APRIL 157 



eat the beet half as greedily as they did. Formerly they used to 

 gobble every bit of them with the exception of a dirty little 

 piece of that portion of the rind which lay undermost ; now it 

 is common to see the root messed about and half of it left 

 uneaten. 



By the way, the beet which we drilled yesterday were, I think, 

 our last. Certainly we have no reason to complain of the way 

 they have gone in this year ; I only trust that they will come up 

 as well. 



In the evening the nightingales were singing most beautifully 

 upon the Vineyard Hills, their favourite haunt. 



This morning I received a lithographed form telling me that 

 the Unionist member for South Norfolk had resigned, and that 

 my presence was requested at Norwich at 11.30 to assist in the 

 selection of a candidate to fight the seat. As to reach Norwich 

 by 11.30 I should have had only a few minutes to change my 

 clothes, get breakfast, and catch the train, it was not possible for 

 me to attend the meeting. This, however, will not matter much, 

 as no doubt the candidate is already fixed upon by the 

 responsible people at Norwich who are managing the election, 

 for had it been otherwise a longer notice would have been given. 

 I confess, however, that in these democratic days I think it is 

 best that a candidate should be chosen by a general gathering of 

 the party, and after he has laid his views before them in a formal 

 speech. That was what happened when, some years ago, I 

 contested a seat in this county in the agricultural interest, and I 

 am sorry that the precedent has not been adhered to in the 

 present case, although very possibly there were good reasons for its 

 neglect. If all the leading members of a party have attended, or 

 are afforded a reasonable chance of attending, such a meeting, 

 having been personally consulted, they will work harder and 

 with more enthusiasm for the candidate who happens to be 

 chosen. 



Putting this question aside, it seems to me that the party has 

 hit upon a most unfortunate moment to accept the resignation of 



