OR, WITH BRAINS, SIR. 265 



" Well, you know I pointed out to you on the shore, near 

 the outer limits of the city, one of those little half-acre 

 market-gardens, filled solid with growing crops, the plants 

 standing so closely together that they fairly touched each 

 other, and hid the very ground from sight?" 



" Oh ! yes. And how beautiful they were with their 

 squares of different shades of green ! And, do you remem- 

 ber, sir, the headache you had soon after, and how I had to 

 play nurse for the first time in my life ? " 



" Indeed, I do. And a charming headache it was, or, 

 rather, nursing, I forget which. Now, I hope to conduct 

 our little farm as those Dutchmen do their gardens. I 

 mean to pack our crops so thickly on the land that there 

 will be no room for horse or plough. In short, my plan is 

 to l farm by inches, and by hand.' " 



When I came downstairs the next morning, I found my 

 husband very intently studying the boxes and pots of seeds 

 which he had placed behind the stove, and, on looking at 

 them, I found them covered with myriads of small green 

 plants just thrusting themselves through the soil. 



" See, Hattie, what heat, moisture, and darkness have 

 done. They have forced these seeds to germinate in three 

 days. But now we must move them into the light and air, 

 or we shall soon lose them." Upon which he took them all 

 up, and placed them near the window, in the sun, saying, 



