sown, for they will be allowed to remain all winter and turned under for green manure next spring. 

 It takes but little time and costs but little money to sow these crops and they render untold good to the 

 soil. 



By the 30th endive was ready to gather. Those that had been tied (and they must be well grown 

 before tymg) were out, the raffia removed and thoroughly washed. The hearts were blanched as prettily 

 as could be and thirteen bushel baskets were made ready for morning shipment. All things that left 

 the farm in the morning were picked the night before, sprayed and allowed to remain out in the night 

 air unpacked until morning. The consequence was such things as lettuce, endive, and spinach were 

 as crisp as possible, for these plants wilt immediately after picking, but quickly revive if watered and 

 placed in the shade. 



When the returns came from the commission merchant they read — "baskets of chicory." 



"Well, if the big New York dealers don't know endive from chicory, don't lets grow it any more," 

 I said. 



"I guess we have other things to do," replied the Farmer, "Let's try romaine and escarole next 

 year, just a little to see if they know what that is, they are easier to grow than endive because they need 

 no tying." 



The last day of August, our last at the farm! To-morrow would see a new era, for we must return 

 to the dear old home to get ready for school days. John had become converted to market-gardening 

 and he had bought himself 8 acres of land and went to prepare it for spring work, while Mike moved 

 his entire family to No. 1 to remain for the rest of the winter. 



A Western visitor gave us a feeling of satisfaction. There arrived in the afternoon a gentleman 

 from Indiana, a total stranger, who said he had heard of the Station and would like, with our permission 

 to look over it. 



"Mr. Micklejohn," for the farmer was still pretty lame, made him welcome and escorted him on 

 a tour of inspection. 



"Well," said our visitor, "I'll tell you, Air. Fullerton, I've been traveling for a year and a half to 

 find just the place I want for a farm. I started in Texas and I have been to every State Experimental 

 Station in the Union and this beats anything I have ever seen. It is the most practical, the best looking 

 and the most educational of any, and I don't see how you have done it in a year." 



"It's the soil. Old Man," (all Westerners call each other Old Man, it seems to give them great 

 satisfaction) "soil and climate, you can't beat it!" said the farmer. "Come down in the cellar and see 

 what we have," and he showed him the now famous cellar wall giving the strata of the earth's construc- 

 tion. 



"This suits me," he said, "my weary search is over. But there is something more here than soil 

 in which to grow vegetables, your island is one of the most beautiful places I have ever seen, the un- 

 expected views and beauty spots make it a continual surprise. Why, those lakes just to the south of 

 you are gems, and the eyes of man have hardly rested upon them, I suppose." 



"Right you are, and there are 200,000 acres of this virgin soil lying idle just waiting for a helping 

 hand to give New York its fresh food." 



"Well, I'll make a prophecy, it won't be many years before there is precious little of it lying idle, 

 and I, for one, am going in to help you. I want a good big farm and I'm going to buy it next week," 

 he said. "By the way, I hear you have another Station at Medford, what do you think of that section, 

 soil's pretty light, isn't it?" 



"Lighter than this," replied the Senior Partner, "but deeper. The surface is drifted over with 

 white sea-sand and we supposed we would find soil a foot and a half at the deepest. When they were 

 clearing they dug a cellar under a shack, in which to store dynamite, and we found the soil four feet 

 deep. You could have knocked me down with a feather, for no one is more enthusiastic about the Island 

 than I, but I never supposed there was four feet of good soil in that section." 



"Well, it only goes to show mighty few people know much about the land they live in," he said. 

 "May I bring some friends in a few days to see the place, they will think I have lost my head when I 

 tell them about it, so I want to show it to them?" 



"Sure thing! bring as many as you want and come as often as you wish, and stay as long as you 

 like. Always glad to see you," was the rejoinder. 



Dynamiter Kissam had been called away, so that but one acre of the dairy had been cleared, he 

 was to return when he could and finish the piece for we were anxious to get rye in this fall. 



59 



