been the cry. I am sure none of them ever found their way to Experimental Station Xo. 1; even if they 

 had, there are many things millions cannot accomplish. 



At last the tank arrived and was erected; then another delay while "tracers" again hunted pump 

 pulleys that had never left the factory. It has become a mercantile custom to saddle delay on trans- 

 portation companies. 



One never-to-be-forgotten day the engine started and pumped the 5,000 gallon tank full in 6 hours. 

 Hurrah, no more carting of water, no need of thinking twice before taking a drink or washmg hands for 

 fear the supply would give out! 



The irrigation system had been decided upon. Simple in the extreme, it consisted of a pipe running 

 from the tower directly south through the chicken yard to the .seed bed. By the chicken house it took a 

 right angle, running west the length of the 18 acres, again north to the northwestern corner, where the 

 dairyman's cottage would ultimately be. A second pipe was run across the front lawn to the barn. 

 All these pipes were laid 3 feet deep, the work being done by the Senior Partner and the Italians, with 

 occasional help from the well-driller. About every 100 feet of this pipe length, a standard was inserted 

 with a stop-cock at the top; these were for attaching hose, for the system called only for a length of hose 

 with lawn sprinkler attached. Our idea, proven to our own satisfaction in our own garden work, is that 

 plants want their water in nature's way, from above and that it can be applied when the sun is shining 

 just as well as not, provided you give them enough, don't just wet the leaves and moisten the ground, soak 

 them, it is the sunshower of summertime. 



Well into the winter work continued, the Italians (now cut down to a much smaller force, of course), 

 set fence posts about the entire IS acres, and a division fence line between the market-garden and the 

 dairy. This was slow and tedious work, for the ground was pretty well frozen, yet we knew that when 

 spring opened there would be more than all hands could attend to without thinking of fences. 



Nature favored us with an exceptionally open winter, so that much more was accomplished than was 

 expected. Yet what remained to be done seemed .stupendous and we awaited the opening of spring 

 with bated breath. 



\^'inter nights found us poring over catalogues of seeds and implements, traveling to factories to see 

 these implements made and learning their various features, drawing plans for a simple barn that would 

 blend into the freight car without looking freaky, plotting the 10, or rather 13, cleared acres, that there 

 might be no hitch either in ordering seed or planting the same. 



About the middle of January, Teddy, a young Englishman of about 20, appeared, asking for work. 

 He was an artisan's son and had been working on Long Island for a year or more; we engaged him gladly 

 for the spring. He found work in the village during the winter and we were ready for his help March 1st. 



We had also engaged a Huntington boy who had worked for us in our garden, where many strange 

 vegetables have found a home, to go with his wife to the farm when spring opened; Mike Cooper, who 

 broke up the soil, following the dynamiters closely, begged to become one of our force, and as he is a 

 good plowman, farmer, willing, and quick, we also engaged him for the spring. 



In January a trench 4 inches deep had been dug along the front fence on the house plot; here we 

 sowed peas, giving them a little old manure and plenty of wood ashes. They were covered to within 

 an inch of the surface, and instructions given to I\Iack to fill it in before a heavy snow-storm. Alas for 

 for the sweet peas, he filled the trench with true English thoroughness and but few of them ever came 

 through. I think now I prefer spring planting. Who said, "Sour Grapes?" 



A pile of "blown" stumps with their long slender roots was piled by the drive gate to serve in the 

 future as a nasturtium trellis. Several stumps were placed about the trees to serve as seats and flower- 

 stands, and as reminders of the past. 



One of the most important portions of winter work is the making of hot-beds for raising seedlings. 

 The barn was not erected at the farm, and no spot was quite sheltered enough for beds; besides a 'long- 

 shoreman-sailor-soldier Englishman cannot tend hotbeds successfullj'. 



"What shall we do?" said the Senior Partner. "We must have tomatoes, early cabbage and cauli- 

 flower plants. We will have to grow them here under our personal supervision and there is only one 

 place to put them that is ideal." 



"I know," I replied, "where I raised my early chicks, the warmest spot in our home acre. All 

 right, go ahead, we'll sacrifice even chickens to the success of Number 1." 



So John Coddington was at once installed maker and tender of hotbeds for Experimental Station 

 No. 1 at Huntington in our own home chicken yard. The space admitted of 7 sash; a 3-foot hole was 

 dug, the frame set according to regulations and hot manure placed in the bottom. Fine sifted loam was 

 placed over this and when the bed had reached the proper temperature radishes were sown, for we 

 intended getting 1 crop of these before tomatoes, cabbage, and cauliflower took all the room. There 

 were many bunches pulled in March when radishes were bringing 25 cents a bunch. 



Tomato seed was sown in February, in 7 varieties: early, medium, and late; pink, red, and yellow. 

 In the little conservator^', our winter's delight and recreation, my seed boxes were brought forth and 

 planted with asters, pansies, coleus, peppers, and cardoon, all destined to beautify the house plot about 

 the little homestead in the wilderness. When seeds are sown, spring begins. 



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