make a farm plan, each plot laid out to certain crops so there C3n be no excuse for mistakes. Three 

 days of careful verbal explanations accompanied this plan and the foreman was given the "reasons 

 why" for every detail. 



There was to be no intercroppina; this year as the berries needed all the land allotted to them, three 

 rows of strawberries could, however, be planted in the orchard rows without injury to anything. The 

 southeast acre was to be put into .strawberries, testing more varieties, and the southwest acre in potatoes 

 to be followed by alfalfa, consequently was to be dressed with lime very thoroughly worked into the 

 soil. The rest of the acreage was laid out to market garden crops. 



In May we had a request to tf,ke on our force a young Norwegian just landed, 16 years old. We 

 took him as we hoped to get considerable accomplished in the new land. We had concluded to try 

 clearing by stump puller, such a how! had gone-up about the dynamite method. We succeeded in 

 getting yi acre cleared free of stumps; this was cut up with a bog rotary harrow, disked, and harrowed 

 and planted wilhoul any (erlilizalion whatever, with various varieties of cow peas, soy beans and velvet 

 beans. 



Holes were dug in about one and one-half acres of the land that was cleared but not stumped, a 

 little manure placed in the holes and melons, cantaloupes, squash, pumpkins, and cucumbers planted. 

 We wanted to prove whether these crops would net a return on partially cleared land. I can say right 

 here they did not. It took much longer to spray, the brush (which seems to spring up over night) 

 had to be cut abcut them, for the air drainage was not good. The plot was handicapped by two 

 reasons: George, who was now foreman, had not seen that the earth in each hole had been thoroughly 

 tramped so the roots would have a firm hold, and the nights of this season were too cold for the good 

 development of these crops. A small crop was gathered, but not sufficient to pay. 



In June our hou.se was erected, the soil from the celler (three to four feet under the surface) spread, 

 some manure forked into it and on .June 21th grass seed was sown. On one plot to the east of the house 

 velvet beans were planted on this cellar soil, just to see if it was "pizen." 



The grass was up in a few days, and the la-wn mower going the last of July. Now the lawn cannot 

 be surpassed for thickness and richness of color. The velvet beans have run riot over the whole plot, 

 the pods are formed but will not mature as they were sown so late. The nodules on the roots are great 

 wads, each one a storehouse of our valued nitrogen. The cow peas and soy beans have grown tremen- 

 dously and furnished the richest kind of humus on which to grow next year's crops. 



And the "pizen"' theory of deep soil is once more exploded. 



Mrs. Barrett was to be cook for our family, Mrs. Trappier taking Henry, Dominique, and Anon 

 Gunderson (the Norse lad) to board. The Barretts had two more wee ones addeil to their family, "Pros- 

 per" and "Edith" so there were with our own little ones, and the twins, nine children on the farm. 



July 1st, the hottest of hot days, saw us move over. The painters had just finished the house, 

 everything was at sixes and sevens, the baby resented the change, and life to me, after the labor of 

 leaving our home in "apple pie" order for summer occupants, was hardly worth living. A night's sleep 

 in the dear little cottage where all the sweet night air blew in about us made the morning brighter. 



A survey of the farm sent us indoors with long-drawn, thoughtful, faces and the following con- 

 ference between the Senior and Junior partners took place: 



"By gracious, I don't see what has come over George! This farm has always been the pink of 

 perfection. We told him 'no intercropping' this year and look at those berries! Potatoes in the rasp- 

 berries, beets, carrots, and turnips in the currants, potatoes between the English gooseberry rows and 

 cabbage and peppers between the berry plants. Five rows of strawberries where we told him three, 

 and peas and sweet potatoes between the strawberries! Ye Gods we had better plow the whole farm 

 up and start over. This is a corker and I ought to be discharged!" 



"Steady there! This is a corker, but let's try to find the reason. There are many. First he 

 has three men under him and he doesn't know how to direct the work and oversee it himself, he goes 

 ahead and does a staving day's work and never sees what the other men are at. Next, the baby is little 

 and maybe his wife has up.set him some, she has a frightful temper. Next Dominique and Trappier 

 who are Socialists and Anarchists have probably beeji telling him how to do things." 



"You're right, there are many reasons; my main duty this summer is to teach George how to 

 be a foreman." 



Just one week and it was evident Mrs. Barrett would never do as a cook, though heretofore she had 

 always served us good meals when we went to the farm. The children were dirty and absolutely lawless, 

 there was quarreling between them and the Trappier twins and things were anything but pleasant. 



The drought had enabled a brush fire, started and forgotten in the center of the island to the west 

 of us, tn spread and become a ravaging forest blaze, high winds swept it galloping over the country, 

 threatening everything in its way. On July 4th all hands went out and fought it along the west fire 

 line which had been planted to corn (.sweet corn, of all things), but never cultivated, and at this time 

 of all others, the pump rods in the well had parted leaving us unable to get water, and the irrigation 

 had nearly d.'-ained the tank. 



That night our Aledford neighbors responded well to our invitation to view the fireworks. They 

 were gorgeous with a forest fire as a background. 



The night of the 5th a very bright blaze started up at the north of the 80-acre strip — which by the 

 way is only r> acres wide. All hands started out to fight it; in an hour we women folk knew how hot 

 and tired they must be, so in our innocent hearts Nettie and I started out with a pail of water and a 

 lantern across the scrub land. We walked it seemed for eternity, hallooing as we went. Finally we 

 got a response and met them returning having protected the north bound by back firing. The fire went 

 east and toward morning apparently died out. 



On the (jth the Senior Partner went to the Connecticut Agricultural College at Storrs to address 

 the summer class, and I to Huntington to pass on the final proof of the "Agronomist." I had hardly 

 settled to work when Nettie's voice came over the 'phone saying: 



"The forest fires have come up again and are coming along the east line, the men are trying to 



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