August, 1912 
HOUSE AND GARDEN 
91 
half of the potatoes, some onions, beets, carrots, etc., and the 
livestock, including a nice little flock of sixty hens. 
It was not so bad for the first year, and enthusiasm for the 
coming season’s plans ran high. So much work there was to be 
done, indeed, that when Squire Hunderson came in that evening, 
he found them earnestly engaged in a second session, in which he 
was invited to take part. Their ways of doing things still amused 
him immensely, but he had learned to take them more seriously 
and was always glad to give any assistance within his power. 
They were considering the very important question of new 
farm machinery. 
“Mm,” said the Squire good-naturedly, “I guess I won't have 
any remarks to make on this. Mantell here has been down to 
the State station and got his head full of all their new-fangled 
stuff. He spends most of his nights, I should think, reading 
books and studyin’ over catalogues. I haven’t bought a new 
machine, except the hay loader, in seven years.” 
Mantell smiled. “Well, Squire, I’ve been thinking about you 
in connection with machinery just the same; and I've got a real 
bang-up good proposition to make you. Are you game?” 
“No use talking,” replied the Squire, with assumed stubborn¬ 
ness. “Got more of ’em now than I can take care of.” 
“That’s just it,” said Mantell. “I want to take care of ’em 
for vou.” 
The Squire laughed incredulously. 
“No joking,” insisted Mantell. “Here’s my plan; see what 
you think of it.” 
Mantell brought out his map of the place and proceeded to 
point out to the Squire that most of the cultivated land on either 
of their places could be reached easily from a spot between the 
two. The Squire’s attention was called to the fact that several 
of his machines were used only once a year, or for a few hours 
at a time, and that Mantell's fields were practically all ready to 
be worked or harvested several days or even a week earlier than 
the Squire’s. Mantell's proposition, in a nut-shell, was that they 
build a cheap but substantial and suitable shed in which to keep 
most of their farm machinery, on the boundary line between the 
two places; and that, instead of Mantell’s duplicating the machines 
the Squire had, he should get new and different ones so that as 
far as possible one set would do for both places. Thus they could 
both have the use of a more complete line. 
The Squire did not at first know what to say. It seemed a 
sensible and practical thing enough, but he had never heard of 
such a thing being done and would have to think it over. But 
he did think quite favorably of it, he said, and paid Mantell the 
compliment of saying that with most of his neighbors he would 
not consider it for a minute, as they took such poor care of their 
(Continued on page 118) 
As the early days of autumn passed and November came it was a keen satisfaction to Mantell and his household to see the bounteous crops and 
look forward with pleasurable anticipation to that best of all meals — a real country Thanksgiving dinner supplied from their own fields and 
gardens 
