96 THE FACE OF THE FIELDS 



crop was short, was nil, in fact, for the hayfield 

 was as barren of green as the hen-yard. I had to 

 have it ploughed and laid down again to grass. 

 And all because of this scarcity of skunks. 



Now, as the green of the springing blades be- 

 gan to show through the melting snow, it was 

 with immense satisfaction that I thought of the 

 three skunks under the stump. That evening I 

 went across to my neighbor's, the milkman's, and 

 had a talk with him over the desirability, the ne- 

 cessity indeed, of encouraging the skunks about 

 us. I told him a good many things about these 

 harmless and useful animals that, with all his 

 farming and chicken-raising, he had never known. 



But these rural folk are quite difficult. It is hard 

 to teach them anything worth while, so hope- 

 lessly surrounded are they with things common 

 things. If I could only get them into a college 

 class-room removed some way from hens and 

 hoes I might, at least, put them into a receptive 

 attitude. But that cannot be. Perhaps, indeed, I 

 demand too much of them. For, after all, it takes 

 a naturalist, a lover of the out-of-doors, to appre- 

 ciate the beautiful adjustments in nature. A mere 

 farmer can hardly do it. One needs a keen eye, 



