THE STRAWBERRY GARDEN. 177 



CHAPTER VIII. 



HELP FROM A NEW QUARTER. 



THE next day, 11 A.M. Kate and Johnny in earnest 

 consultation in the strawberry garden. Every alternate 

 row of strawberry plants had been pulled out, and there 

 now remained thirty-six rows, each about two hundred feet 

 long ; the space occupied by the garden being about thirty 

 thousand feet. The removal of the extra rows was a trifling 

 matter, and quickly accomplished. The remaining ones 

 were more or less damaged, a plant here and there miss- 

 ing. To extend the runners, now quite long, on either side 

 was easy enough, but to repair the breaks puzzled them. 



"I'm sure I can't fix 'em," said Johnny. " There are 

 six plants gone in one row." 



Kate replied that it was beyond her. 



" We might pull a runner round sideways at each end of 

 the gap ; even then there would be four plants still want- 



ing." 



Just at this point who should appear but Farmer Good- 

 ing, a " truck farmer" living about a mile up the road. 

 He was dressed in his common blue frock, and came strid- 

 ing down the walk, whip in hand, in his usual energetic 

 manner. 



