g planting lay
in the fact that rain is very likely to be plentiful in April, and given
but half a chance, everything grows best in spring; the _cons_ being
that the spring rush is usually overpowering, that in a late season the
frost would not be fairly out of the knoll and ground by the fence,
where we need a windbreak, before garden planting time, and that during
the winter clearing that will take place in the river valley, leaf fires
may be started by the workmen that will run up the banks and menace our
treasure-trove of evergreens.

The _pros_ for August consisted mainly of the pith of a proverb and a
bit of mad Ophelia's sanity: "There is no time like the present" and "We
know what we are, but know not what we may be!"

At present we have a good horse, Larry, and plenty of time, the _con_
being, suppose we have a dry, hot autumn. The fact that we have a new
water-barrel on wheels and several long-necked water-pots is only a
partial solution of the difficulty, for the nearest well is an
old-fashioned arrangement with a sweep, located above the bank wall at
Opal Farm. This well is an extremely picturesque object in the
landscape, but as a water-producer as inadequate as the shaving-mug with
which the nervous gentleman, disturbed at his morning task, rushed out
to aid in extinguishing a fire!

Various predictions as to the weather for the month have been lavished
upon us, the first week having produced but one passing shower. Amos
Opie foresees a muggy, rainless period. Larry declares for much rain, as
it rained at new moon and again at first quarter; but, as he says, as if
to release himself from responsibility, "That's the way we read it in
Oireland, but maybe, as this is t'other side of the warld, it's all the
other way round wid rain!" Barney was noncommittal, but then his
temperament is of the kind that usually regrets whatever is.

For three or four days we remained undecided, and then _The Man from
Everywhere_ brought about a swift decision for August transplanting, by
the information that the general clearing of the woodlands would begin
November first, the time for fulfilling the contract having been
shortened by six months at the final settlement.

We covet about fifty specimen pines and hemlocks for the knoll and fully
two hundred little hemlocks for the windbreaks, so we at once began the
work and are giving two days a week to the digging and transporting and
the other four to watering. That is, Bar