160 THE FAT OF THE LAND 



front of the farm-house, and fifty yards distant^ 

 was a space well fitted for the kitchen garden. 

 We marked off a plat two hundred feet by three 

 hundred, about one and a half acres, carted a lot 

 of manure on it, and ploughed it as deep as the 

 subsoiler would reach. This was done as soon 

 as the frost permitted. We expected this garden 

 to supply vegetables and small fruits for the 

 whole colony at Four Oaks. An acre and a half 

 can be made exceedingly productive if properly 

 managed. 



Along the sides of this garden we planted two 

 rows of currant and gooseberry bushes, six feet 

 between rows, and the plants four feet apart in 

 the rows. The ends of the plat were left open 

 for convenience in horse cultivation. Ten feet 

 outside these rows of bush fruit was planted a 

 line of quince trees, thirty on each side, and 

 twenty feet beyond these a row of cherry trees, 

 twenty in each row. 



Near the west boundary of the home lot, and 

 north of the lane that enters it, I planted two 

 acres of dwarf pear trees Bartlett and Duchess, 

 three hundred trees to the acre. I also planted 

 six hundred plum trees Abundance, Wickson, 

 and Gold in the chicken runs on lot 4. 

 After May 1, when he was relieved from his 

 farm duties, Johnson had charge of the planting 

 and also of the gardening, and he took up his 

 special work with energy and pleasure. 



The drives on the home lot were slightly 



