12 THE FAT OF THE LAND 
one to thirty acres, varying in value from $10,000 
to $100,000. These seemed ideal surroundings. 
The farm was a trifle more than two miles 
from the station, and 320 acres in extent. It 
lay to the west of a north-and-south road, abut- 
ting on this road for half a mile, while on the 
south it was bordered for a mile by a gravelled 
road, and the west line was an ordinary country 
road. The lay of the land in general was a 
gentle slope to the west and south from a rather 
high knoll, the highest point of which was in the 
north half of the southeast forty. The land 
stretched away to the west, gradually sloping 
to its lowest point, which was about two-thirds 
of the distance to the western boundary. A 
straggling brook at its lowest point was more 
or less rampant in springtime, though during 
July and August it contained but little water. 
Westward from the brook the land sloped 
gradually upward, terminating in a forest of 
forty to fifty acres. This forest was in good 
condition. The trees were mostly varieties of 
oak and hickory, with a scattering of wild 
cherry, a few maples, both hard and soft, and 
some lindens. It was much overgrown with 
underbrush, weeds, and wild flowers. The land 
was generally good, especially the lower parts of 
it. The soil of the higher ground was thin, but 
it lay on top of a friable clay which is fertile 
when properly worked and enriched. 
The farm belonged to an unsettled estate, and 
