[Illustration:

SLOPE SLOPE
---------------------
/ DITCH \
SIDE / -------------------- \ SIDE
SLOPE / / \ \ SLOPE
/ / GARDEN \ \
/ / \ \

Picture this as the ditch George dug right above his garden. The water
passed through the side slopes away from the garden.]

As the stones were picked off he piled them into the gutter, where this
stony bottom also helped the drainage problem.

George was a master hand at ploughing, for he had always done his share
of it, so ploughing meant nothing to him. First, you will remember
George had one foot of dressing to put on the land. This he ploughed in;
and then reploughed. After this the slope was harrowed. You all know
that the harrow simply makes fine the soil after the plough has done its
work of throwing up the earth. The rake is a kind of harrow. Of course,
when the garden plot is large, the rake is impossible, and then the
harrow, really a big rake dragged by a horse, must do this work.

It took the boy longer than some of the others to do his work, for
George did more work at home than the others. He was probably better
informed on farm matters, however. His father was a real farmer; the
other boys' fathers farmed, too, but not as a business.