JUNE 249 



present we never seem to have had time to tackle this troublesome 

 and laborious task. Being one of those things that can stand over, 

 it is always left to stand over. At the best, to get these marshes quite 

 clear of docks would, I fear, be practically impossible, for as fast as 

 they are destroyed the flood water deposits a fresh supply of seed. 



June 28. Sunday the 26th was heavy and dull, with storms 

 of rain in the morning, while yesterday was dreadfully cold, wet, 

 and tempestuous. We finished cutting out the beet at Baker's as 

 best we could, although it was difficult for the men to stand in the 

 slop, and the showers fell so heavily that from time to time they 

 were obliged to take shelter. The rest of the hands were engaged 

 in carting the manure from Baker's and heaping it on the layer, 

 No. 45, where it will stand till the time comes to spread it in 

 autumn. It looks curious to see a compost heap among the 

 mown hay, but we are anxious to empty the yard preparatory to the 

 building of the shed that is to cover it in ; also there is little else 

 for the labourers to do in such weather. 



To-day is again very cold and damp, with a piercing northerly 

 wind, but in the afternoon the sun shone intermittently till about 

 five o'clock, when a dense blue haze, that looked like the approach 

 of thunder-rain, spread itself over earth and sky, though no rain 

 followed. All the men were at work in the hay, some of them 

 engaged in turning and re-making cocks on No. 37, the All 

 Hallows layer. It is high time that these were attended to, for the 

 bottoms of them (which now become the tops), that have been 

 lying all this while upon the wet ground, are beginning literally 

 to stink. Everybody else who is available is down in Baker's 

 field, No 45, trying to get the layer, which for a long while has 

 been steadily and daily drenched, heaped into cocks. This is the 

 process : 



First the men go down the lines of stuff with forks, turning 

 them and throwing to one side any particularly wet lumps ; then, 

 after the hay has been thus treated and lain a while to dry, comes 

 the horse-tosser, breaking up the wisps and airing them. Next 



