JANUARY 97 



allowed to run with the ewes, as they would knock about and 

 perhaps kill the lambs, and if penned up they are apt to develop 

 foot-rot. Of course, in large flocks, where there are proper pro- 

 visions for keeping rams by themselves, it is another matter, but 

 in the case of a little lot of sheep like mine it is best to get rid of 

 them, and buy or hire others when they are wanted. 



January 29. This morning we finished drilling the pease on 

 Baker's, No. 43, and also drilled four acres of pease on All Hallows, 

 No. 37, the ten-acre which was under barley last year and is 

 now divided into six acres of layer and four of pease. Like those 

 sown on the other piece, they went in very well. In drilling with 

 a number of coulters it is very necessary to watch that nearest to 

 the wheel, since the earth lifted by it in its revolutions is apt to 

 fall into the funnel and choke the lower exit. This happened to- 

 day, with the result that the centre funnels filled with pease which 

 could not escape, and necessitated the following backwards of 

 the line cut by the coulter by a man who sowed with the hand the 

 seed that had missed. 



In the afternoon I went to Bedingham, where I found the 

 men getting on very well with the draining of field No. 18. 

 Bushes by now, however, have become scarce indeed, and as there 

 is no fence left which we can cut, we have been obliged to fall 

 back on the stout growth springing from the crowns of pollards. 

 Here I found Moore splitting back the baulks on one of the fields 

 which he had earthed up for root. Yesterday he horse-hoed 

 No. 14, the five acres of winter beans. I should think that this is 

 almost the first time within the memory of living man that beans 

 have been horse-hoed at Bedingham on January 29. The imme- 

 diate object of the operation was to get rid of some of the barley 

 which dropped from last year's crop before it was carried. Two 

 years ago we learnt a lesson in this matter of barley here at 

 Ditchingham on the brick-kiln field, No. 22. The season before 

 had been very dry, causing the grain to shed in quantity, with the 

 result that in the following spring it came up thick among the 



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