98 ORMISTOUN'S LETTERS 



time I shall write Miles this Post to this purpose. If I have 

 time, if not by next. 



Alnwick Sunday Noon.^ 



Tell Miles this and concert measures for doing as above. 

 Tell Miles not to let the work up the way be neglected. Push 

 on the Mine till several rooms ^ are set off from it, that good 

 coals may be got against the sale comes on. 



Morpeth Sunday night. 



As the work up the way will require the Oversman's being 

 at hand, he may stay there and not go to the new Work 

 unless Mr. Rowe absolutely wants him, for we must not 

 neglect our old Work. Tell this to Mr. Rowe Milles and 

 Thomas. 



XXXV 



No date. Charles, — I wrote a long letter about planting which I 



expect you '1 follow. If any real objections occur let me know 

 after considering what I wrote. I am for planting none of 

 any kind after 7*^ feby. except in Nursery in case of trans- 

 planting and that only in case of not overtaking all sooner. 

 So tell the Tenants not to delay for I won't throw away my 

 trees in giving any after that, only to be lost. I hope you 

 have dung for some of the Nursery. What do you propose to 

 do with the Hay Yard ? How will it do half Cabbages and 

 half Savoys. They 'l help Cows in hard weather next Winter. 

 I don't know but digging up the poor potatoes ^ that are in it 

 may be of some help to your swine. They being . . . cant 

 get otherwise to them. Alex"* Wight promised 2 or 3 Bushels 



^ Evidently written on the journey south to London. Note the Sunday 

 travelling of a well-brought-up Whig, and the social aspect of Sunday break- 

 fasts, p. 52. 



2 Mining term still for working-places. Note that on the estate there seems 

 to have been periodical sales of timber, bark, and coals. 



"' We have here a hint of the as yet despised position of the potato, which may 

 account for its culture spreading so slowly. Pigs were allowed to grub the crop 

 off the field. In case, for some reason that has gone, they could not get at 

 them so, the potatoes were to be dug up for them. 



