16 THE DAILY LIFE OF OUR FARM. 



an infant army, with here and there an old fellow — a 

 sort of Dominie Sampson — as though left in charge, 

 who gets up vainly a jog-trot across the boards as we 

 approach. 



An army there is surviving, however, and that, alas ! 

 will grow, of all juvenile ages — some tiny as fleas ; some 

 the size of a wheat-corn, up to the three-parts grown. 

 You may see them playing rounders by myriads on the 

 hearth — then in we dash and crush and squash ; and 

 away down crannies and into cracks, under fender con- 

 venient and the drying chips for the morning fires ; 

 away and away do we slipper and slide, until there is 

 left for her who cleaneth up the floor the realization of 

 those exquisite verses, which you may read for yourself 

 in the Ingoldsby Legends, commencing — 



" But a sombre sight is a battle-field, &c." 



After all, it is most tiresome ; so please do, some one, 

 kindly send us a recipe that shall consign the whole 

 sort to oblivion straightway. 



I see that one farmer gives, as a new accidental dis- 

 covery of a specific against diarrhcea in sheep, the 

 crushing of acorns with their allowance of corn. Is it 

 that acorns are binding as oak-bark is ? 



Again, in this county of Hereford, the feeding on 

 acom and oak -leaves has been pointed to as a cause of 

 bovine disease. Whatever it may be in professors' eyes, 

 anyhow the acorn harvest of this year is of eminent 

 use. Our Southdowns, who gather them under the 

 oaks upon the lawn, most certainly enjoy, and seem to 

 thrive upon them. I have thought, once or twice, that 

 it made them cough, as indigestible food will a child. 

 The breeding sows roam about with matronly grandeur, 



