CHAPTER XIV 



PLANTING OF THE TREES 



SEPTEMBER proved as dry as August was wet, 

 only half an inch of water fell ; and the seed- 

 ings would have been slow to start had they 

 depended for their moisture upon the clouds. 

 By October 1, however, green had taken the 

 place of brown on nearly all the sixty acres we 

 had tilled. The threshers came and threshed 

 the wheat and oats. Of wheat there were 311 

 bushels, of oats, 1272. We stored this grain in 

 the cottage until the granary should be ready, 

 and stacked the straw until the forage barn 

 could receive it. My plan from the first has 

 been to shelter all forage, even the meanest, and 

 bright oat straw is not low in the scale. 



On the 10th the horse stable was far enough 

 advanced to permit the horses to be moved, and 

 the old barn was deserted. A neighbor who 

 had bought this barn at once pulled it down 

 and carted it away. In this transaction I held 

 out several days for $50, but as my neighbor was 

 obdurate I finally accepted his offer. The first 

 entry on the credit side of my farm ledger is, By 

 one old barn, $45. The receipts for October, 

 November, and December, were : 



88 



