Driven Back to Eden · Chapter
Hoarding for Winter explained
As autumn approaches, the family prepares for winter by building a new barn with a manure cellar, poultry house, and pigsty.
What happens
As autumn approaches, the family prepares for winter by building a new barn with a manure cellar, poultry house, and pigsty. They harvest and store vegetables, save seeds, and set out strawberry plants. Mr. Jones teaches Robert how to cut and bind corn, demonstrating practical neighborly kindness.
Themes in this chapter
Self-Reliance and Hard Work
Robert plans and builds the barn and outbuildings himself, harvests and stores crops, and saves seeds, embodying the self-sufficient farmer ideal.
Community and Neighborliness
Mr. Jones freely shares his expertise and materials, and Robert acknowledges the vital role of a good neighbor in a newcomer's success.
Economic Transformation
The family shifts from city life to a farm economy, focusing on winter egg production, selling surplus produce, and building infrastructure for long-term efficiency.
Characters to notice
- Mr. Jones
Brings rye straw and a corn knife, teaches Robert how to cut and bind corn, and is praised as a good neighbor.
- Robert Durham
Plans and oversees the barn construction, harvests crops, and expresses gratitude to Mr. Jones for his practical help.
- Winnie
Tasked with gathering shavings and lumber scraps; her early broods provide the pullets for winter laying hens.
- Bobsey
Helps gather shavings and lumber; the pigsty is described as the future residence of his pets.
- Merton
Able to walk through the tall corn without his hat being seen; helps with the corn cutting.
- Bagley
Employed to excavate the bank for the new buildings; helps cut and tie corn.
Key passages
“In securing you as a neighbor our battle was half won, for no one needs a good practical friend more than a city man beginning life in the country.”
Having you as a neighbor made our struggle much easier, because a city person starting a farm needs a practical friend more than anything.
Robert expresses deep gratitude to Mr. Jones for his essential support.
“The winds in the trees are whispering of winter, and all thrifty creatures—ants, bees, and squirrels—are laying up their stores. So must we.”
The wind hints that winter is coming, and like ants, bees, and squirrels, we too must gather and store our provisions.
Robert uses nature as a metaphor to teach the children the importance of preparing for winter.
“Eggs in winter form the most profitable item in poultry keeping, and these depend on warmth, food, shelter, and cleanliness, with the essential condition that the hens are young.”
Winter eggs are the most valuable product from chickens, but they require warmth, proper food, shelter, cleanliness, and young hens.
Robert explains the economic logic behind his poultry house design and management.