OCTOBER 365 



wonderful variations of the British climate, that we shall be short 

 both of feed and roots. The Bedingham ox, Royal Duke, which 

 I have been cherishing all this year, is now in a box at the All 

 Hallows farm. It is curious that he should have taken the first 

 {)rize at the North Suffolk Association Show, as he is a nervous 

 beast and, after being moved here several days previous to the 

 competition, was so upset by the change and the heat that he 

 refused to take his food. 



As might be expected in such a season the mustard which I 

 drilled on to the pease stubbles, No. 37 All Hallows and No. 43 

 Baker's, appears to be an almost total failure owing to the drought, 

 although, being a stubborn crop, it may still pick up should we 

 get rain within a reasonable time. Somewhat to my surprise, 

 however, for it is a water-loving plant, the little piece of maize 

 which was sown on No. 21, where the vetches were fed off by 

 sheep, is throwing up a welcome breadth of green stuff. The 

 vetches, which were harvested off the remainder of the same field, 

 have been thrashed, but there seems to be no market for them 

 this year, 



October 5. — To-day we are ploughing on the bean stubble. 

 No. 26, for wheat, and on Baker's, No. 42, for vetches, but with 

 the soil in its present condition it is dreadfully hard work for the 

 horses. This afternoon I went to Bedingham, and found Moore 

 likewise ploughing for wheat upon the bean stubble. No. 14. 

 Here the cattle look well ; also the beet and the kohl-rabi, a most 

 valuable crop in such a season, have stood the drought better than 

 was to be expected. Young Moore and the new man, Whitrup, 

 are engaged in clearing the brushwood rubbish from the sides of 

 the dykes before they fill up with water, gathering it into heaps 

 for the burning. The young things with the colts are feeding on 

 the wheat stubbles, where they manage to fill themselves with the 

 green weeds and the many ears of corn which seem to have 

 escaped the attention of the gleaners. But perhaps none have 

 been here, for nowadays I do not think that in these parts many 



