Old and New Homes. 197 



Supper-time came before long ; for the days were short, and it was late 

 in the afternoon when the train arrived : so, answering the summons of the 

 gong, he followed the cavalcade of hungry travellers and boarders into 

 the dining-room, where, already in his place, was to be seen his old friend 

 Brown of Waterbury. The surprise was, of course, mutual ; and, after dis- 

 cussing the merits of the good things spread out before them, these two 

 old-fashioned Connecticut farmers sat down together to talk over the sub- 

 jects in which both were immediately interested ; and, curious as it may 

 seem, both had come hither on the same mission. Had they met at home, 

 neither one would have been disposed to be communicative ; but, as it was, 

 they concluded to join in their investigations for mutual benefit and con- 

 sultation. 



Mr. Brown had been here for several days already, during which time he 

 had been riding around the country, intending to satisfy himself by actual 

 survey, and inquiry from those who knew best, as to the real prospects for 

 farmers in this region. He had the figures to show how much could be 

 made from an acre of ground if thoroughly cultivated, and the theory upon 

 which these experiments had been conducted ; namely, the ground must 

 be well manured, economically planted, and assiduously tilled, following up 

 one crop after another in quick succession, at the same time feeding the 

 soil with fresh applications of manure. 



" It is true," he said, " that to us this would seem too extravagant and 

 costly a style of proceeding ; but the fruit-growers around here tell a differ- 

 ent tale. ' Where is the saving,' say they, * if you make but half-crops in 

 consequence of a diminished supply of their proper food ? It is surely 

 wise to spend fifty dollars in fertilizing your acre, if it produces you a hun- 

 dred dollars more in consequence. But it does even more, at the same 

 time keeping up the condition of the land.' This is a new theory for us, 

 neighbor ; but there may be something in it, after all." 



My father was surprised also, yet obliged to admit that there was philoso- 

 phy in the argument ; and, when the figures were given to show the aver- 

 age products of the various little fruit-farms around the neighborhood, new 

 light began to dawn upon him. 



A very limited survey of the farms lying within reach of some of the 

 numerous stations on the great iron highway between New York and Phila- 



