22 



When I went into the sheep-feeding business 

 years ago, it was more with a view to the conse- 

 quent improvement of the land (it would hardly 

 grow a crop of good beans then), than to make 

 the ready dollar. In this I have fully succeeded. 

 I wanted to make two spears of grass grow where 

 but one grew before, and I am sure I am getting 

 three, some of my neighbors say four ; however, I 

 call it three. The meadows that used to cut from 

 one-half to one ton of hay per acre, now yield 

 on an average over two. Raising rye was then 

 out of the question; last year I got from about 

 sixteen acres, four hundred bushels of rye, and 

 straw enough to have amounted to near nine 

 hundred dollars, if I had sold it (which I never 

 do, unless I replace it by hay for bedding, as 

 I have done this year, getting three tons of hay 

 for one ton of straw). This year I got from 

 forty-five bushels sowing, fifty loads. 



For fear of misleading you, I must say, that 

 with all the experience and precaution in buying, 

 good fixtures, plenty of feed, litter, care, etc., 

 you will not always succeed. For though I have 

 for the last twelve years studied the thing closely, 

 and carried it out carefully, in spite of all my 

 efforts I have not always made money, and would 



