256 HAPPY HOLLOW FARM 



cut, we got a short circuit and a "burn-out." 

 I had to go back to first principles and begin to 

 make a real soil. That meant putting organic 

 matter into it manure, and weed- stalks, and 

 every sort of litter that would rot. My garden 

 rows now don't feel underfoot like stone pave- 

 ment. The ground is so mellow that in the 

 driest time you might kick into it to your shoe- 

 tops. Now it's in form so we may get the bene- 

 fits of any commercial fertilizer that's applied. 

 In the beginning the use of chemicals was alto- 

 gether unprofitable. I'm not sure but that it 

 did actual harm. As it is now, that soil turns 

 out vegetables equal to any grown anywhere. 

 In many ways we have had that hint given 

 us at our work the hint that in order to suc- 

 ceed at farming we must be content to take 

 Nature as we find her and make the best of 

 her and not defeat ourselves by trying to 

 defeat her unalterable ends. I think we've 

 learned the lesson now. Whenever anything 

 is to be undertaken nowadays that's a depar- 

 ture from old usage, I like to try first of all 

 to find out how Nature is likely to feel about 

 it whether it's consistent with what I know 

 of her own behavior, or whether it would work 

 contrariwise. There are men through the 



