The Bryan daily eagle. (Bryan, Tex.) 1895-1898, 1896-02-19
L. On. r.rr.. an,..a.a.


well. wallace. you seem T. b. pretty
alcely fixed here on farm which. when
| I left the country ten years ago. was
not considered worth much. You don't
mean 10 say that this nice house aud all
there h In Il, and those two extra barns.
and all the numerous other improve
ments grew out OF an old rundown
farm. do your"
Cant say that they exactly grew
out OF II, Uncle John. but they we're
dug out OF II by hard work. coupled
with good management and thrift. As
you say. the old place was all run
down. and many OF my friends said I
was a fool to settle down on a western
New York farm In such shape as this
when | could 20 into the far west
and get hold OF a prairie farm which
would be 80 much easier worked But
Martha did not like 10 30 very far
away from her old father and mother.
and besides. thought that saw possi-
billties here OF success. and 80 | re-
solved to try II.
The farm was eneumbered with
Ia mortgage for one-third It's
price. took possession the
Hast OF February. and after looking It
over pretty thoroughly. | staked OH
four acres. lying on sunny slope. and
prepared to devote this plat TO market
gardening. went TO the city and en-
gagged a gardener. and with his aid put
the ground In tlp-top shape with fertll-
izers. as soon AZ Il could be- done, ana
started plants In cold frames and hot
beds that ! might be on hand with the
earliest OF the early vegetables You
should have heard some Of the doleiul
predictions OF my friends aud neigh
bors Ny extravaganza al hiring a
gardener and paying him considerably
more than an ordinary farm hand could
be got for was only TO be matched by
my folly In supposing that could dis
pose OF such an acreage Of green truck
u / succeeded In raising IL. You see
market gardening was not carried on
then a. much as II IL now. and eight
miles from market was considered d
rerioul obstacle.
TO cut the story short, the first
season my garden paid my help and my
household expenses. put a new founda-
ton under my barn. and did some tile
draining This left my hay. corn, po.
tato and such crops to be sold toward
reducing the mortgage But oh. now
worked that summer aud the three or
four followingl Every other morning
10 the week had TO get up at o'clock
and Start on 10 the city with load OF
green stun and Il would be noon before
! could dispose OF Il and get back,
Then. after a good dinner aud an hours
rest I'd plunge into hard work again
and keep at Il as long as / could see.
But ! was young and strong as well ne
ambitious. My wife was my best as
slatant. for no matter how hard a man
works outdoors. II the household mat
tcrs are not managed with thrift and
economy. he can't get ahead much. She
had a strong German girl TO help her.
but Martha was a the helm. early and
late. TO see that things were going right
With no waste. She was never lacking
In expedients and tact"
Il see" said Uncle John. admiringly.
you struck a scientific track getting
out Of the ruis that our fathers and
grandfathers logged along in."
You're right Though was brought
mp on farm. didn't think myself so
wise that books and papers could not
teach me anything. In addition to two
good rural papers. procured every
other help could. aud as you remarked
at the outset, have something TO show
Tor book farming. combined with hard
work. Now we're IN circumstances to
take " easy and see something Of the
world"
The writer's only excuse In prepar-
Ing this sketch Is that II is written from
life. and the farmer described Is not yea
10 years old Helen l.. Manning 10
Farmers Review.