The Story of the Soil Part 7

"Here," said Mr. West, as he paused on the brow of a sloping hillside, "was as near to Westover as the Union army came. The position of the breastworks may still be seen. The Southern army lay across the valley yonder. These two trees are sprouts from an old stump of a tree that was shot away. About seventeen hundred confederate dead were buried in trenches in the valley, but they were later removed. The federal dead were carried away as the Union army retreated. We never learned their number. For three days Westover was made headquarters of the confederate officers, and my mother worked day and night to prepare food for them."

They stopped at Westover for a few moments, Percy remaining in the "buckboard" while Mr. West reported to his family what they had seen in Montplain.

"Our report," said Mr. West, "hideous and horrible as it is, will help to restore the child to calm and quiet. To speak frankly, Sir, occurrences of this sort, sometimes with the worst results, are sufficiently frequent in the South so that we constantly feel the added weight or burden whenever the sister, wife, or daughter is left without adequate protection."

The remaining hours of the morning were devoted to a drive over the country surrounding Westover; and Mr. West consented to Adelaide's request that she be allowed to drive Percy to the station at Montplain, where he was to take the afternoon train for Richmond.

She chose the "buckboard" but insisted upon driving.

They talked of their school and college days, of the books they had read, of anything in fact except of the experiences of the past twenty-four hours. Even when they entered the valley no shadow crossed Adelaide's face; but as they neared the station her voice changed, and as Percy looked into her winsome, frankly upturned face, she said:

"Have I truly been pardoned for my cruel words last evening? I am sure you were as manly and n.o.ble as any man could have been."

"And I am sure you were the bravest little woman I have ever known,"

replied Percy, "and I admire you the more for calling me a coward when you thought I was running away; so there is nothing to pardon I am sure."

She gave him her hand as a child at parting, but he thought as he looked into her eyes that he saw the soul of a woman.

CHAPTER XII

THE RESTORATION

PERCY carried with him a most interesting and attractive circular of information concerning the rapid restoration of the farm lands of the South. It also stated that further information could be secured from a certain real estate agent in Richmond, who was found to be still in his office when Percy arrived in the city late in the afternoon.

The agent was delighted to receive a call from the Western man, and a.s.sured him that he would gladly show him several plantations not far from the city which could be purchased at very reasonable prices. Indeed he could have his choice of these old southern homesteads for the very low price of forty dollars an acre. A map of an adjoining county showed the exact location of several such farms, some of which were of great historical interest. At what time in the morning could he be ready to be shown one of these rare bargains?

"What treatment do these lands require to restore their productiveness?"

asked Percy.

"No treatment at all, Sir, except the adoption of your western methods of farming and your system of crop rotation. I tell you the results are marvelous when western farmers get hold of these famous old plantations.

Just good farming and a change of crops, that's all they need."

"Does clover grow well?" asked Percy. "We grow that a good deal in the West."

"Oh, yes, clover will grow very well, indeed, but cowpeas is a much better crop than clover. Our best farmers prefer the cowpea; and after a crop of cowpeas, you can raise large crops of any kind."

"Of course you know of those who have been successful in restoring some of these old farms," Percy suggested.

"Oh, yes, Sir, many of them, and they are making money hand over fist, and their lands are increasing in value, and no doubt will continue to increase just as your western lands have done. Yes, Sir, the greatest opportunity for investment in land is right here and now, and these old plantations are being snapped up very rapidly."

"I shall be glad to know of some of these successful farmers who are using the improved methods. Will you name one, just as an example, and tell me about what he has done to restore his land?"

"Well," said the agent, "There's T. O. Thornton, for example. Mr.

Thornton bought an old plantation of a thousand acres only six years ago at a cost of six dollars an acre. He has been growing cowpeas in rotation with other crops; and, as I say, he is making money hand over fist. A few months ago he refused to consider fifty dollars an acre for his land, but still there are some of these old plantations left that can be bought for forty dollars, because the people don't really know what they are worth. However, our lands are all much higher than they were a few years ago."

"Where does Mr. Thornton live?" asked Percy.

"Oh, he lives at Blairville, nearly a hundred miles from Richmond. Yes, he lives on his farm near Blairville. I tell you he's making good all right, but I don't know of any land for sale in that section."

"I think I will go out to Blairville to see Mr. Thornton's farm," said Percy. "Do you know when the trains run?"

"Well, I'm sorry to say that the train service is very poor to Blairvile. There is only one train a day that reaches Blairville in daylight, and that leaves Richmond very early in the morning."

"That is all right," said Percy, "it will probably get me there in time so that I shall be sure to find Mr. Thornton at home. I thank you very much, Sir. Perhaps I shall be able to see you again when I return from Blairville."

"When you return from Blairville is about the most uncertain thing in the world. As I said, the train service is mighty poor to Blairville, and it's still poorer, you'll find, when you want to leave Blairville.

Why, a traveling man told me he had been on the road for fifteen years, and he swore he had spent seven of 'em at Blairville waiting for trains.

Better take my advice and look over some of the fine old plantations right here in the next county and then you can take all the rest of the month if you wish getting in and out of Blairville."

About eight o'clock the following morning Percy might have been seen walking along the railroad which ran through Mr. Thornton's farm about two miles from Blairvile. He saw a well beaten path which led from the railroad to a nearby cottage and a knock brought to the door a negro woman followed by several children.

"Can you tell me where Mr. Thornton's farm is?" he inquired.

"Yes, Suh," she replied. "This is Mistah Tho'nton's place, right heah, Suh. Leastways, it was his place; but we done bought twenty acahs of it heah, wheah we live, 'cept tain all paid fo' yit. Mistah Tho'nton lives in the big house over theah 'bout half a mile."

"May I ask what you have to pay for land here?"

"Oh, we have to pay ten dollahs an acah, cause we can't pay cash. My ol'

man he wo'ks on the railroad section and we just pay Mistah Tho'nton foh dollahs every month. My chil'n wo'k in the ga'den and tend that acah patch o' co'n."

"Do you fertilize the corn?"

"Yes, Suh. We can't grow nothin' heah without fe'tilizah. We got two hundred pounds fo' three dollahs last spring and planted it with the co'n."

As Percy turned in at Mr. Thornton's gate he saw a white man and two negroes working at the barn. "Pardon me, but is this Mr. Thornton?"

asked Percy as he approached.

"That is my name."

"Well, my name is Johnston. I am especially interested in learning all I can about the farm lands in this section and the best methods of farming. I live in Illinois, and have thought some of selling our little farm out there and buying a larger one here in the East where the land is much cheaper than with us. A real estate agent in Richmond has told me something of the progress you are making in the improvement of your large farm. I hope you will not let me interfere with your work, Sir."

"Oh, this work is not much. I've had a little lumber sawed at a mill which is running just now over beyond my farm, and I am trying to put a shed up here over part of the barn yard so we can save more of the manure. I shall be very glad to give you any information I can either about my own farming or about the farm lands in this section."

"You have about a thousand acres in your farm I was told."

"Yes, we still have some over nine hundred acres in the place, but we are farming only about two hundred acres, including the meadow and pasture land. The other seven hundred acres are not fenced, and, as you will see, the land is mostly grown up to scrub trees."

"Your corn appears to be a very good crop. About how many acres of corn do you have this year?"

"I have only fourteen acres. That is all I could cover with manure, and it is hardly worth trying to raise corn without manure."