left there after the spring plowing, but no arrangements for the
purchase of them had yet been made. After having seen the advantage of
these implements, and heard them favorably commented upon by his
neighbors, Joe Williams decided they must remain at Brookside.
He now selected a new riding corn planter, one not only capable of
planting corn in rows, but also in hills, and as a companion to this
machine, he selected a horse-drawn cultivator. After considerable
discussion, he decided to purchase a side delivery hay rake and a
windrow loader, chiefly on account of the speed with which hay could
be gotten in with this combination. He could then leave his hay out
until it was just right and get it in quickly ahead of storms. With
these two machines, he also bought the latest improved mowing machine.
Then he picked out a substantial reaper and binder. The erection of
the new silo made it necessary to select machinery for filling it, and
a corn binder, with a bundle elevator, was finally selected on account
of the saving in labor. A blower type ensilage cutter with the
necessary pipe for filling the silo and leather belt for driving it by
the tractor, were selected. Then a new grain drill with fertilizer and
grass-seed attachments was added.
"I guess that's about as many implements as I can afford to buy at one
time," remarked Joe Williams.
"Now, look here, Joe," said John White; "why do a thing half? You know
you'll be short a number of things if you stop here; besides, you've
left out a lot of low-cost tools that you ought to have to make a
complete equipment."
"Why, what more do I need?" asked Joe, surprised at the banker's
statement.
"Well, for one thing, you ought to have a first-class manure spreader;
it will do the work much quicker, and save you many backaches--now
that you've decided to fertilize heavily. Then you should have a good
power-driven corn sheller and a small mill for grinding corn meal and
buckwheat flour. You also ought to have a one and a half horsepower
kerosene engine, mounted on a portable hand truck."
"What would that be for?" asked Joe Williams, looking up.
"Well, you'll have a lot of places to use it--such as running the
washing machine, turning the grindstone, corn sheller, or the cream
separator, if the electric system breaks down, and other small jobs
around the farm, where a portable engine will be very handy to save
work and increase speed."
"We'll have the engines on the tractor that we can use," protested
Williams.
"That's all right, Joe," said the banker, "but it's too heavy for many
of the light jobs, and it would not pay to consume the amount of
kerosene and oil necessary to operate it, so I think you had better
include the engine."
"All right," said Joe. "Let's have it then along with the others."
"What about your electric lighting plant, Joe, with the new buildings
coming along? You ought to look out for that."
"Bettie and Bob have been looking up a lot of data on that subject and
they've decided on putting in a water-driving unit. It requires more
wire to bring the power up from the dam, but in the end will be
cheaper as it costs nothing to operate."
"How many electric lights do you want to use?" asked Mr. Patterson.
"We've figured that we ought to have about one hundred sixty-watt lamp
capacity for the complete farm; that would take care of the small
motor of the vacuum cleaner and sewing machine."
"We don't make the outfit, Mr. Williams," said the agent, "but I'll
arrange to get a good one for you and will not charge you any
commission on it--taking such a large order as you are giving me, I'll
be very glad to arrange this for you."
"Well, here's a catalog of the make they have picked out and if you'll
take it up with the manufacturers, I'll appreciate it," said Williams.
"We'll want a detail drawing showing how to make a foundation for the
wheel and generator. Bob's worked out an automatic starting and
stopping device. The wiring, of course, we'll do ourselves."
"How about an auto truck, Joe; don't you think you ought to have a
good auto truck on the farm?"
"Not with a team of horses and a good live tractor. Of course, an auto
truck would be an advantage in some respects, and I'll probably want
one next year, but I think we can get along without that for the
present. Speaking of making a complete outfit, Mr. White, Bettie gave
me a list of some other things she wanted."
"What are they?" asked the banker.
"Well, for one thing, she thinks we ought to tear down the old cider
mill because it's too slow to operate. In former years, when labor was
cheap, it answered very well, but the modern machines are much quicker
and better."
"I think you ought to have that, Joe," said the banker. "Have you
thought of a power saw for the wood lot and cutting up the rails of
your old fences? That's a 'Hidden Treasure' that you and Bob have
probably overlooked."
"There's where you're wrong, John," laughed Williams. "I've overlooked
it entirely, I'll confess, but not Bob. He's figured out already how
many cords of wood we'll get out of those old rails."
"I tell you, Patterson," said the banker smiling, "there's a boy who's
going to make things pay. I've plans for him myself that I'm not
saying anything about. I don't want to take him away from you, Joe,
but he's growing up and some day he's going to have a farm of his own.
If you get two years' work out of him at the rate he's going, I don't
think you'll have any complaint to make though. By the way, how about
a power washing-machine and mangle for the laundry? Don't you think
your wife will need those?"
"She was speaking about them the other day," admitted Joe. "I guess
I'd better include them. Then, of course, we'll need some first-class
scales. Bob has been after me ever since he's been here to get a new
platform scale and a good steelyard, for weighing bulky stuff, and we
ought to have a new scale for the dairy also."
"Those ought to be bought, Joe; you can't get far on a farm without
good scales," remarked the banker. "Now, let's see what all this is
going to cost. What do you make it, Joe?"
"Well, I figure the items that Patterson's company is going to furnish
will come to $3000, and the other items that we have decided to get
will make a total of $5000."
"This ought to give you a splendid outfit, Joe, and make it possible
for you to do the work of two or three men, and with less fatigue to
yourself."
"Get these tools here, Patterson, as soon as you can," said Williams.
"We want the corn planter and cultivator first and the others just as
soon as possible."
"I've a planter and cultivator in the Pittsburgh warehouse now, and
can have them here in three or four days."
"That'll be fine," said Williams, as he signed the order for the
implements.
"What discount will there be for cash on an order of this size,
Patterson?" he asked suddenly. "We'll allow you seven per cent for
cash on delivery, which is a little better than we ordinarily give,
but we'll throw off a little in your case for advertising, Joe. We'll
probably be troubling you some this summer sending your neighbors
around to see the tools working."
"That'll be all right," said Joe smiling. "Let as many come as want
to. I think lots of them are getting jealous already, for I keep
mentioning to them whenever I see them how Brookside is prospering."
"Well, thanks for the order, Joe," said Patterson, as he shook him by
the hand. "I don't mind saying this is the most complete order I've
ever taken for a single farm in your section of the country. Our
company ought to be proud to know they're going to have a farm so
fully equipped with their implements."
"There's another thing I've had on my mind all day, Joe," remarked the
banker, "and that is what you're going to do when you get all these
new tools and your neighbors come over and want to borrow them. You
can't be unneighborly and yet you can't supply the county with tools."
"That's where I'm one ahead of you, John," laughed Williams. "We
figured that all out last night. We decided that five years would be
the average book life of all our new tools and implements, which would
mean a depreciation of twenty per cent each year. Now, all we have to
do is to divide twenty per cent, of the cost by the number of acres
on which we use the implement, and we have the depreciation per acre.
We can work that all out and make a schedule of rates. What we propose
to do is to loan any tool we have, when we don't need it ourselves, at
the established rate plus breakage and repairs."
"Ha! Ha! Joe, that's a fine idea," laughed the banker, "but I'll bet
you the price of the power-driven ice-cream freezer you forgot to
order, it was not your own idea."
"No, it wasn't," confessed Williams.
"Well, who's was it then?" eagerly asked the banker.
"Bob's," said Joe Williams.
"It sounds like King Solomon, Joe," said the banker, "for it's
certainly the best solution of that troublesome problem I ever heard.
No one can rightfully refuse to pay for the actual use of a tool, even
though he can't afford to own one, and five years ought to be a fair
book value average. So Bob thought that out," he chuckled. "Joe, I'm
getting prouder of that red-head, freckled face nephew of yours every
time I see him, and you don't want to forget when you come to settle
with him that his ideas are worth something to you as well as his
labor. Let's go out and see what he's doing on the new cow barn,"
continued the banker, and they walked over to the new building.
"Hello, Bob! How are things moving this morning?"
"Pretty good, Mr. White. This cow barn's going to be some building
compared with the hen house. Tony and I staked it out and started the
foundations. Where are those boys you were going to send me?"
"That's why I came out to see you to-day," replied the banker.
"There'll be six here to-morrow. I couldn't get them two at a time, so
I thought you had better take them when you could get them. Each boy
is to stay a week, Bob."
"I don't think Aunt Bettie can take care of six boys at once, if they
all stay overnight."
"Only two will stay at night, Bob. I told them the working hours would
be from seven to six; that will give them time to get home. You had
better arrange your work so you can take full advantage of their
help."
"We've plenty of work, Mr. White. I could use a dozen boys right now,"
replied Bob. "We ought to have the timbers for the roof brought out,
Uncle Joe. Couldn't you take the big tractor and the wagon and bring
out a load this afternoon, while you are waiting for the corn planter
to come?"
"It wouldn't pay to run the tractor for just one wagon, Bob," said his
uncle, "when it can haul two wagons at once."
"There's something we forgot," said the banker; "you should have a
good substantial truck around this place, one that will haul a real
load, and I know where you can get a good one at about half price.
Henry Smith, the man from whom you bought the auto, Joe, took it in
trade for a motor truck recently. Call him up on the 'phone and tell
him you want it--tell him you would like to have him put in a short
tongue for a motor hitch. The truck has been used for hauling lumber
and is just right for your work." As they were speaking, they saw
Edith rushing across the barnyard waving her hat and shouting. She was
more excited than Bob had ever seen her and had evidently been running
for quite a distance, for she was so out of breath she could scarcely
make herself understood. As she neared them, she exclaimed:
"The bees, Bob--they're swarming!"
"There, Bob, now you've a real job on your hands," laughed the banker.
"If I weren't so afraid of them myself, I'd like to see you put them
into the hive."
"Well, I've never done it before, Mr. White," he replied, "but I think
I can manage it."
"Perhaps you better take Tony along to help you," suggested his uncle.
"No, I'll take care of them myself, Uncle Joe," he replied, and
started for the house to get his veil and smoker.
When he arrived at the apiary, much to his surprise, not one but three
of the colonies had swarmed. One had left the hive and alighted on an
apple tree nearby, the second was just getting ready to leave, and the
third was hanging outside in a way that showed they would soon be on
the wing.
Bob was so intent on his work that he was not aware that anyone was
near him, until he heard a voice say:
"Won't you let me help you, Bob; I'm not afraid of being stung."
He looked up quickly, and there was Edith--her head concealed in a
quickly constructed veil. She was wearing a white cotton blouse and
she also had on a pair of kid gloves with the fingers cut off.
"Aren't you afraid you'll get stung, Edith," said Bob.
"I'm like yourself, Bob; I've never handled bees before, but I think
they're the most interesting thing we have on the farm. I've been
reading many books about them recently. Won't you let me help you?"
"Yes, if you're not afraid, I'd be glad to have you," he replied, "for
there's going to be two more swarms soon."
They brushed off the swarm into a small box and carried it over to a
new hive. As soon as the queen had entered, they left it there and
went back to watch the second one.
They were just in time, for the swarm that filled the air was starting
to settle and they, too, were soon gathered and put into a new hive.
By this time the third one was out and they saw it was getting ready
for a long flight, for it kept getting higher and higher, despite the
racket they made, and started off. It flew for quite a distance before
it settled on the limb of a shell-bark hickory tree in a field on the
adjoining farm.
"Of all the places for them to pick out," said Bob, as he and Edith
came up and saw where they had finally settled, "but nevertheless I'm
not going to lose that swarm, if I can help it; though it's going to
be pretty hard climbing that tree. Every time I climb a hickory tree,
I think of Jim Black."
"Why, who was he?" asked Edith.
"Oh, he was the meanest man in the country. They say he'd wear out a
pair of new overalls climbing a sell-bark hickory tree to get the wool
out of a robin's nest," laughed Bob.
"He must have been pretty mean if he'd do that," said Edith.
After considerable work, Bob managed to get up over the rough jagged
trunk and finally succeeded in cutting off the limb on which the bees
were hanging. With the end of the limb in one hand, he worked his way
back to the trunk and then gradually on down to the ground, where
Edith took the limb from him. After putting the bees into a box they
carried them back and put them into a new hive.
Shortly after the bees had arrived at the farm, Bob had purchased ten
new sectional hives and a supply of ready-made combs to aid them in
rapid honey-making. Much to his surprise he found two of these hives
had been set up and had colonies working in them.
"I wonder when those hives got bees in them, Edith?" he inquired,
surprised to see he had two more colonies than he knew about.
"That's a secret," she laughed.
"What do you mean--a secret?" he asked.
"Well, yesterday when you were in town two colonies swarmed and Aunt
Bettie and I didn't know what to do with them, but Tony overheard us
talking about it, and what do you suppose he did?"
"It looks as though he hived them," replied Bob.
"That's just what he did. He wouldn't put on a veil or gloves, either,
but just went over to the limb, scraped them into a box, carried them
over and put them in the hive. He even picked up the queen and held it
up and showed it to me. I was afraid to get too close for fear I'd get
stung, for I didn't have a veil on. He said he understands bees and
that they never sting him."
"That's fine," said Bob. "I'd lost them if it hadn't been for Tony."
"Yes, I think they would probably have gotten away," said Edith, "so
you'll have to thank Tony for saving them for you. I think your hives
are too hot, Bob. The trees don't shade them from the afternoon sun.
Why don't you design a concrete apiary, a sort of an umbrella, and
keep them cooler, then they're not so apt to swarm. You could make it
so it could be closed up in the winter, too, then you wouldn't need a
cellar."
"I'll do that to-night," said Bob, "because we can't afford to lose
any bees, they're too valuable this time of the year, just when the
honey-making season's opening."
"I think, Bob," said Edith, on the way back to the house, "that the
bees and the chickens are the most interesting things you have on the
farm. I really believe I could manage both myself after a little
while," she continued, smiling at him, as they walked along.
"I think myself you could, Edith," he added, looking full into her
eyes in an understanding way, and then they both became suddenly
silent and didn't speak again until they reached the house.
XIX
THE STORM
Joe Williams found that they had enough fence posts made to erect a
section along his property fronting on the main road. That there might
be no dispute about the line, he had a surveyor come out from the town
to set stakes giving the dividing lines. In order that his neighbors
would all be satisfied, he invited them over and showed them just
where the stakes would come, referring to the original survey of the
property in order to establish the monuments. When they were all
satisfied that the lines were right, he had the monuments re-
established by iron pipe put deep into the ground until such times as
he could put in monuments of concrete.
The farm fronted on the main road for a distance of twelve hundred
feet. There were now two entrances--the old main entrance at the lane
on the west side of the farm, and the new road to the sand pit over
the breast of the old dam, near the eastern border. There was a small
corner of about an acre and a half between the new pond and the road--
sort of triangular shape piece.
As soon as the holes were all dug, Bob got his sketch, showing the
placing of the fence posts and the location of the two gates at the
entrance to the property; also sketches for two extra large posts, one
on each side of the driveway. These posts were ornamental and made
specially strong by steel rods, not only to support the gates, but
with two bolts placed near the top for attaching a sign, for it had
been decided that there should be a sign, cast in concrete for
permanency, and painted white with deep blue letters and border. The
sign was to be fifteen inches high and twenty inches long and contain
the words: "Brookside Farm, Joseph Williams, Proprietor."
Tony had made a set of forms for these posts, which were to be cast in
place, though the other posts had all been pre-cast at the sand pit
and were set up in the holes as they were dug. The old rail fence had
been moved back and the fence row thoroughly grubbed out before the
wire fence was strung. When the wire was finally put in place and the
old rails hauled away, it gave a very neat appearance to the entrance
of the farm.
Between this fence and the new ditch, and lying between the two
entrances to the farm, was a field of about seven acres which they
decided to plant in potatoes, as this field was the most fertile of
all on the farm.
"What will we do with the little corner down by the pond, Bob?" asked
his uncle that evening as they sat around the table for their daily
conference.
"I've a suggestion to make for that," said his wife.
"Well, what is it, now?" asked her husband smiling.
"Build a little cottage there for Tony and Maria. When we get through
with our concrete work, Tony can then make fence posts, apiaries and
other standard concrete sections at the pit and we can sell them;
besides, he can keep account of all the sand and gravel that is taken
away, and, of course, if he lives there, he'll always be on hand when
we need him. You remember what John White said about other farmers
putting up concrete buildings, and that each time they erected one we
could sell them the materials. It will make Tony and Maria happy, and
keep them where their services will be most available."
"That's a good idea, Bettie," said her husband. "How much would such a
house cost?"
"I don't know, but I think we ought to make them comfortable in a
house that would cost not much over $1000 to $1500. It should be of
the bungalow type and will help to give our farm a very artistic
look."
"What were you and Maria doing down around the pond the other day?"
asked her husband, suddenly remembering that he saw them there.
"Oh, we were planting slips for willow trees. When they grow up, if we
trim them, it will enhance the appearance very much."
"Oh, that was it?" added her husband, winking at Bob. "I saw the young
willow trees, but didn't know who planted them."
"Now, you're only joking," said his wife. "You knew all the time what
we were doing."
"Fine idea, although I must confess I didn't quite understand at first
what it was, but I see now: we're not only going to have prosperity at
Brookside, but beauty as well," and coming over to the side of the
table where she was sitting, he kissed her.
"What are you and Ruth so busy at, Edith?" asked her uncle, looking
across at them.
"We've so many bulletins, Uncle Joe, that I am indexing and filing
them on a shelf, so we can get them just when we want them," said
Edith. "You see, information, unless it's used, is of no value, and if
we don't arrange our information so it's easily available when we need
it, it will be of little service to us."
"I'm glad the old job's done," said Ruth, "for Edith has been making
me write all the names and numbers in a book and it's been a terrible
job, Uncle Joe--a good deal worse than running the concrete mixer."
At nine o'clock the family retired and had been in bed but a short
time when a severe thunderstorm broke over Brookside Farm. Bob had
seen many storms in his eighteen years, but never one so violent as
the one which now burst in fury upon them. Peal after peal of thunder
followed the bright flashes of lightning, as they struck all around
them. The house fairly rocked on its foundations and the storm was so
severe they all got up and dressed. Bob had never been frightened by a
storm before, but as the heavy claps of thunder followed each other
almost as fast as he could wink, he shivered a little at the thought
of what would happen if the lightning should strike the house. The
whole family assembled in the sitting room wondering what might
happen. Bob walked over and stood beside Edith, who was looking out of
a window. Involuntarily she leaned against him for protection, and he
caught and held her trembling hand. They were standing thus looking
out at the storm, when suddenly a brighter flash than any of the
others, followed immediately by a loud clap of thunder, almost stunned
them. Edith swayed and would have fallen to the floor had Bob not
caught her in his arms. Though stunned himself, he managed to keep her
from falling, and had scarcely recovered from the shock, when as he
looked out through the window he saw the barn was in flames.
"Our barn's been struck," he shouted, and they rushed to the window to
look, and sure enough the barn was in flames.
Joe Williams reached for his hat to start out in the storm, but felt a
detaining hand on his arm.
"Joe," said his wife quickly, "there's not an animal in the barn, and
besides there's scarcely any hay or grain left, and what other things
are there, certainly are not worth your risking your life. About the
only thing you'll lose will be the harness and some small tools," and
catching him firmly by the arms, as she felt him pull away, she
continued:
"I'm not going to let you risk your life for those things. There are
no other buildings near by that the fire can damage. The rain is
coming down in torrents, and it will prevent the flames setting
anything else on fire. Let's all go out on the porch and watch it
burn," she added, and while the storm continued unabated, they huddled
together at the end of the porch watching while the barn slowly burned
to its foundations.
"For how much did you have it insured, Joe?" asked his wife, as the
fire died down.
"Five hundred dollars," said her husband.
"Well, it's a loss, I know," she said, "but it's lucky it burned now
instead of later in the season, when it would have been full of grain
and implements. I'm glad we've been keeping the live stock in the
fields lately."
"Well," said her husband, "there's no use of crying over spilled milk
or burned barns, so I say we all go back to bed, for the fire's nearly
out and this rain would soon put out any new place it might start up."
"I think it's perfectly splendid, Uncle Joe," said Ruth, now that the
lightning had ceased flashing; "this will give Bob and me a chance to
build you and Aunt Bettie a new barn."