TRANSPLANTING INDIAN CORN 



days ; for, really, the sun seemed as if it would burn up the very 

 earth. At the close of the second day, news was brought me, 

 that the Corn was all dead. I went out and looked at it, and 

 though I saw that it was not dead, I suffered the everlasting 

 gloomy peal that my people rang in my ears to extort from me 

 my consent to the pulling up of the rest of the plants and throwing 

 them atvay : consent which was acted upon with such joy, alacrity, 

 and zeal, that the whole lot were lying under the garden fence in 

 a few minutes. My man intended to give them to the oxen, from 

 the charitable desire, I suppose, of annihilating this proof of his 

 master s folly. He would have pulled up the two rows which we 

 had transplanted ; but I would not consent to that ; for, I was 

 resolved, that they should have a week s trial. At the end of the 

 week I went out and looked at them. I slipped out at a time 

 when no one teas likely to see me ! At a hundred yards distance 

 the plants looked like so many little Corn stalks in November ; 

 but, at twenty yards, I saw that all was right, and I began to re 

 proach myself for having suffered my mind to be thwarted in its 

 purpose by opinions opposed to principles. I saw, that the plants 

 were all alive, and had begun to shoot in the heart. I did not stop 

 a minute. I hastened back to the garden to see whether any of the 

 plants, which lay in heaps, were yet alive. 



217. Now, mind, the plants were put out on the first of July ; 

 the 15 succeeding days were not only dry, but the very hottest 

 of this gloriously hot summer. The plants that had been flung 

 away were, indeed, nearly all dead : but, some, which lay. at the 

 bottoms of the heaps, were not only alive, but had shot their roots 

 into the ground. I resolved to plant out two rows of these, even 

 these. While I was at it Mr. JUDGE MITCHELL called upon me. 

 He laughed at us very heartily. This was on the 8 th of July. 

 I challenged him to take him three to one my two rows against any 

 two rows of his corn of equal length ; and he is an excellent 

 farmer en excellent land. &quot; Then,&quot; said I, &quot;if you are afraid 

 &quot; to back your opinion, I do not mind your laugh.&quot; 



218. On the ayth of August Mr. JUDGE MITCHELL and his 

 brother the justly celebrated DOCTOR MITCHELL did me the 

 honour to call here. I was gone to the mill ; but they saw the 

 Corn. The next day I had the pleasure to meet Doctor Mitchell, 

 for the first time, at his brother s ; and a very great pleasure it 

 was ; for a man more full of knowledge and apparently less, 

 conscious of it, I never saw in my life. But, the Corn : &quot; What 

 do you think of my Corn now ? &quot; I asked Mr. MITCHELL, 

 whether he did not think I should have won the wager. &quot; Why 

 &quot; I do not know, indeed,&quot; said he, &quot; as to the two first planted 

 &quot; rows.&quot; 



219. On the loth of September, Mr. JUDGE LAWRENCE, in 

 company with a young gentleman, saw the Corn. He examined 

 the ears. Said that they were well-filled, and the grains large. 

 He made some calculations as to the amount of the crop. I 



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