d at a cost of perhaps two dollars
a barrel, and as five barrels at least to the acre are required for
good fertilization, these ashes gave us the first credit upon the
books.

Following the burners came the manure spreaders; five carloads of
manure had been purchased and was delivered before it was needed.
When the manure was spread upon the land (one half carload to the
acre), the plow started its work smoothly and with none of the
strain and jerk on man and beast usual in new land. The soil was
turned over with the greatest ease, for the explosions had shivered
and torn out even the smallest roots, so the plow ran through the
ground much more easily than in sod land.

Our friable, sandy loam, with a light admixture of clay, pulverized
and aerated by the explosions, was in market garden condition at
once and without the year's loss of crops assured by old methods.

A tooth harrow was next run over the plowed section, and gleaners
followed the harrow, picking up the fine roots as they were brought
to the surface. As piles of these fine roots grew, they were burned
and the ashes immediately spread upon the land. The tooth harrow was
run again across the rows, the disk harrow following chopped and
pulverized the earth into the finest possible condition. Thirty five
and one half working days after Larry and his gang arrived, rye was
drilled into three and one half acres.

The condemned freight cars were placed upon skids and drawn to the
desired position over soaped planks. They were raised from the
ground to give good under ventilation. The north and east sides are
filled or banked up with sand which came out of the well. This keeps
out the cold winds, and, in the case of the chicken-house car,
allows the fowls a shaded shelter on hot summer days.

The chicken-house car was placed facing the southeast. The western
end has a large glazed sash placed on it, and two in the southern
side. One half the car was partitioned off for roosting quarters,
while the other half serves as a laying and scratching house. This
farm keeps only a few chickens for family use.

The artesian well was started in October. The well was, naturally, a
necessity, but there was much to be considered in regard to the
method of pumping. Under ordinary circumstances a windmill would do,
and is generally a good auxiliary; a ten-foot iron tower and a
ten-foot fan wheel cost about fifty dollars, but our farm is not to
be allowed to be a failure for