“Well, Billy,” cried Eleanor, “if I remember one-tenth of the lesson, I’ll be satisfied!” “And I, too!” echoed Mary Frances. “If I’d thought,” continued Eleanor, “you were such a wiseacre, Mr. Professor Billy, I’d have brought a note book.” “Oh, you girls can see my notes any time,” said Billy, pleased with their compliments. “What I didn’t like, Billy, was the constant reference to ‘children,’” Mary Frances went on. “Now, little girls,” began Billy, “that is just for ‘Safety First.’ When you are a little older and more experienced in gardening——” “Oh, Billy, if you tease, you’ll spoil everything!” declared Mary Frances. “Do keep your old poison secrets. I don’t like the idea of killing bugs even.” “Nor the fellow ‘who needlessly puts his foot upon a worm,’” quoted Billy. “I bet Bob would rather like that lesson, even if you and Eleanor didn’t.” “I’m going to write down what I can remember for Bob,” declared Eleanor. “May I use your desk, Mary Frances?” “Nothing could please me better,” answered her friend, leading the way through the play house door. FOOTNOTE: [H] The small amount of arsenical poisons used by market gardeners and farmers is not dangerous unless the plant is used immediately after their application. The danger lies in having such poisons within reach of children. CHAPTER XXX EARLY VEGETABLES “YOU will tell me, won’t you, Mary Frances, how you started the garden, and how in the world you induced your brother to give you lessons?” Eleanor looked up from the notes she had made. “If it hadn’t been for Feather Flop,” began Mary Frances. “Feather Flop!” exclaimed Eleanor. “Do you mean your pet rooster?” “Yes,” declared Mary Frances, “he really had a great deal to do with it, although Billy ridicules the idea.” “I can’t quite understand it myself,” Eleanor said. “I thought chickens were very injurious to a garden.” “Not Feather Flop! He has been so interested from the very first that I myself have been amazed. Eleanor, you should hear about the cutworms and other insects he has eaten, and the weeds he has taken out of the garden.” Mary Frances grew excited in being able to praise the rooster to someone. “He made little piles of weeds at the end of each vegetable patch, and I had to pretend to Billy that I did the weeding, for he’d never, never have believed that Feather Flop did the work.” “Isn’t it wonderful!” exclaimed Eleanor. “Do tell me more about him!” “Hush!” exclaimed Mary Frances, “here comes Billy.” “Hello, girls, want to see something fine?” Billy looked in the play house window. “Of course!” cried the girls at once. “Come on out then—follow me.” Billy led them to the vegetable garden. “What is it?” asked Mary Frances. “Just brush a little of the earth away from that radish,” replied Billy, pointing to one of the largest plants. “Oh, look!” cried Mary Frances, as she pulled the little red ball root, and held it up for admiration.