36 Our Farming. 



that ever died on this place, except as result of accident. And 

 after we got fairly on our feet we really took in one winter $i , 100 

 in cash in four months for feed raised on the place. This wasn't 

 wonderful, but it was wonderfully better than a total gross cash 

 income of $300. I well remember my friend and neighbor, Edward 

 McCatdey, coming into my barn in the winter, when some sixty 

 animals were warmly and comfortably sheltered therein, and with 

 plenty to eat. After going all through the stables he said to me : 

 " Terry, this seems like a miracle." He was the same neighbor 

 that had helped the man on this farm to skin seven cows out of 

 ten that he had tried to winter. Of course there was nothing of 

 a miraculous nature about it, but just the natural result of a busi- 

 ness-like attempt to do one thing well, in a direction that there 

 was call for just then. 



This is the way our special farming began. It was not some- 

 thing learned from reading, but it was thought out first and then 

 worked out. This is the way the first ray of light came, and as 

 soon as it began to shine I was encouraged to think and study 

 more. I had more confidence in my own judgment, and the re- 

 sults which will be found in the next chapter were gradually 

 worked up to. 



During the first years on the farm, as a matter of necessity, I 

 sometimes worked away from home to get a little ready money, 

 and some crops were put in on other farms on shares, because my 

 own was not in shape to pay a profit for working, and I was not 

 able to put it in shape. Draining, clearing and other work was 

 needed, and it took time to get around so as to do all this. Some- 

 times we absolutely must have a few dollars, and I must leave 

 work at home that might eventually pay better, but would bring 

 no ready money. So I worked along, pulling every possible string 

 to get a start. 



As for this matter of mixed or diversified farming, I do not 

 believe in it in an old settled country, with good facilities for 

 marketing. When the country was new, and practically no mar- 

 kets and no cheap transportation, it was not only wise, but 

 necessary. little by little times have changed, and what wonder- 

 ful changes there have been in all lines of business ! Do farmers 

 think they can keep right on doing about as their fathers did and 

 still do as well as is possible? Well, I could not. If I had kept 

 on at my diversified farming, doing the best that was possible on 

 the little land I had, I doubt whether I should be out of debt 

 to-day, to say nothing of new buildings and much comfort that 

 we have had for the last ten years. If I had kept on I should 

 never have been heard of out of my own town, this book would 

 never have been written, or if I had written one it never would 

 have been wanted. Any such results as we have obtained could 

 not have been approached by mixed farming. Nor is there any 

 other way out for very many farmers, only to shut down on trying 



