Will you follow me through the search for the land, the purchase, and
the tremendous house-cleaning of the first year? After that we will take
up the years as they come, finding something of special interest
attaching naturally to each. I shall have to deal much with figures and
statistics, in a small way, and my pages may look like a school book,
but I cannot avoid this, for in these figures and statistics lies the
practical lesson. Theory alone is of no value. Practical application of
the theory is the test. I am not imaginative. I could not write a
romance if I tried. My strength lies in special detail, and I am willing
to spend a lot of time in working out a problem. I do not claim to have
spent this time and money without making serious mistakes; I have made
many, and I am willing to admit them, as you will see in the following
pages. I do claim, however, that, in spite of mistakes, I have solved
the problem, and have proved that an intelligent farmer can live in
luxury on the fat of the land.




CHAPTER II

THE HUNTING OF THE LAND


The location of the farm for this experiment was of the utmost
importance. The land must be within reasonable distance of the city and
near a railroad, consequently within easy touch of the market; and if
possible it must be near a thriving village, to insure good train
service. As to size, I was somewhat uncertain; my minimum limit was 150
acres and 400 the maximum. The land must be fertile, or capable of being