OR, WITH BRAINS, SIR. 269 



per. I found him near the barn talking with Mr. Kempen- 

 fielder, who was preparing to go home after his day's 

 work. 



" It's a mighty heavy dressing you have put on your 

 land, Mr. Nelson. I never seen the like in my life. It 

 must have cost you a sight of money." 



"It was a costly operation. But an extra heavy dress- 

 ing will give an extra heavy return, I suppose. At any 

 rate, it will not be my fault if the land does not yield her 

 increase. In addition to all this barn-manure I shall put 

 on about a hundred dollars' worth of superphosphates, 

 lime, ground bone, and guano." 



" A hundred dollars' worth ! why, man, you're crazy. 

 Who ever heard of such a thing ? " 



" I have, or, rather, I have read of it in the papers. I 

 think I have seen somewhere that the gardeners around 

 New York sometimes put six hundred dollars' worth of 

 fertilizers on one acre of their land." 



" Perhaps they do. Them that has money can afford to 

 throw it away in that fashion." 



" I cannot positively say whether they can afford it or 

 not. But I do know they keep throwing it away year after 

 year, and I don't imagine they do it for amuse- 

 ment." 



" I have heard tell of them fellows ; but I don't believe 



