THE DAILY LIFE OF 0U£ FAEM. 127 



The swedes I find a splendid crop, on my return 

 home, upon that land which I described to have been 

 pared after harvest last autumn, the couch being then 

 allowed to o^row into a thick surface-mat that was the 

 laughing-stock of my neighbours. When it came to be 

 worked, as I had calculated, no rootlets had. pierced 

 beyond the cut sod ; while, through taking care to 

 work the land in favourable weather, I secured no less 

 than nine waggon-loads of ashes, which, having been 

 soaked in their thirsty state, before rain fell, with 

 liquid manure from the tank in the fold-yard, I drilled 

 in along with the seed (Sutton's Champion), over and 

 above a good dressing of muck, also ploughed-in wet. 



How singular, however, in the management of a 

 root-crop is the value even of a single day ! Whether 

 the weather be more favourable at one time than 

 another, or whatever it may have been, anyhow it is 

 astonishing to view the difference in the growth of 

 two breadths upon land equally well dressed, the only 

 difference being that a few hours intervened between 

 the sowino^ of the one and the other. 



The value of water to the flock must be greater than 

 I ever suspected. A friend has a flock of sheep running 

 upon a withered, bare, trefoil stubble, where, to the 

 naked eye, there would seem to be little or nothing 

 to eat ; still they are in excellent condition, and merry 

 enough. The way he accounts for it is, that they have 

 access to a brook at the bottom. Just opposite to 

 where I am writing now, too, there is a large herd of 

 Hereford cattle in capital trim upon a very naked 

 pasture, besides that half their time is spent standing 

 in the river. I shall at once order some nice low 

 tanks on wheels, which were exhibited at Bury by 



