92 THE FAT OF THE LAND 
tremendous mow of shredded corn fodder and an 
immense pile of half-husked ears. For the use 
of the machine and the wages of the ten men I 
paid $105. Poor economy! Before next corn- 
shredding time I owned a machine, — smaller in- 
deed, but it did the work as well (though not as 
quickly), and it cost me only $215, and was good 
for ten years. 
The weather had favored me thus far. The 
wet August had put the ground into good con- 
dition for seeding, and the dry September and 
October had permitted our buildings to be pushed 
forward, but now everything was to change. A 
light rain began on the morning of the 15th (I 
did not permit it to interrupt the shredding, 
which was finished by noon), and by night it 
had developed into a steady downpour that con- 
tinued, with interruptions, for six weeks. No- 
vember and December of 1895 gave us rain and 
snow fall equal to twelve and a half inches of 
water. Plans at Four Oaks had to be modified. 
There was no more use for the ploughs. Nos. 10 
and 11, and much of the home lot were left until 
spring. I had planned to mulch heavily all the 
newly set trees, and for this purpose had bought 
six carloads of manure (at a cost of $72); but 
this manure could not be hauled across the sodden 
fields, and must needs be piled in a great heap 
for use in the spring. The carpenters worked at 
disadvantage, and the farm men could do little 
more than keep themselves and the animals com- 
