SUCCESS OF THE YEAR. 24:1 



were preserved, there would be but a slim crop the 

 following year. Nevertheless, i tried in vain to dis 

 tinguish the parents from their healthy children, and 

 at last had to direct Patrick to dig out as many as 

 he wanted indiscriminately, and then to cut paths 

 through the residue at regular intervals, regardless 

 of what might be in the way. The next year will 

 show the result, for which I was prepared to wait 

 with due patience. 



The second season of my life in the country hav 

 ing closed, and the new year, with relaxation from 

 agricultural pursuits, being upon us, I proceeded to 

 make up my annual exhibit of the result. The in 

 vestments of my previous year had not turned out 

 well; the asparagus and strawberries failed utterly, 

 and my garden had been a virgin soil when it was 

 attacked in the spring. But this season there was 

 every reason to be satisfied with the result ; the pro 

 ductions, although not exactly such as a gourmand 

 would prefer, were abundant ; the flowers had been 

 a grand success, some of them far surpassing the 

 wildest anticipations ; and the vegetables did no dis 

 credit to the soil, although they did not reflect much 

 honor on Patrick s judgment. The fact had been 

 clearly established that there was only needed the 

 eye and mind of the master to produce a highly 



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