Soiling. 39 



considered one of the best on the farm was a failure. 

 As a lad I had driven the old Wood and Manny 

 reaper in this same field in grain so heavy that I 

 was often obliged to stop the machine to enable the 

 man who " sat standing " on the platform to fork it 

 off, as it came on the table faster than he was able 

 to dispose of it, and at the rate of about forty 

 bushels per acre. Of course, I expected, from my 

 former knowledge of the farm, to get good crops 

 from all of the fields, and from this particular field 

 something extra. -Imagine my surprise and disap- 

 pointment when it produced but fifteen bushels of 

 wheat per acre, and wheat of inferior quality at 

 that. This revelation was more than discouraging. 

 Like most people, I have met with many disap- 

 pointments and much heavier losses since then, 

 seen fondest hopes and most substantial looking air 

 castles fade away like mist, but I was young then, 

 just past my teens, and I took this disappointment 

 very much to heart. Such a wreckage as seemed 

 to fall about me that day, I have never since experi- 

 enced. The situation figured out with the following 

 result : 



STATEMENT SHOWING THE COST AND THE PROFIT AND Loss OF 

 GROWING FIFTEEN AND FORTV BUSHELS OF WHEAT PER 

 ACRE. 



Fifteen Bushels. Forty Bushels. 



Dr. Cr. Dr. Cr. 



To fitting the ground $5.00 $5.00 



To two bushels seed at $1.10 per 



bushel 2.20 2.20 



To interest at seven per cent, on one 



acre 8.75 8.75 



