The Florida agriculturist., 1905-11-08
The Simple Life on a Farm.

experience. We agree with the writer
that there are worse things than liv-
ing ON farm. The article is from the
Rural New Yorker:
Having been much interested in the
sketches of farm life in your paper,
7 send you one Saturdays work on
small farm in Erie Co, Pa, in the
month of August. At a. m. l don
nv morning suit, which consists of
short skirt, shirt waist, heavy shoes
and sunbOnnet. Having started a fire
i'm the kitchen range, | put the pota-
foes. which were cleaned the night
before. on to boil, take the milk pail
and wade through the dew across
1O-acre field to milk my COW, process
which takes about half an hour.
Fastening home as fast as large
nail of milk and heavy, wet shoes will
allow. | soon have the milk strained
and skinned. l then fly to the house
to find the potatoes cooked and the
table set by my little daughter, 10
years old At six a. m. we sit down
to breakfast. which consists of boiled
potatoes. soft boiled eggs, bread, but
ter. fresh tomatoes, new milk, sliced
cucumbers, oatmeal and cream, after
which the real work of the day be
gins. First. l feed four brOOds and
fiocks of chickens, feed a pig, go to the
barn and water the horse. 1 forgot
to mention the good man of the house
is a tradesman. and works in the city.
After the farm chores are done l do
the churning. and as l have customers
who want fresh butter, 1 must work
the butter into rolls at once. After
the churning is done and things wash
ed. baking must be done. After five
Ioaves of bread, four pies, a painful
of fruit cake and one of beans are
finished | find | have one hour of
time for the garden. l hasten with
basket to the garden, where l fill
orders for a half busheI of tomatoes,
half bushel of cucumbers, a bushel
of sweet corn. one bushel of potatoes.
1 then rush to the milk house and
count and wash the weeks gathering
of eggs. BY this time my little daugh-
ter announces dinner is ready.
In the meantime she has cleaned
and filed the lamps, washed dishes,
tidied the kitchen. busted the sitting
room and parlOr and made the beds.
After the dinner of raised biscuit,
butter. baked beans. fresh apple pie
and blackberries and cream, / retire
to the chamber and change my short
suit. take a bath and comb my hair,
after which | go to the barn. feed and
water the horse. feed the chickens
and pig. curry the horse. run out the
buggy, harness the horse. and retire
to the house. where | sleep the sleep of
the just for one hour. On waking |
feel much refreshed. I then change
my dress for my driving suit, which
consists of a denim skirt. linen waist
and sailor hat hitch Billy to the bug
gy. load i'm the produce which | pre-
pared i'm the forenoon. and with my
little daughter start for town, two
miles away. The day being fine, we
enjoy the ride immensely. Having
customers for my produce. | have no
difficulty in dispOsing of my load,
and at the same time take orders for
next Saturday. Farm truck being
scarce today | receive the following
for my load in this little town: One
buShel potatoes. 40 cents: eight dozen
sweet corn. so cents: eight dozen Gu
cumbers, 80 cents; One-half bushel
tomatoes, 40 cents; eight dozen eggs
at % cents. S1.16: five pounds butter
at % cents. S1.1O: total S5.56. As [
lived in town for 10 years and am
inf