London to John O* Groat's. 169 



are to the forging of penknife blades. On a large 

 estate like that occupied by Mr. Jonas, they constitute 

 an order, not of Odd Fellows, but of Straight Furrow- 

 men, and are jealous of the distinction. When the 

 ground is well prepared, and made as soft, smooth, and 

 even as a garden, the drilling process is performed with 

 a judgment of the eye and skill of hand more marvel- 

 lous still. The straightness of the lines of verdure 

 which, in a few weeks, mark the tracks of the seed- 

 tubes, is surprising. They are drawn and graded with 

 such precision that, when the plants are at a certain 

 height, a horse-hoe, with eight blades, each wide enough 

 to cut the whole intervening space between two rows, 

 is passed, hoeing four or five drills at once. Of course, 

 if the lines of the drill and hoe did not exactly corres- 

 pond with each other, whole rows of turnips would be 

 cut up and destroyed. I saw this process going on in 

 a turnip field, and thought it the most skilful operation 

 connected with agriculture that I had ever witnessed. 



One of the principal advantages Mr. Jonas realises 

 in cultivating such an extent of territory, is the ability 

 to economise his working forces, of man, beast and 

 agricultural machinery. He saves what may be called 

 the superfluous fractions, which small farmers frequently 

 lose. For instance, a man with only fifty acres would 

 need a pair of stout horses, a plough, cart and all the 



