CHAPTER VIII 



LAYING OUT THE FARM. 



T the very first we attempted to farm as much of the 

 cleared land as we could get over. There was no 

 system or thought put into the matter at first. We 

 had no time for this. We did about as others did, 

 and worked early and late and hard. But when 

 we were driven by necessity to make more in some 

 way or go under, and after the pencil had been used enough so 

 we had some little insight into the difference between income and 

 profit, and into what was paying us, then a different and system- 

 atic plan was laid out and followed. We selected out about five 

 acres in one lot and two in another that were naturally pretty 

 good and about all good and underdrained by nature. On those 

 acres we used all our manure and put in about all our time. 

 Now, here was a chance to do something in a small way. We 

 could handle this much land and do it well. There was no 

 money needed to drain it and it was pretty well cleared of obstruc- 

 tions. What stumps there were we got out and picked up the 

 stones. We made really a little garden of these few acres. They 

 were made to pay a large profit. Of course, the income was not 

 great from so few acres, but the pencil showed good pay for the 

 labor put on and a fine net profit. This was encouraging. The 

 rest of the land was simply left to do what it would in the way of 

 pasture, and it was mighty little it did. People used to ask me 

 in those days, "Why don't you plow that other land and do 

 something with it? " I couldn't make it pay. It was far better 

 when I had a few days to spare to go and draw gravel for the 

 town, or do some other job of teaming, where I could make $3.50 

 a day. I couldn't do this raising a poor crop. Of the five acres 

 first thoroughly farmed, it was said, and truly, "Terry supports 

 his family from that little patch. ' ' Yes, and he paid some interest, 

 too. 



Now, you can all see what this would naturally lead to the 

 taking in more land into the little garden farm. Next, we fenced 

 off another small patch that did not need drainage and soon made 

 that pay grandly, too. And then,- as we got more money and 

 confidence (from actual figures and results) , we would move the 

 fences back and take in a little more land, and do a little more 

 clearing of stumps, etc., and draining wet land. We avoided the 

 wet land all we possibly could at first ; not that I did not have 

 entire confidence in tile draining, but because there was no money 

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