The Xenia sentinel. [volume] (Xenia [Ohio]) 1863-186?, 1865-05-19
Gke 9eNia Sentinel
sETH WI. RRolYN. EDIToR.
JOHN WAET0N'S FARM.


"Hadn't you better subscribe for
it?7
a tell you no. Ihaint got the mon
ey to spare. And, if had, I haint got
the time to waste over newspapers, -
said Eben Sawyer, with some empha-
sis.
"But you will gain much information
from itiu the course Of a year, sir" pur-
sued John Walton.
81 tell you, I don't want it!'
" WelI-what say you, Mr.. Grummet
-shan't have your name?"
No, sir!" This was spoken so fatty
and bluntly that Walton said no more ;
but folded up the prospectus of a period
ical which he had with him, and then
turned away.
Eben Sawyer and Ben Grummet were
two old farmers is, old at the bus
mess, though they had only reached the
middle age of life,-and after their young
neighbor had gone they expressed their
opinions concerning him.
"He'H never make 4 farmer, said
Sawyer with a shake of the head. " He
spends too much time over them papers
and books Of his'n. He's a leetle mite
above farmin' in my opinion"
" Them's my sentiments responded
Grummet. / tell you, Ebeu, the man
that thinks to make livin' on farm in
this section, has got to loorb for it"
At this juncture Sam Bancroft came
along, He was another old native of the
district.
'We was just talkin' about young
Walton" said Sawyer.
"Ive jes' come from there" replied
Sam. He's been borin' me to sign for a
paper; but be couldn't come it."
Ha, ha,-so he bored US He's get
tin leetIe too high sot for far
mer." @ 15
/" Hes rippin' his barn floor up" said
Bancroft.
"Rippin' the floor upl" repeated
Grummet. "Why-Mr. Amsden had
the whole floor put down new. only three
years ago.
a" The tie up floor, I mean," pursued
Bancroft. He's got carpenter up from
the village and his two hired men are
helpin'"
WhewI guess he'll make a far
mer!'
And so they all guessed-with reser-
vation. In short, there was something
highly ridiculous in the thought Of a
mans thinking to be farmer and stu
dent at the same time; and all sorts of
jests we're discharged over it.
John Walton was a young man-some
acknowledgement though he had been
born in the neighborhcod, yet much Of
his life had been spent in other sections of
the country. His parents both died when
he was quite young, and his fathers farm
passed into the hands of a Mr.. Amsden.
But now John had married, and he meant
to be a farmer; and his thoughts natu-
rally turned to the old homestead. He
found Amsden willing to sell, and be
bought it-paying two thousand dollars
down, giving note and mUrtage for five
hundred, which had been cashed by Mr..
Pildon.
This farming district was upon broad
ridge of land, which had been oleated for
a great many years; and though they were
the handsomest and smoothest looking
farms in town yet they were by no means
the best. The summit Of the ridge was
crowned by ledge of granite, and the
soil, over the whole broad swell, was more
or less wet or cold. This was particular.
ly the case with John Walton's farm,
some portions of it being wholly unfit for
cultivation. There was one field of over
twenty acres-one of the smootbest and
prettiest located fields In town which
was never fit for plowing. The soil was
so wet and heavy that it could not be
worked to any advantage. It had been
moved year after year, yielding about
three-quarters Of ton to the acre, of
poor, wild, weedy hay. Yet there were
other sections which were good, and Mr..
Amsden had gained fair crops while he
slived there. ..
Ben Grumhet 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 a wide, deep trench the whole
length Of the tie-up.
What on airth is all this for p asked
Ben.
Why returned Walton, who was busy
in experimenting the work, and also in
working himself, " I am having place
fixed here for making manure.-I 1 mean
to fill this trench up with fresh muck,
and thus save the liquids which has here
tofore been lost. l think, by proper
management, can get full double the
quantity of manure which others have
got on this place.
DO ye? ?" said Grummet, sarcastic
ally.
Yes resumed the young man. 1T is
a fact that the liquid mauures, could they
be saved would fully equal the solids,
both in bulk and value and when com
bined with well rotted muck, and some
other articles which shall take up and. re-
tain all the more volatile parts, l feel sure
that they will afford more fertilizing pow
ers and properties than the solid manureS
can .-.
You don't say so? Where dye learn
all that?' s.i o.
Partly from reading, and partly from
observation" answered John smiling a.
his good neighbor's open sarcasm.
'Idon't s'pose it costs anything to dc
all this p
20, yes-it will cost considerable be
fore 1 getthrough.'
'Yaas-I should rayther calkilatl
,twnnldp BIN Grummet smoke ibis very