CHAPTER XXIX 



FROM CITY TO COUNTRY 



IN early July I went through my young 

 orchard, which had been cut back so ruthlessly 

 the previous autumn, and carefully planned 

 a head for each tree. Quite a bunch of sprouts 

 had started from near the top of each stub, and 

 were growing luxuriantly. Out of each bunch I 

 selected three or four to form the head ; the rest 

 were rubbed off or cut out with a sharp knife or 

 pruning shears. It surprised me to see what a 

 growth some of these sprouts had made ; sixteen 

 or eighteen inches was not uncommon. Big 

 roots and big bodies were pushing great quanti- 

 ties of sap toward the tops. 



Of course I bought farm machinery during 

 this first season, mower, reaper, corn reaper, 

 shredder, and so on. In October I took account 

 of expenditures for machinery, grass seed, and 

 fertilizer, and found that I had invested $833. I 

 had also, at an expense of I860, built a large 

 shed or tool-house for farm implements. It is 

 one of the rules at Four Oaks to grease and 

 house all tools when not in actual use. I be- 

 lieve the observation of this rule has paid for the 

 shed. 



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