St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1915-05-19
CHAPTER Il.

a box whiting.
Hello, Billr' said Sam. Not
49, working these days?'
mo; you bet | amt" answered Bill.
81 git enough O. that durin' crop time -
'Well, what do you find around
here?" asked Sam. II never come to
town except on business
"For one thing" Bill replied, I'm
here tryin' to make some kind of ar
engagements for supplies this year.
Didn't make enough to quite settle up
with old Jim Anderson. and he's cut
me off. Lots o. times, though, us fell
lers come to town to git together and
talk over our troubles. Misery loves
comp'ny, you know, Sam. And some
times we chip in and send off for a
gallon of Old Grow. When man gifts
a few swigs O. that under his belt,
Sam, he jes' fOrgits all about bein' so
doggone poor and Ornery."
YES" said Sam land he makes a
and after it's over with he feels worse
and is poorer than he was before"
Bill GOOge was a peculiar kind of
fellow. He was almost always in a
good humor, and you could hardly say
anything to- make him mad. But he
didn't like to work. According to Bill,
it was always too wet or too dry. He
spent most of his time fishing and
hunting, and lie was a fine companion
to have along on such a trip. He could
tell you more funny stories than you
could possibly remember. In the local
ity where he lived there was rarely
any lack of rain, but Bill would often
sit down on a log and picture in glow
ing colors what he'd do if he was
fixed to irrigate.''
Bill had at one time owned the farm
on which he now lived. But he got
the fever ito go west" At last he
found a man to buy him out, and he
departed for the land where a man
could live without working. He was
gone about a year and came back
broke" and went on the farm he had
left as a renter.
All during the sunny days when the
grass and weeds were flourishing and
choking out the crops not glimpse
sould you catch of Bill in the field, but
you could hear the deep mOuthed bay
of his hound, Trailer, and the sullen
boom of his muzzle loader off in the
woods along the creek.
Bill chuckled at Sans remark.
But let that CO." Sam continued. 81
didn't come down here to preach.
What I want to know is this: Will you
pillow my field for me some time soOn?"
"Whatv' exclaimed Bill. you amt
thinkin' of goin' back on that clay pile,
air yep
''Yes; that's what I'm going to do"
'well, you're crazier than l thought
you was. Wish was away from out
there; you wouldn't ketch me goin'
back. How do you think you're goin'
to make Twin on that farm?"
"I'm going to make it off the land,
of course"
Don't you git no SIGH fool idea into
your head" Bill exclaimed with con-
viction. ''Why, boy, that land won't
sprout peas"
Its going to do it anyway" replied
Sam. "And. more'n that. it's going to
grow 'em after they're sprouted. And,
besides that. it's going to raise some of
the finest corn and cotton in this
you'll never do it," Bill asserted
81 know that land. You can't raise q
on it,"
"LOok here, Bill" said Sam, you've
been on the farm a long time. and i
guess you've learned some things about
the business, but one thing is certain,
you don't know how to farm, and the
proof of it is that you don't raise good
crops"
"Ain't nobody goin' to raise good
crops when it's too dry or too wet.
You got to have things right"
mo; that's not the trouble. Good
crops can be raised with the seasons
just as they are. And 1 don't know
much about farming. but I'm going to
show you how to do the trick better
than fits been done in the neighbor-
hood"
'Where'd you learn so much, I'd like
to know?" Bill inquired in an amused
tone
Il learned it from books and from
men that know how to farm"
Bill Googe slapped his thigh and
laughed merrily.
Gee. but that's a good Oner' he said.
Il wish Miles Pagan could hear that"
Hell hear me say it, all right" Sam
replied. But I'm not going to argue
with you fellows. I'm going to prove
1t. And, now. what about that plow-
ing? You didn't tell me whether you'd |
do it."
Sure I'll do it. amt got nothin'
else to do