“Another thing, Jimmy, we can transplant lots of wild fruit and berry bushes from those woods on the other side of the fence, and grow them in groups on the banks of our lake. And we must group rocks in such places where they will be most effective, and then plant the fern and plants that will need moisture and shade. Oh, it will be perfectly lovely when it is finished!”
When Frances brought Farmer Ames back with her, the experienced man heard Mrs. James’s plans and wishes to start a lake. At first he laughed heartily at such a suggestion, but the more he looked at the disgraceful briar patch and thought of the beautiful spot a water garden would make, right there he changed his laughter to serious ideas.
“The old tenant never tilled that ground because it was so boggy and he claimed it was sour. So he just let it go like this, all the ten years he lived on the farm,” explained Mr. Ames.
“One thing I want you to find out now, is this: Just where is that spring located, and how much muck will have to be dug out before you strike hard ground to build on,” said Mrs. James.
“I kin tel you that in a very short time. I’ve got on my rubber boots, so I kin plunge right in now,” agreed Mr. Ames.
So he thrashed down the reeds and briars in his way and went into the marsh. The two anxious watchers on the high ground could see that his feet sank to a depth of about ten inches, or more. But that did not say that he had struck solid hard ground. He might have to dig out another six to ten inches of muck soil before solid earth could be reached.
Finally Mr. Ames shouted to the anxious gardeners: “I’ve struck the spring itself! Here’s where it bubbles up.”
“It’s almost in the middle of the area, isn’t it?” called Mrs. James delightedly.
“Yeh, and it makes quite a little way for itself until it gets clogged with dirt and tangle of debris. Then it spreads all over the place and causes the bog. It looks like an easy job to clean out a little ditch to run the water along to the creek, until we are ready to flood the whole area,” said Ames.
He prodded about some more and then he came out again. “I should say, Mis’ James, that that fixin’ ought to be right easy.”