Carolyn Gay Taft Farm Letter - March 15, 1927

Old Mission, Mich Mar. 15th 1927

My Dear Miss Taft: - I thought I had better write early so as you could order spray material when ever you wished to. There are 5 pkgs. of arsenate left from last year and a half barrel of lime & sulphur.

Joseph has the corn all sorted over now & put 83 bu. back in the crib & he has quite a little spread out on the barn floor & hopes no more of it spoils. Will try & remember to mention in my next letter.

It started to rain Fri. evening and poured all day Sat & most of Sun. The mercury was 58 Sun and higher since. The snow is nearly all goine & like 1st of May weather. I hope it turns colder & this doesn't last. If it does I fear for the worst to happen. Today I noticed the ice in the bay is all to pieces. Joseph says that years ago we had this kind of weather. Don't you intend to put manure on the cherry orchard this year? There is lots of it around and could be put on with the phosphate & you would get better results. We bought ours from the Ford company & it was $65 a ton.

Joseph got Charlies horse & went in after the oats last week he had them crushed right there as they charge no more than they do out here & saves so much handling. Also had to have new shoes put on Queen the roads were so bad that she could hardly walk when she got to town & the other shoes were not fit to use over. We will gladly do our bit if we use the horses. I think we can have their shoes reset at the Mission.

My plans were to get a punch of pickers & pick our cherries if any in just a few days time and stay in the house while doing so. You know how it is with me I hever could stand so much walking back & forth. Then when thru have help here. As you know our orchard is small & wouldn't take long to go over it. I would like to sell as many cherries along the roadside as I could bring so close to the church. I don't know how Sunday selling would be. If some one would object to it we might have to stop it. Of course they may not all be like Frank Stevens. All me and tiny you. I have did all the inside painting & varnishing myself & it was very expensive & every thing is all ready to hang the wall paper so wouldn't let any one but you move into the house on account of banging around. I have a sanitary couch over there & mattress that I bought from Mrs. Hamilton a table & 3 chairs. All is lacking is an oil stove which I will soon order. I have bed clothes that you could use so as there wouldn't be any need to move your furniture over there. As there might be company carried along & that would mean a lot of hard work after two or three years. A stand would be nice & I will do all I can to help you make a success of it. It is a long way from your own farm but you would enjoy being there I know.

We would have to buy new roofing for the garage & put doors on it if you cared to use it. That is one reason we ought to make our plans early so as to attend to all those things. Mr. Hamilton used it the way it was but I know you wouldn't care to. Joseph says as long as you are so willing to help us we will try & do the same by you. I expect it will cost us about $15 or $20 to repair garage. If we don't put doors on it the wind would soon loosen the paper on roofing & tear it to pieces the same as before.

Are you going to send Spring plans this year? Joseph was wondering where you intended to plant the oats.

There are 25 bales of hay left. That won't be enough to last until haying. Joseph didn't dare feed the horses much fodder on account of harming them. He has put all fodder thru the cutting box this winter as the cows like it so much better. The stock is all well & look fine this Spring am so thankful for that as I always worry about things when you are away.

Would like to see your new hat I bet it looks pretty.

I nearly forgot to mention that the well doesn't give any trouble as the bay level is much higher. I must go to bed now. With love Essie

$3.10 on hand

1.50 for Queens shoeing
 .30 Jos. dinner
 .25 barn rent
2.05 expenses            3.10
                         2.05

$1.15 left

Mar 15th P.S. Hope you are well by now. Wed. A.M. Another warm morning & sunshining bright. A lot of people say they have come to stay. All we can do is to wait & see.