He was lucky enough to find a tree of this kind whose bole had been
split lengthwise by the falling of an old rotten tree near it. With
his stone tools and the help of fire he managed after several days'
work to make a wide sharpened tool out of one of the large pieces
split off. It was a little over three feet long. He had trimmed one
end small and cut notches in the sides about one foot from the flat
end. He could place his foot in the notch and thrust his wooden spade
into the earth. With his rude tool he dug up and turned the soil of
a small space of ground several times to kill the vines and weeds.
His corn quickly sprouted after this attempt and outstripped the weeds
and vines which Robinson constantly had to hold in check by pulling
and hoeing. He was rejoiced at his growing crop and went each morning
to feast his eyes on the rapidly expanding leaves and ears.
One morning as he came in sight of the little clearing he thought he
saw something disappearing in the low brush on the other side as he
approached. Alas, his labor had been in vain! A herd of wild goats
had found out the place and had utterly destroyed his crop. Robinson
sat down nearby and surveyed the ruin of his little field. "It is plain,"
thought he, "I will have to fence in the field or I will never be able
to harvest my crop. I cannot watch it all the time."
He had already learned from his experience in making the fence around
the goat pasture that the branches of many kinds of shrubs and trees,
when broken off and thrust into the ground, will send out roots and
leaves and at length if planted close together in a line, will form
a thick hedge which no kind of beast can get through or over.
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