88 HAPPY HOLLOW FARM 



In all good faith, with the very best of neigh- 

 borly intentions, they cautioned us that we 

 were not only inviting disaster but making it 

 certain. It did no good to retort that slow 

 starvation by the accepted neighborhood meth- 

 ods of farming smacked strongly of disaster. 

 It's a thankless task to try to talk any man out 

 of devotion to ancient usages when you have 

 no proofs to show on the side of your innova- 

 tions. We had nothing to show as yet more 

 convincing than a statement of what our work 

 had cost. There was nothing for us to do but 

 persist. We weren't sure enough of that year's 

 harvest to venture any daring prophecies. It's 

 disconcerting to make prophecies which don't 

 fulfill themselves ; it's better to say nothing and 

 saw wood. 



If our work in the fields was to be a waiting 

 game, there seemed to be no good reason why 

 we should not get quicker results with our 

 kitchen garden. As I have told you, we meant 

 to make the garden count for all that was pos- 

 sible in supplying our table from the first, so 

 that needless outlays might be cut off. 



Special care was given to the preparation of 

 the garden acre near the house. Stone was 

 cleared away early in the fall, and the land 



