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Ever since I was a boy, I have always wanted a farm of my own. I had only $2.75 after my wedding was over, but I still had a craving to be a farmer. Without any money, stock, or equipment, I bought 21 acres of land. My wife, Mary, and I, by struggling, finally paid for this. We sold this place and bought a larger farm of 102 acres. ' We struggled on under adverse conditions, but with a determination to carry out the vision of my youth. I saw a chance to sell this 102-Acre farm and did sell it. We had raised eight boys and two girls. Counting my assets I found that I had $400 and these children, a good team and equipment, five cows, two sows and a boar hog, and a good year’s ration; in meat and grain.
With these assets I bought my present farm of 205 acres. There was no growth on it but sassafras bushes and pines and there were so many deep gullies I could i only plow m patches! It"-was in such a bad state my friends advised me to give it up and lose the $400 payment.
I am not a quitter. Mary and I talked it over. It was a quarter of centnry’s savings. We held on and decided to pay the rest, $3,750, or lose it honorably. 1
The Soil Conservation Service saved the day for us. As I stood helplessly looking at my farm running away with every big rain, foreclosure seemed certain. Mr. R>£by, Soil Conservationist, came and laid off this farm in contour strips. I followed all the practices directed by him and other soil technicians just as a drowning man grabs for a straw. I put down not less than a ton of lime to the acre and 800 lbs. of 3-12-6 fertilizer at each rotation; top dressed my corn with 200 lbs. of nitrate of soda and 300 lbs. of 3-12-6, and s o wed legumes every where.
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