St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1915-06-23
PATRICK

ways feels relieved when long. hard
task is finished. This was Sans feel
ing as he watched the men drive off
He bad done his best and his work had
been fairly measured. He felt more
free now TO finish up the work on the
farm and turn his attention to school
and study.
| The young farmer removed the huSks
from his seed corn, then went through
| 1t and made a second selection of the
finest ears From these ears he re-
moved the defective grains at the ends
and then shelled the rest into stout
Sacks.
In selecting seed cotton he pursued
pretty much the Same plan. After
picking the cotton from the finest
stalks and DOLLS be had it ginned and
saved the seed These seeds he put in
a screen that let the small and lintless
ones pass through.
This method gave Sam the finest seed
from the largest and most perfect
plants. both of cotton and corn. He
could have sold al high prices much
more than be had to spare of either
kind. One day. just after the seed had
been selected and was stored away.
Miles Pagan came over to buy.
II want to buy some o. that cotton
and corn seed OF yours. he said.
How much can you spare me and
what'll they he wOrth?"
I'm selling them at 81 per bushel
for either kind" Sam told him, land
have only six bushels of corn and
twenty OF cotton seed TO sell"
My. but that's high priceT' ex-
claimed Pagan. still. | reckon they're
worth it and I'll take the lot"
Cant let you have them ALL said
the boy farmer. I've promised Bill
GOOge half of them. so you can have
three bushels of corn and ten of cot
ton seed"
THAT amt as many as / need. but
I'll take EN- said MIR. Pagan.
Sans school chums gathered most of
his cotton crop. for which he paid them
1t the rate of 90 cents per hundred.
pounds Ten and sometimes twelve of
them would come out early Saturday
morning and pick until night. in which
time no less than bale would be
w iCh lhC
locks of the patch had been gathered
sam found that his crop had yielded
one bale to the acre. The five bales he
sold for $3.50 and stored away $50
bushels of seed for feed.
The four acre tract of corn yielded
seventy bushels to the acre, or total
# $50 bushels. all of which Sam put
the barn with that from the one
)rre. He didn't intend to sell any of
This crop. as he could make more by
feeding il to hogs.
The crops were now about all gath
cred. There remained the peas and
the pumpkins THAI had been sown
among the corn and the turnips. which
we're not yet ready to be gathered.
Sam hauled out many loads of big
golden pumpkins with the one horse
wagon. There was not much market
for pumpkins, but he managed to sell
about 100 at 5 cents each, or a total of
S. worth. And still he had more
pumpkins than he knew what to do
with. He knew. however. that what
the family did not use would be fine
feed for the hogs and cows when the
cold weather of winter came on. So
he carefully stored them away.
With the black eyed pea crop it was
the same. Sam thought that he had
never seen so many peas in all his life
He sold $40 worth. gathered what
would be needed at home. and then.
the vines still full. be turned in the
hogs and COWS for weeks feast.
A 0oOrHintr ~, Gnnsra
came over when the stock had cleared
out most of the pea crop and set to
work with large pillow turning under
vines, stalks and all. The cotton stalks
were large, and a great many of them.
as well as some cornStalks, were left
above ground But when Sam sowed
the ground with winter oats and rye
and had GOOge follow him with a disk
it cut the stalks TO pieces and left the
soil smooth and unbroken.
Soon after they finished sowing
gentle rain began falling. lasting for
day 1t sank into the soft soil and
seemed to touch the planted grain with
magic. In very short time the field
from end to end was one long carpet
of green.
The year was growing old. and the
great bulk of the work was done. Sam
now had more leisure than he had had |
at any time during the year. OF morn.
ings there was sometimes a hint of |
frost in the air. but the days were yet |
hot and sultry. Sans friends. Fred |
Martin. Joe Watson and Andrew !
White. had visited him several times !
that summer in addition to the days |
that they had worked. But be had |
that be thought would make !
a pleasant surprise for the boys. so he |
invited his neighbor. Bob Pagan. ana I
those three from town to visit him on |