8 THE FAT OF THE LAND 



is so much to be done before even a small per- 

 centage of our six millions of farmers begin to 

 realize their opportunities, that even the weakest 

 effort in this direction may be of use. This is 

 my only excuse for going minutely into the de- 

 tails of my experiment in the cultivation of land. 

 The plain and circumstantial narrative of how 

 Four Oaks grew, in seven years, from a poor, ill- 

 paying, sadly neglected farm, into a beautiful 

 home and a profitable investment, must simply 

 stand for what it is worth. It may give useful 

 hints, to be followed on a smaller or a larger 

 scale, or it may arouse criticisms which will work 

 for good, both to the critic and to the author. 

 I do not claim experience, excepting the most 

 limited ; I do not claim originality, except that 

 most of this work was new to me ; I do not claim 

 hardships or difficulties, for I had none ; but I do 

 claim that I made good, that I arrived, that my 

 experiment was physically and financially a suc- 

 cess, and, as such, I am proud of it, and wish to 

 give it to the world. 



I was fifty-three years old when I began this 

 experiment, and I was obliged to do quickly 

 whatever I intended to do. I could devote any 

 part of $60,000 to the experiment without in- 

 convenience. My desire was to test the capa- 

 city of ordinary farm land, when properly treated, 

 to support an average family in luxury, paying 

 good wages to more than the usual number of 

 people, keeping open house for many friends, 



