The Encylopedia of Country Living

I had mentioned the other day that I was going to throw a few books up on our blog....say what I liked about them, and how valuable they may be for people interested in homesteading....or gardening....or raising animals...or whatever.

Here's the first one...I'm doing this one first because it's probably First on my list....what a great book!

The Encylopedia of Country Living, by Carla Emery. What a woman she was....I have read this book from front to back, back to front...probably I dunno eight times maybe. What a book! I have the updated 9th Edition, printed in 2003.

It's 871 pages (not including the index) of information, I kid you not. Here's the Contents:

Introduction to Plants

Grasses, Grains and Canes

Garden Vegetables

Herbs & Flavorings

Tree, Vine, Bush & Bramble

Food Preservation

Introduction to Animals

Poultry

Goats, Cows & Home Dairying

Bee, Rabbit, Sheep & Pig

Interwoven in all these subjects is Carla's story - the story of her life, her marriage, motherhood, travelling to markets etc. to sell her book.....by the time I finished reading this book for the first time, I felt I knew her personally. She had that ability, obviously....as well as writing in plain simple easy to understand language.

I asked the librarian at our local small library if she could bring the book in for me. She did, and I was eager to get home and get started....I could keep the book for 3 weeks.

After the 3 weeks, I renewed it....and then I renewed it again...and again...and again...until finally Mary gently let me know that she needed it back! She had to send it back to the original library. And so I resolved to myself to buy the book...at some point.

The following year (early this Spring) the Gman and I went to the Seed Swap in town....we picked up all kinds of seeds, and some nifty seed potato varieties...and then we kept walking around looking at the tables of all the vendors.

There was a lady who ran the local bookstore...well, I couldn't believe my eyes! There it was right there on the table, 1 lonely copy of Carla's book....but I didn't have enuf cash left to buy it.

I think she saw my eagerness and then my disappointment at not having enuf money left...I asked her, would she take a cheque? And she looked at me, and said yes Dear I will take your cheque...

Weeeeeeeee! And that's how I got my book.....

Carla passed away a few years ago...how I would have loved to have met her in person! Her beautiful spirit shines thru in this book of hers.....

If you're interested, see if you can get a copy from your local library. Or, if you want your own copy....click on the book over in the right hand column of this blog and you can order it thru Amazon.

You won't be disappointed...I promise you! If you're new to the idea of raising your own food and/or animals...you will learn a LOT from this book.

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