A NEW DEPARTURE. 45 



and late, year after year, while the gross income of the farm 

 barely sufficed to pay the grocery-bill for a family of three. 

 During the first year I built a barn, repaired the house, re- 

 built about two hundred rods of stone wall, and drew off as 

 many tons of small stones. I stocked the farm with a horse 

 and cow, and hired a boy for seven months, to whom I paid 

 four dollars per month. I sold nothing the first year from the 

 farm, but was complimented by my neighbors, who assured 

 me that I had increased its value five hundred dollars. By a 

 prudent husbandry of my manurial resources, I was enabled 

 the following year to cut several tons of hay ; and the net 

 profit from my potato-crop was equal to that of my neighbors, 

 to say the least, as it was that year that the rot first made its 

 appearance, and all went by the board. I do not intend to 

 weary you with a detailed account of my successes and fail- 

 ures from year to year ; but I will simply say that I went on 

 building wall, removing rock and small stones, under-drain- 

 ing, setting some fruit and ornamental trees, buying manure, 

 and making what I could with my stock (which gradually 

 increased), and raising such crops as was the custom of the 

 neighborhood, and with about an average success, for a period 

 of eighteen years. Allow me to say here that the money I 

 had earned outside of the farm up to this time exceeded the 

 amount I had expended for labor about $1,200. 



In the spring of the year 1862 I purchased twelve acres 

 of land, for which I paid $1,067, paying $200 cash, and giv- 

 ing my note for the balance. With this commenced a new 

 era in my farming career. I had chosen farming for my 

 vocation. I rather liked the business; but for a long time 

 I had been thoroughly disgusted and disappointed with its 

 financial results. People in other business had luxuries which 

 I could not afford. Even an ordinary mechanic would net 

 more money at the end of the year than it was possible for 

 me to do with a forty-acre farm. It was the custom to raise 

 hay, oats, corn, rye, and potatoes, the latter finding a good 

 market in Fall River at remunerative prices, was chiefly 

 relied on as our money-crop. About this time, a friend from 

 the West, who had been absent for several years, made me 

 a visit. I took him over the farm, showed him the improve- 

 ments I had made, of which I confess I was rather proud, 

 and asked him what he had to say. He replied, "I think 



