The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1912-02-06
There Is Nothing That Makes Lazy Shess Loafer So Tired

sight to SOC them at work, and while
watching them, wonder how they
could possibly get a living at such
work at $40 per acre. They cut all
the growth, burn all except the wood
large enough to be used for fence
posts and fire wood This they place
in piles, then all the roots are grub
bed 0own Is inches below the surface
leaving the land in condition for the
plowman. After the first gang has
his work finished he is followed by
another gang who pick up and draw
away, all posts and fire wood, rake up
and burn all chips, twigs and refuse.
They are followed by the plowman.
He usually drives four mules abreast
on disk plow and plows by contract
800 an acre. His work completed,
the next step is to hop to 1t" with
the harrow in order to get the land
soft and fluffy, then, at 1t again with
what is called a leveler. This ma
chine requires about six mules, as it
is built of heavy timbers and is about
% by 16 feet. It's purpose 1t to get
the land as level as possible in order
to make the irrigation easy. Now
you are ready for the finishing touch
es of your onion patch, having by
this time put the land into as nice,
soft and level a piece of garden as
you ever saw. Now you have to lay
il off into beds with borders and irri-
eating bitches. We have our piece Of
II acres, and the second piece Of sew
en-. In the twelve acres there are
265 beds 1875 feet long by 1914 feet
from center of border to center OF
border The other piece is broken up
differently, the beds being longer, 40
feet long by 1914 feet from center to
center OF borders. AS two acres OF
this piece beiong to the two ladies OF
our colony, expect great returns, as
their minds are turned from the on
ions to strawberries, Of which they
have already set about 10000 plants
and cucumbers they have in cold
frames preparatory for transplanting
the last of February, 1000 basket box
es, made on purpose to grow cucum-
Der sets, each box containing t3m
five to seven seeds.
In order to accomplish all tn we
have been very busy, but all is m
plete and luck, together with climatic
conditions being with us, by another
week our onions will be all trans
planted. This work is all done by
contract labor and we expect gang
of men on the job In the early part
Of this next week. II will take
them about two and one.half days to
finish us up, and after this there Will
be the cultivating. irrigating and har-
vestlng, so much for what we are do
ing. A few more words in regard to
how we live, the climate and the
country, which may interest you.
How we live in this new coun-
try, is question frequently asked by
our correspondents. We live in a
tent house, that is frame building
boarded up four feet on all sides,
with a floor with tents thrown over
the frame, the roof. sides and ends
above the four feet of boards being
canvas. Our building is Al feet long,
II feet wide, living room l2x17 feet
In the center and bedroom on each
end 12xl2 feet. We live here very
comfortable, having one table and
living as one family. What do we
have to eat? Just the same as at
home Of course. We have to get our
groceries in large quantities, being
six miles from town. Living expen-
SEES are not much different than In
Bennington, except meat. Good por-
terhouse steak only 15c pound.
fresh pork, 12c. Then we use our
guns and have game frequently. !
secured fine buck just before
Christmas which gave us plenty OF
fresh meat for some time. Almost
any afternoon about Ave o'clock we
can step out to our hack door and
see a flock of Mexican quail, rabbits
chaparral cocks and by taking time
TO 20 out into the brush away from
the clearings, we can get plenty OF
good shooting.
How near is our nearest neighbor
is another question frequently ask
ed. Just about six rods and going
either north, south, east or west, we
have neighbors on all sides from half
mile to a mile distant. Crystal
City, which is six miles from us is a
place two years old, having popula'
ton OF about 1900 people, two chur-
ches. a dozen or more stores OF all
kinds. a twenty thousand dollar
school house and what We would call
thorough up-todate, lively little
western town and to sum up the
whole thing in few words we are in
the Rio Grande valley, or the onion
belt OF southwest Texas. The eli
mate is Ideal, cool nights and warm
days, thermometer at from 65 TO so
during the day and from as to So dur.
ing the night. nice breeze from the
gulf during the day making II ideal
weather TO work, and even at so In
the shade one can work all day and
hardly perspire, certainly not enough
to be uncomfortable On the 26th OF
January | was in the water bitches,
lrrigating all day in my bare feet,
trousers rolled up to the knees and
really enjoyed It.
We are all well and happy. thor
oughly enjoying ourselves and are
glad we are here. Hoping all our
many friends at home are as comfor.
table and happy as we, with the
Mexican salute Of "adios," am.
Very truly yours,
II. ]. Potter. Jr.
Crystal City, Texas, Jan. 80, 1912
Fury Of Sunstorms.
How con xva Tho nrp hpuidQred and