182 THE STRAWBERRY GARDEN. 



under the spout of the pump, he laid the other down 

 between the rows of strawberries. Then to the pump. 

 Grasping the handle he began to turn it rapidly. A thick, 

 inky current of water flowed forth and rushed in a muddy 

 stream through the spout, and then spread itself slowly 

 down the slope of the garden, among the plants. A strong 

 odor arose, but as the north wind blew fresh past the house 

 and out over the empty fields, no inconvenience resulted to 

 anybody. 



As the black stream spread over the garden, it rolled 

 sluggishly down the slope and finally reached the end of 

 the place. Seeing this, Johnny ceased his efforts, and, 

 procuring a hoe, quickly made a little dam in the stream, 

 and by a bit of hydraulic engineering turned the course of 

 the black river to the next row of plants. 



Again the crank was turned, and the turbid water gushed 

 forth and flooded still more of the plantation. 



So it went on. Each time the stream reached the foot 

 of the slope a new channel was formed, and the flood di- 

 rected elsewhere. As can be easily seen, this operation 

 was a species of irrigation, only, instead of pure river or 

 spring water, he used a richly ladened stream full of plant 

 food of the most valuable kinds. 



One side of the garden having been thus freely flooded, 

 more spouts were procured, and joined one to another they 

 carried the life-giving current across the path and on to the 

 other bed. 



