 it is up to him whether he will be a comfortable1 independent1 self-respecting man or not4 ,a great deal of farm land is distant from markets and otherwise limited in its range of production1 but nearly every forty which lies east of the hundredth meridian is competent to furnish a living for a family of workers1 if the workers be intelligent as well as industrious4 ,farm lands are each year being brought closer to markets by steam and electric roads2 telephone and telegraphic wires give immediate service2 and the daily distribution of mails brings the producer into close touch with the consumer4 ,the day of isolation and seclusion has passed1 and the farmer is a personal factor in the market4 ,he is learning the advantages of coperation1 both in producing and in disposing of his wares2 he has paid off his mortgage and has money in the bank2 he is a power in politics1 and by far the most dependable element in the state4 ,like the wrestler of old1 who gained new strength whenever his foot touched the ground1 our country gains fresh vigor from every man who takes to the soil4 ,in preaching a hejira to the country1 ,i do not forget the interests of the children4 ,let no one dread country life for the young until they come to the full pith and stature of maturity2 for their chances of doing things worth doing in the world are four to one against those of children who are city-bred4 ,four-fifths of the men and women who do great things are country-bred4 ,this is out of all proportion to the birth-rate as between country and city1 and one is at a loss to account for the disproportion1 unless it is to be credited to environment4 ,is it due to pure air and sunshine1 making redder blood and more vigorous development1 to broader horizons and freedom from abnormal conventions8 ,or does a close relation to primary things give a newness to mind and body which is granted only to those who apply in person8 ,whatever the reason1 it certainly pays to be country-bred4 ,the cities draw to themselves the cream of these youngsters1 which is only natural2 but the cities do not breed them1 except as exotics4 ,if the unborn would heed my advice1 ,i would say1 ,by all means be born in the country1--in ,ohio if possible4 ,but1 if fortune does not prove as kind to you as ,i could wish1 accept this other advice3 ,choose the1 country for your foster-mother2 go to her for consolation and rejuvenation1 take her bounty gratefully1 rest on her fair bosom1 and be content with the fat of the land4 ,,the ,,rural ,,science ,,series ,includes books which state the underlying principles of agriculture in plain language4 ,they are suitable for consultation alike by the amateur or professional tiller of the soil1 the scientist or the student1 and are freely illustrated and finely made4 ,the following volumes are now ready3 ,,the ,,soil4 ,by ,f4,h4 ,,king1 of the ,university of ,wisconsin4 #cjc pp4 #de illustrations4 #ge cents4 ,,the ,,fertility ,,of ,,the ,,land4 ,by ,i4,p4 ,,roberts1 of ,cornell ,university4 ,second edition4 #dba pp4 #de illustrations4 #a4be4 ,,the ,,spraying ,,of ,,plants4 ,by ,e4,g4 ,,lodeman1 late of ,cornell ,university4 #cii pp4 #ib illustrations4 #a4jj4 ,,milk ,,and ,,its ,,products4 ,by ,h4,h4 ,,wing1 of ,cornell ,university4 ,third edition4 #caa pp4 #dc illustrations4 #a4jj4 ,,the ,,principles ,,of ,,fruit-,,growing4 ,by ,l4,h4 ,,bailey4 ,third edition4 #eaf pp4 #abj illustrations4 #a4be4 ,,bush-,,fruits4 ,by ,f4,w4 ,,card1 of ,rhode ,island ,college of ,agriculture and ,mechanic ,arts4 ,second edition4 #ecg pp4 #aac illustrations4 #a4ej4 ,,fertilizers4 ,by ,e4,b4 ,,voorhees1 of ,new ,jersey ,experiment ,station4 ,second edition4 #ccb pp4 #a4jj4 ,,the ,,principles ,,of ,,agriculture4 ,by ,l4,h4 ,,bailey4 ,third edition4 #cjj pp4 #ib illustrations4 #a4be4 ,,irrigation ,,and ,,drainage4 ,by ,f4,h4 ,,king1 ,university of ,wisconsin4 #ejb pp4 #afc illustrations4 #a4ej4 ,,the ,,farmstead4 ,by ,i4,p4 ,,roberts4 #cej pp4 #ach illustrations4 #a4be4 ,,rural ,,wealth ,,and ,,welfare4 ,by ,,george ,t4 ,,fairchild1 ex-,president of the ,agricultural ,college of ,kansas4 #cha pp4 #ad charts4 #a4be4 ,,the ,,principles ,,of ,,vegetable-,,gardening4 ,by ,l4,h4 ,,bailey4 #dfh pp4 #add illustrations4 #a4be4 ,,the ,,feeding ,,of ,,animals4 ,by ,w4,h4 ,,jordan1 of ,new ,york ,state ,experiment ,station4 #a4be net4 ,,farm ,,poultry4 ,by ,,george ,c4 ,,watson1 of ,pennsylvania ,state ,college4 #a4be net4 ,,care ,,of ,,animals4 ,by ,n4,s4 ,,mayo1 of ,connecticut ,agricultural ,college4 #a4be net4 ,new volumes will be added from time to time to the ,,rural ,,science ,,series4 ,the following are in preparation3 ,,physiology ,,of ,,plants4 ,by ,j4,c4 ,,arthur1 ,purdue ,university4 ,,breeding ,,of ,,animals4 ,by ,w4,h4 ,,brewer1 of ,yale ,university4 ,,plant ,,pathology4 ,by ,b4,t4 ,,galloway and associates of ,u4,s4 ,department of ,agriculture4 ,comprises practical hand-books for the horticulturist1 explaining and illustrating in detail the various important methods which experience has demonstrated to be the most satisfactory4 ,they may be called manuals of practice1 and though all are prepared by ,professor ,bailey1 of ,cornell ,university1 they include the opinions and methods of successful specialists in many lines1 thus combining the results of the observations and experiences of numerous students in this and other lands4 ,they are written in the clear1 strong1 concise ,english and in the entertaining style which characterize the author4 ,the volumes are compact1 uniform in style1 clearly printed1 and illustrated as the subject demands4 ,they are of convenient shape for the pocket1 and are substantially bound in flexible green cloth4 ,,the ,,horticulturist',s ,,rule-,,book4 ,by ,l4,h4 ,bailey4 ,fourth edition4 #cab pp4 #ge cts4 ,,the ,,nursery-,,book4 ,by ,l4,h4 ,bailey4 ,fourth edition4 #cfe pp4 #aeb illustrations4 #a4jj4 ,,plant-,,breeding4 ,by ,l4,h4 ,bailey4 #bic pp4 #bj illustrations4 #a4jj4 ,,the ,,forcing-,,book4 ,by ,l4,h4 ,bailey4 #bff pp4 #hh illustrations4 #a4jj4 ,,garden ,,making4 ,by ,l4,h4 ,bailey4 ,third edition4 #dag pp4 #bef illustrations4 #a4jj4 ,,the ,,pruning-,,book4 ,by ,l4,h4 ,bailey4 ,second edition4 #ede pp4 #cca illustrations4 #a4ej4 ,,the ,,practical ,,garden-,,book4 ,by ,c4,e4 ,hunn and ,l4,h4 ,bailey4 #bej pp4 ,many marginal cuts4 #a4jj4 ,the ,garden of a ,commuter's ,wife ,recorded by the ,gardener ,,with ,,eight ,,photogravure ,,illustrations ,cloth #abmo #a4ej ,in brief1 the book is delightfully sketchy and chatty1 thoroughly feminine and entrancing4 ,the writer represents herself as a doctor's daughter in a country town1 who has married an ,englishman1 and after two years abroad has come home to live4 ,both husband and wife prefer the country to the city1 and they make of their modest estate a mundane paradise of which it is a privilege to have a glimpse4 ,surely it is no exaggeration to characterize this as one of the very best books of the holiday season1 thus far4--,providence ,journal4 ,it is written with charm1 and is more than a mere treatise on what may be raised in the small lot of the suburban resident4 ,the author has not only learned to appreciate nature from intimate association1 but has achieved unusual power of communicating these facts to others4 ,there is something unusually attractive about the book4--,the ,philadelphia ,inquirer4 99 99 99 99 99 ,a ,woman's ,hardy ,garden ,by ,,helena ,,rutherford ,,ely ,with many ,illustrations from ,photographs taken in the ,author's ,garden by ,professor ,c4,f4 ,,chandler ,cloth #ab,,mo #a4ge net ,it ,is never for a moment vague or general1 and ,mrs4 ,ely is certainly inspiring and helpful to the prospective gardener4--,boston ,herald4 ,mrs4 ,ely gives copious details of the cost of plants1 the exact dates of planting1 the number of plants required in a given space for beauty of effect and advantage to free growth1 the protection needed from sun and frost1 the precautions to take against injury from insects1 the satisfaction to be expected from the different varieties of plants in the matter of luxuriant bloom and length of time for blossoming1 and much information to be appreciated only by those who have raised a healthy garden by the slow teachings of personal experience4--,new ,york ,times ,saturday ,review4 99 99 99 99 99 ,,the ,,macmillan ,,company #ff ,fifth ,avenue1 ,new ,york