CHAPTER IV. 

 SOILING. 



MY FIRST LESSON IN AGRICULTURE. 



IN 1874 I found myself in possession of an old farm 

 in Wayne County ; it seemed as if I had secured a 

 prize. I had lived on this farm until I was ten or 

 twelve years of age, and after that spent most of my 

 school vacations upon it. This was in the sixties, 

 when agriculture was booming and such land was 

 worth $150 per acre. In those days, this particular 

 farm enjoyed the reputation of being one of the very 

 best in the county. 



After taking possession of the farm some ten or 

 twelve years later, I was greatly surprised at the 

 change that had taken place, not only in the general 

 run-down appearance of the place (which was not 

 to be wondered at on a farm that had been worked 

 on shares for fifty years), but in the matter of the 

 farm's ability to produce. 



I discovered that the number of cattle that it once 

 maintained in such prime condition had been re- 

 duced by half, and that the flock of sheep which was 

 once the pride of the former owner had disappeared 

 entirely. My disappointment reached its climax, 

 however, when my first wheat crop from a field 



