Carolyn Gay Taft Farm Letter - October 18, 1925

Old Mission, Mich. Oct. 18th 19-25 My Dear Miss Taft:- I wanted to wait until now to write so as it would be worth while. Joseph had to lay off husking corn to pick apples we have had some very nasty weather a week ago the ground was white with snow when we awoke in the morning was very much surprised as it is so early to have such cold weather. It is slow work picking apples alone but he has finished now & hauled all the ciders himself to save extra charges from Ledger They paid .50 per hundred for the ciders at O. M. the past week & you got that for all of your's. They are only paying .35 at Bowers harbor it was a longer trip but we should worry .15 difference was worth looking after. The apples at Stutsman's was very poor wormy & under size. Last year there was a good crop but this yr. it certainly was a failure. Most every one is having trouble with undersize fruit & worms to spare. Mr Griffin is one on the list. Joseph sent Mrs. Stutsman's 2 bu. to Dearborn last Wed. hope they get there safely. There was only 1 bu. of sweet apples to send to Mr. B in Traverse others were poor & it would spoil your market for more fruit if we wasn't very careful as I know you are. There was only 8 bu. of apples from S. place that could be sold to Mr. Barnes at $1.00 per 100 lbs. you had 28 bu. sold at $1.00 per 100 lbs. all the others had to go for cider. Will tally every thing up at the end of my letter. Joseph will try & get some saw dust as soon as he can get the time to do so. There is so much to do before snow falls. He wants to get the storm windows on quite soon but [they] has gone so we don't know where to find the tools to plane them down it is a particular job & a person has to do it right. Joseph should have asked Mr. Hunter to fit them when he was here this Spring. The barn certainly is more comfortable than the way it was. And every thing under cover. When he picked apples they were stored inside during the damp weather instead of all chewed full of holes by nasty rats. My how I hate the dirty creepy things. It is raining again we have a lot of water now & my how dreary it makes every thing look out side and hard to see to sew or work. I sold my pretty bed spread for $25 I hated to part with it but it isn't what I need. I can't keep doing pretty work & take proper care of it so can use the money to a much better advantage. The children need shoes & warm clothes for winter & that will help out a lot. Have you worked on your's since you left here? I still have Roger"s spread left & will keep that for him as he likes it so well. And boys seldom care for such things. Jos. will try & haul the gravel as soon as he can get to it he wanted to plow the new land while it is cool this fall & not leave every - thing until Spring as there is such a rush then. But he may not get it done as bad weather holds things back a lot. He had 56 bu. of corn in the crib & has a load to husk out yet. We are going to be short on feed the animals have had to be feed so long the pasture looks green but hasn't grown because it it so cold. It has been a hard year & I dread to think of your buying any feed. Jos. will get a few leaves from the woods to bed animals what time he can spare to do it. Can't think of any thing more now so will give an account of apples will deposit as soon as I go to T. City. There is a .70 toll bill & I will pay central for you it is from calls you made before you left. There was 1460 lbs. ciders for you the rest are from Stutsman place

					for collerman
 4840 lbs in all   }		1 bu T. sweet A. Stutsman
-1460 for you	    }		2 "  sent to Dearborn
 3380 for Mrs S    }		8 "  sent to Barnes" along with yours

28 bu in your lot for Barnes
 8  for Stutsman
36 in all for Barnes  Wgt. 1630 # @ 1.00 per hundred = $16.30

$24.20 for cider apples for you both $40.50 total in all Cider apples was .50 per hundred hope you understand this my head is almost splitting it hurts so badly Hope you continue to improve lovingly Essie P.S. hope you have a pretty new old dress by now.