94 THE FERTILITY OF THE SOIL [CH. 



the other foot, as if Two and Three had been recently 

 determined by the common assent of mankind to 

 mean the same thing. 



" * But I must have it three feet deep.' 



" ^ Oh, it's no use : it'll never drain so dip as that 

 through this here clay/ 



" * But I tell you it must be. There can be no fall 

 without it.' 



" * Well, I've been a-draining this forty year and 

 I ought to know summut about it.' 



"At that instant my eyes began to open to the 

 true meaning of those 'practical difficulties' which 

 the uninitiated laugh at, because they have never 

 encountered them ; and the man of science despises, 

 who has said to steam, water and machinery 'do this,' 

 and they do it, but has never known what it is to 

 try and guide out of the old track, a mind that has 

 run in the same rut ' this forty year and more '." 



By a skilful appeal to the old man's vanity the 

 matter was rectified and the drains properly laid. 

 Then came the next improvement — throwing down 

 the high ridges in which the land had formerly been 

 laid, and flattening out the field, so that the imple- 

 ments could work more easily. This met with even 

 more serious opposition, and a long struggle ensued 

 with the collective experience of the district. " My own 

 working bailiff" headed the attack within the camp ; 

 while a neighbouring clergyman led on the foe from 



