The Dolores star., 1916-08-18

The floor was laid, however, and
when it was completed, and the drain
age adjusted, Hard Cider trimmed up
the supports OF the barn cellar door
and the two cellar window frames be-
hind. and built in substantial screens.
Then / showed them to him, and told
him he was to keep them closed under
penalty of his job, and he was further
to sprinkle chloride Of lime on the ma
nure once q week.
"Well. I never seen screens on q
barn before" said he. land I guess
nobody else liver did. Shure, it's to be
spcndin' your money azy We are. Are
yez goin' to put in a bathroom for the
horseT
Bert was almost as scurnful of the
screens as Mike. though he understood
the ork-asphalt floor. having, in fact.
unconsciously persuaded me to install
II by telling me how the cows of a
dairyman in the next town had been
injured by slipping on a concrete floor.
My floor had the advantage of con-
crete, but gave the cows a footing
There had never been screens on
barn in Bentford before, however, nor
any chloride of lime used. This was
too much for Bert. But Mrs. Bert was
interested After our screens had been
on ten days and the barn cellar had
been lined. Mrs. Pillig pointed out that
the number OF flies caught on the fly
paper on the kitchen door had de-
creased at least 400 per cent "And
think what's there now come down
from your place." she added to Mrs
Bert. The next thing we knew, Bert
was talking Of screening his stable.
Truth compels me to admit. however.
that he never got beyond the talking
stage.
In the face Of these expenditures
our garden expenses were a mere song
yet we had begun to plant and plan
for the following year as soon as the
pool was done. We knew we were
green, and we did not scorn the advice
OF books and still more Of our best
practical friend-the head gardener of
one Of the large estates. who knew the
exactions of our climate and the con.
ditions of our soil.
"Plant your perennial seeds in az
rich and cool a place as you can" he
told us. land expect to lose at least
three-fourths Of your larkspur When
your foxglove plants are large enough
to transplant, make long trenches In
the vegetable garden, with smanure at
the bottom and four inches Of soil on
top. and set in the plants. Do it early
in September II you can, so that they
can make roots before our early frosts.
Then you'll have fine plants for bed.
ding in spring. II you buy any plants,
get 'em from a nursery farther north
II possible. They have to be very
hardy here"
We went through the seed catalogues
as one wanders amid manifold tempta-
lions. but we kept to our purpose Of
planting only the simpler, more old
fashioned blooms at present. In add
ton to the bulbs. which came later,
we resolved to SOW pansies, sweet vii.
liam, larkspur. Canterbury bells, fox.
glove, peach bells, oriental peoples.
platycodon, veronica. mallow (for back.
ing to the pool especially, holyhocks,
phlOx (both the early variety, the d.
vartcata, blooming in May, and, OF
course, the standard decussata. The
May phlox we secured in plants. All
these seeds were carefully planted In
the new beds between the pool and the
orchard, where we couLi water them
plentifully. and Stella, with the in.
stincts of the true gardener. babied
and tended those seedlings almost as
If they were human. Without hel
care, probably, they would never have
pulled through the dry, hot weeks
which followed.
We used to walk down to see them
every morning after breakfast. when
Stella watered them. dipping the water
from the pool and sending Antony
and Cleopatra scurrying. Antony and
Cleopatra were the goldfish which the
Eckstroms, true to their promise, had
sent us. The poor things were I'm.
named when they arrived. but their
aspect-the one dark and sinuous. the
other pompously golden - betrayed
their identity. Stella called few days
after their arrival to convey our thanks
carefully waiting till she saw the
Eckstroms driving out in their car
Their curiosity having been satisfied
regarding us, and our thanks having
been rendered to them, further inter.
course lapsed. We have never tried
to maintain relations with those of our
neighbors who bore us, or with whom
we have nothing In common. Life lie
too short. Not only did Stella water
the seedlings religiously. but she kept
the soil mulched and the weeds out
working with her gloved hands in the
earth. All the seeds came up well
| save the phlox. with which we had
small luck, and the Papaver Orientalis,
with which we had no luck at all. Not
seed came up. and not a seed ever
has come up in our soil. We have had
to beg plants from other people. Even
as the gardener predicted, the tender
little larksDur plants mysterioualv