390 LIFE AND EXPERIENCES CHAP. 



become me to say so, I had some doubts as to my 

 ability to farm on scientific principles. In the first 

 place my seventy acres, though in a lovely situation, 

 were, on my arrival, from a farmer's point of view, in 

 an almost hopeless condition. The land had been for 

 years practically ruined, and it was the home of little 

 else than thistles and couch-grass, and even when 

 cleaned was anything but "fat "land. Still I deter- 

 mined to try to bring it into order by the application 

 of the common rules of everyday farming. 



The provision of pure water for man, beast and plant, 

 on the top of a chalk hill above the supply of a water 

 company, is a difficulty which must be coped with. 

 I believe it is true that if all the rain water from the top 

 of a house is collected the amount would be sufficient for 

 the household's wants. But I had not only to supply 

 the house, but the cattle, horses, and garden. For 

 some time I relied on rain-water (which by the way, 

 when properly stored in underground tanks, and well 

 filtered, serves as a most excellent potable water) and 

 on the yield from a very small spring in a field close to 

 the house. One very severe drought, a few summers 

 ago, caused much anxiety, as our water supply nearly 

 came to an end and I was on the point of sending the 

 live-stock, both man and beast, into the valley when we 

 were saved by a thunderstorm. This induced me to 

 look around for a further source of water, and in one of 

 the fields I observed a moist area, and on digging I 

 found to my satisfaction a probable supply, in a mass of 

 quaking sand. Into this I therefore sank a well, taking 

 care, however, only to go so far as not to disturb the 

 water-tight basin of clay which prevented the water 

 disappearing into the chalk. The result has been that 

 we have now an unfailing supply of fairly good surface 

 water, flowing from the higher land, which we pump 



