The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1892-08-06


show off his larnin'. But I want so
green
II wonder if he thinks he's a-comin
here to show us old farmers how to work 2
said Sawyer, rather Indignantly.
81 guess he thinks so, returned Grum-
met.
'sThen | guess he'll find out his mis-
take" added the other. Jes' you mark
my words, Ben: He'll be fiat on his back
afore two years is ont p
Autumn came, and after John Walton
had moved over twenty-acre field, get
ting hardly enough to pay for the labor,
he set men at work digging deep trenches
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 field
GA pooty expensive way of gettin rid
o rocks remarked Grummet.
ats a better place for them than on
the surface, isn't it," returned Walton,
with smile.
"Mebbe, what on airth are ye doin' it
for ?''
"Why-Tm going to see if underdrain-
ing won't improve the land.
'Under-draining! What's that p
at is simply drawing off the water from
the surface. The land is cold and wet,
but if l 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 Grum-
met He believed that "what was the
natur of the soil couldn't be altered.
However, the young man made his trench
es-tumbled in the rocks-filled in on top
with the loan he had originally removed;
and then left it to work for itself a while.
A month later he plowed up two acres OF
it. and he could see that the soil had
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 curious contrivance," said Sam
Bancroft. He and Ben Grummet had
been at work for Walton hauling ruck
He alluded to a large vat back of the house
into which ran spout from the sink,
This vat was capable of holding several
cart-loads of stuff, and was already hall
full
"That's a compost vat, exclaimed Wal
ton, who had overheard the remark. "Al
the slops from the house-the soap-suds
and such stuff-which most people wasted
l save by this means, and turn it to good
account; and instead of throwing away re
fuse matter I put it in here and let it rot
and ferment and make manure" d"
"That all sounds very pooty," remarked
Ben, after Walton had left them; "but lei
me jes' tell you, it don't pay! He'd bet
ter let sich fandangles alone if he ever ex-
poets to make ? liYiq' at farmin'."
Before the ground froze up Walton
threw out most of the muck back of his
tie-up, which had become well-saturated
and filled the trench anew, When spring
came Walter went to some of his neigh
bors 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 OWL
orchard.
Chow much will it cost you?" asked
Sawyer.
"Why," returned Walton, 't'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. | mean to make
a thorough thing of it, and shall expend a
hundred dollars this spring"
"Whatl A huRdred dollars In your
orchard ?"
eyes"
"Jewhitaker an broomsticks! When
| I get money to play with, I'll try it"
A little while later, and the grass began
to spring up on the twepty-aere lQt as i
had never sprung mp before; and as time
went on John Walton was continually
studying how to improve his farm.
"Good gracious p calculated Eben Saw
yer as Ben Grummet and Sam Bancroft
game into his house one cool autumn even
ing, shave yoH heard abopt john Walton
apples ?"
eyes" returned Ben. 81 was there an
heerd the whole ont-sO know never
would ave thought it. An orchard turn
out like that !"
Sand jes look at that twenty-acre field,
said Bancroft. "Five years ago it wouldn't
hardly pay for mowin. 1t didn't bear
much else but podgum. Now look at it.
Think o the corn an wheat he's raised
there; an this year he cut more'n forty
tons of good hay from itF
"We was jest talkin' about you, Mr..
Walton said Sawyer one day, as John
came into his house.
"Ah," returned John, as he took seat
by the fire. ~ hope you found nothing
bad to say of me.
''Not bit Of it. We was talkin' about
tho xuondarfpl imnrovan,ant vou have