25 



horses were scarce. Here, at least, was a chance 

 to raise a colt with but very little trouble. 



I was on the spot at the date of the sale, and 

 on examination the mare pleased me. She would 

 weigh about eleven hundred pounds, had good 

 clean legs, a kind eye, and an intelligent head. 

 Indeed, when she was led out, she pleased the 

 crowd, and I found myself bidding against sev- 

 eral horsy-looking men. However, by persever- 

 ance I finally ;had her knocked down to me for 

 $175. 



For a week after her arrival I used her singly, 

 in double harness, on the road, in the dump-cart, 

 and she suited me perfectly. While not as fast as 

 Polly, she was steady and courageous on the road, 

 and was well-mannered and quiet in the stable. 

 I was perfectly delighted with my bargain, and 

 looked to the foal to much more than offset my 

 loss on pigs, and the unusual expense of the dou- 

 ble layer of fertilizer. My henhouse had been 

 finished and at no great expense, and I consulted 

 poultry magazines for which I had subscribed, to 

 see which were the best breeds. 



But from them I got no reliable advice, for 

 according to all the advertisements and articles I 

 read, all breeds were the best layers, and if the 

 smaller breeds did not have as much meat on 

 them as the larger, their meat was more tender 

 and succulent. All were winter layers, non-set- 



