The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1892-08-06
JOHN WALTON'S FARM.
From the n. Y. Ledger.

81 tell you, no. l haven't the money
to spare. And, if I had, | haven't got
the time to waste over newspapers" said
Eben Sawyer, with some emphasis.
"But you will gain much information
from it in the course of year, sir, pur-
sued John Walton.
81 tell you, don't want it y
This was spoken so fatty and bluntly
that Walton said no more, but folded up
the prospectus of a periodical which he
had with him, and then turned away.
Eben Sawyer and Ben Grummet were
two old farmers-that is, old at the bust
ness, though they had only reached the
middle age of life-and after their young
neighbor had gone they expressed their
opinions concerning him.
"Hell never make farmer, said Saw
yer, with shake of his head. "He spends
too much time over those papers and books
of his. He's leetle mite above farmin'
in my opinion" )"
'Those are my sentiments, responded
Grummet. ~ tell you, Eben, the man
that thinks to make livin' on farm in
this section has got to work for it.
At this juncture Sam Bancroft came
along. He was another old native Of the
district.
eve was just talkin' about young Wal
top" said Sawyer.
"He's rippip' his barn floor up" said
Bancroft.
"Rippin' the aoOr up!" repeated Grum-
met. "Why, the whole floor was put down
new only three years age"
"The tie-up floor, mean, pursued Ban
croft. "Hes got a carpenter up from the
village; and his two hired men are helpin'."
"Whew | guess he'll make farmer !"
And so they all guessed-with reser-
yation. In short, there was something
highly ridiculous in the thought of mans
thinking to be ? farmer and student at
the same time.
John Walton was Il young man, and
though he had been born in the neighbor-
hood. vet much of his life had been spent
in other sections of the country. His par
ents having both died, John had married,
and nov turned his thoughts to making a
living out of the old homestead.
Ben Grummet had curiosity TO gee
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 mp, and that they were dig
ging wide, deep trench the whole lepgth
of the tie-up.
"What ON earth is all this for ?" asked
Ben.
"Why," returned Walton, who was busy
in experimenting the work, and also in
working himself. 81 am having place fixed
here for making manure. mean 10 fill
this trench up with good muck, and thus
save the liquids which have heretofore 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, sarcastically.
"Yes," resumed the young man. at is
fact that the liquid manures, could they
be saved, would fully equal the solids, both
in bulk and value, and when combined
with well-rotted muck, and some other
articles which shall take up aud retain all
the more volatile parts, | feel sure that
they will afford more fertilizing powers and
properties than the solid mannres can"
"Ye don't say so Where dye larn all
that ?"
"Partly from reading and partly from
observation answered John, smiling at
his good neighbor's open sarcasm.
"I don't s'pOse it costs anything to do all
this? ?"
30, yes; it will cost me considerable be-
fore I get through"
"Yaas; l should rayther calkilate it
would.
al swan p Ben Grummet cried, as he
met Sawyer shortly afterwards. "John
Walton's a reg'lar hifalutin. He's jes'
about as nigh to bein' crazy as a man can
bel"
"Eh ?-crazy, Benz
"O-I don't mean, rally upset, like
folks who are sent to the insane asylum;
but he's got his head full of all sorts of
nonsense"
"But what in natures he goin' to do ?"
"Why-he's goin' to save the liquids as
he calls EN- An he's goin to putin some
thin to take up the voluntary parts !"
voluntary parts What are they,
Ben ?p
at was vol somethin.' But l don't