ow much more is beyond me, for it cost no more to get
my swine to market last year than it did in 1896. I charge each hog $1
for bran and shorts; this is all the ready money I pay out for him. If
he weighs three hundred pounds (a few do), he is worth $10.50 at $3.50 a
hundred, or $21 at $7 a hundred; and it is a great deal pleasanter to
say $1 from $21, leaves $20, than to say $1 from $10.50 leaves $9.50.

Of course, $1 a head is but a small part of what the hog has cost when
ready for market, but it is all I charge him with directly, for his
other expenses are carried on the farm accounts. The marked increase in
income during the past four years is wholly due to the advance in the
price of pork and the increased product of the orchards. The expense
account has not varied much.

The fruit crop is charged with extra labor, packages, and
transportation, before it is entered, and the account shows only net
returns. I have had to buy new machinery, but this has been rather
evenly distributed, and doesn't show prominently in any year.

In 1900 I lost my forage barn. It was struck by lightning on June 13,
and burned to the ground. Fortunately, there was no wind, and the rain
came in such torrents as to keep the other buildings safe. I had to
scour the country over for hay to last a month, and the expense of this,
together with some addition to the insurance money, cost the farm $1000
before the new structure was completed. I give below the income and the
outgo for the last four years:--

INCOME EXPENSES TO THE GOOD
1899 $17,780.00 $15,420.00 $2,360.00
1900 19,460.00 16,480.00 2,980.00
1901 21,424.00 15,520.00 5,904.00
1902 23,365.00 15,673.00 7,692.00
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Making a total to the good of $18,936.00

These figures cover only the money received and expended. They take no
account of the $4000 per annum which we agreed to pay the farm for
keeping us, so long as we made it pay interest to us. Four times $4000
are $16,000 which, added to $18,936, makes almost $35,000 to charge off
from the $106,000 of original investment.

Polly was wrong when she spoke of it as a _permanent_ investment. Four
years more of seven-dollar pork and thrifty apple growth will make this
balance of $71,000 look very small. The interest is growing rapidly
less, and it will be but a short time before the whole amount will be
taken off the expense account. When thi