Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-08-18

some summer afternoon and if you don't find boat
noored there among the reeds, with bluebird painted
its STERN it will be because | am out yonder some
where the flats engaged catching the sh course
for dinner, with the possibility OF crab to lend
little excitement salad. This IS as true as
YOU live; and, if pass up the HILL and take look
the old farm the fence you WILL as like as not,
ing the roses if she does happen to be occupied
with less ornamental duties in the dairy or the poultry
yard.
AT any rate YOU will notice that great changes have
come about in the old place; though OF it has
lost of its old-world charm But will feel
rusting spirit of activity all about the little armstead,
and realize that not inch of space IS idle IN field or
garden, but all prosperousy engaged IN producing
something either good to eat beautiful to look at
You would be surprised if there was time to go into all
the Details how much be done with seven acres,
you about it in good earnest and, above ALL look
after most of the work yourself If, indeed you do
that you will find about all you can man
age And, indeed, seven acre. properly managed
worth twenty but half heartedly farmed. am not
writing agricultural article or could easily tell you
how do it, but here you must be satisfied to hear OF
results.
Broadly speaking, Miranda and have found it quite
practical to feed and clothe ourselves out OF seven
acres,-whch all we doing in town at the ex-
pensc of work hated and all the wear and tear OF
city fe whereas the work put into the farm hard
in it sometimes IS, IS full OF interest and de
light from morning to night full of variety from month
to month"; and instead of being done in dngy Offices it
is carried in the clean, sweet air, and accompanied
daylong with pleasant sights and sounds.
DERHAPS can best begin to give you an idea of what
out OF SeVen-aCTe dream by telnng you OF
the very few things find it necessary to buy. As we
cannot live entirely fish and vegetables, DEEPEN
dent on the butcher who calls with his cart twice week,
for beef and mutton and such carnal nutrlment: but
as we are great eaters butchers bills
very small. As cannot grow tea or coffee, nor
tobacco in sufficiently large quantities. have to rely
upon the grocer for those necessities OF te also tor
-four rice sugar. salt, and such oddments Bread too,
we buy; though Miranda began by baking 1t herself.
till decided that it took too much time and labor
from profitable things Oats also we have to buy
for horse, stout cob that draw cart and
yet make decent appearance in our little wagon But
of hay sufficient crop own land, enough
for cob and, with good PASTURE tor our two
COWS. Pigs, as everyone knows, will eat almost any
thing, and the of two sows with their little
ones amounts to nothing worth mentioning The pou-
try ward of course lttle but, rely upon
(which in addition the customary layers OF eggs
includes ducks, geese, and turkeys-for considerable
item in income, such outlay small as 1t relatively IS,
goes in with general working expenses, which in
Clude the wages of one farm hand stout farm wenc
and general house servant. The hire OF team twice
year for blowing about completes regular ex
penses incidental the farm itself with the exception
of odds and ends such fertilizer nsectc1de tor the
fruit trees and such like.
Easter hats and summer bonnets, together with the
other habiiments of Mrandas beauty, we do not, OF
course grow the farm. But Allranda's bees look
after Them gathering honey from the garden and the
wild flowers of the neghborhood more than sufficient to
finance Mirandas simple fnery and occasionally even
to buy her evening gown As for my own modest
wardrobe that again amply provided tor-wlh good
balance for occasional new book-by the mush
roo ms raise in dark of the spacious old barns
which otherwise would be left idle House have
count any longer interest on mortgage for the
whole dream is own and every wild flower
and wild bird the place belongs SO long we shall
live and they shall grow and sing, to Miranda and me-
Now, if you reflect that our COWS produce daily tar
milk than possibly drink, and incidentally
butter than USE pigs more pork and
ham and bacon than could eat in a twelvemonth,
fleet the number of eggs proudly cacled over each
morning, the quantity of foodstuff running around
and fattenng every hand IN the form OF turkeys,
geese and ducks if to these add all the vegetables