The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1856-1888, 1876-04-01

native and my boy, on horse back, had chased the
oxen around The lot Tor an hour or %, and hnaily
e, to ploughing. a little while amer dinner.
They were at IL yet. and as they seemed to have
made pretty good prOgrcas, I told them no, 10 take
the yoke oT that night but to turn the oxen out as
they were, 20 as to be ready next morning
They dd 20, aud " next morning" there was no
thing 10 be seen of tho oxen.
My boy said he thought they had gone 70 the
waier-hole-four miles oH-for = drink "Ah,'
said wife. II wish some o. the men who must have
"a drink every morning had 10 walk four miles for
1t they wouldn't spend 20 much money for 'bitters'
as they DO"
I quite agreed with her. and ssns for the ozsn.
came home early that afternoon. on purpose 10 try
my hand at ploughing.
Wife says that I didn't plough more than Ave min
utes. but during that dms I accomplished the follow
Ing The native and my boy started the oxen. and
the pillow point caught a big stone. The sudden jerk
upward would have torn my arms out, II had not
had the presence Of mind 10 let 50. and slow the
oxen to plunge into the ,hieksl Of Es trees. where
they stopped. We drove them out, turned the plough
around. and went back across the lot At a trcmen-
dous rate. I can't say much Tor tbe farrow We len
behind us. for most OF the time the plough was run
ming on its side.
BY and BY we stopped at I'M stone walI-and
turned around agsib. rt..
The next trip across we did very. well. bat then
one Of the oxen laid down. I felt like doing the
same % | concluded tha, the land was ~plOughed
enough. Then stiye charged two dollars for plongh-
ing. which + p&d, OOpsras1iAting myself mat that
was the last cash expcndituse, I having already
bought the potatoes.
That night, a. We listened 10 the rain, we congrat-
ulated ourselves on "a good soaking" being just
the thing 10 prepare the ground for our crop. l
staid home the next day. and planted the potatoes.
II driIEled some aud the ground was very sticky
aud must confess that while scraping the mud OF
my boots-before going 10 my late dinncr-I con-
cluded that II l should charge what i would call de-
cent wages for that Days work. l should debit tho
account with ten dollars at least Amer dinner,
however, | felt better. and contemplated the new
mating, which had arrived during the day. and
thought q well worth the few dollars over our osti-
mate which the bill called for.
Business called me down to Kauai for a week amer
planting, aud the first thing I said when l got back
home. was. |" Gracious how the wocds have growni'
They had and no mistake. The ground was regu-
larry carpeted with young plants Of the castor bean
Where the seed came from, no ones knows. To my
certain knowledge not a castor oil plant has been
seen near us for some years but there was the
ploughcd land, aud there was " millions la H."
spent a day hOelng that land. My boy aud
did at least, and l am sure that he must have cut on
the tender potatoe sprouts very often for with all
the care that I took I found Il was like shaving n
close stubble on q pimply face without starting the
the blood.
Then followed a period Of ~rest--for me-whil
frequent showers made the potatoes grow splondidly.
I brought my friends home 20 dinner, and showed
them my potatoe field with much satisfaction. Wife
used generally 10 hint at the price Of the new mat
ting being saved by this little venture Of mine, aud
I flt quite proud TO think I had done II all.
Another days hoeing cleared the field again Of all
weeds and then wife and ! went 10 Honolulu for a
couple Of weeks. We might have staid longer. but
my little boy wrote bis mother the following note.
'dere mother Jan sails shud writ 10 you aud
ges viii al the potatoz Ia gon tina had wurDz aud o
IL Pa had ceen the worms he'd be mad for no tina et
al the POtatoz bekauE tina had no wedz ges ner tim
II viii be good TO lev them wcdE plea bi me som
Kande a horz meen a pla horz a pare Of boots al
red on top and q WHSLE Good Bi Oorgy."
We FASTENED home aud found a third crop Of
vigorous weeds growing. But alas they came too late.
The worms had been there and eat up every potatoe
sprout keeping at it steady during The whole Of our
absence.
Since then we have had very dry weather and
this affords me the consolation u knowing that II the
worms had not eat the potatoe vines the drought
would have killed them. .Now / AN going 70 stick
10 the Office. lonoRAMUn.
p. S.-By q process Of reasoning wholly feminine
wife makes out that VIC have made a new mating by
the speculation ! L.