The Fat of Land: Story an American Farm

THE HUNTING OF THE LANDThe 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 rail-road, consequently within easy touch of the market; and if possible it mustbe near a thriving village, to insure good train service. As to size, I was some-what uncertain; my minimum limit was 150 acres and 400 the maximum.The land must be fertile, or capable of being made so.I advertised for a farm of from two hundred to four hundred acres, withinthirty-five miles of town, and convenient to a good line of transportation.Fifty-seven replies came, of which forty-six were impossible, eleven worth asecond reading, and five worth investigating. My third trip carried me thirtymiles southwest of the city, to a village almost wholly made up of wealthypeople who did business in town, and who had their permanent or theirsummer homes in this village. There were probably twenty-seven or twenty-eight hundred people in the village, most of whom owned estates of fromone to thirty acres, varying in value from $10,000 to $100,000. These seemedideal surroundings. The farm was a trifle more than two miles from the sta-3 JOHN WILLIAMS STREETERtion, and 320 acres in extent. It lay to the west of a north-and-south road,abutting on this road for half a mile, while on the south it was bordered fora mile by a gravelled road, and the west line was an ordinary country road.The lay of the land in general was a gentle slope to the west and south froma rather high knoll, the highest point of which was in the north half of thesoutheast forty. The land stretched away to the west, gradually sloping toits lowest point, which was about two-thirds of the distance to the westernboundary. A straggling brook at its lowest point was more or less rampantin springtime, though during July and August it contained but little water.Westward from the brook the land sloped gradually upward, terminating ina forest of forty to fifty acres. This forest was in good condition. The treeswere mostly varieties of oak and hickory, with a scattering of wild cherry, afew maples, both hard and soft, and some lindens. It was much overgrownwith underbrush, weeds, and wild flowers. The land was generally good,especially the lower parts of it. The soil of the higher ground was thin, butit lay on top of a friable clay which is fertile when properly worked and en-riched.The farm belonged to an unsettled estate, and was much run down, as littlehad been done to improve its fertility, and much to deplete it. There weretwo sets of buildings, including a house of goodly proportions, a cottageof no particular value, and some dilapidated barns. The property could bebought at a bargain. It had been held at $100 an acre; but as the estate was inprocess of settlement, and there was an urgent desire to force a sale, I finally