JULY 273 



pride, had told him that he could * chuck a sixpence ' anywhere 

 into that field of grass and find it again by which he meant to 

 convey that the crop was decidedly thin. ' If he'd been a-dragging 

 of a scythe through it all day long he wouldn't think it too thin,' 

 Moore added wrathfully. I consoled him by saying that I thought 

 the cut a very good one ; much better, indeed, than when we 

 mowed this field two years ago. I think it will come out at quite 

 a ton and a quarter an acre, if not more, as the grass here, 

 although not tall, is exceedingly thick at bottom. 



The pigeons continue to do a great deal of mischief to the 

 kohl-rabi on the new drained field by the wood, No. 18. Moore 

 is going to borrow a gun from a neighbour and try to shoot 

 them on Sunday morning. Unless he catches them sitting I 

 do not think that any young ' dows ' will be orphaned. 



July 15. St. Swithun's, and a beautiful day, with a rising 

 glass and a north to north-easterly wind. Clearly the Saint does 

 not intend to ' christen the apples ' this year ; indeed, everybody 

 thinks that he is going to give us a long spell of fine weather. 

 There is an almost universal belief in St. Swithun in these parts, 

 and certainly, so far as my memory goes, it is justified. I hope it 

 may be so this year, as we sadly need a spell of summer weather. 



We are considering the advisability of buying a reaper an 

 expense that seems to be justified by our corn area. I have been 

 to Bungay this afternoon to look at a specimen which is highly 

 recommended, a very light but strong and serviceable machine of 

 American make. It is curious, by the way, that the Americans 

 should have won such a hold of the market in agricultural ma- 

 chinery. I suppose that there are English-made reapers, and as, 

 on the Christian principle of turning the other cheek to the smiter, 

 I prefer giving my support, insignificant as it may be, to home 

 industries, I should have been glad to buy one, but there do not 

 seem to be any on show at Bungay. If manufacturers wish to sell 

 their articles they must have local agents to push them. Farmers, 

 very naturally, have a great dislike to buying things through 



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