Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1915-03-25

tcrmelons are you wouldn't have q
have me along "a show you what tC
do to them, would your
mot on your life!" they all exclaimed
at once and laughed
won't that be finer said Joe Wat
son. his mouth watering at the thought
of the berries and the melons.
"Say. though. SAM Fred Martin
spoke up suddenly. you don't think
we're going to come out there and loaf
around and have good time while
you are at work, do your
"well, don't see anything wrong in
It."
maybe not, but wen not do that
way. just the same. I'll tell you what
well do. Any time that you have
work on hand when we come out
we'll help you out 30 that you can take
a half day or"
THAT'S the idea," seconded Andrew.
'If we come out Saturday morning.
say, and work till noon you could take
the afternoon of, couldn't your"
"well. should think could" said
Sam. "But I wouldn't like to have
you work for me for nothing"
"Oh, don't worry" said Joe. wen
get paid. Well take It out in water
melons"
81 didn't know that you liked to
work SO WELL" said Sam. "You might
as we'll go out with me next Saturday.
We're not going to move until next
spring, but I must mend the fences
and get the ground in shape"
"Sure, well CO." they all said.
'Where'n we find you and what time
shall we startT
"Pll be at home" Sam told them.
"Come about Z o'clock, and We'll drive
out in the spring wagon"
Before Saturday came round Sam
could not refrain from hunting up his
new friend. the government agent, to
tell him that he was going out on the
little farm for that year at least.
The agent, Mr.. Burns. was delighted
at the news.
"Well," he said, I'm glad to hear
that. Miles Pagan Is, as they say,
from Missouri. He must be shown.
It's just waste of breath to talk to
him. He won't listen to anything
tried to get him to plant just one acre
and cultivate 1t according to our meth
DDS. But he said he didn't have time
for any such foolishness. He'd been
farming long enough. he said, to know
something about It
II tried to persuade him to allow his
son. Bob, to join the Boys Corn club
and plant an acre Of corn to be. cult
waited under my direction. But he
wouldn't do that either, and, in fact, he
talked rather insultingly to me. OF
course If 1t was just himself that was
concerned l wouldn't bother any more
with him. A man like that doesn't
deserve much. But we can't AFFORD to
resent such talk from anybody, Sam.
We Just consider that 1t is because he
doesn't understand and let 1t go. Be
sides, it's the welfare Of the whole
country that we are looking after. We
want to make better farmers out Of the
boys. We want Bob Pagan to be a
more successful farmer than his ia
Their has been. and, you see, we can't |
do that without convincing his father |
SO that he will let us teach Bob.
"Now. your farm and Fagan's join.
don't they"
"Yes, SIR" Sam replied; there's just
a fence between his field and ours"
do you know what he is going to
plant next to your field?"
"Oh, yes. He always plants corn
there. Hasn't had anything else there
for FIVE years"
1.-THE very thing!" exclaimed MFR.
Burns. Now, | want you to come
down to the courthouse next Monday
morning. We are going to have
meeting Of the Boys Corn club then.
and l want you to join. You know.
there is 5000 to be given in prizes in
this county. There is chance for
you to win about $3.50 on contest acre
of corn"
THAT is a whole lot of money" said
Sam, "and l am going to try hard to
win the first prize, though my land is
pretty well run down."
"You can fix that all right" Mr..
Burns assured him. "Of course you
may not get the whole field as well
fortified as it should be, but you can
get the acre for corn in good condition.
And 1 want you to lay of that acre
just across the fence from Fagan's.
Well certainly show him something
this year about growing corn"
"That's the poorest land on the place"
said Sam.
$50 much the better" Mr.. Burns as
sured him. "Fagan can't say then that
your crop is due to better land"
"Oh, no. he can't say that, for his
land is much richer than mine! Mine
has been neglected so longl I'll sure