being a long ridge of earth some six inches in height, some eight
inches broad on the top and twelve at the base. Upon each drill the seed
has been sown in one continuous line from end to end of the field. When
this seed has grown each drill will discover a line of delicate green,
this line being nothing less than a compact growth of young turnip
plants with weeds more or less thickly interspersed. The operation of
hoeing consists in the eliminating of the weeds and the superfluous
turnip plants in order that single plants, free from weeds, may be left
some eight inches apart in unbroken line, extending the whole length
of the drill. The artistic hoer, however, is not content with this.
His artistic soul demands not only that single plants should stand in
unbroken row from end to end along the drill top, but that the drill
itself should be pared down on each side to the likeness of a house roof
with a perfectly even ridge.

"Ever hoe turnips?" enquired Perkins.

"Never," said Cameron, "and I am afraid I won't make much of a fist at
it."

"Well, you've come to a good place to learn, eh, Tim! We'll show him,
won't we?"

Tim made no reply, but simply handed Cameron a hoe and picked up his
own.

"Now, show me, Tim," said Cameron in a low voice, as Perkins and Webster
set off on their drills.

"This is how you do it," replied Tim. "Click-click," forward and back
went Tim's sharp shining instrument, leaving a single plant standing
shyly alone where had boldly bunched a score or more a moment before.
"Click-click-click," and the flat-topped drill stood free of weeds
and superfluous turnip plants and trimmed to its proper roof-like
appearance.

"I say!" exclaimed Cameron, "this is high art. I shall never reach your
class, though, Tim."

"Oh, shucks!" said Tim, "slash in, don't be afraid." Cameron slashed in.
"Click-click," "Click-click-click," when lo! a long blank space of drill
looked up reproachfully at him.

"Oh, Tim! look at this mess," he said in disgust.

"Never mind!" said Tim, "let her rip. Better stick one in though.
Blanks look bad at the END of the drill." So saying, he made a hole in
Cameron's drill and with his hoe dug up a bunch of plants from
another drill and patted them firmly into place, and, weeding out the
unnecessary plants, left a single turnip in its proper place.

"Oh, come, that isn't so bad," said Cameron. "We can always fill up the
blanks."

"Yes, but it takes time," replied Tim, evi