THE FIRST VISIT TO THE FARM 21 
began to study the geography of the farm. In 
imagination I stripped it of stock, crops, build- 
ings, and fences, and saw it as bald as the palm 
of my hand. I recited the table of long measure : 
Sixteen and a half feet, one rod, perch, or pole; 
forty rods, one furlong; eight furlongs, one mile. 
Eight times 40 is 320; there are 320 rods in a 
mile, but how much is 16} times 320? « Polly, 
how much is 16} times 320?” 
« Don’t bother me now; I’m busy.” 
(Just as if she could have told in her moment 
of greatest leisure!) I resorted to paper and 
pencil, and learned that there are 5280 feet in 
each and every mile. My land was, therefore, 
5280 feet long and 2640 feet wide. I must split 
it in some way, by a road or a lane, to make all 
parts accessible. If I divided it by two lanes 
of twenty feet each, I could have on either side of 
these lanes lots 650 feet deep, and these would 
be quite manageable. I found that if these lots 
were 660 feet long, they would contain ten acres 
minus the ten feet used for the lane. This 
seemed a real discovery, as it simplified my 
calculations and relieved me of much mental 
effort. 
“Polly, I am going to make a map of the 
place, — lay it out just as I want it.” 
: “You may leave the home forty out of 
your map; I will look after that,” said the 
lady. 
In my pocket I found three envelopes some- 
