The Naturalizing of a City Man 
Editor’s Note: — The author of this narrative — begun in the December number — had refused to write the story 
of his experiences in going from business life to a farm. His objection was that the published account taken 
from his closely written diary would contain nothing of the joy and inspiration he felt in getting close to Nature, 
and zvould be merely a matter-of-fact list of happenings with their message lost. He Anally consented to write 
it in his own way, allowing memory and imagination to lend color to those days of struggle which are now cher¬ 
ished recollections. He preferred to hide his identity under the disguise of another person, but the essential 
facts are true and full of practical information. This is the fourth installment and describes the early activities 
in the city man’s country life. Subsequent issues zvill give further details of how their problems were met 
and overcome. 
M arch made the usual blustry entrance and for several 
days Mantell and his co-workers were practically con- 
hned to operations indoors. 
During this time the greenhouse was fully appreciated, and 
every nook and corner of it was crammed with transplanted 
plants. Even so, space was lacking and ten second-hand sash, 
after a good deal of discussion, were purchased, at a cost of 
$1.50 each, through an advertisement in the florists’ paper. The 
treasury was getting alarmingly low, but as Raffles figured that 
this investment would pay back probably a hundred per cent, in, 
ninety days, they decided to make it. 
They worked in snow and a numbing north wind to get the 
frame ready, just south of the greenhouse, and put in a layer 
of spent manure so that the boxes would not rest directly on the 
still partly frozen ground. This string, or frame, while put to¬ 
gether hurriedly and cheaply, was fairly tight, and greatly re¬ 
lieved the congestion in the greenhouse. Into it went the best 
of the cabbage plants selected for their own use, and several 
thousand to spare for spring sales. On cold nights they had to 
cover them over with old bags, boards, some old shutters—it was 
surprising how much material it took to protect a space 6 x 30 
feet. Twice the plants got frozen, but by leaving the covering 
on to keep them shaded, and sprinkling with cold water, Raffles 
brought them out of it safely. 
A bright, warm Sunday afternoon, early in the month, they 
spent in turning their regular weekly tramp into a measuring 
party. Raffles, with the figures obtained, made a plan of the 
farm, showing the approximate area of each field, so that they 
would not be going by guesswork in estimating the amounts of 
manure or fertilizer to apply, or crops harvested. This plan was 
also of great assistance in figuring out rotation of crops, and 
keeping track of the farm work. 
Squire Hunderson was amused, but interested, at this new 
proceeding. He said he’d ‘‘farmed it for nigh onto forty years 
and never measured a piece of land yet.” But in his generous, 
jovial way he conceded that it might be a good thing, if any one 
wanted to farm it that way. “I suppose the old ways are going,” 
he said, somewhat ruefully, “and that they’ll be weighin’ and 
measurin’, weighin’ an’ measurin’ everythin’, same as if it was a 
factory, an’ putting in so man_\- pounds of this and that for every 
crop they take off. An’ they do get some pretty good results 
down to the State College; but I’m glad—I’m glad I won’t live 
to see it. I’ve always treated the old farm pretty square—fed 
her pretty generous, without keeping any count of the platefuls, 
and she’s always paid me back at harvest time—yes siree!” 
The Squire was not averse, however, to rendering assistance 
in any way he could, and was glad to go over the place with them 
and give his advice as to the planting of crops. He knew which 
fields had yielded the most hay the preceding season, “just about 
worth cutting—that’s all,” he informed them, and these Mr. Man¬ 
tell decided to leave intact for the present. The garden they 
planned to put in a spot which formerly had been devoted to it, 
but which for many years had grown nothing but wild grasses. 
It was an excellent situation, fully exposed to the southeast, and 
sheltered to the north and west by the buildings and a strip of 
woods. Raffles was highly delighted with it. His “department,” 
he said, could ask for nothing better. Two fields to the north and 
east of the road they settled on for corn and potatoes, about 
two acres of each. These fields had grown nothing but hay. and 
practically none of that, for a good many years. But they had 
quite a good sod, although it was “bunchy,” and both the Squire 
and Raffles thought there was a possibility of fair crops. 
Mantell, however, felt rather downcast. He did not see how 
such poor, run-down soil could produce anything. 
While they were looking over the chart of the place, on which 
the crops had been jotted down, Mr. Mantell seemed to be verv 
much astonished at the amount of waste land it showed. Exclu¬ 
sive of the wood-lots and the land about the house, seven and 
three-fourths acres out of eighteen and a half, produced prac- 
ticallv nothing. 
“Why, it does seem quite a lot, when you figure it out," ad¬ 
mitted the Squire, somewhat under protest. “But we’ve all got 
more or less waste land; of course, most of our pastures are in 
better shape than that field you’ve got labeled ‘A,’ but it does 
look kind of wasteful. I’ll allow—seems to show up more on 
paper, somehow, than when you just think about it. I wonder 
how my place would show up.” 
Alantell smiled, but he resolved right there that here was a 
problem worthy of considerable attention. What manufacturer, 
he asked himself, would allow over forty per cent, of his ma¬ 
chinery to be idle, or an equal amount of his source of raw 
material to remain undeveloped, even though it might be a little 
rusty or difficult of access? 
VH. 
Two acres of potatoes and two of corn for which to get seed! 
Mantell got out his catalogues and tried to decide upon the best 
selections. There were so many “best” that he finally gave it up 
in despair, and went to Raffles. Raffles advised him to see the 
Squire, saying that locality and soil determined the “best" variety, 
and he didn’t know what sort they grew around there. The 
Squire mentioned several varieties, but would not commit him¬ 
self as to any one of them being the best. 
All this rather surprised Mantell. He was not used to deal¬ 
ing with such indefinite and uncertain factors in his former 
business, where things could be figured out with almost mathe¬ 
matical precision. So he went back to his catalogues again and 
selected three varieties which Squire Hunderson had mentioned,, 
and one brand new novelty, lauded to the skies, illustrated on 
a colored plate, said to yield four hundred bushels to the acre, 
and selling for five dollars a bushel. At first he thought of 
planting half an acre of each of the four sorts, but this, at cata¬ 
logue prices, allowing ten bushels to the acre, figured out to ju.'t 
sixty-two dollars and fifty cents. This was a good deal more 
than the present condition of the bank account would stand, 
even though there was a prospect of getting eight hundred or 
nine hundred bushels back. So Raffles was consulted again: 
with the result that after much discussion, they ordered one peck 
of the brand new variety at two dollars; two bushels of one of 
the other sorts at two dollars, and engaged eighteen bushels at 
eighty-five cents, from Squire Hunderson. This also made Man¬ 
tell feel quite gloomy, as he was loath to draw the veil over the 
beautiful mental picture he had of next autumn’s potato field, 
with its record-breaking crop nearly covering the ground, and' 
envious neighbors, including the nonplussed Squire, standing by.. 
(34) 
