then starting from the seeds. It ripened in
the dry seasons. Robinson soon found that he must have a store of corn
and wild rice for food during the rainy seasons. He, however, knew
nothing about planting and harvesting, nor preparing the ground for
seed.

He had it all to learn with no teacher or books to instruct him. He
found a little space near his dwelling free from trees and thought he
would plant some corn seed here. He did not know the proper time for
planting. He thought because it was warm, seed would grow at any time.
It happened his first seed was put in at the beginning of the dry
season. He watched and waited to rejoice his eyes with the bright green
of sprouting corn, but the seed did not grow. There was no rain and the
sun's heat parched the land till it was dry and hard on the upland where
his corn was planted.

"Very well," thought Robinson, "I will plant it at the beginning of the
wet season, either in March or September." He did so; the seed quickly
sprouted up. But the weeds, shrubs, and vines sprouted as quickly, and
before Robinson was aware, his corn was overgrown and choked out by a
rank growth of weeds and vines.

"I see," said Robinson, "that I must thoroughly prepare the soil before
planting my seed." But he had no spade and no other tool that would
stand the strain of digging among tough matted roots. But he must
succeed. He put a new handle in the stone hoe or pick he had already
made. His mussel shell spade was worn out. He must set himself to
fashion out another. He decided to make one from the tough heavy wood of
a tree that grew plentifully in the forest.

He was lucky enough to find a tree of this kind whose bole had been
split lengthwise by the falling of an old rotten tree near it. With his
stone tools and the help of fire he managed after several days' work to
make a wide sharpened tool out of one of the large pieces split off. It
was a little over three feet long. He had trimmed one end small and cut
notches in the sides about one foot from the flat end. He could place
his foot in the notch and thrust his wooden spade into the earth. With
his rude tool he dug up and turned the soil of a small space of ground
several times to kill the vines and weeds. His corn quickly sprouted
after this attempt and outstripped the weeds and vines which Robinson
constantly had to hold in check by pulling and hoeing. He was rejoiced
at his growing crop and went each morning to feast his eyes on t