126 NOTES ON FIELDS AND CATTLE. 



over marble size, getting between the finger-guards. 

 The bigger stones throw up the framework bodily, so 

 that the knives escape, but it is at the expense of a 

 swathe mown far too high. An old encampment of 

 nettles in one spot — as usual a rich dry loam — as it 

 sprung up afresh was vigorously beaten into tatters 

 with rods, and salted until it disappeared. This 

 pickling is the only way I know to get rid of an 

 obstinate weed, which, however prized for the dye its 

 root yields, however palatable boiled to the old village 

 lady's winter pig, is not to be affected on a pasture. 

 Some root them up by dint of painful labour. My 

 plan acts upon the principle that a bruised limb will 

 mortify, communicating its morbific matter until it 

 kills the sound ; whereas a limb clean cut off will 

 heal, and leave the body else unimpaired. 



The first drizzling day a strong dressing of guano 

 (the speciality of guano is to improve the upper 

 growth of leaves, not bulb) was applied, which the 

 rain beat down to the roots at once. The gates 

 were then closed, and the meadow was left to its 

 repose. 



Thistles, by the way, the common running peren- 

 nial sort, whose roots spread wide and deep, should 

 be plucked up in damp weather, by careful hands 

 well protected by thick leather gloves, or mown down 

 when the stem is stout grown, so that water lodges 

 in the hollow pipe and kills the plant. After all, this 

 is uncertain, and it is difficult to name an effectual 

 cure for the pest. It is singular that wherever sheep 

 pasture thistles will spring up, as groundsel always 

 has a passage taken in manure purchased from the 



