ining companies. This had been deposited as a matter of convenience
in an Indianapolis bank and he allowed it to remain there. He realized
that this money must carry him a long way, and that every cent must go
into the farm before anything came out of it. He had moved to the farm
late in the summer--just in time to witness the abundant harvests of his
neighbors.

One of the friendliest of these was a young man named Perry, who had
charge of Amzi Montgomery's place. Perry belonged to the new school of
farmers, and he had done much in the four years that he had been in the
banker's employ to encourage faith in "book farming," as it had not yet
ceased to be called derisively. He was a frank, earnest, hard-working
fellow whose ambition was to get hold of a farm of his own as quickly as
possible. He worked Amzi's farm on shares, with certain privileges in
the matter of feeding cattle. Amzi picked him up by chance and with
misgivings; but Perry had earned the biggest dividends the land had ever
paid. Perry confided to Fred a hope he had entertained of leasing the
Holton farm for himself when his contract with Montgomery expired. Now
that Fred had arrived on the scene he explained to the tyro exactly what
he had meant to do with the property. As he had seriously canvassed the
situation for a couple of years, witnessing the failures of the last two
tenants employed by Samuel Holton, Fred gladly availed himself of his
advice.

Fred caught from Perry the spirit of the new era in farming. It no
longer sufficed to scratch the earth with a stick and drop in a seed;
the earth itself must be studied as to its weaknesses and the seed must
be chosen with intelligent care. One of the experts from the state
agricultural school, in the field to gather data for statistics, passed
through the country, and spent a week with Fred for the unflattering
reason that the Holton acres afforded material for needed information as
to exhausted soils. He recommended books for Fred to read, and what was
more to the point sent a young man to plan his work and initiate him
into the mysteries of tilling and fertilizing. The soil expert was an
enthusiast, and he left behind him the nucleus of a club which he
suggested that the young men of the neighborhood enlarge during the
winter for the discussion of new methods of farm efficiency.

Fred hired a man and went to work. He first repaired the windmill and
assured the water-supply of the house and barn. A fa