The Baltimore County union. [volume] (Towsontown, Md.) 1865-1909, 1909-08-07

to be doing rushing business.
Marvin laughed. Joe, this Is the
day unclaimed baggage and express
is sold. It's great fun to watch them. "
They elbowed their way into the
crowd.
Ladies' and gentlemen !" shouted
the red faced man on the box, this
package I'm now offering feels heavy,
and l shouldn't wonder if it was an
other set of silver knives and forks
like sold last month for two dollars.
Now, what am offered1"
The bidding ran on until the pack
age was sold to man for dollar and
a quarter. The crowd laughed as he
eagerly unwrappsd set of barn-door
hinges The next man Jared better,
getting fine pair of gold nd-pearl
opera glasses for a few cents. Joe
became interested, and soon found
himself drawn into the bidding on q
bulky package, which was knocked
off to him for dollar or so.
He did not open his prize, remem-
bering the man with the hinges, but
the crowd clearing, they caught car
for home. All the family gathered
about after dinner to see what the
mysterious package contained. Joe
cut the string, slowly unwrapped the
heavy paper, and number of books
came into view. Joe read, "The
Practical Orchardist," his face red
dering as Marvin's hearty laugh
greeted the title. He hastily laid it
aside and inspected the others. They
proved to be "The Care of Live
Stock" "Soil Fertility" Farm
Poultry" and Forage Crops
"You won't dare to take them home
with you, "said Marvin, unless father
has changed his mind about book
farming since I left. / wanted to
use up to- date methods, but he would
not listen to it for minute. That's
one reason / left home, Joe."
They were silent for while; then
Marvin picked up one of the books
and ran through It. 81 always liked
farming, !" he said. Iwouldn't t have
asked anything better than to work
the old farm In a modern way, but.
it's drudgery beyond endurance the
way father insists on doing it. Poor
father and mother, too; If they would
only wake up!"
The old farm looked good to Joe
when he returned few days later,
for to tell the truth the sights, smells
and noises of the city had palled upon
him somewhat. It was hard to tell
father and mother of his intended
move, though, they looked SO old and
careworn. Somehow he had never
noticed it so much as he did while
picturing to them in glowing colors
the great future he felt sure was wait
ing him yonder. They did not say
much, but he could see that they were
hiding their hurt under the good
wishes and advice they gave him.
There was little reading matter In
the house, and during the long win
ter evenings around the old fireplace
Joe thought of the books In the bot
tom of his trunk, and they were
brought forth. Mr.. Lenox had lit
tie to say about them. He did no:
talk much since Joe's return, but
would sit for hours looking into the
fire without so much as telling one of
his old stories.
It was wonderful world into which
Joe entered through the portals Of
those books. The mysterious way In
which the sun and air acted on the
green chlorophyll In the leaf, trans
muting inert matter into growing
plants; the fascinating story of ma
ture's provisions for the continuance
of species by flower, fruit and seed
the unsupported relationship exist.
ing between bees and butterflies and
the plant world the elements of the
soil and how and why it was neces-
sary to stir 1t; the story of clover,
SURPRISING all romance. Joe read and
read. His enthusiasm was conta-
gious father and mother must hear,
too; so he would read aloud night
after night, the hard-headed old far
mer clinching the scientific facts OF
the books with the wealth his years
of experience.
Then the selection and care of live
stock-they learned some of the rea-
sons why their hogs and cattle were
thriftless and slow to fatten the great
results of modern poultry raising
their poor "biddies" were huddled
in the apple trees in the keen winter
night /; the futility of using the same
ground for pasture and orchard and
expecting returns from both = all
these and many more. 1t was as If
they had been going about all their
lives with their eyes half closed, and
now had fully opened them.
A bulky package arrived one day,
and Joe smiled when he saw it was
from the Department of Agriculture
at Washington, and contained num-
Der of the bulletins they had read
about in the books. Two or three
good farm papers began to arrive
soon after, and in few weeks per-
feet deluge of catalogs-nursery stock,
incubators, separators, poultry-be-
gan pouring in. Father was begin
ming to wake up
Then one day they hitched up to
the big wagon and led another team
behind to town. Joe was all on edge
to know what they were going after,
but as his father did not seem dis
posed to tell him, he awaited devel-
opments. A lot of knockdown ma
chinery was piled on the little depot
platform. and they set to work load
ing it into their wagon. Here was
cream separator and milk tester, a
steel wind mill, feed grinder, besides