114 NOTES ON FIELDS AND CATTLE. 



regale themselves to their hearts' content with 

 bread-and-cheese and beer. 



But how exciting was the scene as the parallelo- 

 gram in the middle of the suffering field grew smaller 

 and smaller with each succeeding cut ! Whirr now 

 went a partridge, then another, and another, or a 

 rabbit popped out, only to bolt back to its covert at 

 the sight of the binders around. Anon a hare stole 

 by, indebted to her speed for her escape, while an 

 occasional pheasant rose on startled pinion, or came 

 running along the line of standing corn almost 

 within reach. Then, as the plot grew narrower yet, 

 the "bunnies" dared, or rather were driven to the 

 extremity of flight, but foundering over the scattered 

 shocks and stubble, the event was that not one 

 escaped. As the machine swept along on its final 

 course there were some nine couple laid out on the 

 ground. 



To finish that field's history. Within a week from 

 the carrying the surface had been scarified, harrowed, 

 and rolled, and Trifolium incarnatum sown. With 

 the first shower a dose of superphosphate (four hun- 

 dred weight to the acre) was administered. A goodly 

 sprinkling of wheat came up, too, serving for shelter 

 to the young plant ; so that it became a right ac- 

 ceptable fresh bite the succeeding March for the 

 ewes with their young offspring. Fed down by 

 them, I allowed it a short period to grow, and then 

 brought them on again. Once more with busy tooth 

 they chased away the serried stems, and the surface 

 was quite — this time it seemed most hopelessly — 

 bare. It was all over now, I thought, with poor tri- 



