nstrated. A grave question of the
utmost importance to the progress of mankind was for them forever
settled. The discovery had dawned on the minds of these people that
labor, no longer a curse, was in reality nature's richest blessing!

Among the more important improvements on the farm which Fillmore Flagg
had carefully planned, was the necessary preparatory work on the large
propagating gardens, located near the river, not far from the village.
In connection with the construction of the village water works, at the
time of the grading and sewering of the village grounds, these gardens
were furnished with a complete system of irrigating pipes. These,
together with the thousands of pots required at a later period, were
made in the pottery at the brick works--another product of farm labor.
With such a complete control of the necessary moisture, the sprouting
process in the long seed beds proved unusually successful. These beds,
which covered several acres of very rich soil, were thickly planted with
all kinds of fruit and tree-bearing seeds; together with grape cuttings,
mulberries for the silkworm culture, quinces, currants, tea plants, a
great variety of berries, a fine selection of ornamental shrubbery,
dwarf fruit trees, roses, and many other plants besides. The young
plants soon reached a stage of growth where potting became necessary in
order to make them strong, well grown, independent young shoots, ready
at any time to be transplanted without injury into nursery rows, the
vineyard or the berry plots.

To pot the contents of these beds required the labor of many hands,
consequently the task furnished a pleasant, congenial employment for a
major part of the female co-operators. A large, well floored, wide
roofed shed was constructed just at the edge of the gardens nearest the
village. It was wide enough to accommodate two rows of roomy tables, and
of a length sufficient for fifty tables in each row. Adjoining the end
of the potting shed towards the village, was the storehouse, containing
quantities of prepared soil and a large supply of assorted pots. A
double track system of narrow tramways passed between the rows of
tables, on its way from the storehouse to the different seed beds in all
parts of the garden. On this tramway the little cars came from the
storehouse to the tables, laden with supplies of pots and prepared
soil; these they exchanged for trays of potted plants to be returned to
the seed beds. In return