452 A FARMER'S YEAR 



land when broken up smells somewhat sour. Certainly it is 

 most unwholesome ; witness the fevers contracted by white men 

 employed in cutting canals and railways in Africa and other 

 semi-tropical places. 



Already we have been obliged to begin upon our beet, mixing 

 them for the food of the seven young oxen at Baker's with the few 

 remaining swedes, as to put cattle upon a sudden diet of lush 

 mangolds would be too violent a change. Owing to the drought 

 swedes are very scarce this year ; indeed, my experience of them 

 upon our soil is that they are the most uncertain of all crops. 

 Very generally they suffer from mildew, or stunt of one kind and 

 another, especially in such dry seasons as we have experienced of 

 late. I should like to grow more kohl-rabi, a most valuable root, 

 but Hood is of opinion that this Ditchingham land is too light 

 for the needs of that vegetable. White turnips also, he thinks, 

 have not more than half the feeding value of swedes. Yet with 

 humility I venture to believe that it would be wise to lessen the 

 acreage of this crop as much as possible. 



December 29. This has been a most miserable day, very wet 

 and windy, indeed one of the darkest of the dying year. Through- 

 out its gloomy hours, however, two ploughs have been going upon 

 the light glebe land, although, as Peachey pointed out, such soil, 

 on account of the gravel in it, is apt to set very hard if turned up 

 in the wet. In the present case, however, as we are not ploughing 

 for crop, this does not greatly matter. 



To the observer standing on the crest of the rise by the 

 corner of the cemetery a fitting spot for such a study the scene, 

 as it appeared beneath the pall of slaty flying scud this morning, 

 was one of singular desolation. In the far background, piercing 

 the wreaths of vapour like some lone beacon upon a dreary coast, 

 stood the tower of Broome church, and to the left of it, but 

 nearer, the gaunt framework of a thatchless, ruined barn. Below 

 this skeleton came lines of dim elms, now hidden and now 

 revealed as the driving wrack of rain lifted or closed in about 



