During the first three years of my experiment hogs were very low,—­lower, indeed, than at any other period for forty years.  It was not until 1899 that prices began to improve.  During that year my sales averaged $4.50 a hundred.  In 1900 the average was $5.25, in 1901 it was $6.10, and in 1902 it was just $7.  It will be readily appreciated that there is more profit in pork at seven cents a pound than at three and a half cents; but how much more is beyond me, for it cost no more to get my swine to market last year than it did in 1896.  I charge each hog $1 for bran and shorts; this is all the ready money I pay out for him.  If he weighs three hundred pounds (a few do), he is worth $10.50 at $3.50 a hundred, or $21 at $7 a hundred; and it is a great deal pleasanter to say $1 from $21, leaves $20, than to say $1 from $10.50 leaves $9.50.

Of course, $1 a head is but a small part of what the hog has cost when ready for market, but it is all I charge him with directly, for his other expenses are carried on the farm accounts.  The marked increase in income during the past four years is wholly due to the advance in the price of pork and the increased product of the orchards.  The expense account has not varied much.

The fruit crop is charged with extra labor, packages, and transportation, before it is entered, and the account shows only net returns.  I have had to buy new machinery, but this has been rather evenly distributed, and doesn’t show prominently in any year.

In 1900 I lost my forage barn.  It was struck by lightning on June 13, and burned to the ground.  Fortunately, there was no wind, and the rain came in such torrents as to keep the other buildings safe.  I had to scour the country over for hay to last a month, and the expense of this, together with some addition to the insurance money, cost the farm $1000 before the new structure was completed.  I give below the income and the outgo for the last four years:—­

          INCOME EXPENSES TO THE GOOD
1899 $17,780.00 $15,420.00 $2,360.00
1900 19,460.00 16,480.00 2,980.00
1901 21,424.00 15,520.00 5,904.00
1902 23,365.00 15,673.00 7,692.00
                                -----------
Making a total to the good of $18,936.00

These figures cover only the money received and expended.  They take no account of the $4000 per annum which we agreed to pay the farm for keeping us, so long as we made it pay interest to us.  Four times $4000 are $16,000 which, added to $18,936, makes almost $35,000 to charge off from the $106,000 of original investment.

Polly was wrong when she spoke of it as a permanent investment.  Four years more of seven-dollar pork and thrifty apple growth will make this balance of $71,000 look very small.  The interest is growing rapidly less, and it will be but a short time before the whole amount will be taken off the expense account.  When this is done, the yearly balance will be increased by the addition of $5000, and we may be able to make the farm pay for weddings, as Polly suggested.