St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1915-06-02

there, ana IL KnIe0 ali the little weeds
and grass that were just starting. How
that corn did grow. Ii sprang up al
most like mushrooms Ii seemed to
Sam that the dark green stalks fairly
laughed in the loose ground that be
had made so rich with manure and
ashes.
The young farmer cultivated the
ground level and never allowed a weed
to take root on that acre He pulled
the suckers whenever they appeared
and went over Ii once with a hoe, but
most OF the work was done with a
plow. The first time or two be plowed
1t tolerably deep, but as the corn grew
larger and the little roots Degan to run
out across the middles be pIowed very
shallow to keep from cutting the riots
and inJuring the corn But there was
another reason for shallow plowtng.
Deep blowing in summer causes the
soil to lose moisture when the crop
needs 1T most
Sam stirred the top of the ground till
there was a layer Of dust TO hold the
moisture below. He wanted to keep
0A AAS Wa(Ct ne lOl Tie SIOW ll1S
corn. and he knew that the sun can
draw water up through a crust in
hurry. but can't draw 1t through a
layer OF duSt-or mulch, as it Is called
He kept the soil this way He never
plowed when il was too wet, for that
makes clods. But after rains, as soon
as it was dry enough. or when weeds
began to appear he went over the patch
with pillow or harrow and stirred the
surface till it was all broken up and
loose.
Bill Googe and Miles Pagan had quit
laughing at Sam. They and others in
the neighborhood often stopped in
passing and looked at the corn and
wondered
II reckon it's jes' an accident" Bill
remarked to Mr.. Pagan one day. but
that boys kinder got one on US. Miles.
| told i'm before he come out here that
he couldn't grow peas on that ground.
But. dog my cats, If that amt as fine
corn as ever saw. That acre patch is
better than the rest, but | tell you they
amt none O. his crops to be sneezed
at"
81 don't exactly understand it"
Miles Pagan replied. "but jes between
you and me, Bill. guess they must be
sOmethin in the governments way o
dom things. You know that kid
don't know nothin about farmin' ex-
cept what the agents told i'm, But
look at that acre of corn and then look
at mine across the fence. And 1t amt
in the land | know that This land
o. mine. if anything. is better than his
OF course it's bound to be in the fer
dlizer he's usin and the way ne's cuI-
twain the ground"
The comparison suggested by Mr..
Pagan was enough to make any one
stop and think. Sans corn was nearly
waist high and had big stalks. while
that of his neighbor in the field across
the fence was no more than two feet
high and the stalks were spindling.
But Pagan understood the cause Of
the difference In the two crops a good
deal better after Mr.. Burns happened
along one day a little later and stopped
to talk to him and Sam. who were
working in their respective fields.
Hello, Mr.. Fagan"' the government |
agent called out as he rode up. How
Is 1t your corn is behind Sans here?
Pagan grinned. Its because he |
planted earlier" he said.
How much earlier?"
1.-TWO or three days" replied the |
farmer.
Mr.. Burns laughed. THAT won't do.
Mr.. Pagan" he said. Two or three
days difference in planting would
make hardly any difference In corn"
At this point Bill Googe. who had
been blowing near by, came up and