"I just love the country and everything in it—that's why!" exclaimed Zan vehemently.
"Well, girls, there's plenty of work for us to do, if you want to do it. I see lettuce all ready for the table, but the weeds are thick about it so that you can hardly tell which is lettuce or which is chick-weed. We ought to clean that out!" suggested the Guide.
Without waiting for consent, Miss Miller carefully stepped between rows of growing things and reached the lettuce patch. Here she stooped and began pulling handsful of green weeds that were just beginning to show a tiny white flower on its head.
Zan followed the Guide and also began weeding. In a few minutes, all of the girls were weeding out the chick-weed and in a short time the lettuce bed presented a very different appearance.
"My, how nice it looks! And how much better the lettuce seems to be already!" cried Jane.
Miss Miller was delighted at the interest manifested by her charges, and from the lettuce bed she led them to the radishes.
"Oh, the dear little buttons!" laughed Elena, dropping on one knee and digging up one of the red balls.
"What a small bed—doesn't any of your family like radishes?" queried Nita of Zan.
"This is only one seeding; Bill plants some seed at different times so all of the radishes won't be ready at the same time. They're not fit to eat after they are too large and pithy. These are the second planting. We have had radishes sent to the city all spring and summer, thus far."