the cart and putting them over the ground.

2. 'Why, it is Joe!' they cried, as they came nearer. 'Good-morning,
Joe. What are you doing?'

'Chalking this bit of land, you see. You know what chalk is, do you?'

3. Harry and Dora picked up a piece or two.

'Teacher writes on the blackboard with chalk,' they said.

'Yes, you are right. It is used for many things,' and he went on
spreading it over the field.

4. 'But what is it wanted here for, Joe?'

'No chalk, no wheat!' said Joe.

'Father put no chalk on our field, and we had such a heap of wheat!'

5. 'Yours is good land. This up here has never been used for farming. It
had little old trees on it, you know, and they were cut down and their
roots dug out of the ground; and now, look at it! It is poor soil.'

6. 'How do you know it is poor?'

'Look at the field below, what a nice brown it is! That will grow
anything, but this is all colours--black, red, yellow, and green.

7. 'I have been a long way to fetch this chalk: I started off with old