SHALL I BE A FARMER? 39 



the garden was so arranged that only a small amount of 

 labor was involved. All the labor, except the gathering 

 of products, was done by hired help. It required about 

 100 hours and cost $21.16. The horse labor was valued 

 at $5.52. The garden was the best one seen in the county, 

 so that it represents the possibility and not the average. 



Table 4 shows the number of times that products were 

 gathered and the amount that these would have cost, if 

 purchased at the local stores. The number of meals of 

 each was more than the times gathered, as enough for 

 more than one meal was usually brought in. 



It will be seen that this family makes an unusually 

 large use of milk, eggs, and apples. In the next year, a 

 little less garden produce was grown, but more cherries, 

 peaches, plums, and quinces were raised, and a veal calf 

 was butchered for home use. The purchased food for this 

 household amounted to $225.10 for the year. It would 

 not be safe for a city family without farm experience to 

 count on doing so well. It must also be remembered 

 that the products are chargecT at what they would have 

 cost to buy. If one were selling, the milk would have been 

 3 cents instead of 6, and many other things in about this 

 proportion. 



On this farm of 90 acres the receipts for products sold 

 paid all expenses except interest and left $135 to spare. 

 The family, therefore, received this amount, .the use of 

 the house, and the farm products used in the house as 

 interest on the investment. If they had lived in town, 

 the same investment would have been required to buy an 

 equally good house. The reduction in the cost of living en- 

 abled the family to save money. They could not have 

 saved much of the salary, if they had lived in town. Of 

 course, they had certain inconveniences that some persons 



