The Dolores star., 1916-05-19
cop1AsotsT ~ o0OelEoAS. nA6e q CO.

the influence Of liquor. but I reversed
the plow and came back fairly
straight. I was beginning to get the
hang Of 1t. My next furrow was re-
spectacle. but not deep. On this re-
turn trip the sweat was starting from
my forehead, and the smell of the
horses and Of the warm, fresh-turned
earth was strong in my nostrils. l
didn't look at my pine. l was proud
at what I had done, and my muscles
gloried in the toll. Again I swung the
plow around, and drove 1t across the
field, feeling the reluctant grass roots
fighting every muscle of my arms
There" said I, triumphantly. ''you
plow all the rest as deep as that!
/ = "Begobs, ye'z all rightw cried Mike.
I went back again down the slope
with all the Joy of a small hoy and
descended upon the orchard. had
couple Of bulletins on pruning In my
pocket, with pictures Of old trees re-
morselessly headed down. took
fresh look Mt the pictures. reread some
Of the text where l had marked 1t,
and tackled the first tree. carefully re-
peating to myself. Remove only
third the first year. remove only
third the first year."
y This, decided, quite naturally did
not refer to dead wood. BY the time
I had the dead wood cut out Of that
first old tree, and all the water sprouts
removed (as I recalled my grandfather
used to call them), which didn't seem
necessary for new bearing wood, the
poor thing began to look naked. On
one side an old water spout or sucker
had achieved the dignity Of a limb
and shot far into the air. / was up
in the tree carefully heading this back
and out when Bert came driving by
with his wagon heaped to overdowing.
"Hir' he called, yer tryin' to kill
them trees entire"'
got down and came out to the road.
You're a fine man and a true friend,
Mr. Temple" said l, but I'm going
to be. the doctor for this orchard. A
chaps got to have some say for him
self, you know"
"Well, they amt much good, any
how, them trees" said Bert cheer
fully. o.
We now fell to unloading the wagon.
We opened up the woodsheds and
storehouse behind the kitchen, slowed
in the barrels of seed potatoes, the fer
tiliZers, the various other seeds, the
farm Implements, sprayers, and 80 on.
The hotbed frames and sashes were
put away for future use, as 1t was too
late to need them now. The horse hoe
Bert had not been able to bring on
this trip. Next we got my books and
furniture into the house or shed, and,
tired, hot and dirty, we drove on up
the road for dinner. AS we passed the
upper field, 4 saw that the plowing
was nearly done. The brown burrows
had already lost their gloss, as my
hands had already lost their whiteness.
"Well, I'm a farmer nowr' said I,
surveying my soil-caked boots and
grimy clothes.
Yer on the. way, anyhow" said
Bert. But yer'll have ter cultivate
thet field hard. seems how it oughter
hev been plowed last fall"
That afternoon l went back to my
orchard, got out my shiny and sharp
new doubled-edged pruning saw, and
sawed till both arms ached.
AS worked, thought how this
orchard must be trimmed and cleaned
up first, but how the fine planting
| weather was upon us, too, and I ought
to be getting my garden seeds in, IL
was to have any flowers. l thought,
also. of all my manuscripts to be read.
A nervous fit seized me. and I worked
l:ffant1cally.
That night I managed to keep awake
till eleven, and got some work done
| also rose at compromise hour Of
six In the morning, and worked another
hour, almost catching up with what
should have been my daily stint. But
I realized that hereafter l could not
work on the farm all day. must give
up my mornings to my manuscript
reading.
"Well," thought I. I'll do it-as
soon as the orchard is finished"
AS soon as the orchard was finished
I stood amid the litter I had made on
the ground. and reflected. had COM
pleted the preliminary trimming of
one row and part of second. There
Il
do. And the worst trees were in those
rows, at that. After they were
trimmed, there was all the litter to
clear out, and the stubs to be painted,
and cement work to be done.
"Good gracious!' thought I, 'if I do
all that. when will plant, when will
I make my lawn
|
Have you ever watched small boy
picking berries? He never picks a
bush clean, but rushes after this or
! that big cluster Of fruit which strikes
the eye. covering half an acre of
ground while you, perhaps, are strip
ping a single clump Of bushes. And
he is usually amazed when your pail
alls quicker than his. Alas! l fear
was much like that small boy dur