THE EMIGRANT'S HAND-BOOK. 29 



which will cost from #1 50 to $2 an acre, owing to the 

 lifferent prices of labor in different parts of the country, 

 rather than to a difference in the quality of the breaking ; 

 though the best of it cannot be done to good advantage v. ith 

 less than three stout yoke of oxen, and generally four yoke 

 are used so that it is generally better for the poor set- 

 tler to hire his breaking done by the acre, than to attempt 

 it with an inefficient team. The depth of breaking varies 

 from two to eight inches ; and it is still a mooted point 

 what depth is trfe best our own opinion is four inches. 



The breaking of this twenty acres, put down at $30 

 and fifteen bushels of wheat with which to sow ten acres, 

 at 50 cents a bushel, $7 50. This will take about a 

 week to put in as it should be, for the sod is very hard, 

 and needs a great deal of harrowing ; and as you have 

 been on the prairie so short a time, that you have not 

 been able to get a harrow of your own, we will excuse 

 j'ou for borrowing one though an eternal borrower is 

 but little better than a thief in a neighborhood. 



Having sowed the wheat, you have necessarily to trust 

 it to Providence, unfenced, as you cannot fence it at pres- 

 ent, and we have known many a first rate crop raised in 

 the same way, even in thick settled neighborhoods. 



Your next step is to cut a good supply of hay for the 

 cow and team for a five months' winter. And then a tem- 

 porary stable you can build in this manner: Lay up a pen 

 of rails double, that is, two courses all round, except a 

 door-way at one corner, where the ends of the rails are 

 secured in their places by short cress ties, and fill in the 

 space between the two courses of rails which should be 

 at least a foot with wet hay, and dirt, and sods, and trash, 

 that will make a perfect tight, warm wall ; and over the 

 top lay poles, and build a small stack of hay of the coarsest 

 grass, which will shed rain and serve you /or a good sta- 



