Lady's Life on a Farm in Manitoba — 16 - Letter 16
June 18. I am afraid our letters will not be so interesting as the novelty wears off: the monotony of our life may begin to pall upon us.
We hardly ever go two miles beyond the farm; to take our neighbours at the tent their letters or parcels brought out from town, is about the limit to our wanderings.
We did drive one of the waggons to our neighbour Mr. Boyle to fetch home some oats the other night, and we also have been into town to pay our respects to the Governor and his wife.
We happily don't want much outside attraction, for we have so much to do on the farm.
The men work us pretty hard, I can tell you; as, besides all our indoor work, we have had three afternoons cutting potatoes for seed, until our hands are too awful to look at, and the water is so hard that we never shall get them a decent colour again.
Some "white elephants" potatoes, planted three weeks ago (thirty in number we cut into 420 pieces) already make a great show, and will want banking up next week.
About ten acres of ground close to the house have been reserved and are called "the garden," in which have been planted turnips, flax, beet-root, lettuce, tomatoes, and potatoes; in short, all the luxuries of the season.
But I am afraid none will be ready before we leave, if we carry out our idea of going to Colorado early in August.
We have been craving for rain, and at last, luckily, had a delightful shower a few days ago, which has freshened us up and will make things grow.
There is no grass as yet above four inches in height, and this time last year they were hay-making.
The men are beginning to fear there will be none; but with a little warm weather and a certain amount of rain everything grows as if by magic, so we may still hope to have a good season.
Only very few of the garden-seeds have made their appearance, which is disappointing after all the trouble they were; but the wild flowers are beginning to come out on the prairie, small bushes of wild roses are all over; there are also very pretty sunflowers, a tree maiden-hair, several different vetches, sisters, yellow-daisies, &c. ; many we cannot name, indigenous to this country we conclude.
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