The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1900-09-21

The Carter family all knew Mr.
/ Black, since while waiting for the ar
rival of their household goods from
! Massachusetts, they had boarded fol
a week or two at the hotel.
Mr.. Black was an old-time Califor-
nian, naturally hospitable and easy
going. He understood how to make
his guests feel at home and keep the
commercial side of the business in the
background.
1t did not take Evelyn long to lay
/ her plans before the kindly manager
why, certainly, Miss Carter; the
rates whatever garden truck or poul.
try you may raise for such purpose
| But, as an old resident, / am bound
to tell you that there is no money In
it. We have plenty of land belonging
| to the hotel, and one year we tried
making garden. The rabbits and go
| pliers ate up most of it, and what was
we undertook to keep. Then the coy
otes caught the chickens, all but a
few that the roup soon finished. Sc
we buy our green things from Chi
naman, who drives over from the next
valley once q week, and get the rest
of our stuff in cans. It's a great saw
| ing of labor in the kitchen, just to
open q can instead of being obliged to
stop and go to the trouble of prepar-
ing vegetables
May tell you q criticism on your
bill of fare?"
"of course you may, and l hope to
profit by it,
eve have had friends at the hotel
who said to us: I like everything
about the Hotel Rosita, but its lack Of
fresh vegetables. eggs and chickens.
With a good table it would be a de-
lightful place."
Mr.. Black flushed a little at these
plain words, but said:
"Then I'm to look to you for an OPP
portunity to improve our menu. ]
wish you may have the success that
your enterprise deserves, but fear
you will be disappointed"
| Evelyn hurried back to the cct tage.
Her cheeks were pink ard her eyes
bright with animation
"The hardest part of the battle is
easily won," she announced as soon
as she opened the sitting-yoom door.
"Mr. Black will buy the Carter prod
uce, and, though he is very nice about
it, l know he thinks we are as green
as our prospective lettuce"
Frank was studying some brilliant
covered seed catalogues and Mrs. Car
ter had her lap full of poultry maga-
| zines.
"From what learn, / think we
may have the earliest eastern spring
vegetables in midwinter, while in the
| spring and summer we can do the best
with the varieties that need the most
heat. Tomatoes can be grown all the
year in sheltered place, and we may
have Strawberries from January to
| December was Franks contribution
to the family fund of information.
| "One of the things we need to
avoid" said his mother, ''is planting
too largely of one variety at one time.
My father, who was a successful mar
ket gardener in New York state for
many years, was noted for his early
and long continued crops. The top
most prices were brought by his first
vegetables, and he kept a new lot COM
ing on till checked by the cold Of au-
| tumn."
But what I want to study up" said
Evelyn, SIS the poultry business. I've
loved chickens ever since / used to
| squeeze them to death, when I was
three years old. My succession of
crops will be broilers and fryers with
plenty of young laying hens Just
think; no freezing weather to stop the
filling of the egg basket, and spring
chickens at Christmas"
The Carriers haG spent nearly a year
In California before the beginning of
this story. Coming to the state for
the benefit of Mr.. Carter's health.
after his death they decided to re-
main, II possible. The son and daugh-
ter were 10 and 21, and had true New
England spirit and energy.
The family's available resources
were limited to the cottage, its be-
longings and little property that
paid about $500 year. This was all
that was left after the expenses of
travelling, illness and death were met.
Besides this they had enough ready
money to buy the needed, seeds and
garden tools, poultry and fencing.
This money was carefully laid out and
many family meetings" were neces-
sary,
| At first they made some mistakes.
They took the well meant advice Of
Iineighbors and built their hen houses
of laths and gunny sacks. But it did
not take long to remedy this blunder
and substitute warm, well ventilated
buildings.
The long rows of vegetables were in
closed by rabbit-proof fencing and
the chicken runs by a six-foot wire
netting. A good dog discouraged the
night providers and was faithful
friend. The whole place was SO well
kept that it almost gave one a good
appetite to look at it. When it was
producing enough to supply the table
of the Hotel Rosita, the delighted
guests would often say to the man
ager:
There's one great attraction about
your hotel, Mr.. Black, and that Ia.
your crisp, fresh vegetables, your
delightfully."- tender chickens and new.
laid eggs. / have staid with you