Year: 1869

Two farms lay side by side, a hundred
and fifty acres in each, with that mix.
tuTe of high and low land so often found
in New England. They were owned by
two brothers, who had made a humble


yet comfortable living upon them, and


who, by the closest economy, had laid
| by a small amount of ready money
They took no papers, but farmed and


went on in the even tenor of their wavs,


very much as their father and grand
! father did before them. Two honest,
simple minded men, who read alternate
/ ly the family Bible and the last wears
almanac.


Here in the midst Of this barreness OF
mind and soul, grew to manhood their
/ two sons; two strong, stalwart young
/ husbandmen, with almost inexhausta-
BILE vitality and powers of endurance.
! John Clark was much like his DrOpeni-
tors, and when at twenty he laid his
father in the graveyard and took upon
himself the whole charge of the farm,
he kept in the old path, and prOspcred in
a like manner.


His cousin Charles, had inherited from
his pale, gentle mother an intense love
for the beautiful in nature. and from his
earliest bOyhOOd bad been planning
means by which he could beautifv the
old homestead and render its diversity
of soil more remunerative. But he could
do very little, for his father bitterly Op-
posed all innovations, and often quoted
his cousin to him as an example.


His love for the old farm and its home
ly surroundings increased with his years,
while the opposition of his father only
served to strengthen his desire to carry
his plans and ideas into real practical
use.


When he was twenty he subscribed for
an agricultural paper and diligently con-
ned and considered its columns About
| this time he got somewhere q book on
gardening, and delighted with the gen.
eral plan of the work carried out that
! Spring, in small way some of its sUg-
gestiOns.


He selected the richest soil he could
find on the farm, and using all the feFtiIiz-
ers he could procure, planted more than
an acre in early vegetables. His cUcum-
bers and cabbages he started under some
sashes of his own cOnstrUctiOn-the work
of the previous Winter-and was full q
month ahead of the usual time. Never
did a painter or sculptor work more en-
Enthusiastically over their forms of beauty
! than did Charles Clark over his vegeta-
bles. He had followed implicitly all gen
eral directions that seemed applicable to
the soil and climate, and by the middle
of June was ready to carry his first load
to the city of D, some six miles dis
tant. He found that the stOTekeepers
wished to make One-half profit, and de-
clining their offers, sold out his entire
load by peddling. Fifteen dollars in
solid silver jingled in his pockets when
he turned old 'DObbin's' head towards
the farm, and large, new agricultural
work lay on the seat by his side, which
he had wisely bought with part of the
proceeds of his load.


The reading of agricultural works and
papers, and applying their suggestions
to the soil and climate Of his farm, has
been the business of his life ever since {;
and to the ideas thus obtained is owing
in great measure his remarkable sue
cess as a farmer.


The acre was harvested and its pro-
duce twice a week carried to D., and
delivered to his customers who soon grew
more numerous than he could supply
By the last of September his garden was
exhausted and his marketing for the
year over. He had actually received
over two hundred dollars, and the path
once broken and his father convinced of
the utility of his plans, he determined
to make gardening the chief business of
his life.


"a good ways from the market,
know, said he in reply to a neighbOr,
who was raising objections, but I can
drive there in less than an hour; and if
I cannot get there as early as the near
est producers, 1 will treat my customers
SO well that they will find it for their adj
vantage to wait for me. If Imake a liv-
ri, I,
But, Mr.. Snow, intend to do a great
deal more than that not in the first few
years, for / have not got capital sUffici-
ent to eXpenG for manure, sashes and
seed to insure any gTeatTetUrn for while.
I'm positive there's money in the bust
ness, Mr.. Snow, and if / succeed in get
ting moderate share of that, and at the
same time render my farm beautiful and
attractive to the eye, shall be more
than satisfied. Pm going to devote my
winters to getting ready for the sum-
meTs, and am willing to let time tell the
resuIt.u


Why don't you put your money in
the bank, Charles, said his father, that
fall, as they were piling away the ashes,
and carefully covering some fine rhu-
barb plants planted by Charles i'll the
spring.


LlCCtLNoC ! III taDAAlt ~ oAIGlANl II I'LL III
fertilizers, seed and roots"


This was new logic to the OId-fashion-
ed farmer, but his faith was daily in
creasing in Charles and his books, and
after few minutes meditative silence,
asked him if he would like one of his
hard-earned hundreds to add to his cap
ital. The offer was gladly accepted, and
he commenced operations the next year
by expending for different kinds of fer
tilizers, material for sashes, seeds and
roots, a large proportion Of the money.


That was n busy fall to the young gar
dener. He gathered a large quantity of
leaves and stored them carefully for use
in the Spring. Twice as many more
were mixed with load after load of soft
mud drawn from the river that ran by
the farm and the three formed rich
compost, and of such quality as was
hnst amitnL To his lnnd- Lhia and fOmr