MAY 187 



I do not think that the arguments of an angel from heaven would 

 suffice to change them. Indeed, it seems to me that throughout 

 every class of English society, from the highest to the lowest, the 

 cleavage of political opinion is vertical, not lateral, and that in this 

 happy state of affairs, so different from that which prevails in some 

 other lands, lies our great guarantee of safety against violent 

 changes and revolution. 



A neighbour of mine tells me to-day that an entire field full of 

 his beans have failed to appear above the ground. Those respon- 

 sible for the sowing of the beans allege that his pheasants (he 

 preserves) have scratched them up and eaten them. He, on the 

 contrary, is of opinion that the beans were allowed to heat upon 

 the stack and that their germinating power was thus destroyed. I 

 know not who is right, but incline to the latter view, as pheasants, 

 however mischievous and they are very mischievous would 

 scarcely have removed every bean with such singular regularity. 



May 7. Spring is slow in coming this year. To-day is again 

 sunless with a cold north-east wind. The young mangolds are 

 beginning to look very yellow from lack of warmth, and so are 

 the little grass-seedlings sown down for permanent pasture. 

 Warm nights are needed now, and we get none. On the farm we 

 are going on with our routine : timber-gilling, swede-baulking, 

 and manure-carting. 



By hiding behind a bush this morning for they seem to have 

 a great dislike of being watched I saw a most curious form of 

 courtship in progress between a cock and a hen turkey. They 

 stood back to back at a little distance from each other, and then, 

 after vaiious deliberate preparations, began waltzing round in a 

 circle, keeping their outspread tails pointing to each other. It 

 reminded me of a figure in one of the square dances where the 

 lady and gentleman walk round one another back to back. 



All the bullocks at Baker's have now been sold to the butcher 

 by weight at a price of 7^. a stone. Let us say that works out at 

 i6o/. for the eight of them, plus i4/. los. for the two which went 



