into the grind again when we get back to the Hall."

"That is excellent advice, Richard," said Randolph Rover. "Whatever you
do, do not neglect your studies."

"By the way, Uncle Randolph, how is scientific farming progressing?"
said Tom, referring to something that had been his uncle's hobby for
years--a hobby that had cost the gentleman considerable money.

"Well--ah--to tell the truth, Thomas, not as well as I had hoped for."

"Hope you didn't drop a thousand or two this year, uncle?"

"Oh, no--not over fifty dollars."

"Then you got off easy."

"I shall do better next year. The potatoes already show signs of
improvement."

"Good! I suppose you'll be growing 'em on top of the ground soon. Then
you won't have the bother of digging 'em, you know," went on the
fun-loving boy innocently.

"Absurd, Thomas! But I shall have some very large varieties, I feel
certain."

"Big as a watermelon?"

"Hardly, but--"

"Big as a muskmelon, then?"

"Not exactly, but--"

"About the size of a cocoanut, eh?"

"No! no! They will be as large as--"

"I mean a little cocoanut," pleaded Tom, while Sam felt like laughing
outright.

"Well, yes, a little cocoanut. You see--"

"We saw some big potatoes in California, Uncle Randolph."

"Ah! Of what variety?"

"_Cornus bustabus_, or something like that. Sam, what was the name, do
you know?"

"That must be something like it, Tom," grinned the youngest Rover.

"Took two men to lift some of those potatoes," went on Tom calmly.

"Two men? Thomas, surely you are joking."

"No, uncle, I am telling nothing but the strict truth."

"But two men! The potatoes must have been of monstrous size!"

"Oh, not so very big. But they did weigh a good deal, no question of
it."

"Think of two men lifting one potato!"

"I didn't say one potato, Uncle Randolph. I said some of those
potatoes."

"Eh?"

"The men had a barrel full of 'em."

"Thomas!" The uncle shook his finger threateningly. "At your old
tricks, I see. I might have known it." And then he stalked off to hide
his chagrin.

"Tom, that was rather rough on Uncle Randolph," said Sam, after a
laugh.

"So it was, Sam. But I've got to do something. This being boxed up,
when one might be fishing or swimming, or playing baseball, is simply
dreadful," answered the other.

Just before the evening meal was announced Jack Ness came up from the
barn, and sought out Randolph Rover.

"Found a man slinking around the cow-shed