The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1909-05-02
APPLES PAID FOR THE FARM
SURPRISE FOR A WOMAN WHO
BOUGHT A COUNTRY HOME.

SURPRISE FOR A WOMAN VIII
BOUGHT A COUNTRY ZONE.
Her Act Seemed q Piece Of Extrsvassnc'
TIL the orchard Came Into Bearfni
Then Her Indebtedness Wa
quickly Wiped Out-story Of . Home,
THE four hundred trees in my apple
orchard bought and paid for my farm Of
sixty acres" q woman writer who owns q
farm in the northwestern part OF New
York State told the reporter. MY &C
quaintanoe with the place began n sum'
mer six years ego whes ] was locking
for q quiet place where i could do some
literary work l had mapped out.
"This place wns on the agents books
for sale or to rent cheap. After looking
II over I took it furnished for the summer,
When the autumn came 1t was still on the
market and as my work was still unfinished
I took II for the winter.
"The farm belonged to q widow aud her
two daughters. From n Of the girls
l learned that the apple orchard had been
her fathers extravagance. He had taken
money out Of the bank to buy the trees
and had died before they came into fun
bearing.
Il had never seen anything IS beauti-
full as that apple orchard was the next
spring. The glory Of those blossom laden
apple trees made me realize the forlorn-
ness Of the implanted fields and gardens
and it also made mo know that I was not
a BIT wiling 70 return ! the confinement
Of city life.
Besides the beauty Of the spring there
was a solid business fact that made the
country appear doubly attractive just
then. My bank book showed a balance
Of nearly. 81, 800. knew from experience
that had 1 spent the winter in the city J
would have been lucky to have come on
with a third as much. Just at this time
had a letter from the agent offering me
the place at SO an acre and on any terms
I might care to name.
After looking over the place and con-
sidering my bank account didn't $50 any
reason why I shouldn't at least investigate
the cost Of running suoh a farm. While
consulting several farmers In the neigh
borhood I wrote to two men relatives IL
town. Both Of them pointed out the
absurdity Of my wasting my money In
such a way. =.
II knew nothing about farm life. aA1
had never lived in the country before In
my life, they said. Even b most prac-
teal women failed In making both ends
meet in farming. and what could |, a
writer, expect TO do besides lose my
hard earned dollars9
"The farmers whom ] consulted were
with one exception, equally disooura ging
The exception was an old man and my
nearest neighbor. He pointed out the
value Of the apple orchard and told me
II the trees were anything like as good
as they promised the fruit alone should
run the place.
aHe also cautioned me against listening
to other farmers. who. he limited. all had
their eyes on the place and were in hopes
OF getting II cheap after q few years.
The one fact that deferred me from having
confidence in the judgment OF this ole
man was that he was the finn friend OF
the owners Of the farm.
Had it MOI, been for a visit from the
agent just then with Il prospective pur-
chaser l. believe l would have let my
chance slip. Before they left made UP
able to pay for the place rather thar
give Il up and nov into town. Calling
the agent to one side I informed him
that ! had decided to buy.
'In reply he said that the man he hso
brought out with him had offered 80
didn't feel that he could accept my ofer
I offered al and the man raised TO 80:
We bid against each other until ! agreed
, to take it at 81, paying $500 down and
monthly instruments Of SIS.
-Of course my relatives in town ridi.
culed me and I can't say that ] was really
at peace with myself. ! had nothing eI.
was by no means certain. Though Chit
fact appealed to my friends - a reason
why / shonld not have invested in q farm
to me It seemed the most urgent reason
why ! should try TO get some sort OF rool
to call my " :.
Having made the venture l determined
to stick It out. My first step was to get q
tenant for my fields and u man to work my
gardens. 1 calculated that by renting
the fields would be able to have my gar.
dens worked. Then II the apple trees die
their duty perhaps the sale OF their fruit
would help out my pen in paying back e
my bank account the amount drawn u
pay the monthly notes.
SIn spite OF the fact that I spent con
siderable time working in the howel
garden that I laid out and planted almosI
entirely with my own hands and Otter
helped my ono servant about the hous>
and in the kitchen. ] turned out NOR
work than / had ever done before. anc
judging by the readiness with which tn,
editors accepted 1t there was . grea'
improvement In it's quality.
During the summer many Of my friend
from town made 1t convenient to run w
to see me. As rule they came for q week
end and remained for two. They were no
only charmed by the beauty Of the place
but enjoyed the fresh vegetables anc
fruits supplied by my own gardens sns
often picked with my own hands.
-One Of the men who had so strongly
advised me against the purchase tolt
me after q few days stay with his vii,
and child that when l was ready to sci
he ~ ould buy me out and fix II up as o sum
mer home. II II hadn't been for the ready
acceptance Of my stories I am not so sur
that I would have been able to treat thi
mans suggestion with the GOODNESS
certainly deserved.
a dollar. The $500 paid down, the s7s
and the repairs that were absolutel!
my bank account. Though my writing
were fetching a better price than aver be
fore. when the autumn came / hsdn'
been able to force my savings up to tn,
original fifteen hundred. :
when the time came for gathering tn,
apples, although the trees were all vel
laden, the labor seemed SO expensive an,
the price SO far a i could learn so var
able that l was tempted to sell the Gro,
on the treee. My old neighbor advise;
m n 0ainst his. eayiuR Il " ould neyA