The Library of Work and Play: Gardening and Farming. / Shaw, Ellen Eddy

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Title: The Library of Work and Play: Gardening and Farming.

Author: Ellen Eddy Shaw

Release Date: September 27, 2004 [EBook #13537]

Language: English

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_The Library of Work and Play_

GARDENING AND
FARMING

BY ELLEN EDDY SHAW

1911

COPYRIGHT, 1911

THIS BOOK IS DEDICATED TO THE REAL BOYS OF THIS
REAL CLUB AND TO THE GIRLS WHO ARE
JUST AS GOOD AS BOYS




CONTENTS


PART I--THE GARDEN CLUB

CHAPTER

      I. The Garden Club

     II. The Boys' Garden Difficulties

    III. The Girls' Secret

     IV. Garden Experiments Performed Indoors

      V. The Work Shop End of the Garden

     VI. What the Girls Made Winter Evenings

    VII. Improving the School Grounds

   VIII. Myron's Strawberry Bed

     IX. Jack's All-Round Garden

      X. Albert and Jay's Drainage Problem

     XI. George's Cabbage Troubles

    XII. Peter, Potatoes and Profit

   XIII. Philip's Backyard

    XIV. The Corn Contest

     XV. The Girls' Secret Work

    XVI. More About the Girls' Work

   XVII. The Girls' Winter Work

  XVIII. The Grand Wind-Up--Girls vs. Boys


PART II.--THE CHIEF'S GARDEN TALKS

CHAPTER

     I. The Soil

    II. Plant Food

   III. Seeds

    IV. The Plant Itself

     V. Increasing Plants

    VI. Garden Operations

   VII. Common Weeds

  VIII. Garden Pests

    IX. Vegetable Culture

     X. Flower Culture

    XI. The Wild-Flower Garden

   XII. Landscape Gardening

  XIII. How Boys and Girls Can Make Money from Their Gardens



ILLUSTRATIONS

    Dee's Garden Was a "Lovesome Thing" _Frontispiece_

    The Way The Chief Taught His Boys to Handle Tools

    Jay's Tile Drain Converted a Swamp into a Garden

    Philip's Backyard Made Beautiful by Annuals and Quick-growing Vines

    The Bulb Story

    Constant Cultivation of the Soil Saved George's Cabbages

    Jack's Rake Handle as a Measuring Stick

    Albert Sowing Large Seeds Singly

    Elizabeth Sowing Small Seed from the Package

    Myron Transplanting His Long-rooted Strawberry Plants

    Katharine Transplanting Her Flowers by a Method of Lifting




PART I--THE GARDEN CLUB




I

THE GARDEN CLUB


The door opened. A gust of wind and rain literally swept five boys, wet
and breathless, into the room. The man at the big oak table in front of
a huge open fire looked up, smiled, and said, "Off with your duds, boys!
Bar the door securely, Jay, for it's a wild night. Throw a fresh log on
the fire, Albert. And all line up."

For a few moments the big cheerful room seemed full of wriggling,
twisting boys as great coats were pulled off and hung up carefully on
pegs at the far end of the room. It was a rule here at The Chief's home
that things should always be shipshape. Then the "line up" came. This
was a little ceremony the boys always went through, having dropped into
it quite of their own accord. They formed a line in front of the open
fire with backs to it and faces toward the man. Then they solemnly
saluted in military style. At this The Chief arose, saluted, and by a
wave of the hand assigned each boy to his place at the table.

This little group of boys had formed itself naturally into a club. It
met with The Chief every Saturday night. He was really no chief, this
big, boy-loving man who had come to spend a while in this little country
village, to rest and to write. The boys had named him The Chief because,
as Albert said, "He could lead any tribe and tame any savage." At this
Albert always laughed for he himself had been called a savage so many
times he almost believed he was one.

The boys dropped into their places. Jay, or the "Little Chief" as the
boys called him, sat opposite the Big Chief at the end of the table and
right in front of the fire. He was slim and tall and light of foot. He
could run faster, throw farther, and play better than any other boy in
the village. He always led, he never bullied, he played fair, so the
other boys always followed.

Albert, Jay's brother, big and heavy and as full of mischief as he could
hold, took his place at The Chief's right hand. Albert called this his
place of honour although knowing full well that he was there so The
Chief might have him within reach. Next to Albert came George,
frank-faced and bashful, sturdy and loyal. Opposite him red-headed,
stubby Peter sat always on the edge of his chair, always with a bit of
a smile on his face, never talking much, always agreeing good-naturedly.
Beside Peter and at The Chief's left was Jack, who wriggled constantly
like a young eel.

After the boys were seated and quiet, The Chief pushed back his work, a
plan of his summer's garden, leaned back in his chair and said, "I think
first we had better take up your reports." Then he pointed at Jay who
began: "Well, when Albert and I asked father for a piece of the garden
for our very own to work exactly as we pleased this summer, with no
questions asked or answered, he laughed. He said that Albert wouldn't
stick to it a day."

"I will, just the same," shouted out Albert quite red in the face.

"Just keep out of this, Savage, until I get through."

The man laid a restraining hand on Albert's arm and Jay continued: "But
I begged father, and told him we'd always worked for him, and he might
let us try for ourselves. Besides, I told him we'd not shirk his work.
So finally he said we each could have the ten hills in the corn patch
for the experiment, just as you wished. And then--"

"And then," broke in Albert, unable longer to contain himself, "what do
you think he gave us? It's just no use trying, for he gave us an old
piece of land below the barn. It's a regular old swamp; why, water
stands there the whole spring long, and it takes half the summer to dry
it out. Then it gets hard as a brick. Now what is the use of trying on
that?"

"We'll take it just the same, and so we told father," continued Jay. "We
have just got to make that old land do something."

The Chief nodded and pointed to George for his report. "Same here,"
began George. "My father wouldn't listen at all at the first; then he
said I might have the hills of corn. He threw in also an old side slope
which he thinks is too poor for any use." George sank back in his chair
in a quite dejected manner.

It was now Jack's turn. "You see," he began at his lightning rate, "we
haven't much land anyway, seeing as we live in the village. I can have
the backyard, such as it is, but that's precious little use. It's never
been used for a garden, and it's full of rock. One of our neighbours
says I may have a piece of her corn patch for my corn, if I'll take care
of hers, too. Of course I took her offer. Just had to."

Peter took his turn last, as usual. "We have no place at our home; too
much lawn, and mother will not have it cut up. Grandfather said I might
have any place I wanted in his garden if I'd really care for it myself."

"My!" said Albert, "what a snap! Your grandfather has the best garden
land around here. You'll win The Chief's five dollars for the best
garden; you just can't help yourself. I'd like to punch you, Peter, for
having such luck."

Peter smiled a little more broadly. "Fin sorry the garden's so good, but
I can't help it."

"It's all right, Peter," began The Chief; "after all, boys, I believe we
are not having such bad luck. Cheer up! We are going to surprise those
fathers of yours, and have a good time out of it, too. Jay and Albert
have a big problem of draining; George has simply got to put that sandy
slope in shape; it looks as if Jack would have to fill in for his
garden; and Peter--well, some of you may beat Peter yet."

At this last Peter smiled, Jack skilfully tumbled him off his chair and
Albert gave a war whoop. The Chief called his meeting to order again.

"And now, boys, I shall see you each one separately about your garden
problems. Remember, not a word at home, for we are going to surprise the
people. And at our next regular meeting, and at all others this winter
we shall have reports on the manner in which you are going to get at
your work and the way in which you will beat conditions. In this way we
can keep track of each other's work. We must make our plans, too, on
paper, which will help out. We have catalogues to write for, garden
stakes to make, and no end of things will come up. But first you boys
ought to understand a bit more than you do about the soil. It is a
storehouse of good things. Knowledge of the soil is a key to this
storehouse.

"We can roughly divide the soil into three classes and call these sand,
clay, and humus. The ideal soil has all three of these elements in it.
Sandy soil is made up, as the name itself really tells, of broken up
rock masses. One can tell this sort of soil by its lightness and the
ease with which a mass of it drops apart. By the word lightness one does
not mean colour or weight, but looseness. A clay soil may be told by its
stickiness; its power to form lumps or masses; its tendency to crack and
bake under the hot sun. Such a soil is called heavy. Humus soil is made
up largely of decayed animal and vegetable matter. Its presence is told
by a dark, rich colour.

"In trying to improve the soil we are dealing with, we have first to
think of its physical, and second, its chemical condition.

"The great needs of the soil are air and water. Just think of all soils
as made up of many particles; let us say like a lot of marbles, one
placed upon another. Each given mass of particles has a given air space
between every particle. Again, if a marble is dipped in water a film of
water remains on it a short time. Let us think of the particles as
always having a film of water on them. Then, as roots and root-hairs of
plants strike down among these they find the two necessities, air and
water.

"Now sand is very loose and so lets the water drain down through it too
rapidly. How shall we improve a sandy soil? Just add something to bind
the loose sand particles together. Humus is good for this binding
purpose.

"Clay absorbs much water. Then its particles squeeze tightly together
and so air is shut out. Add sand to clay soils, to lighten them.

"Humus soil is very rich in nitrogen. This brings us to the chemical
side of soils. There are many chemicals in soils which act as foods to
plants, but only three are the essentials. If these cannot be unlocked
from the soil, or are lacking, they must be supplied. These plant foods
are nitrogen, potash, and phosphorus.

"The chief source of nitrogen is manure; of potash, nitrate or sulphate
of potash, and wood ashes; of phosphorus, bone ash or phosphates. How
can you tell when one of these is lacking? Well, first it is well to
know what each one does for a plant. Nitrogen makes fine, green, sturdy
growth of leaf and stalk; phosphorus helps blossoming plants; while
potash makes plump fruit. If foliage looks sickly then nitrogen is
needed. If one wishes a good growth of leaves, as in lettuce, nitrogen
is needed. If the fruit is small and poor, supply potash; while if the
flower and stalk need better growth, add phosphorus.

"Be careful in adding nitrogen. Nitrogen is the plant food which is most
easily lost out of the soil. Study the soil you are dealing with, supply
if possible what it lacks, and try to unlock to your seedlings the
goodness already in the garden soil."

The interesting talk ended.

"Couldn't we meet oftener than just Saturdays?" questioned Jack.

"We'll see; it all depends upon how much work there is. Possibly we may
have to meet Fridays, too, later on, for you have no lessons that
night. Anything more, boys, before the popcorn?"

"I'd like to know," asked Peter, "if my cousin Philip, who comes from
the city to grandfather's to spend almost every Saturday and Sunday, may
join us too. He wants to fix up his city backyard and doesn't know how
to begin."

"Bring him along next Saturday. We'll be glad to have him, shan't we,
boys?"

"Don't know," blurted out Albert, "it's our club."

"Keep quiet, Albert. Let him in as long as he behaves and works. Isn't
that right?" asked Jay.

"Yes," answered George and Jack.

"Then, boys, we'll have Jack's report next week, as his problem is not
so difficult. If Jay and Albert drop in some day from school they shall
have a book which will help them, and George needs one, too."

At this point Albert dropped off his seat in mock alarm murmuring as he
fell, "Worse, much worse than school!" George dropped a heavy book on
top of him to add to his comfort.

The Chief went on as if nothing had happened. "Jack and Peter, shell and
pop the corn, George and Jay, crack the nuts. And you, Albert, run to
the cellar for the apples. Get good ones, young man."

"Why," questioned Albert, as he picked himself up, "why must poor
Albert always do the hard work, while the other fellows stay by the warm
fire?" No one answered him and he slowly marched off.

Soon the corn was popped, the nuts cracked and the big red apples on
deck. And then it was a quiet room save for the snapping of a shell from
a half-cracked nut, and the munching of the firm apples as the boys ate.
The firelight played softly over the old room bringing out strongly the
big oak table, the group of boys, the silent man, throwing far back into
the shadows the old rush-bottomed chairs, the short-legged rockers and
the pieces of furniture at all distant from the fire.

The clock struck nine. The boys reluctantly got up from the floor and
struggled into their coats. Jay unbarred the door. The man held the
light high above his head sending a stream of light after them, George
astride his old farm horse ready for his three-mile ride, Jay and Albert
trudging after him, and Jack and Peter hand in hand on a run toward the
village.

"Good-night!" they shouted back at the man, "We'll be on time next
Saturday night, seven sharp. Good-night!"




II

THE BOYS' GARDEN DIFFICULTIES


"It's fine to see you back, Myron," began The Chief, looking at a big,
good looking fellow, who had dropped quietly into his place by George.
"Are you here for all the time, now?"

"Yes," replied Myron, "I got tired of the town and am glad enough to be
back again."

"We are just as glad as you are. Is Philip here for Sunday?"

Philip wriggled happily beside Peter and said nothing. For Peter had
impressed Philip with the fact that he must keep quiet for it wasn't
very much his club anyway.

"There is business up for discussion, and two applications," began The
Chief.

"Applications!" broke in Albert. "May we have those first?"

"If you can't keep still," retorted Jay, "you'll get applications all
right, but of quite another sort."

The Chief passed two letters to George. George stood up, swallowed hard,
for he was a bashful lad, and began. "'Will the Junior Garden Club give
suggestions and practical help for the improvement of the Oldfield
Centre School Grounds?' Signed 'The Teacher.'"

"Crickey!" said Albert. "That's white in her! Expert advice! I guess we
will!"

"What shall we do about this?" asked The Chief.

"We just ought to do it, I think," began Jack. "There surely is no other
public-spirited club in this place."

"Just so," murmured Peter.

"We ought now to have a secretary for the club, and a chairman, too. I
believe to-night is the time to vote for these officers," suggested The
Chief. "Suppose Jack and Philip tear up slips of paper and pass them.
Then Myron and George collect, and count the ballots. We should vote for
chairman first."

"What does the chairman have to do?" asked Myron.

"A chairman always calls a meeting to order and presides," answered the
man.

For a few minutes they were all very busy with paper and pencil. The
results were given by Myron.

"Jay has all the votes for chairman. Albert has four for secretary, and
so I suppose we'll have to have him."

Albert, nothing daunted, said, "I guess you will, but I write like a
hen."

"That's right, you do," chimed in Jack to Albert's apparent annoyance.

"Now, Jack, call your meeting to order and let's have these matters
voted on."

"Come to order all of you. What shall we do about this school-ground
business?"

"I vote," began Myron.

"Stand on your feet," advised Jay.

"I vote--"

"No, Myron," corrected The Chief, "move--not vote."

"I move, then, that we fix up those grounds."

"Who seconds this?" and Jay looked hard at George.

"I will," he responded.

"I'm not sure, now," appealed Jay to The Chief, "I'm not sure just how
to go on."

"It's this way--it has been moved and seconded that this request be
granted. All in favour say 'aye'; all contrary minded 'no'. It is a
vote." Jay repeated this and the boys voted, Albert, as usual, voting
"no," just for fun.

"Now, if George will read the second letter-----"

"I should think," Jack half questioned, "that the secretary should read
things, now we have a secretary."

"So he should, hand those papers over, George."

George, delighted, gave place to Albert, who stumblingly read. "We girls
wish to garden, too. We'd like to join your club. We can do just as good
work as boys. Will you take us in?"

"Not much!" went on Alfred just as if he were still reading, "Girls in
our club, no siree, girls never!"

"Girls might do something," began Myron.

"But," Jack broke in, "they'd after all spoil a boys' club. Why, it
wouldn't be a boys' club then."

"They might have one of their own," suggested Peter.

"And do different things," continued Philip.

"I really don't see," Jay went on, "quite how we could have them. But, I
suppose, they might meet with The Chief and we could help them
sometimes."

"No," said Albert, "we don't wish to get mixed up with that sort of
thing. They'd run the whole club in the end."

"That's right," agreed George.

This was put to vote properly and the girls were barred out.

"You must write them a letter, Albert," concluded Jay.

"Write a letter! A letter to those girls! Never!"

"Yes you will; you are the secretary and you have to, understand," said
Jay. Poor Albert, not long before so proud of his office, looked as if
he'd rather be whipped than be the secretary.

"The real business to-night is to hear reports so we can do a little
experimenting and testing next week," suggested the man.

"All right, we'll have George's first."

"I shall, of course," began George, "plant my corn, Country Gentleman,
in with father's. We have plenty of seed corn, so I shall not have to
buy any. As far as my old slope goes I have to pick all the stone off.
Then I am not sure just how to drain it, for the rains from another
slope above wash it all the spring and summer. I shall then put some
barnyard manure on and plant it all to corn. Of course, I must plough
and harrow it, too."

"Now," said The Chief, "I guess we'd better stop right here and have a
little talk, for George has brought up some problems for discussion. In
the first place--let us consider the draining. All George has to
consider is that he has to conduct or lead the water off his land."

"But," said George, "that is what seems to me difficult."

"Have you noticed how water takes definite courses down hills? That
ought to give you some help."

"I see," cried Jack, "George could make gutters for the rain to travel
along and so lead the water off his garden."

"Exactly, Jack has the idea. It is really a bit of engineering. Suppose
George finds the highest point, the greatest slope, of his land. From
this point a gutter or furrow should be dug so that the water is made to
flow off and away from his land."

"How deep shall I dig the gutter?"

"Dig it about three feet deep and fill stones right into this gutter.
Two feet of stone in the gutter is about right. Water falling on a stone
mass drains off properly. It would sink into an earth mass. Bring a
little sketch of this with you next week, George, showing where you are
going to dig the drain. Now boys, how much fertilizer do you think ought
to go on this poor land of George's?"

"I was going to put on two inches," said George.

"I should think he ought to put at least four inches on," half
questioned Myron.

"I'll say eight," began Philip. The boys shouted at this.

"Philip," went on the man after the laughter ceased, "is very nearly
right. If George wishes to get anything from this old land at once, he
must fertilize it heavily. If your father can spare a foot of fertilizer
put it on." The boys all whistled.

"Now about the corn! Did you know, George, that corn is a most
exhaustive crop?"

"I don't even know what you mean."

"I do," said Jack, "he means corn tires the soil."

"Just so," continued The Chief, "the soil supplies food to the plant.
Some crops use up more of the soil's goodness than others. Corn is one
of these. Now, George, what do you think about planting a crop that
works the soil very hard, especially when the soil you are dealing with
is rather poor?"

"It wouldn't be the best thing, I should say. Will you suggest good
things to plant?"

"Well, potatoes, tomatoes and cabbage demand less from the soil."

"Then I choose cabbage, I'll plant that entire old slope to cabbage."

"Now, Jack, suppose you talk."

"I have decided to build a coldframe, so I can get a little earlier
start with my plants; I suppose I should have begun this frame last
fall. I know this--that I have to dig out my whole garden spot and fill
it in. So I thought I could get a start with the coldframe while I was
working at filling in. I have decided to plant lettuce, radish, beets,
tomatoes, peppers and some flowers. I think I shall plant asters, stock
and sunflowers."

"Why sunflowers?" asked Philip.

"I want the seed for my squirrel's feed next winter. Then, too, I think
sunflowers make a pretty nice background for a garden."

"If you wish to drop in to see me before the next week's meeting we'll
have plans for the coldframe worked out to explain to the boys then. You
measure the space where you are going to put the frame and ask your
father about the lumber. As lumber is your father's business, I should
almost think you could get us some soft wood, say white-wood, for our
stakes and markers," suggested The Chief.

"Of course, I can," promised Jack.

"Now Peter," said Jay.

"My garden is to be just potatoes."

"Peter and potatoes!" jeered Albert. "Oh, Peter!"

"I don't care, I'm for potatoes and profit."

"Peter always does make money. So I suppose his potatoes will turn into
money, too," volunteered Philip.

"My stunt," said Myron next, "is to be strawberries. I want to raise
strawberries. Mr. Marsh, on the Longmeadow Farm, has offered to give me
some plants. I'll do the corn stunt; aren't you going to, Pete?"

"Of course, that was understood, and Philip will have his corn at
grandfather's too, for a city backyard is no place for corn."

"Now, Albert, you may talk for both of us," said Jay.

"Our land has to be drained, but it is not exactly the same proposition
that George has. Water stands on our land. We had thought of putting a
drain pipe in. It seems as if there should be an easier way, but we
don't know one," Albert stopped and looked at The Chief, who leaned back
in his chair and thought a minute.

"I guess, boys, we had better stop and talk over the matter of drainage.
There are three kinds of drains, namely: the open drain, the blind
drain, and the tile drain. Each one has worked out of the other. The
simplest sort and the one man first used is the open ditch. A piece of
land was covered with water. A ditch was dug through the land at the
place or places where water was standing. Usually a little stone is
thrown into the bottom to help drain the water off.

"Such a drain put out of use quite a bit of land. So partly because of
this a second sort of drain was worked out. A good body of stone was put
into the drain, then earth filled in over this. Water percolating down
through the soil followed along these drainage courses. Formerly it
settled in spots and made boggy land. Finally a more systematic sort of
drain developed from this last one. Instead of a body of stone, a drain
tile was placed on the bottom of the trench.

"Straight off you boys can see which one of these three represents the
best all around drain. Out in the country or where there is no need to
think of utilizing every bit of land, the open drain is often seen. But
where every bit of land must be used, the open drain is out of the
question.

"All drains come under the head of one of these three types. After all,
boys, since you can put in the tile drain would it not be wiser to do
so?"

"Surely," answered Albert. "But I should think soil which has been under
water for some time, as this has, would be a bit poor."

"In case you find the soil is sour, as it may be, you can sweeten it
up. There is a certain farm sweetener in lime," added The Chief.

"We shall plant on our land onions, peas, and tomatoes." continued
Albert. "We believe that the soil is going to be especially good for
onions."

"I guess I shall have to break in again right here. Onions need a fine,
rich, deep soil. To be sure moist soil is good for certain varieties of
onions. That is why, I imagine, you thought your soil good. You must get
this soil into better garden condition before you devote it to a crop
like onions. Try a general vegetable garden this season. Work out the
crop value of the soil.

"Philip, do you know what you are going to do?"

"I know that I have everything to do. I thought perhaps I should do
something like this. We want that old backyard to be really pretty. The
yard is a long narrow strip of land just like most city backyards. I
thought I'd make a walk straight through it. I want a little fish pond
at the end. I thought I'd lay out a few flower beds with paths in
between them. Mother says she will buy me a few shrubs."

"I say, Chief, don't you think some of us might go up to the city and
help Philip make the cement pond?" asked Albert eagerly.

"We might," murmured Jay, "if we get invited."

"Boys, it's late. We know a little of what our stunts are to be. Next
week each of you bring about fifty seeds of each kind you intend to
plant. Be able to tell just how these seeds should be planted. Also have
the dimensions of your plots. Jack will bring some soft wood along, too.
And Philip, find out, if possible just how much money you can have for
shrubs. Now on with your coats! Out of my house in two seconds!"

"No food to-night is a sad blow, Chief," said Albert pretending to weep
as he opened the outside door.

"This blow is sadder," replied Jack, playfully shoving Albert clean out
of the door.




III

THE GIRLS' SECRET


A very timid little knock roused The Chief from his study of Jack's
coldframe plans. The outer door gently opened and three little girls
entered and advanced to where the man sat. One, the smallest of the
three, was thrust forward as spokesman. Gathering herself together she
began with a rush. She thrust a letter into The Chief's hands.

"This is the boys' horrid letter. We don't care particularly about
belonging to a boys' club. We wouldn't now, any way. But we'd like to
show those boys a thing or two and we thought perhaps you would help us.
Will you?"

"Sit down, and we will work out a little plot together. But first tell
me your names. I like to know the names of people with whom I plot."

The girls came close to the man. The spokesman did the introducing. "I
am Delia, Peter's sister, and just as smart as he is. This," pointing to
a quiet, pleasant-faced girl, "is Ethel. And the other is Jack's sister,
Elizabeth."

"How many more girls belong to this company?"

"They are all outside waiting, I'll call them in if you say so. They are
behind the lilac bushes. You see we were afraid some of the boys might
come to see you, so we hid. For we don't wish them to know about this at
all. I'll call the girls in now." So Delia ran to the door, held it wide
open, and called "Come girls, he wants to meet you!"

"Come right in, girls. This one," pointing to a girl with light hair and
bright eyes, "is Eloise. Her father keeps the Inn. And this is
Josephine, who has no yard at all; and Helena who has plenty of ground;
and this," with a grand flourish, "this is the judge's daughter,
Katharine."

"I hate," said Katharine, "always being labelled; I think it's pretty
hard on a girl to be tagged this way."

"If you'll sit down," began The Chief--"although there are not chairs
enough--we'll get right down to business."

And then how they talked! Closer and closer they drew up to The Chief
until the eight heads were so close together they seemed almost one huge
head. Finally they all shouted with laughter.

"Not a word outside, mind you, not one word. Prove that girls can keep a
secret."

"We solemnly promise," said Katharine for the others.

"Look," cried Elizabeth, "there comes Jack; what shall we do?"

"Out this way," quietly replied the man, almost sweeping seven happy
little girls out of the door. "Now, cut and run." And off they scampered
over the fields.




IV

GARDEN EXPERIMENTS PERFORMED INDOORS


"The meeting is called to order," began Jay. "To-night, so The Chief
says, each fellow has some special thing to talk about. Albert will have
an accident with that bottle unless he begins right off, so tune up,
Savage."

"This bottle is full of vinegar. I might have brought a lemon or
anything else acid. This blue paper is called litmus paper. I got it at
the drug store for ten cents. Just look right here, and you will see
magic worked. I shall put some vinegar on this piece of paper. See!"

"Turned red as quick as scat!" said Jack.

"Litmus will always turn red when any acid gets on it. I've tried
several acids at home. It works every time," went on Albert as if no one
else had spoken.

"I cannot see what this has to do with gardens." began Philip.

"Now you keep quiet until I finish. Haven't you fellows heard your
fathers talk about sour ground? Well, that means acid soil."

"Why, we have a piece of ground, where sorrel grows thick; father says
that is sour," added George.

"Just a minute, Albert," broke in The Chief; "that is one way, George,
that farmers tell a sour bit of land. Weeds grow thickly over such
ground, but as George has said, sorrel is likely to predominate. Go on,
Albert."

"Any soil may be tested with this litmus. The Chief calls this the
scientific way of going at it. I was able to get a little soil from our
future garden plot, and I'll find out right now if it's acid." Albert
opened a small box which was full of soil that looked quite clayey. He
wet a piece of litmus and buried it in the soil.

"We'll have to leave this a few minutes, and I'll finish what I have to
say. If soil is very acid it has to be changed back again."

"Back again to what?" asked Jack.

"Why, back again, so it isn't acid," Albert continued, decidedly
confused.

"I'll help you a bit," and The Chief came to the rescue, "Get that big
bottle over there, Albert." Albert brought the bottle. In it was a
liquid clear as water.

"Taste it, Peter," and The Chief handed Peter a little in a small glass.

"Why it doesn't taste like much of anything; sort of flat."

"That's it exactly, Peter. It certainly is not an acid, is it?" Peter
shook his head. "It is lime water and does not belong in the acid class,
but to one which is exactly opposite to the acids, the alkalies. Soils
ought to be neither acid nor alkaline, but neutral, as it is called. An
alkali will help make neutral an acid. If the soil is acid it is bad for
your crop. Put a little lime water on the litmus which the acid has
turned red."

Albert did this and the boys watched interestedly to see the effect.
"Back again," sang out Jack as the red litmus changed to blue.

"Now from this you see a way to overcome the acid conditions of Albert's
piece of land, if it proves to be acid."

"I see," said Jack, "lime it."

"Exactly! Now see, Albert, if the paper has changed colour."

"My, I should say it had!" and Albert held up the piece of litmus paper,
now quite red from its contact with the soil.

"Well, Albert, it is pretty plain to see what you have to do. Did you
find out the amount of lime to use?"

"In the book I read it said for clay soils 400-2000 pounds per acre."

"I should say," said The Chief, "for that special piece of land use
about 20 bushels to the acre."

"How many pounds of lime," asked Jack, "to the bushel?"

"I can answer," grandly went on Albert, "there are 70 pounds to the
bushel. So that makes 1400 pounds."

"Quite a proposition!" said Jay.

"Yes, but your land is only a half acre and so that changes matters a
little. How much is lime a bushel, Jack? Ask your father, will you?"

"I think," said The Chief, "that we'll have to lay a drain pipe through
your land. Anyway I shall come around in early spring and have a look at
it."

"Now Peter, we'll hear from you," Jay announced.

"My work was to find out how long it took different kinds of seeds to
germinate, that is sprout. I took a dozen each of different seeds, put
blotters in dishes, wet the blotters, and placed the seeds on these. I
kept them in a warm place in the dining room. I have made each of you
fellows a copy of the table."

PETER'S GERMINATING TABLE

Beans      5-10 days.    Onion     7-10 days.
Beets      7-10  "       Peas      6-10  "
Cabbage    5-10  "       Pepper    9-14  "
Carrot    12-18  "       Radish    3-6   "
Celery    10-20  "       Tomato    6-12  "
Lettuce    6-8   "       Turnip    4-8   "

"I'd like to know what use a germinating table is, anyway?" asked Albert
scornfully.

"Well," Peter replied thoughtfully, "it gives you an exact knowledge of
the time to expect your seedlings to poke up. Now suppose radish came up
in four days. The carrot you had planted didn't come up and after twelve
days, discouraged, you plant more seed. Now two days later the first
carrots you sowed begin to appear. If you had known that it took carrots
from 12 to 18 days to germinate you'd not have made the mistake of
planting again so soon. I think of another reason," went on Peter
warming up to his subject. "Suppose you planted beet seed. You waited
ten days; nothing happened; you wait two more and still no seedling
appears; something is surely wrong and you plant over again."

"What could be wrong," asked Philip.

"The seed might be poor," replied Peter. "George has been testing seed,"
said Jay, "and he might tell us about it now, couldn't he, Chief? It
seems to come in here." The Chief nodded.

"I have been finding out whether certain seeds which I happen to have on
hand are worth planting or not. If any of you fellows have seed and wish
to find this out, you can easily enough. So you can be sure whether old
seed is worth planting. Now it happens that father had some of his last
year's corn and some from four years ago. So I took 100 seeds of each.
If you test small seed like lettuce, The Chief says 50 seeds will do.
These I put on blotters just as Pete did his. Of course, I kept them
separate. From last year's seed 90 seeds sprouted out of the 100, or
9/10 of them. And that equals 90 per cent. If all seed was 90 per cent.
good it would be all right to use, I think. Now when I looked at the
four-year-old seed, what do you think? Only five seeds had started. That
makes only 1/20, or 5 per cent. Of course, no one would care to use seed
where only 5 per cent. of the seed sprouted."

"Is there any real percentage of germination that seeds should have?"
Jack asked eagerly.

"Yes," replied The Chief, "although value as you see from George's
experiment is lost by age. The real standard germination value for corn
is 87 per cent., for beans 90, for turnips 90, for peas 93, etc. You
can see that the per cents. for these vegetables run high. So do not use
seeds when the per cent. has dropped too low.

"Has George found out the time when other seeds lose value?" asked
Peter. "I did not work this table out because I did not have the old
seed to work with," replied George, "but The Chief gave me a book to
look it up in. I have printed on our press the table. So you fellows may
each have a copy." George handed the sheets around the table.

It happened that The Chief had a little old printing press that he had
presented to the Club. Club real estate, Albert called it.

    GEORGE'S TABLE

    AGE OF SEEDS FOR PLANTING PURPOSES

        2-3 years.        3-4 years.    5-6 years.    8-10 years.
    Corn      Tomato      Beet          Pea (5-6)     Cucumber
    Celery    Pepper      Lettuce       Radish (4-5)  Melon
    Carrot    Onion       Turnip (3-6)                Squash
    Bean      Parsley                                 Pumpkin

"Now, George," Albert begged, "give us a table of germinating per
cents."

"Not much, each fellow can work out the value of his own old seeds and
see if they are worth using."

"I think George is right," began The Chief after the laugh at Albert's
expense ceased. "Perhaps you'd like to try the effect of depth of
planting on corn. Here are some boxes of earth. George, you plant six
kernels of corn one inch deep and mark the box with your name and the
depth on it, Peter, plant the next box with six kernels at two inches.
Albert, try three inches, and Jack, four inches. It will be your
business, Myron, to drop in here each half day and note the first
appearance of corn in the different boxes."

The result of this experiment, which took about two weeks in all, was as
follows:

    DEPTH OF PLANTING        TIME TO COME UP
       1 in.                    8-1/2 days
       2 in.                   10       "
       3 in.                   12       "
       4 in.                   13-1/2   "

This experiment showed the boys that seeds too deeply planted are
hindered in progress.

"Myron, you may take the floor now," signalled Jay.

"I have worked out and printed for you the amount of seed necessary to
plant a certain space. I have printed my table just as George did. 'H'
stands for hills and 'D' means drills."

"What is a drill?" asked Philip.

"Why a drill is a furrow. You can make a drill with a rake handle, or a
hoe. We can show you better when we get outdoors, Philip," Myron
answered quite condescendingly.

    MYRON'S SEED-ESTIMATE TABLE

    NAME        METHOD OF PLANTING        QUANTITY OF SEED
                HILLS OR DRILLS
    Bean (Bush)       D                   1 qt. for    100ft.
    Beet              D                   1 oz.  "      50ft.
    Cabbage           H                   1 oz.  "    2000 plants
    Carrot            D                   1 oz.  "     100 ft.
    Corn              H                   1 qt.  "     100 hills.
    Lettuce           D                   1 oz.  "     120 ft.
    Musk melon        H                   1 oz.  "      60 hills.
    Onion             D                   1 oz.  "     100 ft.
    Parsley           D                   1 oz.  "     150 ft.
    Pea               D                   1 oz.  "     100 ft.
    Pepper            D                   1 oz.  "    2000 plants.
    Potato            H                   1 peck "     100 hills.
    Pumpkin           H                   1 oz.  "      30 hills.
    Radish            D                   1 oz.  "     100 ft.
    Tomato            H                   1 oz.  "    1000 plants.
    Turnip            D                   1 oz.  "     150 ft.

"This table is all right, I suppose," began Philip, "but if a fellow
doesn't know quite how far apart to plant his cabbage, say, I can't see
how this table helps much."

"I took it for granted," Myron answered, "that you fellows know a little
about things. But if a person didn't know what you ask, Philip, I
suppose this table isn't much good. Shall I call all the tables in,
Chief?"

"Not at all, Myron, this is a good table so far as it goes. Next time
each of you boys look up this matter. Perhaps you can work out a good
scheme for such information."

"Now, Philip, we'd like to hear about your shrub money and then we'll
have time to see Jack's coldframe plans, before club time is over," at
which Jay settled back in his chair as if club work was a strain on a
fellow after all.

"I may have one dollar to spend. I have decided to buy three shrubs. I
shall plant one by itself; the two others together in a clump. I wanted
forsythia, but I have finally decided on Japan snowball and Van Houtte's
spirea."

"Why?" asked Albert.

"You see the forsythia shows up best against a dark background because
of the bright yellow flowers. I have no good setting for such a shrub.
Then, too, it blossoms so very early in the spring, in April you know,
that it seemed to me, since I must plant this spring, I'd disturb less a
later flowering shrub. I chose the Japan snowball because it's less
liable to have lice than some others and because it looks well all by
itself on the lawn. That spirea is a specially good variety of spirea
because it does well almost anywhere, and also it is very showy and the
foliage is handsome all summer long. Some shrubs look scrubby after
awhile."

"Where did you get all this knowledge, Philip?" asked Albert, half
enviously.

"I made it my business to know. I hunted up shrubs in a catalogue, then
I called on a florist, and we had a shrub talk together."

"Now, I call that getting down to real work," Jay remarked. Philip
looked happy and Peter nearly tilted his chair over in his pleasure for
he evidently felt the city was making good.

"Now, Jack, bring on the coldframe."

"I have my drawing right here," began Jack, spreading it out on the
table while the boys crowded about. "You look at the drawing as I
explain. Myron and Jay have promised to help me make it. It will be a
coldframe this year; next fall I shall change it into a hotbed."

"How?" broke in Albert.

"I shall dig out the soil from the coldframe. Then I shall put in two
feet of manure and cover it with four inches of soil. This spring about
all I can do is to mix into the soil some well-rotted manure. I guess I
shall put in about three inches in all. I guess I can explain,"
continued Jack, delighted at this opportunity to air his newly acquired
knowledge. "The Chief has talked this over with me. It all depends upon
what you wish to use the frame for. I want to use mine to get an early
start this spring, so I make the bed rich and depend on the sun's rays
mostly for heat. This, then, is a coldframe. The sloping glass frame
helps you see. But next winter I hope to really get results out of this
frame, so I have to supply extra heat. The layer of manure underneath
gives this. I then have a hotbed. If I just wish to keep plants along,
ready to force next spring, then the sun's rays would be enough for that
work without the layer of heat."

"I see, thank you, and why do you say layer of heat? I should call it a
layer of manure."

"Because it is heat, isn't it? And anyway real gardeners call it that.
We may as well use the right names; don't you think so, Chief?"

"Surely, Jack. It's our business to know right terms. Each line of work
has its own language. Jack has done a good piece of work so far. We
shall have most of our next meeting in the workshop. Jack, Myron and Jay
are going to work on this frame. You other fellows will be able to make
stakes and dibbers enough for the crowd."

"What is a dibber?" asked Albert.

"That is for you to look up. If you have any old rake or hoe handles
bring them along for dibber making. Good-night, boys."

Off into the night they scampered--a jolly, sound lot of lads.




V

THE WORKSHOP END OF THE GARDEN


"Before we go to the workshop we might take up the methods of planting
our vegetables. Then if any fellow has worked out a table, Peter, the
star printer, may strike off copies for all of us," began Jay, after
calling the meeting to order. "I'd be glad to hear from any of you
fellows who have done anything on this matter."

All was quiet. Finally Myron arose and began to read from a paper
covered with writing. "The carrot--common name of the _Daucus Carota_--a
biennial, indigenous to Europe, believed by some botanists to have been
derived from the common wild carrot."

"Where'd you copy that stuff? No table can be made from that! Imagine a
fellow out planting carrots and reading before he sows: The carrot--a
bi--bi what, biped, did you say, Myron?"

Albert chuckled away and Myron dropped into his seat saying angrily, "I
tried hard, anyway. It took me a whole evening to copy just the carrot."

"I should think it might have. Has any fellow a really simple table?"

"I've worked at it," Peter replied modestly. "I think I have something
here that will really be of use." At this Peter spread out on the big
table a neat piece of work.

    PETER'S OUTDOOR PLANTING TABLE

    NAME          DEPTH TO                  DISTANCE APART
                   PLANT             SEEDS             FURROWS
    Bean (Bush)    2     in.        12-20 in.             3 ft.
    Beet           1-1/2 in.         4-9 in.         12-15 in.
    Cabbage          1/2 in.        20-24 in.             3 ft.
    Corn           1-1/2 in.            3 ft.           3-4 ft. (hills)
    Lettuce          1/2 in.          6-8 in.         12-18 in.
    Musk melon     1     in.          4-6 ft.           4-6 ft. (hills)
    Onion            1/2 in.         4-12 in.         10-12 in.
    Parsley          1/2 in.            6 in.             1 ft.
    Pepper           1/2 in.           18 in.             2 ft.
    Potato         5     in.        12-18 in.         24-36 in. (hills)
    Pumpkin        1-1/2 in.         8-10 ft.          8-10 ft. (hills)
    Radish           1/2 in.            3 in.           6-8 in.
    Tomato         1/2-1 in.            3 ft.             3 ft. (hills)
    Turnip           1/2 in.            6 in.            12 in.

"That's all right," and The Chief laid a hand on Peter's shoulder and he
smiled across at Myron.

"Each one of you boys ought to know how to make a working plan of his
garden. I showed Jack how to make his coldframe plan. It is well done.
Now gather about the table and I will make a plan of a supposed garden."

[Illustration:

DRAWING I        DRAWING II

DRAWING III      DRAWING IV

This very simple plan of a garden, used by The Chief, has in it the
essentials for all your garden plan drawing. Follow each step as the
boys did and you will be able to make a drawing of your own garden.]

"I will lend you mine and you might make a drawing of that," craftily
suggested Albert.

"No, young man, you are to make your own. Let us suppose for the sake of
an easy problem that we claim our garden is to be on a square piece of
land, forty feet by forty feet. In drawing to a scale, one takes a
certain small measure to stand for a foot. If we take an inch to be a
foot, then the entire forty-foot length would have to be forty inches.
That is a pretty good large drawing. Let us take something smaller and
say one-eighth of an inch equals a foot, thus 1/8 in. = 1 ft. So we
shall have a length and a width of five inches.

"The first step in the actual drawing is to find the centre of your
given piece of drawing paper. See, I just make short lines or portions
of diagonals through the centre as shown right here in what I call
Drawing I. Draw a vertical line through the centre extending to the top
and the bottom of the paper. Now draw a horizontal line through the
centre to the extreme left and right of the sheet. Now measure up from
the centre on the vertical line the half width of the garden. If the
centre is to stand for the centre of the garden, then the garden itself
would extend up, down, and to the right and left of its centre, just 20
ft. or 2-1/2 in. in a plan with scale 1/8 in. to 1 ft. So measure up
from the centre along the vertical line just two and one-half inches and
place a dot. Letter this dot A. Do this same thing down the vertical
line and we have dot B. Also measure the same distance along the
horizontal to left, calling the dot D and along the right calling the
last dot C. Now draw a horizontal line 5 in. long through A with 2-1/2
in. either side of the dot. This gives you one side of your garden or a
40-ft. length. Do a similar thing through dot B. Through C and D draw
similar lines. We now have the outline of our garden of 40 ft. square.
We have on our paper, though, a square 5 x 5 in.

"I have decided to have a circular bed in the centre of the garden which
shall be 10 ft. in diameter. Therefore, the radius of the circle should
be 5 ft. or 5/8 in. Get a pair of compasses for that, Jack. Now I shall
swing the circle. But I wish a 2-ft. path all about this circular
garden. If the path is 2 ft., then I must set my compasses on 2/8 in.
more or now make the 5/8 in. into 7/8 in. Let us swing another circle
with the same point as a centre.

"It strikes me that if I should lay my garden out into four squares, the
combination of squares, central circles and straight main paths would
look incongruous. So I shall cut the central points of the four square
beds off by swinging circles. Have patience and you will see, for the
general plan is in my mind just as it ought to be in the mind of any
person who is to make a garden. Now swing another circle with a radius
of 1 in., and still another the radius of which shall be 1-1/8 in.

"Now we come to stage two of this working drawing (Drawing II). I wish a
4-ft. path going down to the centre bed from the points A, B, C and D.
Place your ruler, Jay, on point A, for you may draw now. Measure to the
right of A 1/4 in. and to the left 1/4 in., and place dots at these
points. You have the width of your 4-ft. paths. Do this same thing at
points B, C and D. Number these points 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 and 8. With
very light lines connect points 1 and 3, 2 and 4, 5 and 7, 6 and 8.
Where the line 1-3 cuts the second circle from the centre, letter the
intersections E and F. The intersections of 2-4 mark G and H, of 5-7 I
and J, and of 6-8 N and L. You now see the outline of these paths
running through the garden. Let us border each path with two 1-ft.
borders. So place the ruler at point 1 and mark off two 1/8 in. spaces
by dots. Do the same at points 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 and 8. Connect the
opposite dots by light lines.

"Now let George take the third stage (Drawing III). Go right over the
inside circle so as to make it stand out boldly. Strengthen line 1 to E,
2 to G, 3 to F, 4 to H, 5 to I, 6 to N, 7 to J and 8 to L. Now these
circles should be strengthened and lines erased that interfere. That
leaves curve EI, GJ, LH, and FN standing out clearly. You see in the
drawing one-half the garden plan erased and all right.

"After Myron has erased every line (Drawing IV), you will see the garden
plan in all its neatness. Place the measurements on the drawing. It
looks well, does it not, boys?

"These are the steps. Any of you can work out your plan if you have one
to work out."

"Now boys, for the shop! Myron, Jay and Jack are to work on the
coldframe. Peter will have an evening's work printing this planting
table. Albert will tell us the use of the dibber and make you one each
from all these old handles."

Albert, assuming a grand oratorical manner, gave the boys the benefit of
his search for knowledge. "A dibber is a pointed tool, usually a stick,
used to make holes for planting seeds, bulbs, setting out plants and
transplanting of seedlings."

Off they all trooped to a little workshop back of the man's home. Soon
the boys were hard at work, sawing, whittling, and setting up type.

[Illustration: A sturdy dibber. This needs no directions for the making.
The cut tells the story.]

Here are directions for what the boys made.

DIRECTIONS FOR MAKING A COLDFRAME

Hemlock was the wood Jack used. The lumber for sides and ends is one
inch thick while strips marked A and B are one and one-fourth inches
thick. Cut out pieces 14 in. x 5 ft. 7 in., and 10 in. x 5 ft. 7 in.,
for the back and the front. Cut two pieces 14 x 36 in. and shape them
according to drawing for the ends. Nail these four pieces together to
form the frame. The sides should be nailed to the ends. Use ten-penny
nails and drive them slantingly.

[Illustration: WORKING SKETCH OF HOTBED

Jack's working drawing of his hotbed. This was to serve for a coldframe
temporarily.]

Saw out strips A two inches wide and as long as the slanting edge of the
end of the frame. Be careful with this measurement not to measure the
slanting edge of the _end_ piece only, but to include with it the
thickness of both front and back pieces. Saw out two more pieces two
inches wide and as long as the frame is wide at the bottom. Make strip B
2-1/2 in. x 5 ft. 7 in.

Lay out notches marked A by dividing top and bottom edges of front and
back into three equal spaces. Cut notches to receive strips marked A.
Nail strips A in place, also B. To make a neat piece of work the ends of
strips A should be planed slightly slanting to make them exactly even,
or "flush" with front and back boards. The real object of strips A is to
keep the frame from bulging at the centre.

Jack had three common single window sashes, 22-in. x 3 ft. which made an
excellent cover for the frame. These should be placed in position and
fastened to strip B with two-inch butts. Notice the sashes project over
the front so as to carry the water away from the frame. The sash should
be fastened to the frame, putty side out.


GARDEN STAKE

The stake may be made of soft wood or hard. It is a good one to use in
staking off the garden. It is entirely a piece of knife work. The
dimensions are clearly given on the working plan. If the stake is made
12 inches instead of 14 inches, it may be used as a foot rule in
measuring off furrows.

[Illustration: A heavy stake like this one, Jack used in marking off
his drills. It is adapted to just such work.]

THE BOY'S GARDEN REEL

A piece of wood (ash is suitable for this work), 11-3/8 x 4-1/2 x 1/2
in. is needed. Draw pencil lines lengthwise and widthwise through the
centre of this piece. From the centre measure out one inch in both
directions, placing dots. These give the central points for centre cut.

Measure from the four corners of the piece 3 inches along the length.
Connect by line the opposite dots. This gives the line marked 4-1/2 in.
in the diagram. It shows the beginning of the cut to the centre line.
One inch above these lines draw other lines straight across the wood.
Find centre of these. Place a dot one-half inch on both sides of each
from centre. This gives the one-inch end cuts. Cut this up to one-half
inch of each corner. This makes a large substantial garden reel.

[Illustration: Made of hard wood this reel will last forever.]

A PLANT STOOL OR TABOURET

The materials needed are four pieces 18 x 3 x 7/8 in. planed, for legs;
one piece 14 x 14 x 7/8 in., planed, top; two pieces 8-1/2 x 1-3/4 x 7/8
in., planed, lower braces; one piece 8-1/2 x 8-1/2 x 7/8 in., planed,
upper brace. Use chestnut, white wood, white oak, mahogany, cherry or
birch. You will need also 2-in. blued screws, round head, for
fastenings.

[Illustration: This looks like a pretentious piece of woodwork for a lad
to make. George did not think so. The construction is simple. Note the
good lines.]

To construct the stool make with the two 8-1/2 x 1-3/4 x 7/8 in. pieces
the lower braces, a lap joint. Find the mid-line of each piece by
measuring 4-1/4 in. from the ends. From this line lay off two other
lines parallel to it and at a distance of 7/8 in. to the right and
left. This makes a 1-3/4 in. square in the centre of each piece. Now
transfer these lines down the edges of the lower brace pieces. Saw on
the inside of the lines down one-half the thickness or saw and chisel
down to one-half. It is necessary to saw on the inside of the lines or a
loose joint will result. The joint must be exactly in the middle and all
arms must be equal in length when completed. Brads or finishing nails
should be used to hold the joint in place. This lower brace is 7 in. up
from the floor or bottom of the stool. In the picture the screws, which
hold the brace, show plainly.

Now lay off an octagon, with a diameter of 8-1/2 in. on the 8-1/2 x
8-1/2 x 7/8 in. piece, sawing off the corner pieces so as to just fit
the leg. Glue and screw this to the under sides of the top piece,
placing the grain across that of the top wood. Warping is thus
prevented. This brace acts as a support to which the upper ends of the
legs are firmly screwed and glued. A 3/16 in. gimlet hole should be
bored for each screw or the wood will split. The holes should not be
deeper than 1-1/2 in. if the screws are to hold firmly. Try drawing the
screws across a cake of soap and see if they will not be applied more
easily.

To be sure that the legs go on exactly rigid it would be well to draw
lines diagonally through the centre of the under surface of the top
piece. The legs are to be attached at right angles to these diagonals.
After the legs are screwed to the upper and lower braces sandpaper the
entire stool. Do this lengthwise to the grain, never across. Then stain
and wax.




VI

WHAT THE GIRLS MADE WINTER EVENINGS


While the boys were making their pieces of garden apparatus the girls
were at work also. They met with The Chief at Katharine's house and made
a number of pieces of garden apparatus. The directions for making these
are given so that other children may make some too.

DIRECTIONS FOR MAKING SEED ENVELOPES

Cut paper 7-1/2 in. by 5-3/4 in.; place it the long way of the paper
going from front to back of the desk or table at which you work.

Measure from the upper left corner down 1-3/4 in., and place point 1;
3-1/4 in. farther down place point 2. Measure from the upper right
corner down 1-3/4 in. and place point 3; 3-1/4 in. farther down place
point 4.

Measure from the upper left corner toward the right 1-1/4 in. and place
point 5; 3-3/4 in. farther toward the right place point 6. Measure from
the lower left corner toward the right 1-1/4 in., and place point 7;
3-3/4 in. farther toward the right place point 8.

[Illustration: PATTERN FOR SEED ENVELOPE

Katharine made this seed envelope of rather stiff paper So it was of
real service]

Draw dotted lines through 1 and 3, 2 and 4, 5 and 7, 6 and 8.

Measure 1/4 in. toward the right from points 5 and 7 and place a dot.
Draw full lines toward the left to the intersection of the dotted
lines. Measure 1/4 in. down from 1 and 3, and place dots. Draw full
lines upward to the intersection of the dotted lines. Measure 1/4 in. up
from points 2 and 4, place dots, and draw full lines downward to the
intersection of the dotted lines.

Draw a full line from points 6 and 8 to the intersection of dotted
lines.

Cut on full lines.

Fold on dotted lines.

Fold A, B, and C, in this order, and paste, leaving D for flap to be
pasted down when the envelope has been filled with seeds.

DIMENSIONS OF MARKERS

The right marker is 3-1/2 in. long. The distance from head to central
point of notch is 1/2 in. The distance between notches, or from the
central point of one notch across the marker to the central point of the
other, is 3/8 in. The width is 1/2 in. and the thickness 1/8 in.

The middle marker is 4-1/2 in. long, 1/2 in. wide, and 1-1/16 in. thick.
Allow about 5/8 in. for the pointing at the end.

The left marker is rather larger and stronger; it, too, may be pointed
and not notched, so acting as a good pot-marker. Make it 5 ins. long,
7/8 in. wide, and 3/15 in. thick. The line between the notches measures
5/8 in. and is 1 in. from the top of the marker.

[Illustration: Such labels as these, made of thin wood, serve as plant
labels as well as being useful in the outdoor garden]

    A GARDEN SIEVE--MATERIALS

    2 small boards 13 x 2-1/2 x 1/2 in.
    2 small boards 7 x 2-1/2 x 1/2 in.
    2 strips of wood 12 x 1/2 x 1/4 in.
    2 strips of wood 8 x 1/2 x 1/4 in.
    Fine wire netting 13 x 8 in.

[Illustration: Josephine's box had too limited a drainage area]

[Illustration: Make a flat like this one of Eloise's and so provide
plenty of drainage space]

Make the framework of a box without a lid, using the 13-inch pieces for
the sides and 7-inch pieces for ends, putting the ends between the side
pieces. Use the wire netting for the bottom of the box, nailing it on
with the strips of wood. Paint the sieve with two coats of dark green
paint.

A BULB FLAT

The dimensions of the box are the same as those for the sieve except for
the depth, which is three inches instead of two and a half inches. Of
course the bottom is wood with three drainage holes bored in it. A flat
may be constructed without the drainage holes as shown in the cut. In
this case make the bottom of small pieces of wood leaving an inch space
between each piece. This is Eloise's kind of a bulb box.

    A GATHERING BASKET FOR FLOWERS

    The materials needed are:

    8 spokes, 10 ins. long, of number 6 reed.
    3 weavers of number 2 reed.
    12 weavers of number 3 reed.
    31 spokes, 20 in. long, of number 4 reed.

_Directions_.--Split four spokes of number 6 reed exactly in the
centre, and slip the remaining four through the slits in the first
group.

[Illustration: This is the basket made and used by Katharine. It is a
gathering basket just right for fruit and short-stemmed flowers]

Double a number 2 weaver and slip the loop over the upper vertical group
and with the pairing weave go around each group four times. Next,
separate the spokes in groups of two and continue the pairing weave
until four more rows have been woven in. Then separate the spokes by
ones and weave until the diameter is 4-1/2 in.

Cut all off that remains of the number 2 weaver, and insert 3 weavers of
number 3 reed. Continue with the triple weave to a diameter of 9 in.

Cut off the ends of the spokes and insert 31 spokes, 20 in. long, of
number 4 reed; one on each side of the spokes, except the first; in this
instance insert but one.

Use the side which has been next the weaver for the inside of the
basket, letting rough ends come on the outside of the basket. Turn the
spokes up, and hold in place with one row of quadruple, weave over three
spokes and back of one, using the number 3 reed. With the same reed put
in eleven rows of plain weave, over one spoke and under the next. Next,
one row of quadruple and follow with seven rows of double weave, over
two and under one, and finish with one row of quadruple weave.

For the first row of the border carry number 1 spoke back to number 2
spoke, or the next spoke at the right, and out; number 2 spoke back of
number 3, and out. Continue once around the basket.

For the second row carry number 1 spoke over number 2 and 3, and down;
number 2 over 3 and 4 and down, and so on around.

For the third row carry number 1 over number 2 and down; number 2 over
number 3 and down. This may be continued until you have formed a roll
over the entire edge.

If handles are desired, on each side of the basket insert a piece of
number 9 reed for the foundation of these. The end of a number 3 weaver
is woven in at the left of the foundation under the third row from the
top of the basket, and the long end of the weaver is twisted around the
foundation to the other side of the handle. Here it is pushed down
inside the basket on one side of the handle and over again on the other
side of the handle, three rows from the top, making a loop inside. The
weaver is then laid close beside the first twist and follows it across
to the opposite side. Now it goes in under the third row on the left of
the handle and out on the right side. Each row of twisting must follow
close beside the last. Six or seven rows will cover the foundation. The
end is fastened off by bringing it inside the basket again where it is
cut off.

This flower basket may be made without the handles. But they add much to
it without being a great deal of extra work.

A SUNDIAL

Take two pieces of the wood you have chosen:

A, 6-1/2 x 6-1/2 x 1/4 in. and B, 7 x 7-1/2 x 1/4 in.

_Construction_.--True up each piece to the given dimensions, and
sandpaper carefully. Be careful to stroke the wood always with the
grain--never across the fibres.

[Illustration: Dee's sundial kept fairly accurate time. It is a real
ornament to the garden.]

[Illustration: Gnomon pattern just one-half actual size]

Next make a shadow-piece, or gnomon, as it is called. Get a thin piece
of the same kind of wood as is used in piece A, and lay it out as
follows: With the fibres running in the direction AB, beginning at
point A construct an angle equal to the latitude of the place where the
dial is to be used. For example, if the latitude of a town is 41 degrees
construct the angle D 41 degrees, or if it is 42 degrees, let D be 42
degrees. Then cut from A to C, and sandpaper carefully. Take the wooden
shadow-piece and fasten it to the centre of piece A. Fasten by two brads
or small nails about 3/4 inch or 1 inch long, or glue it. Place piece A
over piece B so that a margin of 1/4 in. will be left on all sides.

Place A so that the fibres will run at right angles to B to prevent the
boards from warping. These two pieces may be fastened together by
driving a brad in each corner, or gluing, or both.

POT-REST

Use almost any kind of wood, as white wood, cherry or white oak.

Two pieces of wood 8 x 1/2 x 1-1/2 in. are needed for the cross pieces.
These should be planed. There are needed also four little pieces as feet
or pads. The dimensions of these should be 1-1/2 x 1-1/2 x 1/2 in.

To make this stand, draw a line across the two long pieces 4 inches
from either end. Lay off two other lines parallel to this 5/8 inch to
the right and left. Transfer these lines down the edges by the aid of
the try square. Saw on the inside of these lines down one half the
thickness, or 1/4 inch. Chisel out for a half-lap joint.

[Illustration: A pot-rest like the above is worth making because it
lasts]

The sawing and chiseling should be done carefully. It is necessary to
saw on the inside of the lines or a loose joint will be had. Doubling
the passage of the saw through the wood will often make the difference
of 1/8 inch.

After these are made to fit, the upper ends may be rounded down by
chisel and compasses, or bevelled, using the plane.

Use 7/8-inch brads or finishing nails, four in each pad or foot to
fasten pads to the arms. The pads should project 1/8 inch from ends and
sides. To finish the work nicely so the rest will both look well and
stand exposure, apply a suitable stain. Allow it to stand at least
thirty minutes. Then rub down with a cloth to an even stain. It is
better to allow the stain to stand a day or so. This gives time for the
stain to set before applying the wax. Otherwise, some of the stain will
be loosened and removed when waxing and a lighter shade of stain will
result.

PLANT JARDINIERE

The measurements are easy since the scale is one-half inch. That is, as
you measure the line in the working plan you allow one whole inch for
every one-half inch you measure on that. So, if a line measures three
and one-half inches, make the line for your box seven inches. This is
the real height of the box. Notice some lines have their real measures
given at the side.

Directions for making are as follows:

Fold a piece of paper large enough for one of the sides and sketch
one-half the outline on one of the folds. Cut to line and then draw the
other half. This will give perfect balance. Cut two pieces of wood from
this pattern by placing it on the wood and tracing.

[Illustration: From the ruler you can read off the exact size of the
jardiniere]

Draw a line parallel to each side 3/8 inch in on the pattern for a new
pattern for the other two sides. These sides will need to be 3/4 inch
narrower, 3/8 inch on each side, as they must fit between the other two
sides. If wood of different thickness is used it will be double the
thickness.

Use a coping saw to cut out the base. The tapering sides may be cut to
lines by saw, plane or chisel. The curve at the base may be bored by
1/2-inch auger, and in this way a better curve may be had.

[Illustration: Helena used a scale of 1/2 inch in the construction of
this jardiniere So the plan is very easy to work from]

Use 1-1/4-inch brads or finishing nails. A little glue added will make a
firmer box. A much larger box after the same pattern will make a
beautiful holder for a larger plant or shrub, using, of course, thicker
wood.

Two small cleats should be nailed and glued from the inside to support
a bottom. The bottom will give better service if it does not entirely
fill the space. Let it be the proper length but allow a space of an inch
on both sides for dirt and leaves to fall through and out.

Chestnut was the wood Helena used. It was stained and later waxed and
polished. A beautiful permanent brown stain may be had on chestnut or
white oak by applying strong ammonia to it with a brush and later
sandpapering down and waxing. White wood is another good wood to use,
but a stain will have to be applied to white wood, as ammonia will not
act on it. A strong solution of permanganate of potash put on with a
brush will darken any wood; it has no fumes.




VII

IMPROVING THE SCHOOL GROUNDS


During the first days of early spring The Chief and his boy assistants
looked over the school grounds to see what should be done for its
improvement.

The school was situated on a triangular piece of land right in the fork
of two roads. The land was elevated; so much so that the building stood
on a real slope; it was practically a road bank. This slope was washed
by spring rains leaving large rocks exposed to view. The country road
was especially poor at this section. There were deep gullies in it; the
gutters were full of leaves and rock. About the school building was a
comparatively level spot covered with rock. No trees grew here; a little
grass struggled up each year, soon to lose heart and die.

"It seems to me," said Albert thrusting his hands deep down into his
pockets, "that we have our life work here."

"Not at all," announced The Chief, "this is just the sort of thing
which confronts most country schools."

Sitting on a rock The Chief gathered his clan in solemn conclave. At the
close of the conference Jay marched into the schoolhouse and wrote the
following headings on the board:

    I. Constructing a wall to form an embankment.
    II. Cleaning the grounds and making a lawn.
    III. Planting of trees.
    IV. Preparation and planting of the flower garden.
    V. Cleaning and mending the road.

These headings represented the general lines of work the conclave had
decided were the right ones, the most pressing ones to begin on.

First all the stones were picked up. The smaller boys and girls made
little heaps of the small stones, while the larger rocks, requiring
strength to move, were left to the older boys and girls. To some rocks
the boys were obliged to take the pickaxe and crowbar. These were
rolled, dragged and carted to the gutter at the bottom of the bank.

A sand bank of this description where the wash is great always needs an
embankment of some sort to hold the soil in place. So the boys built a
stone wall. They made this wall of the stones picked from the grounds.
First the height was decided on. This was to be two feet. They drove
stakes, one at the beginning, and so on for every five feet of extent.
After leveling, two inches was measured from top of each stake down and
a cord was strung along from stake to stake. Previously, to be sure that
the stakes were at the same level, one of the boys, squatting down on
the ground so that his eye was on a level with the stake nearest him,
looked or "sighted" along the stakes. Where one stake seemed to rise up
above the others it was hammered down a little to fall into line. Thus a
straight line or top level for the wall was obtained. The wall itself
was not difficult to build. It meant only the selection of stones and
firming them into place.

Close to the wall there was a strip of level land; then the slope arose
from this quite gently. After the stones were picked off the boys raked
the ground all over fine, free from lumps and small stones.

One evening in the village store George's father offered to plough and
harrow the entire grounds if Jack's father would give the grass seed.
The bargain was sealed. But after all, this sandy soil was no sort of
soil to plant grass seed in. The father of one of the girls gave to the
school a few loads of good soil. This was spread over the slope to a
depth of about a foot. Again they raked it all over smooth, filling in
and making as pleasing a grade as possible.

The Chief told them it would have been far better if they could have had
two feet of good soil. Grass needs all of that. Another way to have
improved the soil conditions would have been to plant corn or potatoes
on this ground for one year. With such a crop the boys and girls would
have been constantly working it, stirring it up. This improves soil.

After the soil was spread the next thing was to make it firm. This was
done in three ways. One day the teacher decided that for gymnastic work
they might all turn out and tramp the soil. Up the bank they stamped,
then down by the old drive to the road again, and up the bank.

Another way was by using tamping sticks. The boys made these sticks from
old broom handles, to the ends of which they fitted solid pieces of
board about ten inches square. Some were merely nailed upon the ends of
the broom handle; but this method was insecure. The others were made
with holes in the centre of the boards of the same diameter as the
handles. These sticks were used to tamp the soil or spank it down. But
on the day when an old farmer, stopping to watch the work, offered his
roller, there was great rejoicing. Between classes, during recesses and
at any odd time the slope was rolled. One boy in the very beginning
pushed the roller but not after that, for when it was explained to him
he understood why he should pull the roller. First, because pulled there
are no foot prints left; and secondly, one slips and makes bad places on
the lawn when pushing.

Next came the seed sowing. The allowance of seed was one quart to each
300 square feet. Jack's father chuckled when his son refused absolutely
the variety he offered him. "No, sir, I do not wish Kentucky Blue Grass.
It takes three years to get good results from it. The results are all
right."

"Thanks," murmured the highly entertained father.

"We can't wait three years, we must have speedy results. I wish a
recleaned mixture, and no chaff in it."

"Very well, young man, I wish to know two things: First, where did you
get your knowledge? And second, where does my pay come in?"

"The Chief told me what book to read to understand about lawns. As for
the pay, you made your bargain with George's father. Anyway I should
think it would be pay enough to see a fine lawn in a public place made
from your grass seed."

"Right you are, young man. Go on, read and read. But remember to work
as well."

They chose a rather cloudy day for the planting, and a day when the wind
did not blow. Grass seed is so fine it will blow all about if the wind
is stirring. Grass seed is sown broadcast, that is, scattered by the
hand. It is not sown in drills.

It was a pleasure to watch the sowing, for it was done right. First, the
sowing hand was held low, the person stooping down. Some seed was taken
with the fingers. Then the sowing arm was swung freely in a semi-circle.
After going over the ground once, a second sowing was made at right
angles to the first. A second relay of boys and girls came out and raked
the sown ground all over. A third relay then rolled the ground. Do you
see that there was little opportunity then for the seed being blown off
the surface of the ground?

The children were delighted when a gentle rain, followed by several warm
days came right after the sowing. A soaking rain or a series of cold
damp days might have spoiled the work. The only way to have a good lawn
from a poor piece of land is to do a thorough piece of work. Patching up
means constant patching.

The paths and driveway to the school were just rock masses. The first
thing was to clear out all the rock. Then loads of ashes were brought
from the houses of the different children. All the parents were glad to
get rid of the ash-dumps in the backyards. All kinds of carts were
brought into use. For a week no boy dared appear without a load of
ashes.

All these ashes were dumped into the drive and paths. Then the whole ash
layer was rolled and rolled. It finally made a good solid kind of walk.

It was the business of the tree-planting committee to have two saplings
ready by Arbor Day and to know themselves just how to plant. In the
start of this work, committees had been formed. Now these committees
were supposed to know exactly how to do the work and to procure the
necessary material for it. It was not the duty of the committee to do
all the work; by no means, or the others would not have known how to
work.

Two trees were to be planted, one little maple near the building;
another, a buttonball tree, down on the lower grade. A maple was chosen
because it was easy to get from the woods and also because the maple is
such a good all-round tree. Then later, because of a cold wind exposure
on one side of the schoolhouse it was decided to plant a screen of
little poplar trees. This was to shut off an unsightly view which could
not be remedied in any other way.

One of the girls on the tree committee suggested a poplar in place of
the maple. She was voted down. Now if quick results had been wished, of
course the poplar would have been the tree to have chosen. That was why
the poplars were chosen for screening purposes. But for permanence the
maple, the oak, the buttonball are all better. The poplar shoots up
quickly, to be sure, but again it sheds its leaves early in the season.
Its life is not as long as the oak's. There are more reasons, too. But
if you must have quick results, here is a trick. Plant first a poplar
then a maple or some other tree and so on. Later the poplars may be cut
out and you have left the fine sturdy, long-lived trees. At the same
time the poplars have tided over that in-between period. We sometimes
weary of waiting for an oak to grow sizable.

The tree planting was left until May because of the state Arbor Day. The
maple and buttonball or plane-tree were dug up by the boys in the woods
the morning of Arbor Day. The trees were chosen from a rather open part
of the wood. It is better to choose trees from the open places than
from the denser woods. Trees thus selected are far more likely to grow
on being transplanted into a place similar to that from which they came.
The boys chose trees about five feet tall. The smaller the tree the
better. The following directions were the ones agreed upon:

(1) Dig a hole large enough and deep enough to accommodate the roots
without cramping. Allow so that the tree shall sit one inch lower than
it did before.

(2) Place the topsoil on one side of the hole; on the other the poorer
subsoil. If the topsoil is very poor, get some good, rich, black soil.

(3) Place good soil in the bottom of the hole.

(4) Put the tree on this layer, spreading the roots out carefully.

(5) Shovel rich soil over the roots. See that it goes in between the
roots. Don't be afraid to use your fingers for this work.

(6) The poorer soil goes in on top.

(7) Tramp the soil down with your feet, making firm about the tree
trunk.

(8) If the planting comes late in the warm weather make the soil into a
soft mud with plenty of water, in this form washing it in between and
about the roots, all roots and rootlets come in direct contact with the
mud.

(9) Last of all cut the tree back, shortening the larger branches about
one-quarter their length.

After planting the boys kept the trees soaked with water, thus making it
possible for the young saplings to have plenty of water. As the spring
went on the little maple prospered but the plane-tree started to put out
a few sickly looking leaves and finally died in midsummer. Just what was
the trouble? Supposedly these two trees were planted according to the
same directions. It finally came out that the boys who planted the
plane-tree had not cut off the bruised rootlets. These rootlets being in
a bad condition rotted and affected the entire root. Another mistake was
the failure of the boys to put the good soil about the roots, and they
had made the hole a little too small for the entire root area. Well, it
simply went to show that such a piece of work must be done right and
carefully, if success is to be certain. These were the reasons why our
boys lost one of their Arbor Day trees. The Chief told the children that
it might have been done over then, but that spring was the better time,
because the transplanted tree has the good long feeding season ahead of
it, and therefore has an opportunity to get over the shock and to get
accustomed to its new surroundings before winter is on. Trees planted
in the fall should not be cut back. Leave this until the next spring.

The children wished later that they had used something else for a
screen. The poplar trees grew fast but of course did not fill out as
evergreens and shrubs do. So, after all, the hedge of shrubs would have
acted as a better screen. Had they chosen evergreens these would have
made a better wind-break in the winter season for the exposure was
north, cold, and windy. Such work, though, is worth while, because we
learn so many better ways of doing things.

The flower garden was almost entirely the girls' work. In the first
place the school had no money. Seeds do cost something. But the amount
of seed which can be purchased for one dollar is amazing. Peter's
grandfather, hearing of the school's needs, gave a dollar. This was
money enough to buy seeds of ageratum, zinnia, dwarf nasturtium,
California poppy and verbena besides some others. Most schools have
interested friends.

All along the sides and front of the schoolhouse close to the building
the nasturtiums were planted. The ground was hard packed. The plough had
left the soil untouched near the building. So the boys spaded this up.
All the stone was picked out. Good soil was brought from the woods,
fertilizer from the barn and it was all worked thoroughly in.

Stakes had to be made. An easy stake to make is one from a lath. Mark
off 18-inch lengths or such lengths as are required. Make one end
pointed for about six inches; sandpaper. You have a good stake, that is,
a good temporary one. These were driven in to the outer edge of these
nasturtium strips at distances of four feet and strung with three cords
four inches apart. The cords should be carried about the stakes in a
groove made for this purpose. Thus the cord will be held and not slip up
or down. Thus strung off, border beds will not be stepped on or run over
by cats and dogs.

The nasturtiums were planted four inches apart, in drills one foot
apart. Just two rows were planted. The first row was six inches from the
front edge, then a foot space left, then another drill. Finally one foot
was left between that and the foundation of the building.

The girls of the fourth grade made the drills with the hoe handle. The
children of the first and second grades cut out pieces of paper in inch
lengths. Four of these placed along in a row gave the right distance for
planting the seeds. The nasturtium seeds were soaked over night. And
since the soil was warm and mellow, it helped.

Along the walks ageratum was planted in the following manner to serve as
a border. A drill was made as if for lettuce planting. The seeds were
sown in the same way as for that vegetable. When the plants were an inch
high they were thinned to six inches apart.

The zinnia was planted according to Helen's way of planting and told by
her under the girls' planting in a later chapter.

The verbenas, as the other flowers, were planted in early May. They were
planted one-fourth inch deep and six inches apart in drills one foot
apart.

The poppy bed was made fine, very fine, by much raking. Then the seed
was sown as the grass seed was, that is, by the method we term broadcast
sowing. These plants were thinned later so as to stand about eight
inches apart. But the plants thinned out were not used again, for these
poppies will not stand transplanting. This bed was simply one gorgeous
red in August.

In the early spring days the gutters were cleaned out thoroughly. The
road patching was quite a different matter. These country roads, like
those of many places, were just dirt roads. Now earth is poor material
for road construction. But if drainage is properly looked out for, and
the earth road is smooth from rolling, earth roads make, after all, fine
roads for summer travel.

It was suggested that rock be filled in, and the earth over this. But
when the boys considered how deep cuts would be formed in such a mend by
wagon wheels, this was given up. Then it was decided to fill in with
layers of rock mass. Myron brought a load of slate for this purpose. But
slate, while it makes a smooth road, does not stand wet weather well. So
Myron had to return his slate to the road-side bed from which he had
taken it. Then The Chief told the children briefly about road materials;
how soft limestone makes too weak roads for loads, how easily they wash
and wear; how granite, because of its being made up of several
materials, is poor, too; how flint and quartz, while hard, are brittle,
and are not sufficiently tough; and that sandstone was impossible. Then
he told them that good gravel, tough limestone and trap-rock were good
road materials. Roads need materials having hardness, toughness and
cementing qualities.

By taking a trip to a gravel bed, some three miles out of town, the boys
were able to get gravel for their patchwork. They did not merely fill
in the breaks but dug out the road bed straight across wherever a break
occurred until they came to good road. Coarse gravel was put at the
bottom up to six inches of the top surface. This was packed down and
rolled. At the same time it was watered until mud rose or flushed over
the top surface. Finally pebbles from about a half-inch size to coarse
sand were laid on and rolled thoroughly.

This is the way these lads fixed one piece of poor roadway.

It happened that one of the farmers near by tethered his cow on the
school grounds during the summer. One of the girls gave a workable
solution for this problem. This was it: the boys should come back in
relays all summer long and keep the grass so short that no cow could get
a nibble from their new lawn. This was done and it worked.

When the subject of the care of the flower garden arose it was easily
settled. The girls gladly divided themselves off into committees. Each
committee's business was that of weeding, picking and distributing the
flowers. The prophecy that there would be blossoms enough to supply the
homes, the churches and the sick proved true. To be sure the garden did
not look so well in the fall as in early summer, but it took only a
short time to fix up the grounds when school re-opened.

Plans were made for another spring during the first weeks of school. The
lawn would need a little more work done on it, an oak should be planted,
a group of shrubs put in. But the foundation work had been done.

And one day when the news was brought that the town was going to put the
first strip of real macadam road by the schoolhouse, a deafening shout
went up.




VIII

MYRON'S STRAWBERRY BED


One fine day in early April Myron spaded up his strawberry bed. The bed
was made in a sunny spot, on moist but not soggy soil, land excellent
for strawberry culture because the year before it was part of a potato
field. Following The Chief's advice he had spread over the bed only a
very light covering of well-rotted manure. Myron first measured off his
garden bed driving stakes in at the four corners. Then he strung off the
bed with stout garden cord. "Now," he said to himself, "I know exactly
what I have to do." Then going to one corner of the space with his back
toward all the rest of the bed he began his work.

[Illustration: Photographs by Edward Mahoney

The Way the Chief Taught His Boys to Handle Tools]

He had a fine spading fork which he had bought a few days before.
Grasping the top of the handle with his right hand, with the left midway
down the handle, he pressed the prongs of the fork with his left foot
vertically into the ground. Then lowering the top of the handle toward
the ground and backward, he slipped his left hand down the handle to
about a foot from the prongs, and drew up the spading fork with earth
on it. This earth he threw a little forward and with the prongs broke up
the lumps. He continued this until all the work was done.

Then he looked at his spading fork, his brand new fork, and found the
prongs quite bent, "The Chief told us to buy decent tools, but I thought
I'd save a little money. Well, I'll break up some of these lumps a bit
with my hoe and see how that will stand a little work." The land Myron's
father had given him was very good indeed, rich and light, so that work
of lump breaking was really very slight, yet it made the new hoe-blade
rattle in its socket.

After this work had been thoroughly done the boy took his rake and
started making fine the soil for the bed. Myron had learned well how to
handle his tools. These lessons of handling tools The Chief had taught
the boys for he felt that a tool should be a skilful instrument in the
hand. "A gardener should wield his hoe as well as a surgeon does his
scalpel," The Chief had often said. So the boys were proud of really
knowing how to work.

After looking proudly at the fine, smooth bed the boy shouldered his
tools and marched off to the village.

[Illustration: The crosses show where Myron set the strawberry plants.
The dotted lines signify the plantings of succession crops]

Do not think that you can save money by purchasing poor tools. It is
quite impossible, because always one has either to buy new and better
ones, or mend and remend the poor ones. The lad found out that a good
trowel costs at least 50 cents although a smaller one called a
transplanting trowel may be had for 15 cents; cast steel rake, 50 cents
(10 teeth), 75 cents (14 teeth); hoe, 50 cents; Dutch hoe, four inches,
40 cents; spading fork, $1.25, and weeder 10 cents.

That afternoon armed with cord, stakes, a tape, and the plan of the
bed, Myron started to mark it off for the plants. After tacking his plan
up on the fence post he began the measuring. The piece of ground was
5-3/4 feet wide by 6 feet long. Beginning at one edge of the garden he
measured in six inches along the width. The same thing was done from the
opposite edge. Stakes were driven in at these two points and a cord
stretched between. The same thing was done from the other two ends. So
Myron had two cords extending down the length of his garden each six
inches from the edge of the patch. These cords are lettered A A and D D
in his plan. B B is 15 inches from A A; C C is 15 inches from D D.

The next thing was to get the position of each plant in the bed. This is
the way it was done: beginning with A A, measure from the upper stake
nine inches down the line and place a small stake. This is the place to
set the first plant. From this, measure and place stakes at one-foot
distances. There will be five plants down the line. Down B B, measure
fifteen inches and place a stake. This gives the position for the first
plant, then, as before, place stakes at one-foot intervals. C C is
marked off similar to A A; and D D to B B. In all Myron then had places
for twenty plants.

As the work was finished Myron looked up to see Jack's face peeping
over the fence. "How do you like my strawberry bed?"

"It's all right," Jack replied, "especially the strawberry plants. They
look very promising."

"Quit your fooling, and come in and see this bed face to."

As Jack went over the fence he stopped to look at the plan. "I say,
Myron, this shows a plan's of some use to a man. What do you mean by
succession crops?"

"That stands for the sort of seed you keep sowing at intervals and so
getting several crops a season. I shall put in radish and lettuce. I am
to supply our own table all summer. Father is not going to sow either of
these. He is depending on me."

The trip to Longmeadow Farm for strawberry plants was one of pleasure
and profit to Myron. The boys used to say that while old Mr. Mills had a
crust inches deep, underneath this he was as fine as the strawberries he
raised.    I. Constructing a wall to form an embankment.
    II. Cleaning the grounds and making a lawn.
    III. Planting of trees.
    IV. Preparation and planting of the flower garden.
    V. Cleaning and mending the road.


"Strawberry plants are worth," said the old gentleman, "about two cents
apiece. I will give you your plants if you will do two things. First,
during this season, you are to pinch all the blossoms as they appear,
off the plants. Secondly, I wish to experiment with a new variety of
berry to see if it is good for this locality. I wish you to take five of
these plants and try the experiment with me. Do you agree?"

"Certainly. But can't I leave just one blossom on each plant to see what
the fruit is like?" And also leave one entire row blossoming as it
will?"

"Yes, that will be all right. The reason for pinching off the blossoms
the first year is to save the strength of the young plant. Otherwise it
all goes to fruit forming. It pays to do this, because the second year
you will have a good yield. Remember that strawberries which flourish in
certain localities may fail utterly in others. That is why you and I are
experimenting with this new berry. I am going to give you five plants of
Marshall, five of Nick Ohmer, and five of Brandywine. Remember, shorten
back the roots three inches before you plant. I shall be around to see
your strawberry bed. Remember to cultivate after every rain, and in
between times, too."

"Thank you, and good-bye," said the boy.

Myron set his plants after the following fashion: he dug trenches along
the cord lines previously marked out. Then the roots were shortened. To
plant, hold the plant against one side of the trench just as Myron did,
as illustrated in one of the pictures. Then push the earth in from the
other side and press firmly in place. The plants should sit so that
their crowns are even with the top of the ground. When Mr. Mills came to
see that bed he found two or three plants badly placed. Care must be
taken in the placing. The days after planting were very hot so Myron
covered the plants with straw to protect them from the heat.

As the season advanced the little plants sent out runners. These were
immediately cut off. If they had not been, they would have become
entangled and thus formed what is called a matted row. Some people
cultivate strawberries this way. But Myron's way, the hill culture,
while it means constant attention, is perhaps a better method.

One day, old Mr. Mills took Myron on a little trip with him to a farm
where a man was cultivating berries by the matted row method and doing
it in a very slovenly way.

"It taught me a lesson," the boy told his mother that evening, "that
lazy methods are pretty bad."

Once or twice that season he sprinkled wood ashes on the ground of the
bed. Just a little should be sprinkled on, as one sprinkles salt on a
potato. Soil gives food to a plant. This food is nitrogen in various
forms, potash and phosphorus. Sometimes we help the soil supply one or
more of these chemicals. The wood ash adds a little extra potash which
is very good for the strawberry.

It turned out after a second year that the new variety gave very small
and flavourless berries. So the old gentleman and Myron wasted no more
space on that variety.

The second year Myron obtained excellent results. From some of his
plants he got one quart of berries each, during the season. That was
good, but no better than a strawberry plant should do under good
cultivation.

As far as his lettuce and radish went there was nothing new or startling
in his experience. He tried this little trick of lettuce sowing with
some success: Instead of sprinkling the seed in the drill, he placed
each seed separately and four inches apart. By this method one need not
transplant to get good heads. He tried the Black Tennis Ball seed. This
forms a good head.

Did you ever try the Icicle radish? Myron recommends it. It is long and
white and so gets its name. Along with the radish he planted parsley.
This is a good way to do as these vegetables do not interfere one with
the other.

"Grow any more lettuce and radish?" exclaimed Myron's father one evening
in the village store, "not while I have a boy who can do it as Myron
can. He beats me all right. And I am glad."




IX

JACK'S ALL-ROUND GARDEN


Just as soon as the ground was workable Jack set his coldframe. He chose
a southern exposure, back of the barn, so that the frame should sit up
against the stone foundation of the    I. Constructing a wall to form an embankment.
    II. Cleaning the grounds and making a lawn.
    III. Planting of trees.
    IV. Preparation and planting of the flower garden.
    V. Cleaning and mending the road.
 building. First he dug down about a
foot deep. As he dug, he knocked up the lumps and picked out the stone.
Then he went to the barn and got a barrow load of horse manure, not
fresh, but old, rotted manure. This he very carefully mixed in with the
soil already made fine.

"Now I shall put the frame on. Come, Elizabeth, and give me a lift with
this." After some tugging the frame was set.

"I thought frames were usually sunk in the ground," commented Elizabeth.

"I shall do that this fall and make a real hotbed out of it. You see
this spring I just want to give my seeds a little extra start. That's
why I made the soil so rich and so deep. Now I am going to bank the
frame about with manure. Then I shall put dirt over that. You see I get
some extra heat that way. Just see the fine slope of the glass. I guess
Old Sun will get caught all right."

Jack busily banked the frame, spanking the fertilizer down hard with the
back of his spade. He sloped it up some four inches along the sides and
front.

"Now I am going to make drills for my seed. In the first partition I
shall plant lettuce and tomato; then pepper and onion go in, and the
third is for flower seed." Jack bent over the frame, and began to
scratch lengthwise of the beds with the edge of his trowel. Red-faced
from bending over, and hot from his former exertion, his trouser knees
covered with earth and manure, he stood off and looked at his work.

"I'm precious glad Elizabeth has gone, for if those aren't the worst,
crookedest old rows I ever saw."

And so they were. They were all distances apart, of different depths and
entirely untidy-looking.

Jack picked up his rake and again raked the little beds over, so that no
trace of his poor work was left. Then he found a board which stretched
across the frame widthwise, so that he could kneel upon this and work to
advantage in the bed. He next whittled out two little pointed sticks to
act as stakes, and tying to these a piece of cord just the right length
for the drills, he was ready for work. With one stake stuck in the bed
at the upper end, the other at the lower, the cord between gave Jack a
good string line for the drill. Then, with the end of a small round
stick held close against the taut line, the drill was made. So he
continued making drills at distances of four inches apart.

Pouring out some lettuce seed in his hand, Jack began to sprinkle it
rather unevenly in the first little drill. Elizabeth, having returned,
stood by watching and shaking her head. "I didn't know you were here.
You make me nervous," began Jack.

"I feel more nervous than you possibly can, for you are wasting seed and
sowing in a poor way. See, here you have a little pile of seed, and
there you have none," and Elizabeth bent eagerly over the bed.

"Well, if you think you can do better, just try this next drill." Jack
straightened up, and gave way to Elizabeth.

"Wait a minute," and Elizabeth ran into the house. Soon she came out
with some small seed envelopes in her hand. From the bag of lettuce
seed--for Jack had bought his seed by bulk--Elizabeth poured some into
a small envelope. Then by shaking the envelope she carefully and
sparingly sowed the lettuce in the drill.

"I say, that is good!" said Jack admiringly. "Now I'll do some myself."

"I should think you would wish only one more row; then have a row, or
perhaps two, to transplant in. For I believe you'll have to prick out
the plants before the garden is ready."

"You talk like the real thing, Elizabeth. What do you mean by pricking
out?"

"Why, pricking is just lifting out the seedlings with a pointed stick
from one row to another, or from a box or hotbed into the outside
garden. What else are you going to plant, Jack?"

"I thought I'd put in--say two rows of tomatoes, one row of onions, and
one of peppers. In the third partition I'd start asters. I just love
asters. So I've made up my mind to make a kind of specialty of these."

"That's fine! May I help?"

"You certainly may, for you are a help."

Elizabeth chuckled away to herself, for Jack evidently was not
questioning where she got her knowledge. "It seems to me," she rather
timidly suggested, "that it would look more shipshape to label these
rows, and put in little sticks where each row begins and ends."

"Well now, that is a fine suggestion." So Jack stuck in some little
sticks he got from the woodshed. Elizabeth did not dare offer some
nicely made little markers laid away in her desk for future use. She
feared those would call forth questions.

Jack brought out a hammer and tacks. Then writing the names of the seeds
on the little envelopes Elizabeth had brought out, he tacked one over
each row onto the inside of the frame. They both stood off and admired
the work.

Warm days Jack opened the frame, at first only a little, and later, wide
open for all day. One night he forgot to close it, and a slight frost
made a sorry looking set of seedlings next morning. He lost every single
plant except a few little asters, which were protected by the inner
partition of the frame. These seedlings he watered at intervals all day.
This was at Elizabeth's suggestion. By this treatment these were saved.
So Jack, sadder and wiser, started over again.

When the lettuce plants had four little leaves Jack, with Elizabeth's
help, transplanted some into the drills left for them. When they were
larger yet, they transplanted the lettuce to the real garden. This is
the way they did it. In the first place the children chose a cloudy day
for the work. A cloudy day is far better than a bright sunny one because
bright sun is too strong for little lettuces which have been disturbed
from their places and put into new ones.

To transplant, dig up a number of plants and plenty of earth with them.
Use a trowel for this work, gently lifting plants and earth. A drill may
be made; or, perhaps better yet, make holes with the dibber. Pour a
little water into the hole. Then gently separate a plant taking as much
soil with it as you can keep on its roots. Place the little plant in the
hole or drill, and cover the roots with soil. With the fingers press the
soil firmly about the plant. Water the earth, not the leaves of the
plant. Next day, and for several days, cover the transplanted plants
with strawberry baskets. These are far better than newspaper coverings,
because light and air freely come through the crevices of the basket.
The newspaper makes a covering too tight and close for the tender
lettuces. Between plants the children left six inches.

Jack raised Boston lettuce. He not only had enough for his mother all
summer long, but sold some, too. The way he happened to sell it was
merely an accident. Not far from the village was a large summer hotel.
One day the proprietor had driven around to the house to see Jack's
father on business. As the men were talking Jack and Elizabeth came from
the garden with two fine heads of lettuce.

"Have you any more lettuce than what you can use yourself?" asked the
proprietor, after feeling of the heads of lettuce and admiring the good
firm centres. "Yes," replied Jack, "I have now, and shall have all
along, more than we can use. You see I keep making sowings every ten
days in the coldframe, and transplanting."

"I'll take all the extra lettuce you have at five cents a head. That is
what I pay all summer long for it. To-morrow bring me up what you can."

"Thank you, sir. Ten heads will walk up to-morrow."

"The first time I've ever heard of heads walking," laughed Jack's
father, well pleased with his lad.

But we are away ahead of the story, for we have planted and sold lettuce
before Jack has had a chance to really make his garden. The soil in the
backyard was very poor, so Jack decided to cultivate only a strip twenty
feet long and eight feet wide. He dug out all the soil to the depth of
two feet. His father lent him the use of a horse and wagon, and gave
him from the barns whatever fertilizer he needed. The digging was a
long, tedious piece of work. It was hard, too; but the boy kept at it.
Any piece of land can be used if a boy has a mind to work hard over it.

Some of the poorest of the soil was carted off, then into the top of the
remaining soil he mixed the old manure. Then into the garden space six
inches of manure was spread, and over this was filled in the old top
soil and fertilizer, that mixture which he had previously prepared.
About one foot of this was put in. Jack's father lent him the horse
again and the services of a man. They drove to the Longmeadow Farm and
got a load of top soil. Old Mr. Mills said he would give the soil if
Jack could answer three garden questions correctly.

"All right," said the boy, "you'll probably knock me over, for I don't
know much about gardening, but I'm trying hard."

"Question number one: suppose your backyard had been clay soil--what
would you have done with it then?"

"I should have mixed in sand, using about one-quarter the amount of sand
as I had of clay."

"Good! Question number two: suppose you had no sand--what then?"

"I'd have used ashes; old clinkers I guess would be best. Everyone has
ashes."

"Question number three: what is the object of mixing sand or coal ashes
or clinkers with clay."

"The reason is to break up the clay. Clay bakes hard, becomes sticky,
and little air or light gets into it. Ash or sand breaks it up. I think
that's about all I know about this."

"The soil is yours, young man, I shall be around to see your garden some
day. Remember good gardening means working your muscles hard."

"Thank you, Mr. Mills. By the way my arms and legs ache, I guess I know
about muscles."

"And remember too," continued Mr. Mills, "that certain vegetables are
very closely related and will intermingle. For example, do not plant
different kinds of corn close together. The pollen from one kind will
fertilize another kind and so you get a crossing which results in a
mongrel sort of corn. Melons and cucumbers will do the same thing. And
so care must be taken in order that this sort of intermingling does not
take place. You see, Jack, that there are many things a real good
gardener has to consider. Gardening is not only a matter of soil
preparation but it is also a matter of understanding plants and their
relations one to the other."

So the good soil was put on and Jack was ready for business. Straight
across the back was planted a row of sunflowers. Sunflower seeds belong
under the head of large seeds, and should be planted one inch deep and
one foot apart. Two seeds were placed in together. This is a safe plan,
because if one fails to come up, the other doubtless will come up. If
both appear, when the plants get about three inches high, pull out the
weaker one.

Then the boy planted a second row two feet from the first one. The first
row was planted close up to the fence. Jack found out that this was a
mistake. Always leave all about the garden a space of a foot or so, in
order that one may walk about freely and get at the rear row of plants
without trouble. Again, do not plant too close to a fence, unless the
planting be some vine or climbing plant, which you desire to have cover
the fence.

Next the aster plants were transplanted. This was done after the same
manner as the lettuce. They were placed about one foot apart each way.
These were put across the entire spot just as the sunflowers had been.
Thirty-two little aster plants were set out and still Jack had a number
left over. It is amazing the amount of aster plants one can raise from a
little packet of seeds. "I'm going to sell the rest of these aster
plants," he declared. And he did. The boy tramped about until he found a
lady desiring the plants, to whom he sold 50 little plants for $1 and
set them out for 50 cents.

The rest of the garden space was used for the onions, peppers, lettuce,
tomatoes and radish.

The onions transplanted from the coldframe gave fine early onions with a
mild flavour.

When Jack was making furrows for the sunflower seed Jay came along and
leaned over the fence. "Jack," he drawled, "you look like a kangaroo all
humped over making that furrow. Why don't you use your hoe right?"

"I thought I was using it right. Come in here and show me how, will
you?"

So Jay jumped the fence and picked up the hoe. "Stand this way! Straddle
the furrow with your back in the direction you are going to hoe; or else
stand on the left side of the furrow facing it. Grasp the handle of the
hoe in the right hand near the upper end. The back of your hand should
be up. Now the left hand should be a foot or more below the other hand.
And see the back of my hand. It is toward the left and my thumb points
down the handle, just so with the rake handle."

All summer long the boy worked or cultivated his piece of land. He kept
hoeing and weeding constantly.

One of the August pieces of work was to fix the hotbed for winter. Now
the frame was taken up and the pit dug deeper--about two feet this time.
Previous to this a great pile of manure had been heaped up near by. Jack
had sprinkled it with hot water to start fermentation. Steam rising from
the heap was proof of this, and it may be used at this time.

Then the manure was put into the pit. An eighteen-inch bed of it was
made and firmly tramped down. At first the temperature of this was over
one hundred degrees. When it dropped to ninety-five degrees soil was put
on. The temperature was taken by means of a thermometer buried in the
manure. The frame was placed after two inches of soil had been put in;
then four more inches went on. The surface of the soil was made to slope
at the same angle as the glass. All about the frame was banked, again,
manure covered with earth and leaf matter.

Jack transplanted violet plants into one compartment. These were good
violets and were placed four inches apart. In the second bed he sowed
foxglove, pansy and stock. The third was left for radish and lettuce, a
bit later.

Elizabeth helped him sew together several thicknesses of straw matting
as covering for the winter nights. They had decided that newspapers next
the glass, then the mats, and finally a rubber blanket, would be
protection sufficient.

But Jack's hotbed work is quite another story. However, I can tell you
that the next winter he added two other frames to this one.




X

ALBERT AND JAY'S DRAINAGE PROBLEM.


The problem of draining which Albert and Jay had to consider, was
perhaps the biggest piece of work that was done all that spring. In the
first place, it should have been done in the fall. That is the time to
do such work, for if put off until spring it delays greatly the spring
planting.

It was a wet spring, too. The boys, rather impatient of waiting, started
digging one day, but it ended in disaster. The ground was soft and wet
and hence very heavy to handle. This piece of land was one hundred feet
wide or deep. It had a frontage of one hundred and fifty feet. A slope
rose up in front of it, which accounted for the water being drained onto
this land. The water naturally would have run off the land into a brook
at the back. But in about the centre was a hollow, and beyond that the
ground rose a little, and then dropped toward the brook. The depression
made a kind of drain hole and the water settled there all the spring
through.

This strip of land of the boys was not by any means the entire piece of
land, which was much larger, but the boys' father had given them this
largely to try their mettle. He felt so certain they could not do it
that he said they might have all they needed from a pile of drain pipe
he intended to use himself on a piece of wet land the next fall. "I
shall have all my drain pipe left to me," he said to the boys' mother
one night. She smiled, for the boys had talked matters over a bit with
her.

Myron's strawberry bed was all made, Jack's garden-filling work done,
George's ploughing and planting finished, before the boys could lay the
drain.

"It's no use," said Albert, "I'm ready to give up."

"Now Savage, there's to be no quitting. I'd be ashamed of you, at least
we can surprise father."

"All right, Jay, I'm with you."

Finally the day came when The Chief and the boys started work. A drain
pipe should be laid ordinarily anywhere from twenty inches to three feet
deep. One may dig or plough to make the trench. It is wise to dig as
narrow a trench as possible and so lift as little soil as possible.
Then, too, the bed of the drain should slope gradually from the upper
or highest point to the lowest. The drop in level should be about four
inches per hundred feet. So the boys had to consider just this. This is
the way they "sighted" to get the drop in level. They drove a stake into
the ground at some twenty feet from the place where the drain was to
begin. Previously a cord had been stretched from one end of the centre
of the field to the other end. Since the centre of the field seemed to
be the place for the deposit of water the drain was to go directly
through the centre.

If you ever have a piece of draining to do the problem may not be so
simple as this. You may find several natural drainage areas. Then you
must lay drains through these. Or instead of separate drains make side
ones which empty into a main drain.

Going back again to the "sighting" for the drain bed level--the boys
have driven a stake into the ground. It stands five feet above the
ground level. If a tree had been in line with the drain line this might
have been used and saved driving the stakes. Across the stake, at right
angles to it, a board with a perfectly straight edge was nailed. This
board was about four feet long, one end pointed at the drain line. At
the other end Jay placed his eye looking across this to where Albert had
driven stakes.

One stake had been driven into the ground at the beginning where the
drain was to be dug; another at the extreme end or outlet of the drain.
Albert stood at the first stake and ran a little piece of paper slowly
up and down the stake until Jay raised his hand. This meant that the
paper was on the same line with the sighting board. Then Albert ran to
the other stake and did the same. The difference in these two points
gives the difference in level of the ground. Albert measured from the
ground to his mark on the first stake, and, doing the same in the case
of the other stake, found the difference to be eight inches. This was
too great a drop. Then the boys drove two stakes in between these others
and did the same work of level finding. From stake 1 to 2, or for the
first twenty-five feet there was no difference in level. For the first
fifty feet there was four inches drop; for the next twenty-five feet,
five inches rise; and the last twenty-five feet, six inches drop. They
marked all this on the stakes in order to make sure they got the level
right. The bed must, you see, drop one inch for every twenty-five feet.
For the first fifty feet of the line the drop was just twice too much;
then came the abrupt rise and drop.

Albert ploughed a furrow straight along the line and ploughed back
again. Then he reploughed. The boys then began to dig, making a ditch
three feet deep right through the land. In order to get the right level
they used a home-made device and plumb-line which can be made as
follows: Nail the ends of two six-inch boards ten feet long, so as to
make a right angle; then across the open end of the triangle, nail
another six-inch board having the lower edge about a foot from the ends
of the boards. Cut off the ends of the boards on a level, so that they
will rest evenly on the ground. Next drive a nail into the apex of the
triangle, and to it tie a line long enough so that when the triangle is
stood on its legs, the plumb-bob, which you will tie on the other end of
it, will almost reach the ground.

The centre must next be determined. To do it, set the triangle up on its
legs on a level place and when the plumb-line comes to rest, mark the
place. A lead-pencil mark will do, but as it is liable to become
obliterated by the dirt, a saw mark is more permanent.

Now you know what the grade of the bottom of your ditch will be.
Reproduce this on a level place by means of a board with a large enough
block under one end to give the right pitch; put the triangle on this
and when the plumb-line comes to a rest, mark the place on the cross
piece. Reverse the ends of the triangle to get a similar mark on the
other side of the centre or level mark. This makes a level by which a
fairly accurate grade can be made.

The tile pipes were laid upon a bed of gravel. This prevents the
clogging up of the loosely put together joints. To fit tiles place the
small end of one into the large end of the next, and so on. Over the end
of the last tile, which emptied into the brook, they wired a bit of
rather fine-meshed chicken wire.

Then the trench was filled in. By test Albert had found the soil of this
land acid. Lime was to be put on it. Now lime must be in a crumbling
state for this purpose. So after they had bought the lime they dumped it
in a heap on a corner of the plot. After it had become air slaked, or
reduced to a powder by the action of air upon it, it was spread over the
lot. This and considerable fertilizer was ploughed in. The boys then had
an ideal sort of planting soil for almost anything. The drain actually
worked.

Now some boy may ask, suppose a fellow has no tile and cannot afford to
buy any. In such a case there are two alternatives or choices. A wooden
trough may be made by nailing together boards six inches wide. Then make
a gravel bed and tip this trough over on it peak up. The wooden drain,
however, is likely to rot. The other way is to put a double row of
stones right through the centre of the bed slope. These
stones--perfectly flat ones--should be placed on end with a foot between
the rows. In this space put small stones.

The chief thing to remember in the drainage problem is that one wants a
gradual flow of water from inlet to outlet. Any boy can fix his wet,
soggy garden spot even though he has no tiles. Stones can be found
surely, and, if no gravel beds are near, all the little brothers and
sisters can pick small stones.

The boys had decided on planting what they called a general vegetable
garden--corn, pumpkins, beans (bush), melons, tomatoes, beets and
carrots. This combination of vegetables was a happy choice as they all
can well wait until rather late for planting. The boys used the planting
table that Peter had worked out.

[Illustration: Photograph by H.L. Schultz

<b>Jay's Tile Drain Converted a Swamp Into a Garden</b>]

Many times boys and girls are bothered by the word "hill". I have seen
boys make nice little heaps of earth and then make a hole in the top of
these like a crater in a volcano. Down into this crater they poke
seeds. Now a hill merely means a place. This place is not to be heaped
up above the level of the ground. Place five seeds to the hill. Do not,
of course, make a little pile of these seeds but lay them on the ground
with a little space between seeds, say an inch. When planting beans
place the eye of each bean down against the ground. The bean stands up
on edge.

The pumpkins were planted in between the hills of corn. This is just the
place to plant pumpkin or squash because there is opportunity sufficient
for the vines to run. Remember not to plant these two together.

Soon after the pumpkins began to come up the boys noticed one morning
that the leaves had been eaten. Some were completely riddled, looking
like lace work. Digging about the ground Albert found a black and white
striped beetle. Its name is the Striped Beetle. The boys killed these in
the course of three days. They bought five cents' worth of white
hellebore, which is a powder, and sprinkled it on the ground in a circle
about the stems of the young plants. They made the circles some six
inches from the plant stalk. Doing this at night, the evening dews
prevented the scattering about of the powder. They put this on for
three nights. Afterwards sand was sprinkled lightly over the hills and
at the end of the runners. This makes a discouraging sort of prospect
for the beetle who is hunting for something good to eat, not sand to
walk over. If instead of sand they had used lime it would have been
better. For the lime is quite likely to form a sticky mass on the legs
of the insect pest. The moisture from dew or rainwater helps this along,
while sand is far more likely to drop off the victim's legs. The Chief
felt sure that besides the beetles there were slugs in the garden. Slugs
are very likely to bother. They appear early in the season, feed chiefly
at night and after rains, and lay eggs throughout the summer and autumn.
These eggs are laid in the ground and in rubbish heaps.

The treatment suggested above and started just as soon as there are
signs of slugs, will work. The boys treated their melons in the same way
and had no further trouble with beetles and slugs.

The tomato plants were started inside. They were transplanted into
strawberry baskets. These are excellent to use, because in transplanting
to the ground the little strawberry baskets may be knocked apart without
disturbing the plant nearly so much as if it were planted in a compact
box. Be sure to line the basket with paper before filling with earth.
When the plants began to straggle about and bend over stakes were driven
into the ground and the plants tied to these.

Jay used hoops and made a sort of cage for the separate plants. He drove
four stakes into the ground at distances of eighteen inches from the
stalk and in a circular form. Then slipping hoops over the plant he
nailed these hoops to the stakes. Some plants had two hoops about them,
some three; it all depends on the size and needs of the plant. Only keep
this in mind; that the object in staking tomatoes is not only to keep
the plant erect, and the fruit off of the ground, but to allow plenty of
light and air to get at all parts of the plant.

The bean culture resulted in a little private contest between Albert and
Jay. That winter The Chief had given the boys a talk on inoculation of
soil. One day while they were working on their land Jay suggested that
they separate the bean section of their garden, having a bean plot at
one end and another of the same size at the extreme other end; that one
of them should inoculate the soil of his plot and the other should not.
These plots being so far removed would not be in danger of soil washing
one from the other. Albert, who rather scorned inoculation of soil,
willingly agreed to make the experiment, stipulating that he have the
uninoculated plot.

By inoculation of the soil is meant introducing into the soil a germ.
This germ makes it possible that the nitrogen already in the soil be
given to the plant in such a form that it may be absorbed, and absorbed
in greater quantities than it otherwise could be.

Jay sent to the nearest State Agricultural Experiment Station, asking
for the soil. This was sent free of charge. It was a soil, fine in
texture and brown in appearance. According to the directions sent with
it Jay spread it evenly over the top of his bean patch. A piece of land
for inoculation should be prepared all ready for planting; then the
inoculated soil is merely put over this, as frosting on a cake. After
this the seeds are planted. They planted bush limas. Of course they had
to plant the same kind of bean for the sake of the experiment.

Beans are not hard to cultivate. They should be kept free from weeds and
the soil well stirred up. Albert, fearful of his beans becoming affected
by spots or anthracnose, sprayed them from the start. This disease is
likely to affect beans about July. So in order to get ahead of the
inoculated crop the boy did what he later found there was no need of. To
be sure beans are liable to this trouble, but it is not a surety. It is
never likely to appear unless the weather be very moist. This summer
happened to be a dry one.

The spray he used was the Bordeaux mixture. His father offered to supply
him with the mixture if he would do mixing for both. So he used this
receipt: Dissolve six pounds of copper sulphate in six gallons of water.
It is an excellent plan to crush up this chemical in a mortar and put
this powder into a bag. Hang the bag up so it just touches the surface
of the water. Add twenty-five gallons of water to this. To four pounds
of slaked lime add twenty-five gallons of water. Then add this solution
to