34 Our Farming. 



to make my figures for the future high enough to be enticing. I 

 figured on what the best cows were doing where they had every 

 chance, as I learned from books and papers, and on crops, as high 

 as the best land in town produced, and deducted necessary ex- 

 penses, and turned gloomily from the contemplation of how long 

 it would even then take to get out of debt, say nothing of any-' 

 thing more. Finally, I began to ask myself whether there was 

 not some other way. What are we now doing ? Why, working 

 like slaves all summer to raise crops, and then all winter to feed 

 them out, and we just get a little income from the butter, and 

 some time will have some stock to sell. The horses eat the oats 

 we raise, the cows the corn, and both devour the hay. Some of 

 this little income must go to buy grain for winter feeding, and 

 some way we do not seem to get our fair share. Then I would 

 figure on what the hay and grain would sell for in market, and 

 these figures were much more inviting. But then I thought I must 

 have the manure anyway, and so was driven back to stern realities 

 again. But, little by little, new ideas were coming to me and I 

 was getting to the bottom of the matter. Never did I study over 

 any Greek root when in college as I did over this problem. At 

 last I had the figures thoroughly arranged and studied over and 

 decided to make a change. I carried my cows through the win- 

 ter in the best shape I could, and in the spring offered all but one 

 for sale. The five best ones, as I remember, were sold to a farmer 

 for $300. He gave me his note for the sum. In pursuance of 

 the plan I had formed, I must have the money for expenses that 

 summer, as well as interest paying, and I took the note to L,awyer 

 Foster, who had told me beforehand he would buy it, and got the 

 money. When the farmer was notified by Mr. Foster that he held 

 the note, he was quite vexed with me ; but it was hard for me to 

 see why, if he intended to pay when due, he could not give the 

 money to one man as well as another ; but the point came out 

 when he said, "Foster will want the money when due, or a larger 

 interest on it." Well, I was sorry to make a farmer pay extra 

 when I was so hard up, but I must have my money or go under. 

 After getting rid of my stock and, of course, the calf-raising, 

 I had time to do something, and I had planned to work quite 

 steadily with my horses. When I was milking and fussing with 

 calves my horses stood idle. During those hours, and many of 

 them, I was getting, perhaps, $i a day for my time, more or less, 

 when a man and team ought to earn $3 at least. If I could do 

 enough of dairying and calf-raising to hire a good man to attend 

 to it, and I and team go on with work, it would promise better ; 

 but this was impossible as I was situated, and I 'had other plans. 

 Now, what did I do ? Why I put in every acre I could with any- 

 thing that would feed animals, anything in the line of forage 

 crops, but no' grain. The little land seeded that promised a good 

 quantity of clover hay, and that could be cut twice to increase the 



