The Wolf Point herald. (Wolf Point, Mont.) 1913-1940, 1923-08-30

Yes" said Jim, your father used
some Oh his lawn. We don't put it ON
our fields in Iowa-not yet; but if 1t
weren't for those white specks on the
clover-roots, we should be obliged to
do so-as they do back east"
"How do them white specks keep
us from needin' nitrates?"
tits a long story" said Jim. you
see, before there were any plants big
enough to be visible-if there had
been any one to see them-the world
was full of little plants so small that
there may be billions of them In one
of these little white specks. They
the air."
"AirI" calculated New ION. "Nitrates
In the air! You're crazy!"
NO" said Jim. There are tons Of
nitrogen in the air that press down on
your head-but the big plants can't
get it through their leaves, OF their
roots. They never had to learn, be-
cause the little plants-bacteria-lo-
Gated on those roots and tapped them
for the sap they needed-began to get
their board and lodgings off the big
plants. And in payment for their hotel
bills, the little plants took nitrogen
out Of the air for both themselves and
their hosts"
what dye mean by 'hosts'?" !
Their hotel-keepers-the big plants
And now the plants that have the
hotel roots for the bacteria furnish
nitrogen not only for themselves, but
for the crops that FOLLOW. Corn can't
get nitrogen out Of the air; but
clover can-and that's why we ought
to pillow down clover before a crop of
corn"
Gee" said Newt. IF you could get
to teach our school, I'd go again"
ut would interfere with your pool
playing"
what business Is that o. yoursf"
Intercepted Newt de1antly.
swell, get busy with that shovel"
suggested Jim, who had been working
steadily, driving put upon the fill oc-
occasionally to unload. On his return
from dumping the next load, Newton
seemed, In a superior way, quite
amiably disposed toward his workfel-
low-rather the habitual thing in the
neighborhoOd.
"T1l work my old man to vote for
you for teacher" said he.
"Those school directors" replied
Jim, "have become so ~bullheaded that
never vote for any one except
he applicants they've been voting for"
"The old man says he will have
r Foster again, or he'll give the
school a darned long vacation. unless
and Bonner join on some one
Use. That would beat Prue, Of
"And Con Bonner won't vote for
ny n but Maggie Gilmartin," added
I'm.
and" supplied Newton, "Haaken
'eterson says he'll stick to Herman
until the Hot Springs freeze
"And there you are" said Jim. "You
ell your father for me that 1 think
es a mere mule-and that the whole
istrict thinks the same"
"A1l right" said Newt. 'I1l tell him
hat while I'm working him TO vote
Or you"
Jim smiled grimly. He had re-
lained a peasant because the Amer
.an rural teacher Is placed
ally lower than the peasant. He
ave NewtOn's chatter no cOnsidera-
But when, in the afternoon, he
Itched his team with others to the
road grader. and the gang became
,ncentrated within talking distance,
found that the project of heckling
chatting him about his eminent fit
ess for a scholastic position was to
the real entertainment of the Oc-
lsfOn.
"Jim's the candidate to bust the
,adlock," said Columbus Brown, with
wink. "Just like Garfield In that
epublican convention he was NOM
ated in-eh, CONF"
"Con" was Cornelius Bonner, an
lshman, one of the deadIocked school
'dru, anu the captain OF the ROAD
ader. He winked back at the path
aster.
"Jim's the gray-eyed man O. des-
~" he replied, 'if he gets two
ties in that board"
You'd vote for me, wouldn't you,
M" asked Jim.
I'll try anything vance," replied
nner.
Try voting with Ezra Bronson once,
Prue Foster suggested Jim.
he's done good work here"
Opinions differ" said Bonner, IAN
you try anything just for
nee, 1t shouldn't be an ~irrevocable
Up, me bye"
You're a reasonable board Of public
said Jim ironically. I'D
to tell the whole board what I
nix of them"
Come down tonight" said Bonner
Were going to have a
I'd meeting at the schoolhouse
ballot a few more times. Come