"You've really accomplished wonders already, Bob, with the dairy house, hen house and cow barn," said his grandmother. "These are the contractor's tools and materials over here, grandma," said Bob; "he says he's going to have all the buildings finished by September first." "Not the new house, Bob?" "Well, it may take longer for that building, as the house will have to be plastered and painted, but he has agreed to have the barn up by the first of September and the house not later than the first of November. They're all going to be of concrete and fireproof, too, like our smaller buildings," he said proudly. "They must be costing a good deal, Bob." "Not so much, grandma; the contract price for the barn is $2000 and the house $4500." [Illustration: THE ELECTRIC-DRIVEN LAUNDRY PERMITS THE WIFE TO KEEP PACE WITH HER TRACTOR-DRIVING HUSBAND AND BANISHES BLUE MONDAYS] "My, Bob, that's a terrible amount of money to spend for two buildings." "Yes, but wait till you see all we're getting out of the farm this year, grandma. Now, come over and see the laundry we've fitted up in the old wash house. Of course, we'll have a real laundry in the new house, but this will give you some idea of what it will be like," he said, as he opened the door and showed her in. "This is the washing machine and wringer, and this is the mangle." "Why, what's the mangle for?" she asked. "Oh, that's the machine for ironing the clothes," answered Bob. "They all run by electricity, too. The waste water from the pond runs a turbine water wheel and that's connected by a belt to an electric generator, a machine for changing mechanical energy to electrical energy, you know; and all we need to do is to throw this switch over and the wheel starts turning down at the pond and we have current. Of course, at night we take the current from the storage batteries for lights, after we shut down the wheel, but these motors require too much current to use the batteries for them, economically." "Why, do you have electric lights in the house, Bob?" she asked. "Not in the house, grandma--only in the new buildings, and the laundry. We didn't think it would pay to put the lights in the house for only a few weeks in the summer, when we'll soon have our new house finished, but, of course, there'll be electric lights in the new house." "Well, Bob, it's certainly wonderful the way things have changed in such a short time. I was admiring your bees as we came up the new drive. The white hives certainly look nice sitting over there under the green trees, and such a lot of white chickens, Bob. I never saw so many in one place in my life before. How many have you now?" "Almost 1000, grandma," he replied proudly. "Edith mostly looks after them and the bees." "What will you do with so many, Bob?" "Oh, we'll sell a lot and keep some for laying. Just wait till you see our books next spring--you'll see how it pays."