Summer On The Farm (1947)

It's in June. And John and Jerry Johnson are at their favorite fishing spot. What is it that John sees and points out to Jerry? It's a frog. A leopard frog. You can tell he's a leopard frog by his rounded light bordered spots. He's at least 3 years old. For the frog, this dragonfly resting on a rock nearby would be a dainty bite. But the frog won't get this one. One of the fishermen seems to have a bite. It's John's line. She waits until the fish takes the bait. There. She hooks the fish, and in he comes. Jerry's getting ready to take him off the line. Here he is, a sunfish. Not very large, but big enough to keep. Jerry knows just how to take the fish off the hook. Now it's time to go home. John sticks the sharp fish hook in the cork. That's all the fishing for today, but John and Jerry will come back to the pond many times during the summer months. On their way along the road that leads back to the farmhouse, John notices some June wildflowers. They are wild roses growing in the tall grass beside the path, growing fresh bright in the June sun. John leaves them. Wildflowers and billowy white clouds sailing across the blue sky are signs of summer. The tall grass, too, is a sign of summer, the season when things grow fast. Near the pasture is the field where Mr. Johnson is cultivating young corn on this bright June day. The Johnson tractor pulls the cultivator along the rows of growing corn. The cultivators break up the hard earth around the corn plants. The corn Mr. Johnson planted in May is growing fast now that the days are warm and sunny. Everything is growing. In the orchard, there were only blossoms a few weeks ago, but now on the same branches are small green apples. And high up in the apple tree, a young robin has grown big enough to leave its nest. It's fun to watch things grow, and things grow fast in June. Joan and Jerry are happy to be living on a farm in summer. Now July is here, and it's haying time in the fields of the Johnson farm. The tractor goes round and round the field with a sickle bar attached to it, cutting the fresh green clover. The clover is left on the ground to dry in the warm summer sun. In another part of the field, the hay is already dry enough to be loaded onto the hay rack. While Mr. Johnson works on top of the rack loading the hay, Jerry drives the tractor. This is one of Jerry's favorite summertime job. This loading machine saves a lot of hard work on a hot day. But piling up the steady stream of hay keeps Mr. Johnson very busy. Now the load is high enough to take to the barn. This hay will help feed the Johnson cows and horses and sheep next winter. Other feed for the stock will come from the corn now growing along the road that leads to the barn. The corn has grown fast in the summer sun. Young ears with their plumes or silks have already grown out from the stalk. It makes Mr. Johnson feel good to see his corn crops coming along so well. If the corn gets the rain it needs, there will be a good crop this year. While Jerry and his father are busy with the hay, Joan is in the garden cutting a bouquet of flowers for the house. These zinnias are just right for the dinner table. And now over at the barn, the hay is almost all unloaded. Mr. Johnson puts the big grab fork into the hay. The rope on the fork runs up and through to the other end of the barn, where it is fastened to a team of horses. As Jerry drives them forward, the horses pull on the rope and lift the hay up toward the hay loft. The horses keep on pulling until the hay goes all the way into the loft. Now it is August and here are John and Jerry picking blackberries in a patch near the woods. Later on, Joan will help her mother make pies and jam and jelly from the berries. Black ones that are ripe and juicy and red ones that haven't ripened yet grow side by side on the bushes. Some of the berries will never get to mother's kitchen. That's enough berry picking for today, but more will be ripe tomorrow. On the way home, Joan stops to look at something on a bush along the path. It's a butterfly with orange and black wings. And right over there is another butterfly. There are many kinds of butterflies in the pasture on this day in August. Late summer flowers are growing along the path to the house. The one Jerry picks is a kind of sunflower. In the garden near the house, Mrs. Johnson is at work. The tomatoes are at their best now. Stooping to pick the tomatoes is hard work for mother. This is a good chance for Joan and Jerry to help. This year, the vines are heavy with tomatoes ripened by the August sun. Jerry is careful not to bruise them. Mother will can some of these for the family to eat next winter. Over at the edge of the garden, where the tall red flowers grow, Joan is surprised to see a big garden spider. It looks ugly, but the garden spider isn't poisonous. The spider's web is its home, and it is also a trap for the insects the spider eats. In the shade of a tree near the house, Mrs. Johnson is preparing a surprise for Joan and Jerry. Joan. Jerry. Joan and Jerry leave the garden and start for the house. This is the first ripe watermelon of the season. It was grown in the Johnson's own melon patch and cooled in the cellar. When a melon is ripe like this, it cracks open easily. How red and juicy it is. No wonder Joan and Jerry come running. With a sharp knife, mother begins to cut the melon into long, thin slices. Slices that are easy to hold and easy to eat. It tastes just as good as it looks. Watermelon is a summer treat worth working for and worth waiting for. Yes, summer is a good time to live on the farm. Summer, the time when days are warm and everything is growing.