Nebraska advertiser. [volume] (Brownville, Nemaha County, N.T. [Neb.]) 1856-1882, 1860-12-06

all torn away, and a trench dug there
big enough to hold morn twenty cart.
loads of dirt"
"But what in nature is be gOin' to do. .
"Why, he's goin' to save the liquids, as
he calls 'em! And he's goin' to put
somethin' to take up the-the-UOl--vo1-
uafary parts"
Voluntary parts What's them,
Benz"
at was Uol somethin'. But I don'l
know. l wouldn't ask him. s'pose he
Just used the outlandish word SOS to get
me to ask him what It meant-and then,
he'd show off his larnin'. But l WASH I
so green"
81 wonder if he thinks he's a comm
here to larn US old farmers how to work !?
said Sawyer, rather Indignantly.
HE thinks so, returned Grummet.
"Then he'll find out his mistake" " add
ed the other. "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
any man coming in there with any such
new tangled notions was absurd.
Autumn came, and after John Walton
had moved over his twenty acre field
some of his coldest and stifest land
getting hardly hay enough to pay for the
labor, he set men at work digging deep
trenches all over it. He had two dug
lengthwise, running up and down the
slope: and then he dug quite a number
running across these. They we're quite
deep and broad, and into them he tumb-
led nearly all the stones that could be
found in the fields.
GA pooty expensive way of gettin' rid
O rocks" remarked Grummet.
ITS better place for them than on
the surface, isn't t?" returned Walton,
with smile.
"Perhaps. But what on earth are ye
doin' it for 2"
why, I am going to see if under
draining won't improve the land"
"Under-draining2 What's that?"
at is simply drawing off the water
| from the surface. This land is cold and
wet; but if | can get the water to drain
off among these rocks, the sun may warm
the surface, and give me good piece of
soil here"
But it looked very foolish to Ben
Grummet. He believed that what was
the natur of the soil couldn't be altered. J"
That's a Gurus contrivance," said
Sam Bancroft. He and Ben Grummet
had been at work for Walton at hauling
muck. He alluded to large vat at the
back of the house, into which ran
spout from the sink. This vat was ca
pable of holding several cart-loads of
stuff, and was already half full.
THAT'S a compost vat, explained
Walton, who had overheard the remark.
Gall the slops from the house, the soap
suds and such stuf-which most people
waste l save by this means, and turn 10
good account; and instead Of throwing
away refuse matter, l put it in here, and
let il rot and ferment, and make man,
ure."
but what's this charcoal dust for?"
1T answers two purposes though by
only cue office. II takes up the ammonia
and other volatile matter, thus holding
them for fertilizing agents, and at the
same time prevents the disagreeable effiu-
via which would otherwise arise from
such a fermentlng mass"
"That all sounds very well" remarked
Ben. after Walton had left them; but,
let me tell you, 1t don't pay! He'd bet.
ter let such fandangles alone if he ever
expects to make livin' at farmin'."
Before the ground froze up, Walton
threw out most of the muck behind his
stable, which had become well saturated
and filled the trench up anew"
The old farmers had great many ap-
ple-;rees, and made a great deal Of cl
der; dut he fruit was of an inferior qua
li.y. When spring came, Walton went
10 some Of his neighbors, and asked them
10 90 with him, and send for some good
sci0ns to engrafL upon their apple trees.
He explained to them just the plan he
had formed for his own orchard. He had
engaged a competent man to come aud |
do the work of grating, and. while they |
were about il, it would be cheaper to get
gratis enough for the whole ncighbOr-
hood.
It was of no use. The old orchards
were Just such as their fathers had, and
they were good enough. So Walton went
at It alone. He had mis- trees all pruned |
and dressed, and nearly all of them graf
ted to such fruit as he thought would |
H. bost aDd cell host
A little while later, and the grass be-
gan to spring up on the twenty acre lot as
it had never sprung up before. The two
acres, which had been plowed, and har-
rowed up light and fine, bore the best
crop of corn that was grown in the whole
country, and all the manure put on il was
some which had been manufactured.
And so the time went on, and John |
Walton was continually studying how to
improve his farm. Al the expiration of
a few years the new scions had grown
large and strong in his orchard, and be-
gan to bear fruit He had taken care of
his trees, and they were about to return
him interest for the labor.
"GOod gracious ~ CALCULATED Eben
Sawyer, as Ben Grummet and Sam Ban
croft came into his house one cool autumn
evening, and the three filed their mugs
with new elder "have you heard about
John Walton's anDles 1D