Knowing What You Are About. 289 



endorsed the draft over and sent it to pay the bill. The man was 

 careless and did not send me any receipt. Years after he died, and 

 his administrator wrote to know if I had ever paid that $200. I 

 turned to my cash account with all the assurance in the world, 

 but there was no record o*f any money sent him, either there or 

 on bank account. I knew I had paid it, and was in a great 

 quandary over the matter. The trouble was I did not enter either 

 the $200 received or paid out. The two errors balanced each 

 other exactly. Well, I had not one particle of proof that I had 

 paid that bill. The New York firm that sent me the draft had 

 destroyed it when it had got back to them. By the merest good 

 luck I got out of paying it the second time. A clear entry in my 

 cash account would have saved me a good deal of worry. 



I believe nothing has been said yet about a note book in 

 which one can keep a list of things that need doing. It will come 

 in as well in this chapter as anywhere. It is a very simple matter, 

 but has helped me quite a little. Of course, the large matters, like 

 cutting the clover or the wheat, or digging potatoes, need not be 

 put down. They will not be neglected. But there are many little 

 matters that are easily overlooked. I find it a help to keep a list 

 of all such. Whenever I see anything that needs doing in the 

 field or barn or cellar, or on the lawn, it is written down. Then 

 the work is all before me. Sometimes the work is divided into 

 two lists, one of things that need doing soon and another of things 

 I would like to do when there comes spare time that is favorable 

 for the work. Some jobs may be carried along in this way for a 

 good while before they get done. As fast as the work may be 

 done, it is crossed off from the book. This is a small book 

 that can be carried in the coat pocket. With the work all before 

 him in black and white, one can glance over it and see what is the 

 most important and can be done best as the weather is. When we 

 may be broken off from a big job by rain, a glance over note 

 book shows something that we can go right at at once. It is very 

 seldom we get out of work under cover. My son and man have 

 just been driven in from the potato field by rain. There are two 

 things they can go right at under cover. The manure from one 

 box-stall can be wheeled out into covered yard (I had noted 

 down that it was about full) , and the granary wants to be cleaned 

 out ready for threshing. I must go right down and tell them. Of 

 course, one can carry such things in his mind, but it is a relief to 

 have them written down, and we are less likely to overlook some- 

 thing. Doubtless some farmers will laugh at this plan, and think 

 it is book farming, and so it is ; but, my friends, just try it a few 

 months in the busy season and see if it does not help you. Put 

 down everything you see that wants doing, as you walk over the 

 farm, or as it conies to your mind. Then see if you cannot work 

 off these little jobs faster and to better advantage than when you 

 go at them haphazard, trusting entirely to your memory. I 



