Chapter I: Front Matter

THE FAT OF THE LAND

THE FAT OF THE LAND

The Story of an American Farm

BY

JOHN WILLIAMS STREETER

New York

THE MACMILLAN COMPANY

LONDON: MACMILLAN & CO., Ltd.

1904

_All rights reserved_

copyright, 1904.

by THE MACMILLAN COMPANY.

Set up, electrotyped, and published February, 1904. Reprinted March, April, May, 1904.

Norwood Press

J.S. Cushing & Co.--Berwick & Smith Co. Norwood, Mass., U.S.A.

To POLLY

CONTENTS

CHAPTER PAGE

I. MY EXCUSE 3

II. THE HUNTING OF THE LAND 11

III. THE FIRST VISIT TO THE FARM 14

IV. THE HIRED MAN 25

V. BORING FOR WATER 31

VI. WE TAKE POSSESSION 36

VII. THE HORSE-AND-BUGGY MAN 45

VIII. WE PLAT THE FARM 49

IX. HOUSE-CLEANING 54

X. FENCED IN 61

XI. THE BUILDING LINE 67

XII. CARPENTERS QUIT WORK 70

XIII. PLANNING FOR THE TREES 78

XIV. PLANTING OF THE TREES 88

XV. POLLY'S JUDGMENT HALL 94

XVI. WINTER WORK 101

XVII. WHAT SHALL WE ASK OF THE HEN? 103

XVIII. WHITE WYANDOTTES 110

XIX. FRIED PORK 116

XX. A RATION FOR PRODUCT 121

XXI. THE RAZORBACK 126

XXII. THE OLD ORCHARD 135

XXIII. THE FIRST HATCH 138

XXIV. THE HOLSTEIN MILK MACHINE 144

XXV. THE DAIRYMAID 150

XXVI. LITTLE PIGS 155

XXVII. WORK ON THE HOME FORTY 158

XXVIII. DISCOUNTING THE MARKET 164

XXIX. FROM CITY TO COUNTRY 169

XXX. AUTUMN RECKONING 174

XXXI. THE CHILDREN 178

XXXII. THE HOME-COMING 183

XXXIII. CHRISTMAS EVE 189

XXXIV. CHRISTMAS 194

XXXV. WE CLOSE THE BOOKS FOR '96 199

XXXVI. OUR FRIENDS 202

XXXVII. THE HEADMAN'S JOB 210

XXXVIII. SPRING OF '97 217

XXXIX. THE YOUNG ORCHARD 225

XL. THE TIMOTHY HARVEST 230

XLI. STRIKE AT GORDON'S MINE 236

XLII. THE RIOT 250

XLIII. THE RESULT 260

XLIV. DEEP WATERS 268

XLV. DOGS AND HORSES 274

XLVI. THE SKIM-MILK TRUST 282

XLVII. NABOTH'S VINEYARD 285

XLVIII. MAIDS AND MALLARDS 294

XLIX. THE SUNKEN GARDEN 298

L. THE HEADMAN GENERALIZES 303

LI. THE GRAND-GIRLS 308

LII. THE THIRD RECKONING 313

LIII. THE MILK MACHINE 317

LIV. BACON AND EGGS 328

LV. THE OLD TIME FARM-HAND 337

LVI. THE SYNDICATE 342

LVII. THE DEATH OF SIR TOM 346

LVIII. BACTERIA 352

LIX. MATCH-MAKING 355

LX. "I TOLD YOU SO" 362

LXI. THE BELGIAN FARMER 367

LXII. HOME-COMING 375

LXIII. AN HUNDRED FOLD 378

LXIV. COMFORT ME WITH APPLES 383

LXV. THE END OF THE THIRD YEAR 388

LXVI. LOOKING BACKWARD 394

LXVII. LOOKING FORWARD 402

THE FAT OF THE LAND