However, we must think more positively. I understand how the farmer in the poem appearing in the beginning ofthe article on potatoes felt about his land. I too, feel every acre is precious. I feel the same about the old farm house in which we live because three generations have lived in it and their babies were born and brought up in it. It gives you a sense ofsomething permanent. This is what life is all about. This is what

we should like our children and grandchildren to have.

An indication of how farming has changed is shown in the cost comparison below.

Farming in the past — 1934. House newly finished - 3 bedrooms, place for bath, kitchen, pantry, dining room, living room, hall and porch.

Barn built in 1933, 70 feet long by 28 feet wide including a shed. Would hold 9 horses 30 head ofcattle. Cellar dug out at one end, held a years supply of wood.

Woodlot supplied all fuel needed.

Land 125 acres plus 60 acres = 185 acres.

Cost House, barn and land $6,100.00. Another older barn and older house was valued at $2,800.00 making the total cost $6,100.00 + 2,800.00 in 1934 of $8,900.00.

In 1947 a 2 ton truck cost $3,600.00 in 1983, a 2 ton truck cost $12,600.00.

In 1947 a green Dodge car cost $1,900.00 in 1983 a similar car would cost $11,200.00. Farming in the present - 1983.

House - $40,000.00 (a low estimate)

Barn - $25,000.00 (a low estimate)

Land — 185 acres @ 1500 per ac. $277,500.00 Cost in 1983 $342,500.00

Cost Difference 1983 - 342,500.00 1934 - 8,900.00 333,600.00 (about a forty fold increase)

In closing, this attempt to compare farming costs yesteryear and today reveals that the cost of production > per acre has increased from 1945 to 1983 from $100.00 per acre to $1,000.00 per acre while the cost of the capital equipment has increased by well over 300 percent from 1934 to 1983.

Submitted by Phyllis Green

LIME KILN There used to be a lime kiln on the farm of Samuel Clow, (code 65) on the Freetown Road almost directly opposite the former driveway of Marcus Deacon. The mound was evident until about the 1960’s when Colborne Clow, the present owner of this farm, employed a bulldozer to level off the ground so it could be farmed with the rest of the field.

In the description of the natural features in Chapter 1, you will note that the composition of some of

. the bed rock in this area is calcareous breccia (limestone) and has a good percentage of lime. This rock was blasted out of the ground for a depth of ten feet or more and then burned in the kiln. To operate the kiln, coal was brought in at a cost of about $1.00 per ton and this farm was cleared of practically all the wood on it. The kiln was built of three layers of grates. The bottom layer was the one on which the wood was burned, the middle layer was the one on which the rock was placed and the top layer was the one on which the coal was burned. When the rock was heated it would crumble and the lime would fall through the grates to the pit below. It is known that the Clows would have up to 300 barrells of lime, on hand, to sell to farmers. It

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