Middletown transcript., 1910-06-11

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saw help come to them, in their
most painful extremity, and from
a point least expected, he could
not keep the tears from his eyes,
After the story was completed,
Henry read for an hour longer,
all of which time Peter sat listen
ing intently.
ALI dinner time, Henry and
Ellen talked about what had been
read in the Gazette. They did
not know that their father had
been so much interested. He
remained silent. During the
afternoon, he picked up the news
paper which lay temptingly near
him; he felt differently towards
it, since be had listened to Henry
reading from its broad pages;
and let his eye glance over it,
from column to column.
Gypsum, gypsum? said he at
length, speaking half to himself,
yet looking towards Hannah.
What is gypsum
I'm sure ! don't know, replied
Hannah.
Isn't there a dictionary up
stairs?
! believe there IS, but I've not
seen it these five years. Let me
see, said Hannah, thoughtfully,
whel 9 is itp Yes-yes; | think I
know. And laying down her
mending, she went up stairs. She
returned with the book, and as
she entered, said: Gypsum is
plaster of Paris.
Indeed! Oh, well that is simple
enough, then.
What is simple enough9 asked
Hannah.
You know that we lost nearly
our whole crop of grapes last
year, by a kind of mildew or rot,
said Peter. / calculated on get
ting $3.50 from that acre Of vim
yard, and I got nothing worth
sending to market. Now, here a
man says that he lost his grapes,
year before last, in just the same
way and that after studying
about it, he thought he would
gather the leaves in autumn and
put them around the roots of the
vine, adding q little gypsum.
Last year every vine thus treated
had an abundance of healthy fruit
while on the others the grapes,
just as they were about ripening
decayed as before.
Is it possible9 I'd do the same.
Indeed ! will. As soon as the
snow clears off I'll go through
the entire vinyard. If that will
save a hundred or two dollars
worth of grapes, it is well worth
the trying. If 1 had only known
this last year.
A week went by, and another
Gazette came. When Peter
brought it, Henry opened it with
a delighted eagerness which his
father could not help observing.
He commenced reading aloud for
his mother. Peter listened, and
became interested. After supper
Peter took up the paper. the very
sight of it produced desire to
know more. He was reading to
himself, when he paused and
said thoughtfully, Can that be
really so?
Can what be so? asked Hannah.
If what is said in this paper be
true, I can pay off my mortgage
in two years.
What does it say!
1t says that swamp muck,
treated in q certain way, makes a
fertilizer equal in value to the
best stable and barn yard CON-
posts. Ii this really be so, ! can
pay off the mortgage in two years
For there are thousand of cart
loads of muck in that swamp
across the orchard. There is a
little book, it is further stated
here, to be had in Cincinnati,
called The Muck Manual. 1t
really seems too good to be true.
The Muck Manual was ob.
tanned, and Peter studied it for
week. By that time he under.
stood the matter thoroughly, and
it was to him eight ahead" AL
ready the pressure Of gloomy
dependency was to a great ex.
tent removed. If his vinyard
produced good crop next sea-
son, it would net two or three
hundred dollars. Moreover, if |
the muck compost answered, one
or two hundred would be made
by using it. Week after week |
came the Gazette; but it did not,
as at first, bear the name of Benz. |
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