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