CAPITAL III 



what would be spent for taxes and upkeep on their 

 own home and that paid out in rent in the city. In 

 the case of food, a cut of 50 per cent is possible the 

 moment the garden, the orchard, and the chicken- 

 yard contribute to the family larder. Between the 

 sewing-room, the workshop, and the laundry, sub- 

 stantial savings are possible on clothing and other 

 expenses. A fund of about $1,250 is therefore made 

 available for investment in the homestead and its 

 equipment, provided the family does all of its own 

 work. To whatever extent servants are employed, this 

 fund is reduced. In our own case, we much preferred 

 to spend a part of it for help and to make our invest- 

 ment at a slower rate than to try to put so much into 

 "saving" and take so much out of ourselves. 



Surely I have said enough about the problems in- 

 volved to make it clear why it is so difficult to answer 

 the questions which are asked us about how much 

 capital is needed for establishing a homestead in the 

 country. Whenever I am asked the question I always 

 think of that old poser, Which is the most important 

 leg of a three-legged stool? The amount of capital 

 needed is just one part of an equation in three terms, 

 of which the other two are the income upon which 

 the family can rely, and the degree to which the 

 family is willing to endure pioneering. 



