Hiram the Young Farmer

the river, which marked the westerly boundary of the farm fo

roperty for a great many years. It was some distance from the house, for the farm was a long and narrow strip of land from the

ith sprouting bushes-from the rear. Hiram saw that the fences were in bad repair an

ars. But he had cropped certain of his fields "on shares" with the usual results-impoverished soil, illy-tille

ad farmed other men's land as he would his own. Owners of outly

his son in ignorance of them. As they worked together the father had explained to the son what he did

der-especially in the winter when the

, despite the broken nature of the work, was quite as valuab

ng than he had, were writing and publishing all the time helps for the wise f

lthough it was hard to find the money sometimes) to two or three of those publi

t in actual practise, as he had been when he le

hid its source in the thicker timber, Hiram saw that the fie

bor over yonder,

e's got a boy, Pete, no older than us. Say, H

farmer, laughing. "Trouble is someth

be he won't bother you, for he's workin' near town-for that new man that's moved int

the f

n, if ever there was one! Oh, Pete co

trouble with any neighbor

ced into the hog lot. She looked like a good sow, and the six-weeks-old shoats were in good conditio

. There was practically eighteen dollars squealing in that pen-and eighteen dollars woul

ad fed a good deal of fodder and other roughage, and during the winter the horse and cow ha

y; but he had been used little during the winter, and had been seldom curried. A ragged coat upon

forward thrust of its ears, and the confidence of a horse that has

vered when he opened the creature's mouth, but seemingly sound in limb. Nor was he

Mrs. Atterson. She wasn't a bad looking beast, either, and would freshen shortly. Her calf would be worth from twelve to f

smaller buildings. That famous old decorating firm of Wind & Weather had contracted for all painting done

ils, and in a few hours, many of these small repairs could be accomplished. And a coat or two of properly

Hiram agreed to let his new friend know at once i

of fun-you and me

ore the spring work came on with a rush. There's fertilizer enough in the barnyard and the pig pen and the hen run-with the help of a

res, as Henry says, all the enrichment it has received has been from commercial fert

a year to get that rich bottom into shape for-for what, I wonder? Onions? Celery? It would rais

t? The true farmer has to have imagination as well as the knowledge and the perseverance to grow cro

and harness, and the like, left by the old man, he cut off across the upper end of t

so get rid of the weeds. They've grown very foul through neglect, and cultiv

in with. No. Slow but sure must be our motto. I mustn't adv

money all season long before there are an

le and took the train for the not far distant city of Crawberry. This was

ther, had been kept from the boarders. And there was no time until after the pr

it's in my power to make that farm pay, and yiel

g due to him in this matter. He was bound to see that he got his shar

swashing plates and knives and forks about in a big pan of hot water in the kitchen sink, (between whiles do

s quickly as the next one. She had not bickered with hucksters, chivvied grocerymen, fought battles royal with butchers, a

h to take care of himself in most transactions, and withal had a fund of native caution. The

second year. In addition she was to pay him one hundred dollars at Christmas time this first year, a

favor (if such balance there was) over and above the actual cost of labor, seed, and such purchased fertilizer or other supplies as were necessary.

t discussing them first with her, and to give his best care and attention generally to the farm and all that pertained thereto. Of course, the old lad

expect to make any profit for his employer the first year; but

Strong, in his own room, thought the situation over very seriously. He was fac

agreement that might influence his whole future, and certainly woul

ck to it in a business-like way. He desired to make good for Mrs. Atterson so that

to be "a one-horse