The Xenia sentinel. [volume] (Xenia [Ohio]) 1863-186?, 1865-05-19

shortly afterwards. 'John Walton's a
reglar hiAutin. He's jes' about as nigh
to bein' crazy as man can be ?
'Eh?-crazy, Ben?
'O-I don't mean, rally upset, like
them folks what Fas to be sent to the in
sane asylum; but he's got his head
full of all sorts of nonsenee. He's got
his tieup floor all torn away, and trench
dug there big enough to hold more n
twenty cart leads of dirt. "
"But what in natures he goin' to
do2p
aWhy-he's gOin' to save the liquids,
as he calls en-! An he's goin' to put in
some thin to take the-the-uoZ,UoZun-
tary parts"
'TaluntGry parts2 What's them,
Ben (?
1T was roZ somethin.' But I don't
know. I IwOuldn't ask him. Is'pose he
Just used the outlandishword SOS to git
me to ask him what it meant-an' then
he'd show off his laruiu.' But I want
SO green ,a
4 wonder if he thinks he's comm
here to larn US old farmers how to work?'
said Sawyer, rather Indignantly s
6 guess he thinks SO, returned Grum
net.
'Tben I guess he'll find out his mis-
take, added the other. Jes' you mark
my words Ben He'll be fat on his back
afore two years is out
And these we're not the only ones who
looked for the same thing. The idea of
a mans coming in there with any such
new tangled notions was absdFd. Their
fathers fathers, had worked on that same
ridge, and they wanted nothing better
than what their honored progenitors had
had before them.
Autumn came, and after John Walton
had moved over the twenty acre field,
getting hardly hay enough to pay for the
labor, be 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 number
running across these. They were quite
deep and broad, and into them he tumbled
nearly all the stones that could be found
in the fields.
a pOoty expensive way of gettin' rid
O. rocks, remarked Grummet.
'It's better place for them than the
surface, isn't it? returned Walton with
a smile. .-r
Mebbe. But what on airth are ye
doin' it for p
'Why-rm going to see if UNDER
draining wont improve the land
'Uader-draining! What's that p
Its simply drawing off the water from
the surface. This land is cold and wet;
but if l can get the water to drain off
among these rocks, the sun can warm the
surface, and give me good piece Of soil
here = " .. a- -1" ID.
But it looked very foolish to B n
Grummet. He believed that 'what was
the nature of soih couldn't be altered
the young man made his trench
es-tumbled in the Tocks-flled in on
top with the loan he had originally re-
moved; and then left it to work for itself
a while. A month later he plowed up two
acres of it, and he could see that the soil
had already changed wonderfully. After
this was done he cut his way to the muck
swamp, and went to hauling. out the ar
ticle, which he deposited in different
places as he deemed proper. -
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 back of the
house, into which ran spout to the sink.
This vat was capable of holding several
cart loads of stuff, and was already half
full.
That's a compost vat, explained Wal
ton, vino had overheard the remark. All
the slops from the house-the soap suds
and such stuf-which most people waste,
l save by this means, and turn it to good
account; and instead Of throwing away
refuse matter, put it in here, and let it
rot and ferment, and make ma
nure.'
But what's this charcoal dust for?
p 'It answers two purposes, though by
only one Office. 1t takesup the ammonia,
And other volatile matter, thus holding
them for fertilizing agents, and at the
same. time prevents the disagreeable efiu-
via which would otherwise arise from
such large fermenting mass
q That all soun Is very Pooty, remarked
Ben, after Walton had left them /; but let
me ies' tell you, it don't pay! He'd bet
ter let sich fandangles alone if he ever
expects to make a livin' at farmiu'.'
Before the ground froze up Walton
threw out most Of the muck back of his
tie>up, which hadbscome we'll saturated,
and filed the trench up anew. rra.
q The old farmers upon the ridge had set
out great many apple trees, and made
a great dead of cider; but the fruit was
mostly and of an inferior quality. When
spring came Walton went to some Of his
neighbors,, and asked them to go with
hun, and send for some good coins to eu-
graft upon their apple trees. He explain
ed to them just the plan he had formed
for his own orchard. He had engaged
competent man to come and do the work
of grating and while they were about
it, It would be cheaper to get gratis
enough for the whole neighborhood. =
How much will it cost your asked
Sawyer
Why returned Walton, I'm going
into mine pretty thoroughly. My orchard
is a very large one, as yours is; and, like
yours, the trees are mostly thrifty and
vigorous-or could be made so,-but
with very poor fruit. I mean to make
a thorough thing of it, and shall probably
expend a hundred dollars this spring"
what A hundred dollars In your
orchard?' .
Yes.