IV 



DAIRY-PRODUCE — FENCING — MILKING 

 —GARDENING— VICTORIA DAY 



Roddy McMahon agreed to work for me for 

 a time at one dollar fifty a day and without 

 horses. It was a great relief, as I had already 

 bought two hundred bushels of oats at thirty 

 cents a bushel, and had also started to realize the 

 fundamental commercial law of remunerative farm- 

 ing, namely, that one must never buy anything in 

 the way of food for stock, and very little for household 

 need. Food for man and beast should be raised 

 on the farm, groceries and fresh meat should be 

 obtained in exchange for dairy produce, the great 

 point being to avoid spending money, which in 

 the nature of things is scarce and most valuable in 

 a country whose natural resources are so great, 

 yet to a certain extent locked up in the earth, and 

 only to be delivered to the liberty of exchange- 

 able value through the medium of capital and 

 labour. 



The two cows made excellent contribution to 

 the revenue. I used all milk, cream, and butter 

 necessary in the house, and then took several 

 pounds of butter weekly to the Hudson Bay in 

 exchange for household necessities. In those days 

 they gave current price, or rather its value, without 



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