he fertilizer alone after each cutting
except the last. We have ten or twelve tons of hen manure each year, and
it is nearly all used on the alfalfa or the timothy as spring dressing.
It costs nothing, and it takes off a considerable sum from the
fertilizer account. I am not at all sure that the scientists would
approve this method of using it; I can only give my experience, and say
that it brings me satisfactory crops.

There was much snow in January and February, and in March much rain.
When the spring opened, therefore, the ground was full of water. This
was fortunate, for April and May were unusually dry months,--only 1.16
inches of water.

The dry April brought the ploughs out early; but before we put our hands
to the plough we should make a note of what the first quarter of 1897
brought into our strong box.

Sold:
Butter . . . . $842.00
Eggs . . . . 401.00
Cow . . . . 35.00
Two sows . . . 19.00
Total . . . $1297.00

Fifteen of the young sows farrowed in March, and the other 9 in April,
as also did 18 old ones. The young sows gave us 147 pigs, and the old
ones 161, so that the spring opened with an addition to our stock of 300
head of young swine.

Between March 1 and May 10 were born 25 calves, which were all sold
before July 1. The population of our factory farm was increasing so
rapidly that it became necessary to have more help. We already had eight
men and three women, besides the help in the big house. One would think
that eight men could do the work on a farm of 320 acres, and so they
can, most of the time; but in seed-time and harvest they are not
sufficient at Four Oaks. We could not work the teams.

Up to March, 1897, Sam had full charge of the chickens, and also looked
after the hogs, with the help of Anderson. Judson and French had their
hands full in the cow stables, and Lars was more than busy with the
carriage horses and the driving. Thompson was working foreman, and his
son Zeb and Johnson looked after the farm horses during the winter and
did the general work. From that time on Sam gave his entire time to the
chickens, Anderson his entire time to the hogs, and Johnson began
gardening in real earnest. This left only Thompson and Zeb for general
farm work.

Again I advertised for two farm hands. I selected two of the most
promising applicants and brought them out to the farm. Thompson
discharged one of them at the end of the first day for persistently
jerk