America 1883: The Western Homeland

Chapter 164 Spring Planting

Tom watched the professional land reclamation team work efficiently and couldn't help but think to himself: They deserve to make this money!

"Cooper, is everything recorded?" Tom asked, turning his head.

Cooper nodded quickly: "From the moment I entered, I had my assistant write down every single detail, without missing a single one!"

Tom naturally trusted Cooper's meticulousness, but that wasn't enough.

He also spent extra money to buy a set of detailed materials from the contractor, which included all aspects of personnel training, tool use and maintenance, and so on. The level of professionalism was astonishing.

Holding the professional guide to cultivating land in his hand, Tom's lips curled into a slight smile.

Next time, there's no need to spend a lot of money to hire outsiders.

The land had been prepared, and although it was already May, Tom did not hesitate to start the planting plan.

He posted job advertisements at Livingston Tavern, and through the introduction of a farmer who took care of Elsa's children, he hired her husband, a skilled farmer, and also recruited farmers from nearby towns, and even some unemployed miners joined in.

In just a few days, a farming team of forty people was assembled.

At dawn the next day, before the sky was fully light, Tom was already standing in front of the barn.

He struck the old iron bell himself, the clear sound breaking the tranquil morning in Paradise Valley.

"Guys!" Tom's voice boomed as he addressed the group of men of various skin colors and backgrounds. "From today onward, we're going to plant crops on this land! I don't care if you were miners or craftsmen from town before; here, you are first and foremost farmers."

people!"

He assigned tasks simply, dividing the forty people into four groups.

Each group is equipped with a strong horse and a seeding machine.

Experienced farmers were responsible for driving the horses and controlling the sowing depth, while strong miners were responsible for loading and unloading seed bags and subsequent compaction and leveling work.

Tom himself was also busy. He wandered through the fields, occasionally squatting down to grab a handful of soil and rub it between his fingers to observe its moisture and texture.

"Shallow it by half a step!" Tom shouted to the first group. "The soil here is too soft; sowing too deep will only make things worse!"

A former miner scratched his head and asked, "Boss, are there so many rules about this kind of land?"

Tom stood up and smiled: "Farming isn't just about throwing seeds into the soil. The depth, spacing, and timing—a slight difference can halve the harvest."

He picked up a handful of seeds and let them slowly flow through his fingers. "Just like you have to follow the veins when you mine, you have to follow the nature of the soil when you sow seeds."

He patiently explained that if the seeds are too deep, they will lack oxygen and will be difficult to germinate, while if they are too shallow, they will be easily pecked by birds or have unstable root systems.

Every detail matters to the success or failure of the autumn harvest.

As he spoke, he gestured for everyone to pay attention to his demonstration: the wrist should be steady, and the seeds should be sown evenly, just like a mother gently stroking a baby's swaddling clothes.

He has done his homework.

At noon, Margaret brought lunch with several women.

Freshly baked bread, smoked meat, and vegetable soup were laid out on a large wooden table by the field.

The workers sat together, eating and sharing their experiences from the morning.

Tom noticed that the miners' group was significantly behind schedule, as they were not yet familiar with how to use the farm tools.

He finished his bread in a few bites and went straight to the miners' group.

"Watch," Tom demonstrated personally, his hands firmly gripping the control levers of the seed drill. "Don't use too much force. Let the horses move forward at a steady pace. All you have to do is guide and control them."

A young miner tried it and found it much smoother.

Tom patted him on the shoulder: "Very good! You guys pay attention to the force and angle when you're mining, and it's the same principle when you're farming."

The afternoon sun shone on this newly reclaimed land, reflecting a fertile sheen.

Tom would sometimes bend down to check the seeds he had sown, and sometimes look up at the sky.

Upon seeing the clouds gathering in the distant sky, he immediately ordered the work to be sped up.

"Let's finish planting this area before the rain!" Tom shouted. "The rain is just in time to irrigate our newly planted fields!"

Hearing this, the workers worked even harder.

As evening fell, just as the last patch of land was sown, the rain began to fall.

The workers hurriedly packed up their tools and ran to the barn to take shelter from the rain.

Tom remained in the rain, gazing thoughtfully at the flat land.

"Is everything finished?" Cooper asked as he ran over, holding an umbrella.

Tom wiped the rain from his face, a bright smile spreading across his face: "It's done! Five days, one day faster than expected!"

Tom ate exceptionally quickly at dinner.

"Slow down!" Margaret said as she added a spoonful of broth to his plate.

The beef used was fresh beef bought in Livingston. After more than a year of high prices, they finally dropped, and the ranch no longer needed to slaughter its own cattle.

That day, James sent a telegram saying that they would be returning soon.

The news thrilled the entire Dutton family; even Elsa wanted to join them for dinner, but Margaret gently stopped her.

"Dr. Catherine, are you really going to move out?" Margaret asked with concern.

"Yes," Catherine said calmly.

Over the past few months, Margaret has been filled with gratitude towards her, not only for saving Elsa but also for keeping her grandson's life.

The meticulous care made Catherine feel somewhat guilty. Now that spring was in full bloom and the snow was melting, it was the perfect time to move out.

She didn't go far; she simply moved into the teachers' dormitory at Dutton School.

Tom personally drove the carriage to take her there.

"This is the reward I promised you." Tom handed over a bag of gold.

"In a few days, I will send people to build you a house and a hospital."

Catherine calmly took the purse and put it in her bag.

She never doubted Tom's integrity, but her heart still raced when she heard the word "hospital".

"However, the hospital cannot be built on the estate," Tom added.

Catherine nodded; she had expected this.

After all, we might need to receive patients in the future, and it would be inconvenient to set up the facility within the manor.

"Any other requests? Feel free to make them," Tom said.

He wasn't afraid of her setting conditions; rather, he was afraid she wouldn't. In this western wilderness, everything was lacking, and it couldn't compare to the East or Europe at all.

"I want to find a piece of land to grow some medicinal herbs myself."

Tom narrowed his eyes slightly: "Whichever one you fancy, I'll have someone plant it for you."

Catherine smiled slightly.

She had her eye on this newly reclaimed land and wanted to see if she could grow medicinal herbs here.

"How are Elsa and the baby?" Tom asked finally.

"Elsa still needs to rest for a while. As for the child," Catherine smiled, "who could tell he was born via C-section?"

Indeed, the child ate and slept well, and was fed by two wet nurses in turns, growing up exceptionally strong.

"Catherine, do you have any friends or colleagues you know? Perhaps we could invite them to come along. This hospital is so big; we can't rely on just one doctor, can we?"

Catherine shook her head, her tone calm but firm: "Tom, I've only just arrived and I'm not familiar with anything here yet. Even if they are my friends, I can't just call them here rashly; that would be irresponsible."

Tom understood that what she said made sense, but he still insisted, "You're right, but you also know that a hospital can't be supported by just one doctor."

Catherine remained silent for a moment, her gaze lowered, as if she were carefully weighing something.

Just then, James returned to the estate, looking travel-worn, with the calf he had bought from Texas!