FARMING AND FOXHUNTING 



virtue we are told, I would go further and say, 

 Patience is not only a virtue but a sheer necessity 

 in farming arable land, unless you are prepared to 

 be wasteful in your energy and resources. 



My father was ever reminding me that you must 

 take from Nature all the help she can render. Do 

 not foil her good work by choking her efforts. If 

 you want the frost get ready for it before the frost 

 arrives. If you must have the sun, do not prepare 

 for the frost and then expect the sun to give you a 

 full measure of support. 



I often think we are too apt to blame Nature for 

 our mistakes when all the time it is we who have 

 misbehaved ourselves and never given her a chance. 

 Having opened my mouth a little wide at this 

 point, I cannot escape further explanation. We all 

 know the old adage, get your stubble ploughing 

 done before Christmas, this gives the fallows a 

 good opportunity to get well pulverized by frost for 

 the Spring sowing. Any fool of course knows this ; 

 yes, that's quite true ; but suppose one has a very 

 dirty field which must have a good cleaning next 

 summer, it may be very tempting to plough it up 

 in the winter when you have time to spare. To 

 my mind this is where a little patience is most 

 necessary. Leave it alone until all possibility of 

 frost has gone and then plough. The chances are 

 it will come up sleek and wet with no possibility 

 of being pulverized by frost. 



These are ideal conditions for cleaning, the wind 

 and sun will draw down between the furrows to 

 dry out all growth. Should one be fortunate to 



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