Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1890-06-18
MEDICINE LODGE. KANSAS WEDNESDAY. JUNE 1901
..onaer.drasntnar What,s that2n

IL ID SIMPLY uIGH1uH OA VIC WdlCI
from the surface. This land is cold and
wet; but if 1 can get the water to drain
off among these rocks, the sun may
warm the surface and give me good
piece of soil here"
But it looked very foolish to Ben
Grummet. He believed that what was
the natur' of the soil couldn't be altered"
However, the young man made his
renches-tumbled in the rocks-flled
in on top with the loan he had origin
ally removed; and then left it to work
for itself awhile. 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 that article which
he deposited in various places, as he
deemed proper.
''Thats a Gurus contrivance," said
Sam Bancroft. He and Ben Grummet
had been at work for Walton at haul
ing muck. He alluded to a large vat
back of the house, into which ran a
spout from the sink. This vat was ca
pable of holding several cart-loads of
stuff and was already half full.
That's a compost vat" exclaimed
Walton, who had overheard the remark.
''All the slops from the house-the soap
suds and such stuT-which most people
wasted, 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
manure"
THAT all sounds very pooty," re-
marked Ben, after Walter had left
them; "but let me jes' tell you, ii don't
pdyi He'd better let sich fandangles
alone If he ever expects to make livin'
at farmin'."
Before the ground froze up Walton
threw out most of the muck back to his
tie-up, which had become well saturated,
and filled 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 tc
engraft upon their apple trees. He ex
planned 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 going
into it thoroughly. My orchard is {
large one, as yours is, and the trees are
mostly thrifty and vigorous-or could
be made so-but with poor fruit. Imea1
to make thorough thing of it, ant
shall expend hundred dollars thi.
spring"
What! A hundred dollars! In YOU
orchard?"
"Yes,"
''Jewhitiker an broomsticl1s! Whe1
git money to play with I'll try it,
a little while later, and the grass be
gan to spring up on the twenty acre 10
as it had never sprung up before; and a
time went on John Walton was contin
ually studying how to improve his farm
'-Good graciousp' calculated Ebe1
Sawyer, as Ben Grummet and Sam Ban
croft came into his house one COO
autumn evening; ''have you heard abou
John Walton's apples?"
"Yes," returned Ben. 81 was there
and heerd the whole on't-so know
never would ave thought it. An orchard
turn out like that!'
''And jes' look at that twenty-acr
feld,'' said Bancroft. give years ag
IL WOulun udru1y pay iOr HlOWlH =
didn't bear much else but podgum. Nov
look at it. Think O. the corn an whea
he's raised there; an this year he Gu
more'n forty tons of good hay from itl''
1--WE was jest talkin' about you, MI
Walton" said Sawyer one day, as Johl
camo into his house.
"Ah!'' returned John, as he took
scat by the fire, 81 hope you foun
nothing bad to say of me-
"Not bit Of it. We was talkin' abou
the wonderful improvementy you've mad
on the old place and of the money yo
make"
"And do you think it wonderfully"
"But amt it?"
''Well, replied Walton, Il don't knoN
about that; but I'll tell you what d
know: know there is no class of peopl
in the world who may read and study t
better advantage than farmers. Farm
ing is science, ana he must be a ma
of more than ordinary capacity who Ca
master it all. In short, there is n
branch of industry in tho world whic
may not be followed to better advantag
without good education. But farmer
must not be afraid of newspapers an
books. They won't, if they are wise
follow every advice which experiment
alists give, but they may study and re;
son and experiment for themselves. S
1 have done, and so 1 mean to do."-N
Y. Ledger.