The Cadiz Democratic sentinel. [volume] (Cadiz, Ohio) 1854-1864, 1860-12-05
Agritnltnral.
John WALTON,s F,Km


with some emphasis.
"But you win gain much information from it
in the course Of year, sir" pursued Joh
Walton.
II tell you don't want it,"
"Well, what do you say, Mr.. Grummet?--
Shan't have your namer' r ,e ---
"No, sir!" This was spoken so fatty and
bluntly that Walton spoke no more, but folded
up the prospectus Of periodical he had with
him. and then turned away #frH.r ff..
Ehen Sawyer and Ben Grummet were two
old farmers-that il, old at the business though
they had only reached the middle age of life;
and after their young neighbor had gone, they
expressed their opinion concerning him.
"Ile'll never make iarmer!' said Sawyer,
with shake Of the head ale spends too
much time over them papers and books Of his'n.
He's little mite above farmin' in my opinion"
"Them's my sentiments" responded Grum.
met. "I tell you Eben, the man that thinks to
make a livin' on a farm in this country has got
to work for it," 'Z s,+sG..T i.ra-sE -as .s
At this juncture Sam Bancroft came past
He was another old native OF the district
I'VE was Just talkin' about young Walton" !"
said Sawyer. i" -'=@ s..r 81. a. SO,
"l've just come from there" replied Sam"
"He's been borin' me to sign for paper, but he
couldn't come it,"
aha, ha!--so he bored us. He's gettn' a
leetle too high for farmar.'' ,,f3 ---a g
Hes rippin' his barn floor up,' said Ban
croft.
"Rippin' the floor up!" repeated Grummet.
why, Mr.. Amsdrn had the whole floor put
down new only three years ago. .r .a.....H
''The stable floor, mean," pursued Bancroft.
He's got carpenter up from the village, and
his two hired men are helpin'." a 95 81
"Whew! opine he'll make farmer" 1gs
And SO they all opined a reservation.
In short, there was something highly ridiculous
in the thought OF mans thinking to be far
mer and a student at the same time; and all
sorts of iests were discharged over it,
John Walton was young man--some five
and twenty; and though he had been born in
the neighborhood, yet much Of his life had been
spent in other portions of the country. His
parents both died when he was quite young,
and his father's farm passed into the hands OF
MIR. Amsden. But now John was married,
and he meant to be farmor; and his thoughts
naturally turned to the old homestead. He
found Amsden willing to SELL and he bought
paying five hundred pounds down, and Civ ng
note and mortgage for five hundred, which
had been cashed by Mr.. Piddon.
Ben Grummet had a curiosity to see what
was going on in Walton's barn, so he dropped
In there, He found that The whole Of the floor
where the cattle stood had been torn up, and
that they were digging wide, deep trench the
whole length of the tie up. ..., ...r-rs
"N hat is ali this for?'' asked Ben.
"Why," returned Walton, who was busy in
experimenting the work, and also in working
himself, Il am having place fixed here for ma
king manure. | mean to fill this trench up
with good muck, and thus savs the liquids
which have heretofore been lost. | think, by
proper management, can get iull double the
quantity of manure which others have got on
this place."
ado ye?" said Grummet, sarcsstically.
EYES," resumed the young man. "lt is q
fact that the liquid manures, could they he sa-
we'd, would FULLY equal the solids, both in bulk
and value; and when combined with well rot
ted muck, and some other articles which shall
take up and retain all the more volatile parts, |
feel sure that they will afford more fertalizing
powers and properties than the solid manure
can" '' p EitG '.
"You don't say SO! Where dye learn all
that?' .s... ..-..,n ..r. tsa.
"Partly from reading, and partly from obser-
vation," answered john smiling at his good
neiehbor's open sarcasm. IH. th
II don't suppose it costs anything to do all
this?"
"Oh yes, it will cost me considerable before
get through" A"a 7 a'a a@g s8f~7E
"Yes:I should think 'twould!" aH a.
II say" he cried, as he met Sawyer shortly
afterwards. "John Walton's about as nigh
bein' crazy as man can be"' A%
. "Eh? crazy Ben?' ,er Fl wferso 81 CO.
"Oh, he's got his head full of ali sorts OF
He's got his stable floor torn away,
and trench dug there. big enough to hold
more's twenty carloads OF dfrt.'' 4tt''',s
"Rut what in natures he going to do?''
"Why, he's goin' to save the liqnids, as he
calls em! And he's goin' to put in some'hin'
to take up -the-Uo'--volantary parts"
voluntary parts? What's them Benz" as
{ 1t was vol something. But don't know
I wouldn't ask him. s'pose he just used the
word sos to get me to ask him what
it meant--an' then he'd show off his larnin'.--
But wa Mt so green.p i5Iiig ,fsjsajs g
81 wonder if he's comm here to larn us cid
farmers how to work. said Sawyer rather in
dignantly. ' -. -
"He thinks so," returns Grummet. as5ms&
"Then he'll find out his mistake" added the
other "You mark my wordS, Ben. he'll be
fiat on his back ore two years is out!' ''~
Autumn came, and after John Walton had
moved over his twenty acre feld--some Of his
coldest and stiffest lapd-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 be dug quite number running across
these. They were quite deep and broad, and
into them he tumbed nearly all the stones
that could be found in the ficl Is. 1850 t
"a pooty expensive way Of gettin' rid o.
rocks" remarked Grumrnet.
ATS better place for them than on the sur
face. isn't it?" returned Walton, with a smile.
Perhaps. But what on earth are ye doing
it for?' a., .,.,,,s.. ..,st .es. N IL.
'why, I'm going to see il under draining
won't improve the land" a,* 8~o A,i5''
"Uuler draining /! What that?n d 5iagz
"It is simply drawing off the water from the
surface. This land is cold and wet; but II |
can get the water TO drain off among these
rocks the sun may warm the surface, and give
me good pirce Of soil here" rf lr w Rt-ss
But it looked very foolish to Ben Grummet.
He believed that what was the nature Of the
soil could mt be altered" = '.'
"rhapsa GURUS contrivance," said Sam Ban.
croft. He and Ben Grumms It had been ID work
for Walton al hauling muck. Ele alluded to
large vat at the back Of the house, into which
ran spout from the sink. This vat was capa-
BILE of holding several cartloads Of stuff, and
was already half full asa A.s gf Al s;ess
That's compost vat" explained Walton,
who had overheard the remark. "All the slops
from the house--the soap suds and such stuff =
which. most psople waste. | save by this means
and turu to good account; and inste al Of throw
ing away refuse matter, l put it in here, and
let It rot aud ierment, and make manure. ,.,,s,l,