FARMERS' REGISTER— HARVEST LABORS IN ENGLAND. 



53 



ground, which I attribute to its beiiio; drilled at 

 twelve inches distance. Some parts were laid, 

 but generally it was upstanding. Considering its 

 low situation, it nuist be always subject to risk. 

 If this had not been sown so particulariy thin, the 

 crop would have been entirely spoilt. There were 

 11.35 stoolcs, or 51 upon an acre. The clover plant 

 ■\ery good, and extremely clean. This crop Avas 

 taken oil' beyond all expectations, and will be the 

 first wheat in the neighborhood. The necessity 

 of being most particularly attentive to cleaning and 

 picking small [jotatoes, is apparent here; for there 

 are still a great deal more growm^ than there 

 ought to have been. They not only oflend the 

 C}e, but injure the crop. 



" GildcrskUl — 30 acres.'] One part (about five 

 acres) Avas very much laid, and had a great num- 

 ber ot" black heads. I did not observe, however, 

 any ajipearance of mildew. The wheat had been 

 much injured b}" the frost. Sheep were jnit upon 

 it tor a low days; and where they had led, it was 

 much the best. It had been too ])roud before the 

 sheej) were turned upon it, and they did not like 

 it. The season, however, became so wet, tliat 

 tliey could not have been kept long upon it. The 

 highest part of the field was extremely good. 

 There were 1105 stooks, or 36 per acre. Tliis 

 ivheat was so ripe, that had there come any wind 

 before it was cut, there must have been a great 

 loss Irom the shake. 



"J/oor Close — 42 acres.] The two fields which 

 were quite a new creation, produced a very good 

 crop. Some ^e\v acres were laid and injured; but 

 generally it was most productive, and had in one 

 802 stooks, and in the other 1058; and some parts 

 of it turned out as fine grain as I ever beheld. 

 Had the season been favorable, this would have 

 been a most surprising crop. Those who en\y 

 farmers their success, let them look to this season, 

 and see the ruin which has threatened their whole 

 produce; and unless the latter part of the season 

 becomes favorable, I do not l-:no\v how farmers 

 upon wet ground will be able to support their 

 stock. The turnips and cabbages have made no 

 progress for the last three weeks, and it can scarce 

 be hoped they will gain the weight of half a tole- 

 rable crop. 



"The advantage of behig near a town is very 

 great. I was able to muster, without giAing extra 

 wages, 220 persons. Women have 2s. per day, 

 and work between nine and ten hours — men 2s. 6c?. 

 In dilficult seasons, to be able to cut between 30 

 and 40 acres a day, greatly lessens the risk, and is 

 an additional reason for having lands near towns 

 under tillage, 



'^y/ugiisi 30/7i.] The incessant rain for five 

 weeks saturated the ground to such a degree, as to 

 put a stop to the growth of clover on wet soils, 

 where it had been Tate cut. In some parts, the 

 roots appear to have been affected, and the clover 

 seemed to have lost its feeding quality. Plants 

 appear to require the sun to bring them to perfec- 

 tion, as much as the earth does the heat of his 

 beams to promote flieir growth, 



"For one fortnight, the experimental cattle all 

 lost weight, and the milch cows gave less milk. I 

 was compelled to suspend soiling, and turn my 

 cows upon the aftermath, to give the clover time 

 to get a growth. What was first cut had made 

 Fuch progress before the wet came on, that it was 

 jiot materially affected, and cut uncommonly well. 



I attribute this to the i)lants covering tiie ground, 

 and guarding the roots. The cover also kept it 

 Avarm. The same observation is applicable to the 

 pastures that were earliest cut. Turnips and other 

 roots that Vv^ere verj^ JbrAvard, 'have suffered least. 

 This unexampled season has been attended with 

 difficulties I never experienced; and, unless the 

 month of September turas out lavorabiy, the dis- 

 tress will be general. The wet has. arrested the 

 growth of the turnip. No crops come up better, 

 or appear more promising. The rain seems to 

 have suspended the vegetative jjower of the earth, 

 and checked the growth of plants of aii kinds. 

 Nothing could be more discouragisig than this day. 

 I have never known the ground wetter, at any 

 season. The cabbages Avere eciually stopped in 

 their growth. 



"I was not prcA'iously aAvare of the full extent 

 of fortitude and patience recjuired to make a good 

 farmer. Philosopliy is not an acquirement of 

 learning alone: it is one thing to argue Avell, and 

 another to adopt the maxims of Avisdom as the 

 rule of practice. In the midst of one of the A'io- 

 lent shoAA^ers so connnon in this climate, I Avaa 

 glad, with a friend Avho AA'as along AA^ith me, to take 

 shelter in the house of a small farmer. Presently 

 after our arriA^al, the master and his sen'ants were 

 likeAvLse driven in. The children receiA'ed the pa- 

 rent AA'ith delight, and he returned their caresses. 

 The felicity their endearments inspired, seemed at 

 once to restore the calm and tranquillity of his 

 mind. Domestic sunshine disarmed the merciless 

 peltings of the storm. Its injuries seemed no lon- 

 ger felt or regarded. Struck Avith surprise I Avas 

 resolved to prove Avhether tliis Avas the effects of 

 indifference or real magnanimity. I began, Avith 

 some asperit}", to rail at the Aveather, Avjiich Avaa 

 answered by the good man Avith great composure, 

 ' that God never sent a crop AA'ithout a season to 

 get it in," And ha\"ing made this reply. AAiiich 

 compiised all his knoAvledge and belief on the 

 subject, continued his merriment and innocent pas- 

 time AAdth the chUdren, I knoAV not what effect 

 the recital may liaA-e on others; but on my friend 

 and self it acted as an electric shock. We could 

 neither refrain our admiration: and the train of 

 ideas that floAved from it led us to this conclusion, 

 that practical Avisdom is the offspring of virtue, 

 and the tAvni sister of liapjnness, 



"A tAA'clve acre field of AA-heat at Moor Close, 

 AA'hlch had been fed Avith sheep, cut uncommonly 

 Avell, and Avas, in general, \'ery heavy, and an ex- 

 cellent grain. There Avere 640 stooks, or 45 per 

 acre. 



" The last of xiugust, and 'the first tAvo days in 

 September, Avere a great blessing to the country. 

 From the appearance of change on Saturday the 

 2d, I persevered cutting till it Avas nearly dark, and 

 thereby saA'ed a part of o. field, A-ery ripe, and so 

 exposed, that the high Avind Avhich came on in 

 the night Avould haA-e greatly injured it. I own I 

 am often surprised Avith the confidence I see placed 

 in a climate so uncertain as ours. For mjselfj I 

 disclaim all trust Avliich can be aA^oided by exer- 

 tion. 



" September Wi.'] Cut one field of two acres 

 from falloAA^, Avhich had 105 stoolvs — the Avheat 

 uncommonly good. Much rain in the night, AA-ith 

 l)artial shoAvers during the day. I discovered that 

 in many parts of the spring Avhcat there were a 

 ffreat number of black her. is. These are more 



