7 few years for fire wood. I have also planted out a number of fruit trees my own grafting & rising. I was obliged to get a man to assist for a few weeks now in the season to plant the trees and prepair the ground. You know I could not put anything in the ground will be more valuable in time than timber. I intend to have 800 or 1000 in if I can get them. I exchanged some fowls for some blue gums and I think I will get two or three hundred more and get them in this month. I can assure you I do not idle one moment of time. The man I will send away whenever I get all the gums in. I only 8 pay him 15/ per week and three weeks will do. We have put in a good piece of grass and it is doing very well. I am in hopes the padock will be finished with sowing this spring. We are plowing up wheat ground and will do it next week. The house is now very comfortable and Catherine is doing all she can to make things look well. She misses sister Catherine very much poor dear. I hope there is something in store for her before long for she is a very deserving girl and