91 



mostly poultry and eggs for market, and although I had it all 

 to learn and met with some heavy losses, my books show that I 

 made a fair profit. 



For several years previous to this the little farm had been very 

 much neglected and was getting pretty badly run down, but the 

 manure from my hens and the horse (all the stock we kept), 

 soon made an improvement on a small portion of it. In 1876, 

 the sales from the farm were $152.33 for apples and vegetables 

 and $57 for standing grass. The barn at this time was a low 

 shed, 18x30 feet, intended to be room enough for a cow and 

 horse, and hay to keep them over winter. 



In 1877 my stock was the horse and hens. My sales were 

 poultry and eggs, -1508.78, reducing my stock somewhat, as I 

 had only 821 dozen eggs ; frilit and vegetables, $106.42, and 

 standing grass, $30. I kept enough of the hay to winter a 

 cow, and about the first of November bought one which gave 

 me in November and December, 647 quarts of milk, of which 

 I sold 590 quarts for $25.08. I paid out this year for labor 

 176.29. 



In 1878, I had reduced my poultry stock down to a produc- 

 tion of 208 dozen eggs, and in October increased my neat 

 stock by the purchase of four cows. I made all the hay on the 

 place and stored in a neighbor's barn, fixed up a warm corner 

 in the wagon shed for the horse and put in« stanchions all 

 across the end of the little barn to tie up my five cows. I 

 filled the rest of it with hay except a passage way about three 

 feet wide in front of the cows, which was nearly all taken up 

 by the hay cutter and food box. It was very snug work and 

 inconvenient, but not unpleasant to think of now that it is past. 

 The sales this year amounted to $177.08, of which $72.74 was 

 for milk sold to the milkman at the farm. 



In 1879, I kept five cows and soiled them on the place 

 through the summer, and cut hay enough to keep them tlirough 

 the winter. In June a new and convenient barn was built. 

 It is 28x36 feet, with cellar ; has room for six cows and two 

 horses, storage for twenty tons of hay, grain room, harness 



