THE DAILY LIFE OF OUR FAEM. 109 



have been known to take a start, and spring up to good 

 size, after confinement to their beds with measles, or 

 other infantine complaint. The fact is, I have been 

 taught that it does not do to turn down these light 

 loams with too much growth upon them. The clod 

 won't lie flat, do what you will, and dries too [quickly 

 too — so that when the young wheatling has sent its 

 foraging fibres through, they get starved in the hollow, 

 and only revive (none the better for this check) when 

 they manage to grapple the under-soil again. 



The other field started oddly, and has never met with 

 a reverse. It will be a grand crop, with cane-like, 

 branching stems, and heads, I hope, in unison. Although 

 close adjoining field No. 1, it has a strong admixture of 

 marl in its composition, and is considered a sulky soil, 

 difficult to work, by the native population — a delightful 

 contrast, however, in our eyes, to the sticky, impractic- 

 able clays we had upon our Welsh farm. This field was 

 well dressed with fold-yard muck two years ago, and 

 sown with wheat. The frost managed to get at it and 

 nip its roots ; the crop was consequently thin, but the 

 grain was excellent. It was accidentally over-ripe when 

 cut with a machine, and shed a good deal. The stubble 

 was pared for autumnal cleaning, when — lo ! and be- 

 hold ! — a thick covering of wheat came up, despite 

 gleaners and pigs. It weathered the winter so well, 

 and was so strong by the time the ewes went upon it, 

 that I have allowed it to stand ; and a grand harvest I 

 anticipate, which I shall take care to have cut in good 

 time. 



One short word more and I have done. The other 

 morning, having seen a mouse in the mushroom-pit, I 

 inquired of Melon what the tortoise-shell cat was about ? 



