“Then,” exclaimed I, “it shall be asserted in a book whenever I can find time to transcribe all the particulars from my diary; and I hope that I may be able to convince my readers—­should I be fortunate enough to obtain any—­not only that they may keep cows, pigs, and poultry without loss, but that they may derive health, recreation, and profit from doing so.  None know better than yourself how worn-out in health and spirits we were when we came to this place; how oppressed with cares and anxieties.  Without occupation, we should most likely have become habitual invalids, real or fancied; without some inducement to be out of doors, we should seldom have exerted ourselves to take the exercise necessary to restore us to health and strength.  But you will lose your train, if I keep you longer listening to the benefits we have experienced by our residence in this place.  Give the fruit and flowers to Mrs. N. with our love; and tell her, that with God’s blessing we have improved in ‘mind, body, and estate,’ by occupying ourselves with ‘our farm of four acres.’”

CHAPTER XIV.

THE NEXT SIX MONTHS.

It was not my intention when I commenced this little work to do more than give our first six months’ experience in farming our four acres of land; but as perhaps the reader may think that time hardly sufficient to form a correct opinion of the advantages to be derived from a residence in the country, I think it as well to add some particulars relating to the following six months.

In the spring came a new source of profit and amusement.  We commenced our labors in the poultry-yard in February, by setting a hen on thirteen eggs, which, early in March, produced the same number of chickens:  these were all ready for the table in the middle of May.  At that time we could not have purchased them under $1 50 the couple.

The cost of thirty-eight chickens till ready to kill was $4 37.  We always knew exactly the expense attending the poultry, because we had a separate book from the miller, in which every article was entered as it came into the house; and as the chickens were kept distinct from the other fowls, I could tell the exact sum they had cost us when they made their appearance at table.

The first thing that was given them to eat was egg, boiled quite hard, chopped very fine, and mixed with bread-crumbs.  After that they had groats.  I find they consumed: 

Three quarts of whole groats . . . . . $   37
Two bushels of barley  . . . . . . . .   2 25
One bushel of middlings  . . . . . . .   1 12
Twenty-five lbs. of chicken-rice . . .     63
Making altogether . . . .  $4 37

The reader must be told that those thirty-eight chickens had other things to eat than those I have put down; they had nearly all the scraps from the house, consisting of cold potatoes, bits of meat, pudding, &c., and any pieces of bread which were left at table were soaked in skim-milk; and the rice was also boiled in it.  O course, in a smaller family there would not have been so many “scraps” for them; but, however strict you may be with children, you cannot prevent their leaving remnants on their plates, all of which would have been wasted had it not been for the chickens and pig-tub.