FEBRUARY 117 



began to nibble at the bark. Perhaps it was collecting materials 

 for its nest, though of this I am not sure, as I do not know when 

 these little creatures begin to mate. The rabbits, at any rate, are 

 already breeding freely, for I have seen some half-grown young ones 

 in the wood on the Bath Hills ; indeed, I believe that in mild 

 seasons they continue to multiply all through the winter. As I 

 turned to go home, frightening away the mice by my movement, 

 the Bungay church clock struck, and although it is a mile and a 

 quarter distant, in that clear still air it sounded close at hand. 



The labourers' rate of wages on this farm is now 135. a week 

 and harvest money. The milkman, however, who receives no 

 harvest money, gets a cottage free instead. The man employed 

 about the plantations and on odd jobs is paid i2s., and an old 

 fellow, who has been working as a stop-gap for the last six months, 

 i is. only. I wish that there were any reasonable prospect of wages 

 increasing, but this seems impossible until farming can be made to 

 pay again. Under the present state of affairs, even at to-day's 

 prices the labour bill frequently devours all the profits. 



To-day Hood sold a pair of the little red-poll bullocks, two- 

 year-old things, to the butcher. There was a disagreement as to 

 price, Hood asking igl. apiece, and the butcher offering i7/. 

 Finally, it was agreed that we should be paid by dead weight at 

 the rate of "js. a stone, which at present is the top figure for prime 

 beef in this neighbourhood. The butcher, I understand, lays the 

 weight of the animals at forty-five stone each, while Hood estimates 

 them at fifty. 



This evening I went to support a neighbour who is standing 

 for the County Council in this division. As a rule there is now 

 little interest shown in these counties in elections to the Council, 

 but, as it chances, in this parish there lives a gentleman of 

 advanced views, a pedlar by profession, who, with a courage which 

 does him credit in the face of an ever-increasing lack of support, 

 fights the seat at each election, the more light heartedly perhaps 

 as I believe that the expenses of the contest are put upon the 

 rates. It cannot be said that a meeting of this sort is otherwise 



