The drive from Green Hill Farm to Mr. Ames's brother's farm was
enlivened for Mrs. James and Natalie by the driver's gossip about the
neighboring farmers whose places they passed. One farmer made a
speciality of raising poultry, another tried to raise flowers, but his
greenhouses were not arranged well, and his plants generally froze in
cold weather. Still another farmer planned to raise nothing but
market-truck, but he kept postponing the attempt and thus never amounted
to anything.
All these various plans gave Natalie food for thought, and she had many
schemes outlined in her head by the time Mr. Ames drove in at his
brother's farm-gate.
The house and front gardens were as neat as wax, and one could see from
the road that the farm itself was well cared for. Mr. Ames spoke the
truth when he bragged of it as being a model farm.
Mrs. Ames came to the side door at the sound of wheels crunching the
gravel, and smiled a welcome at her brother-in-law.
"I brung the leddies I tol' you about," explained Mr. Ames, as he jumped
out and turned to help Mrs. James and Natalie.
After introductions were over, Mrs. Ames remarked: "I'll go call my
husband. He's at the barns tryin' to coax a few little pigs from the
mother."
"Oh, oh! Are they tiny little pigs!" cried Natalie excitedly.
"Yes,--not much bigger'n a kitten."
"Oh dear! Can't I see them?" asked she anxiously.
Everyone laughed. "Of course you can," returned Mrs. Ames.
"We will all go and see them," added Mrs. James. "I like to see little
creatures, too."
So they all walked down the box-edged path-way to the neat out-buildings
where Mr. Ames was struggling with two squirming little pink pigs that
were determined to run away.
Natalie stood and watched while the battle for supremacy continued, and
finally she offered to help hold them. But this was not necessary, as
the farmer managed to get them in the pen especially built for the
larger pigs of the litter.
"They've got to be weaned and give the lean ones a chance to grow
better," explained the farmer, mopping his brow after the struggle had
ended.
Natalie was so interested in the barnyard cattle, that the host escorted
her about and showed her many amusing and instructive things. Mrs. James
enjoyed this visit, also. The modern chicken-houses and duck-yards were
admired; the pig-pens, with their clean runs and concrete pools for the
pigs to bathe in, were inspected by an astonished Natalie who believed
pigs to be filthy animals; and all the other devices for the cleanliness
and comfort of the stock were commended; and then they all went back to
the house.
Mrs. Ames had hurriedly prepared refreshments, although it was not more
than ten o'clock. Ice-cold butter-milk, home-made sponge cake, and
fruit, was a tempting sight. Natalie was thirsty after the visit to the
barns, and the cold drink proved most refreshing.
While Mrs. Ames played hostess and showed her visitors her flower
gardens, the two farmers went to the seed-house and sorted the potato
seed Natalie wanted for her own garden. Then several tiny plants were
added to this bag,--slips that had been weeded out that morning, and
thrown out as superfluous in the Ames's gardens. These could be
transplanted at once by Natalie, and would go on growing, thus giving
time for the seeds to sprout.
Natalie enjoyed the flowers and the stock-yard, but she was interested
in vegetables, and now she was anxious to get home and plant the potato
seed and other slips that had been donated. Hence, the three visitors
were soon on their way back to Green Hill.
"Mr. Ames," began Natalie, as they drove away, "your brother said I
could save time in growing the corn if I would soak the kernels in
lukewarm water for several hours. He says the soil is quite warm enough
now for me to do this, so the swollen corn will not get a chill when it
is dropped in the hill."
"Yeh, I know that, too. I was goin' to suggest it," returned Mr. Ames.
"He said the lukewarm water would start the corn swelling better, and by
the time Natalie wanted to plant it the water would be cold and the
kernel would be the same temperature. The soil would be about the same
heat, so we would not be running any risk of failure in hastening the
seed," added Mrs. James.
"Yeh--ye kin do that," agreed the farmer.
"Another thing your brother said--that I thought good, is this: when we
plant slips, such as beets, cauliflower, and other vegetables in a
garden bed, to keep the seeds of such kinds apart from the plant beds;
then when the seeds sprout they won't confuse us with the older plants,"
said Natalie.
"Mr. Ames," now said Mrs. James, "your brother says he always plants his
corn in a rich sandy soil with a mixture of gravel in it, to act as a
drain. The more sunshine it gets, the sweeter it tastes, he said."
Mr. Ames glanced at the speaker with a pitying look. "Diden yuh know
that afore he tole you?" was all he said.
Natalie nudged Mrs. James and giggled. But the lady was not silenced by
the farmer's remark. She was enthusiastic about all she had learned and
had to debate it with someone.
"He said that he seldom used a compost made of cow-manure, unless it was
seasoned with other lighter fertilizer, as it was so heavy it kept all
air from permeating to the roots. _But_ he added that it formed a
splendid foundation for other mixtures to be added to it."
"Well, diden I say that same thing to yuh?" demanded Mr. Ames.
"Yes, but it is more satisfactory to hear your advice seconded. Now we
_know_ you were right in your suggestions," said Mrs. James guilelessly.
"Right here, I wanta tell yuh-all that I brung my brother up in his
farmin' knowledge. And what he knows he learned from me when I was
votin' an' he was onny in knickers!" was Farmer Ames's scornful reply.
The rest of that day was spent in planting potato seed, Rachel helping,
so that the cut sections need not be dried out. At sundown Mr. Ames went
for his horse and buckboard, saying,
"Wall, to-morrer yuh won't need me, Mis' James. Everything is goin' on
as fine as kin be, an' you'se know all about th' seeds."
"Oh dear, Mr. Ames!" cried Natalie, in distress, "we will feel as if we
are at sea without a rudder."
The remark pleased the farmer, for he was proud of his experience and
loved to have others admit it. So he said: "Well, ef I git time I might
run in at noon when I drives to the store fer mail and house-goods."
"Please do! We will need you by that time, I am sure," replied Natalie.
But the seeds and corn and other vegetable products were planted without
further mistakes or delay. Each day saw the work advance and by the time
the city school closed the garden was well on its way to producing
edibles for that season.
The tiny lettuce slips that Mr. Ames's brother had given Natalie were
growing up fresh and green; the radishes showed three to four sturdy
little leaves, evidence that tiny red balls were forming under the
ground. The cabbages and cauliflowers began to present funny little
button-like heads above the soil; and the seeds were showing slender
little spears of green where the soft earth was cleft by their
protruding points. The tomato vines and other plants started from slips
that had been weeded out from the Ames's farms were doing well; so that
Natalie felt a righteous pride in her garden.
[Illustration: The garden was well on its way to producing edibles for
that season.]
A letter from Miss Mason came the last Friday of school:
Dear Natalie:
Almost before you will have time to digest the contents of this
letter we will have descended upon Green Hill Farm. The Girl Scouts
in my Patrol packed and shipped the tents and other camping outfit,
by express, the first of the week. I wrote the man at the Corner
Store to hold them until we called there for them. If Mrs. James,
and Rachel and you, have nothing better to do on Sunday, we will be
pleased to have you come to our camp and dine with us. We hope to
have everything in order and be ready for guests by Sunday noon, as
we will arrive at Greenville about noon on Saturday. Until then, I
will wish you all rest and peace, as you will need to draw heavily
upon the reserve fund of it after we arrive. My Girl Scouts are an
active, energetic patrol, and few of them ever stop to sit down or
sleep while in camp.
Lovingly your teacher,
Anna Mason.
"Jimmy, Miss Mason says her girls will be here Saturday--that's
to-morrow. But I haven't heard a word from the other girls about when
they will arrive! If only they could come up and be with us all on
Sunday. Don't you suppose we could telephone Janet and let her arrange
it?" asked Natalie anxiously, after reading the letter from Miss Mason.
"Perhaps the girls are planning to pack up and get away from the city
for all summer when they do come here. In that case, I don't see how
they could manage to get away on Saturday. But we can telephone and find
out," returned Mrs. James.
So Janet was called over the 'phone, and Natalie heard to her great
delight that Janet was coming Saturday evening even though other girls
in the group would not leave the city until the middle of the following
week.
That afternoon at sundown Natalie inspected her garden critically,
trying to judge it from another's point of view. When she returned to
the house she sat down on the piazza beside Mrs. James and sighed.
"I suppose everyone will laugh at my garden. The seeds aren't big
yet,--only the lettuce and other things that I transplanted from the
Ames's farms. Do you think they really will grow up, Jimmy?"
"Of course they will. Does the sun shine or do we succeed in growing
_anything_ from the ground?" laughed Mrs. James.
"But this is different. I am not an experienced farmer and maybe the
vegetables won't grow for me."
"The poor little seeds never stop to wonder whether you are a farmer or
not. They have no partiality. It is their business to grow and bring
forth results, so they get busy and attend to their business the moment
they are planted. But all things take time to develop,--so with seeds.
They do not give you a full-grown head of lettuce or cauliflower in a
night."
This encouraged Natalie so much that she went to sleep with the
assurance that her garden would thrive just as well as any farmer's in
the county.
At noon on Saturday Natalie heard the laughter and confused talking of
many girls. She ran to the side porch and saw Tompkins' large
spring-wagon approaching the house. Seated in the back of the wagon was
a bevy of happy girls, and Miss Mason sat beside the driver.
"Here comes the Patrol, Jimmy!" shouted Natalie, eagerly beckoning to
Mrs. James, who was in the living-room.
The wagon drove in the side gate and Si Tompkins halted his horses while
Miss Mason called to Natalie:
"Want to jump in and go with us down to the woodland?"
"Run along, Natalie, and I will come down later," said Mrs. James,
smiling a welcome at the merry party in the wagon.
In a few moments Natalie was up beside the teacher, and the wagon moved
on down the hill to the river land.
Introductions were not given until the girls had jumped out of the wagon
and stood about Miss Mason waiting for orders. Then Natalie found the
Girl Scout Patrol consisted of nine happy, bright, intelligent girls,
who felt very grateful to her for the privilege extended them to camp in
her woodland that summer.
The camping outfit had been packed in the front end of the wagon, and
when it was all removed, the girls started immediately to pitch their
tents and do other necessary work for an extended camping-time.
Natalie watched with interest and saw that these girls knew exactly what
to do. Miss Mason selected a site where a cold water spring bubbled up
under a huge rock and formed a small pool. The overflow ran down the
woodland bank into the stream. Quite close to this spring the Patrol
would camp, using the water for all needs, and being far enough away
from it to keep camp débris from being blown, or thrown, into the pool.
"Girls," called Miss Mason to her Scouts, "we will use this nice level
spot up on the slight elevation for the tents. Here we have natural
drainage away from our spring, and there is no possibility of the river
seeping up into the ground under the tents. Even the hill back of us
will not drain down upon our site, as there is that shallow valley
between our knoll and the further hill."
So the tents were raised where the Patrol Leader designated, and here
they found all the advantages so desired by a group of campers: plenty
of sunshine part of the day, breezes whenever the wind blew across the
hills, privacy because of the surrounding woods, plenty of dry wood for
camp-fires, water from the spring, and the stream farther down to bathe
and swim in.
Natalie watched the girls trench about each tent, and she also saw that
each tent was placed about twenty-five feet from the next one. There
were four tents in all,--two large ones for the girls and a smaller one
for Miss Mason, while a tiny one was for a pantry.
While five girls were engaged in completing the tent arrangements, Miss
Mason and the other girls in the Patrol sought a suitable spot for the
latrine. Here they began to dig a trench and build a shelter. Natalie
went with them and learned that a latrine must be away from the
water-supply and in the opposite direction from which the prevailing
winds blew toward camp. Miss Mason was most particular about this work.
"That trench is not deep enough, Amy," said she to one Scout who was
leaving the work. "Every trench must be at least two feet deep, one
wide, and four feet long. Your pit is only a foot deep, and you have not
excavated the dirt from either end. Dig it out clean and pile it
alongside so it can be thrown in again to cover over any waste. This
latrine is for summer use--not for a week-end camp, you know."
When the tents were up and ready for use, Miss Mason called the Girl
Scouts together.
"Now, girls, let us decide at once what shall be the tasks assigned to
each Scout for the coming week. We will have a similar gathering every
Saturday afternoon while at camp, and exchange duties so that every
Scout in turn will have the pleasure of doing certain duties for a week
all summer through.
"First, we will choose a Corporal to assist me for the summer. We may
vote for a new Corporal, or allow Helen Marshall to hold her post. Here
are nine slips of paper to vote upon. Each girl can cast a vote for
Helen, or for another girl in the Patrol, and no one shall know who
writes the vote. Sign no name to the paper, but we will soon know what
the general wish of the group is."
Eight girls voted for Helen to continue in the Patrol as Corporal, and
it turned out that Helen herself voted for Mary Howe as Corporal.
"Well, Helen is our Corporal still. Now, girls, form ranks so we can
designate to each one the duties of the week."
The eight girls formed in two rows, four in each row, with Helen at the
front with the Leader. Then Miss Mason began: "Mary, you shall be camp
cook for the first week. Amy is water-scout. Mildred, you are
camp-cleaner,--you have all the baggage and tents to look after. Lillian
will look after the pantry and dishwashing. Peggy must take full charge
of the wood and fire. Elizabeth will be the baker for this week; Alice
will see that the camp-grounds and latrine are kept clean and in order;
and Dorothy will have to be shopper and table-worker. Helen, of course,
is responsible for all work being done properly, and I must supervise
the Patrol and advise each one on any problem. Now, are there any
questions to ask about the duties assigned?"
Each Scout knew what was expected of her, so there were no remarks at
the time. Miss Mason resumed her talk, to Natalie's great delight.
"The fire-maker will immediately build a luncheon fire, and the cook
will begin preparations for the midday meal, as we are hungry and will
lunch before planning further tasks."
"Miss Mason, where shall I find any food for luncheon?" now asked the
camp cook of the Leader.
"In the soap box that the storekeeper placed with the luggage. We have
everything there necessary to keep us in food over Sunday. The edibles
must be kept under shelter, girls, so reserve the small tent for our
pantry for a few days."
The wood-gatherer ran away to collect such fire-wood as was needed for a
slight fire to cook luncheon, the table-scout selected a flat place to
spread out the table-cloth, and soon everyone in the Patrol was working
industriously. Natalie had nothing to do, and Miss Mason came over to
her and entertained.
"Well, Natalie, in the life you've led since you left New York, have you
any reason to regret coming to Green Hill Farm?"
"I should say not! Why, Miss Mason, these two weeks have simply flown
by,--I have had so much to do, and have had so much fun doing it,"
exclaimed Natalie enthusiastically.
Miss Mason smiled. "If you continue improving in looks and health as you
have in two weeks, Natalie, no one will ever accuse you of being
delicate, or pessimistic. I should say you can compete with Janet for
health and vivacity now."
"Did you know Janet is coming this afternoon?" asked Natalie eagerly.
"Yes, she told me the other day that she was ready to run away from the
city the moment school closed. She would have started from home last
night, but the expressman had not called for her trunk and she had not
left out anything to use in case the trunk did not arrive here on time.
So they are checking it on her ticket to insure its arrival to-day."
"I'll be so glad to see Janet,--she always inspires me with a desire to
do more than I want to when I am left to myself," remarked Natalie.
"That is the effect of her natural energy and activity," added Miss
Mason.
"I was thinking, as I watched you call a meeting of the Scouts, what a
corking assistant Janet would make in a Scout Troop. I don't know what
name you give her in a Troop, but in this Patrol you called her a
Corporal," said Natalie.
"In a Troop she would be called a Lieutenant, but she would have to be
eighteen years of age, or over, and Janet is not that. So she would have
to be a Corporal for a time."
"Miss Mason, if we five girls want to form a Patrol, can we do so and
choose Janet for our Corporal?" asked Natalie.
"If you had eight girls to form a Patrol you could do so, but until you
had that number you would have to enlist with an already-formed Patrol.
You five girls might join us for a time and, perhaps, secure enough
girls living at Greenville to complete the necessary number to start a
second Patrol. We have not applied at Headquarters yet for a Charter to
form a Troop, but we hope to do so this year, if you girls can found
another Patrol and make our membership claim two individual Patrols. I
saw a number of girls of your age on our way from the station to Green
Hill. I am sure those girls would hail an invitation to join a Scout
Patrol."
"Maybe they would, but I never thought of any girls in Greenville, Miss
Mason. I rather thought they would be too busy with home work, or their
own pleasures, to bother about Scouts."
"There is where you wrong them. Not a girl in the country but would love
to join such an organization. They can always find enough time to do the
necessary requirements of a good Scout, and the pleasure and benefit
they get out of a Troop more than repays them for the time used. I
expect to interest all the girls of a membership age around Greenville
before we return to the city this fall."
"I'll talk it over with Jimmy, Miss Mason, and see what she thinks of
this idea. I believe the Ames girl would join us, if we told her about
the plan," said Natalie.
"And once the Ames girl was a Scout, she would tell her friends and they
all would want to join us,--see?"
"Yes, if they thought it was going to be any fun."
At this point in the discussion the cook came up and asked Miss Mason to
show her certain matters in connection with the soup-kettle. Natalie
laughed at the girl's anxious expression. But when Miss Mason invited
her to come, too, and tell them what was wrong with the pot, Natalie
hastened to say she would have to go back to the house and get ready to
go to the station for Janet!