Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1859-05-26

the ouiidnufsu Nofosos w kis uS " oei
him what it meant-an' then he'd show of
his iarnin' But wasn't so green
Il wonder if he thinks he's comm
here te larn us old farmers how to work.
said Sawyer: rather Indignantly.
] Il guess he thinks so,' returned Grum
met.
Then guess he'll find out his mistake,
added the other. 'Jes' you mark my words
Ben, he'll be fat on his back afore two years
is out!'
And these were not the only ones who
looked for the same thing. The idea OF q
mans coming there with any such new
tangled notions was absurd. Their fathers
and their tsthers' athers, had worked on
that ridge. and they wanted nothing better
than what their honored progenitors had be-
| fore them
Autumn cane, sud after John Walton
had moved over the twenty-acre field, get
ting hardly hay enough to pay for the labor,
he set men at work digging deep trenches
all over it. He had two dug lengthwise,
funning up and down the slope; and then be
dug quite number running across these
They were quite deep and broad, and into
them he ,umbled nearly all thes stones that
could be found in the fields.
"A poo:y expensive way OF gettin' rid O.
rocks remarked Grummet.
Its better place for them than on the
surface, isn't itr returned Walton, with a
smile.
hat osrth Inip
il for?'
'Why-I'm going to see If under draining
won't improve the land
Under dro lining! What's tha'!'
III is simply dra Sing off the water from
the surface. This land is cold and vet; but
ii can get the water TO drain off among
these rocks, the sun warm the surface, and
give me g uod piece OF soil hare.'
But it looked very foolish to Ben Grum-
met. He believed that what was the ma
ture o, the soil couldn't be altered How
ever, the young man made his trenches
tumbled il the rocks filed in on top with
the oam he had original ly removed; ard
then lett il t. work for itself while.
month later he plowed up two acres of it.
and he could see that the soil had already
changed wonderfully. Alter this was done
he cut his way to the muck swamp and
wen' to hauling out that article. which he
deposited in various places, as he deemed
proper.
That's a Gurus coptrivance,' said Sam
Bancroft He and Ben Grummet had been
IT work Tor Walton al hsuling much. He
alluded TO lsrge vat back of the house into
which ran spout from the sink. This val
was capable of holding several cart loads Of
stuff. and was already half full. .
.Thal'> compost vas.' explained Wal
ton, wio had nvrrhe ard the remark .Ail
the slops from he house-lhe soap suds and
such stuff, which most people was;e-I save
and in tead OF throwing away refuse matter,
put it in here, and let it rol and ferment,
and make manure.
But wha IS tnls charcoal dust forr
1T answers two purposes, though by only
one office. 1t takes up the ammonia and
other volatine ma ter, thus holding them :or
fertilizing agents, at ,be same time prevents
the disagree bic effluvia which would other
wise arse from such fermenting mass
THAT all sounds very pooty.' remarked
Ben, sfter Walton hid left them; 'but let
me ies' tell you it don't payi He'd better
let sich fandangles alone, if be ever expects
TO make livin' at farmin'.'
Before the ground froze up. Walton threw
out most of the muck of his tie-up, which
had becom. we'll saturated, and filled The
trench up anew.
The old settlers upon the ridge had set out
a great many apple-trees. and made great
dea, of cider; but the fruit was mostly wild,
and of an inferior quality. When Spring
came, Walton went to seme of his neigh
bors, and asked them TO go in with him, and
send for s"rDe good ,cions to engratt upon
their apple trees. He explained TO them
Just the plan he had formed for his own
orchard. He had engaged competent man
to GENE and do The work of gra fling, and
while they were alb ut it, it would be cheaper
TO get gratis enough for the whole neighboT-
hood.
How much will i, cost you'll asked Saw
yer.
WHY return ed Walton, Pm going into
mine pretty thoroughly. Ny orchard is a
a very large one. as yours is; and, like yours,
the trees are mostly thrifty and vigorous
or could be made so-eut with very poor
fruit. | mean to make thorough thing of
it and shall probably exPend hundred dol
Lars this Snring'
sWbaii a hundred dollarf!--In your
orchardp
sYes'
Itwas of no use. The old orchsrds were
Just such as their fathers had, and they were
good enough So Walton went at it alone.
He had his trees oil prunsd and dressed,
and nearly all of them grated to such
fruit as he though, would thrive best, and
sell best.
A little later. and Ben Grummet had oc-
casiou To open h:s eyes. He found that
John Walton mad cnn,rived to have q hum
dred and forty full loads of manure, all Of
VIII ch had been made within the year
Hos ever. he finally shook his head, aLd
said, 'wait--we'll see if it's good for ary-
irhing'
a little while later, and the grass began
TO spring upon tie tweniy-acre lot, as it
had never sprung up before The Two
acres, which had been plowed, narrowed up
light and fine, bore the beet crop Of corn
that WAS raised on the whole ridge; and
all the manure put upon it was some which
had been manufactured.
And SO the time went on, and John Wal
ton was continually studying how to improve
lis farm. At the expiration Of a few years