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 JARDINIÈRE

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

jardinière]

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 jardinière 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.