The San Saba news. [volume] (San Saba, Tex.) 1873-1966, 1890-04-04
SAN SABA. TEXAS. APRIL 4. 1870.

~ 'NA"ueti Pal To-
Voluntary parts? What are
they Ben?
1T was vol somethin'. But
don't know, [ wouldn't ask him
[ s'pose he just used the outland.
ish word SOS to get me to ask hin
what it meant, an then he'd show
off his larnin'. But l want SC
green.
l wonder if he think he's com.
in here to show us old farmers
how to work? said Sawyer rather
indignantly.
Fgsszhe thinks so, returned
Grummet.
Then / guess he'll find oat his
mistake, added the other. Jes' you
mark my words, Ben; he'll be flat
on his back afore two years is out.
Autumn came, and after John
Walton had moved over twenty
acre field, getting hardly hay
enough to pay for the labor, he set
men at work digging deep trench
es 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 were quite deep and broad,
and into them he tumbled nearly
all the stones that could be found
in the fields.
A poorly expensive way of gettin'
rid o rocks, remarked Grummet.
It's better place for them than
on the surface, amt it? returned
Walton with smile.
Mebbe. But what on airth are
ye dom it for?
Why-Tm going to see if under
draining won't improve the land.
Under drainingl What's that?
1t is simply drawing off the
water from the surface. The land
is cold and wet; but if [ can get
the water to drain off among these
rocks, the sun may warm the sur
face and give me a good piece of
soil here.
But it looked very foolish to Ben
Grummet. He believed that "what
was the nature of the soil could'd
be altared" However, the young
man made his trenches-tumbled
in the rocks-hlled in on top with
the loan he had originally remov-
ed, and then left it to work for it
self while. A month later he
plowed 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
on that article, which he deposited
in various places, as he deemed
proper.
That's a Gurus continuance, said
Sam Bancroft. He and Ben Grum-
met had been at work for Walton
hauling muck. He alluded to
large vat back OF the house, into
which ran a spout from the sink.
This vat was capable of holding
several cart loads of stuff, and was
already half full.
That's a compost vat, explained
Walton, who had overheard the
remark. All the slops from the
house-the soap suds and such
stuff which most people waste, 1
save by this means and turn it
into good account; and instead of
throwing away refuse matter [ put
it in here and let it rot and ferment
and make manure.
That all sounds very poorly, re-
marked Ben, after Walton had left
them; but let me ies' tell you, it
don't pay. He'd better let such
fandangles alone if he ever expects
to make a livin' at farmin'.
Before the ground froze up Wal
ton threw out most of the muck
back of his tie-up, which had be-
come well saturated, and filed the
trench up anew. When spring
came Walton went to some of his
neighbors and asked them to go
in with him and send for some
good scions to engraft upon their
apple trees. He explained to them
just the plan he had formed for
his own orchard.
How much will it cost you?
asked Sawyer.
Why, returned Walton, I'm 60
ing into it thoroughly. My orchard
is large one, as yours is; and the
trees are mostly thrifty and vigor-
ous-or could be made so-but
with poor fruit. l mean to make
thorough thing of it, and shall ex-
pend a hundred dollars this
spring.
What A hundred dollars! In
your orchard.
Yes.
TL:11 II L.,...I,.I-ct