248 A FARMER'S YEAR 



tion. After dinner the men went to work cutting out the beet on 

 Baker's, No. 44, a slow job indeed owing to the furious growth of 

 weeds, which, even when hoed out, do not die in such weather as 

 this, but very frequently root again in the furrows. 



This morning I walked through some of the land that I let in 

 allotments, as I wished to see what crops are most grown by the 

 holders. I found that potatoes are chiefly in favour, while next 

 *to them comes beet. Wherever the plant of these has failed for 

 a yard or so, or even less, the husbandmen sow a pinch of swede 

 seed, which in due course they thin out to one or two roots as 

 may be required. But little market-garden stuff is grown, as 

 for this there is practically no market. So I have learned by 

 experience, as the man in charge of the Lodge garden, which is 

 one of the best in this neighbourhood, has been instructed to sell 

 the produce that is not wanted. He tells me that with the 

 exception of potatoes, which come on early in this sheltered spot, 

 he can get no price for anything, asparagus not excepted. Clearly 

 it would be cheaper to buy vegetables than to keep up a garden. 



I went also to look at the seven young purchased home-breds, 

 and two of my own in-calf red-poll heifers that are running on the 

 dry marsh, No. 18. They are doing well, all of them, and the 

 heifers, which are the progeny of two of my best cows, seem 

 really beautiful animals. It is curious to notice the difference 

 between these high-bred things and the seven steers. They also 

 are red and polled ; indeed I think that a bull from my herd was 

 their father or grandfather, for I sold him as a young thing to 

 the farmer who bred them ; but their coats are many degrees 

 lighter in colour, their limbs less fine, and generally they lack 

 the unmistakable signs of breeding. 



There is a thick crop of grass on the low marsh, No. 19, but it 

 seems to be very wet at bottom, owing, doubtless, to the recent 

 floods. Moreover, the docks are legion. Ever since I have had this 

 marsh in hand it has been cut annually for hay, which makes it 

 almost impossible for men to go on it in suitable by which must 

 be understood wet weather to draw the docks. Also, up to the 



