First Year of Farming

We had enough money saved to buy our spud seed.  Fertilizer wasn't used in those days.  You just hauled out the barnyard manure.  We had to buy hay that spring for the cows.  Jess hated to milk cows.  There was a milker that came with the farm but when Jess bent over to hook the milker on the cow, it shut off the flow through his faulty heart valve and he felt that he was smothering.  After he had irrigated all day and ate supper, he hated to go out and milk the cows.  I hated to walk up the ditch bank, after dark, to get the cows but when I saw how tired Jess was I would go and get them.  It wasn't   long before I was milking them all the time.  Jess hated to get up in the mornings.  I was a morning person and could hardly wait to get up and get going.  I didn't realize it at the time, that it was because he was tired all the time with his bad heart.  You need to remember that most of the farming was done with horses.

  Jess's Dad bought a small Ford tractor the first year we farmed but it was mostly used for plowing.  We didn't have equipment to use it for much more.  The other farmers marveled at how much that small tractor could plow in a day.  Soon neighbors would hire us to plow for them.  We would plow all night.  It was good money if the farmer paid you, after you did the work.
The milk check was enough to pay for the telephone and electricity and what we needed for the farm but not much else. One day some of our friends wanted to go to a show.  We didn't have any money.  Jess offered to borrow from his parents so we could go.with the group.  We decided not to and never went any place that entire summer.  We could stand on our own too feet.  I am the same today.  I hate to ask for help.