88 A FARMER'S YEAR 



that animals which recover under this treatment would not have 

 died in any case. I believe also that the best preventive against 

 ' blowing ' is to have the root they feed on pulped and mixed 

 with the chaff twelve hours before it is given to the cattle. This 

 excellent plan allows fermentation to take place and the gases to 

 escape before the food reaches the stomach of the ox. It is, 

 however, very difficult to persuade farmers and bailiffs to adopt it, 

 partly because they are prejudiced about the matter, and partly 

 because it requires a little more thought and trouble, and a 

 proper place is necessary where the pulped root can be kept safe 

 and clean until it is wanted. 



January 20. To-day is extraordinarily mild for the time of 

 year, and all the birds are singing with a full voice as though 

 spring were already come. The garden, too, shows many signs 

 of life, and one crocus has just opened its gold cup upon the north 

 slope of the lawn bank. Three ploughs are going upon the eight- 

 acre on Baker's Farm, No. 41, turning back the soil which was 

 ploughed for barley a few weeks ago. This is a stiffish bit of land, 

 and, if the weather holds fairly dry, a second ploughing will no 

 doubt do it a great deal of good. Should it chance to come on 

 wet, however, it may probably work it harm, as the freshly turned 

 soil will then run together into a kind of cake. Still, since the 

 season holds so dry, it seems worth while to take the risk. 



This afternoon I saw the butcher who despatched the blown ox. 

 He told me it is so bruised from long struggling on its back after 

 it ' went down ' that the meat is of little value, and added that he 

 dared not send it to London for fear lest we should all get into 

 trouble. I begged him on no account to do anything of the sort, 

 as I do not wish to appear before a metropolitan magistrate in the 

 character of a vendor of doubtful meat. He assured me that he 

 will not, but as a matter of curiosity I should like to know what 

 becomes of this class of beef. So far as I can gather it is consumed 

 on board the herring-smacks ; smacksmen, it would seem, are not 

 dainty feeders. 



