The "Junior Partner" Blowing Stumps by Batttry 



Selection and Clearing 



EARLY in August, 1905, the following message came from Mr. Peters: "Find the worst ten acres 

 on the North Shore upon which to establish Experimental Station No. 1." "Why does he 

 want the worst piece?" I at once asked. 



"Because he don't want everj'one to say, '0, well,' you have known the Island for years 

 and of course you could pick up the very best piece there was anywhere.' " 



"I see — and how are you going to prove to the dear public that it was the worst piece after we 

 get through with it?" 



"0, I have a little scheme up my sleeve," replied the Senior Partner, and I was fully satisfied, 

 for little schemes up his sleeve always grow larger as they come down and positively burst as they drop 

 out. 



We traveled the ' Mountain Division," as the North Shore branch is lovingly termed, for many 

 days. Our project seemed doomed, for no one would sell a paltry ten acres; talk about hundreds or 

 thousands or whole farms and they might listen (but now that is all changed). Finally two plots were 

 located, 1 at Rocky Point of the desired area, and 1 at Wading River of 18 acres. Rocky Point had 

 some very fine standing trees, while the Wading River plot was a slice out of the most desolate burned 

 over "waste" mind can picture. Scarcely a live standing tree, except along the northern boundary and 

 the northeast corner, and these were scarred and charred second and third growth oak and chestnut. 



Photographs were taken of both plots and submitted to the President. We told him that the 

 native Long Islanders assured us that the Wading River plot was the "no goodest" piece of land to 

 be found. 



"How much soil will we find?" we had queried, and they replied: 



"Well, if you find 6 inches you'll be doing well. Besides that it's cold and it's sour." 



On August 19th word came that the Wading River plot had been purchased, and on the 23d the 

 preliminaries had been settled and we could start work at once. 



0, days of our Forefathers! Start work in the wilderness a mile and a half from a drink of water 

 and as good as a thousand miles from anything else. But there is no greater joy on earth than making 

 something out of nothing and no keener joy to the masculine partner than to be allowed the privilege 

 of demonstrating that the so-called "waste lands" of the Island he so dearly loves are productive. 



Next came conferences in regard to clearing. One thing was certain, the money expended was as 

 far as possible to be placed in the hands of Long Islanders. Second, the method of clearing must be 

 the most rapid possible, for fall was coming fast and crops must be produced the following summer. 



It was not our purpose to cut off the trees and brush and allow the stumps to remain six years 

 to rot; nor was it our purpose to attempt to raise partial crops in the stump land, tearing the life and 

 heart out of a man, beast and harness, and profiting but little. 



Thirdly, as the scheme of "ten acres is enough" for a market garden, what should be done with 

 the remaining eight? "Make it into an experimental dairy and prove that this land is capable of pro- 

 ducing forage just as well to-day as it did a hundred years ago." 



