38 SKETCHES OP RURAL AFFAIRS. 



explains the reason why some persons complain of the 

 little benefit they have found from pickling their wheat. 

 Doubtless their sacks or their barn floors have com- 

 municated infection to the seed. It is a good practice 

 to wash the walls of the barn with lime-water, and to 

 steep the sacks in the same. 



The only disadvantage with pickled wheat is, that the 

 lime acts on the skin of the sower's hand, causing it to 

 shrivel. The lime also rises in fine dust, especially in 

 windy weather, and irritates the eyes and face. Any 

 ill consequence may be prevented by first moistening 

 the face and hands with milk, and then washing them 

 with warm water and soap. It is also a good plan to 

 rub in a little butter on the back of the right hand 

 and on the eyelids before going out to sow. This, 

 of course, applies to the old method of sowing by 

 hand, which is still extensively practised, though it is 

 every year giving way to the more general introduction 

 of machinery. 



There is scarcely a greater instance of skill in the 

 whole round of rural labour, than that displayed by an 

 expert sower. To an ordinary looker-on, there is 

 something truly wonderful in the exactness with which 

 he regulates the quantity of seed to an acre, and dis- 

 tributes it equally over every part of the ground in 

 measured casts, step and hand always keeping pace 

 with each other. At his left side is a sowing basket 

 holding the grain, suspended from his neck, or across 

 his shoulders, by a piece of girthing ; or perhaps he 

 wears the wooden seed-lip, being a box of peculiar 

 form, which is suspended in a similar manner. Keep- 

 ing the hand low, taking up the seed firmly, and 

 making at the same time short steps in advance, he 

 casts forth the seed with every step, making it fly in 

 a curve in front, by a sharp turn of the hand, and a 

 free opening of the fingers towards the end of the cast. 

 Thus he has great command over his work, even in 

 windy weather, while a person who takes long steps, 



