178 THE DAILY LIFE OF OUR FARM. 



shaky twig platform — by courtesy, nest. The young 

 Benjamin's theory is that their mamma takes them out 

 one at a time, and he proposes to restore this one 

 to the nest, in the hope of obtaining the two after 

 dark. 



The lodge chimney went on fire yesterday, and great 

 was the consternation of the inhabitants. By dint of 

 energetic efforts, however, it was soon put out, but not 

 before some dozens of hornets came wheeling angrily 

 about the heads of all engaged. They have a nest 

 beneath the tiles, which will have to be taken some- 

 how. We have long noticed an extra abundance of 

 the plague about, and especially upon a young elm, 

 which, whether it has burst itself by over-feeding or 

 not, has anyhow great rents in its bark, through which 

 a sweet-tasted candied-looking sap oozes, reminding 

 one of the Canadian sugar-maple. This tree was dis- 

 covered by the small boys, and for some days, until I 

 discovered their proceeding, formed a sort of post-pran- 

 dial hunting-ground, whereon they slaughtered by the 

 dozen, with well-aimed blows of a hazel wand, great 

 blue-bottles, wasps, and hornets. We have been very 

 busy putting in trifolium and rye-grass on the stubbles, 

 and mustard where the turnips failed. 



It has long been a case of " Call me early, mother 

 dear/' with the swedes, and I expect they will now do 

 but little good. If they persevere in their backward- 

 ness I shall simply re-plough, the land being clean and 

 richly manured, and plant wheat when the season 

 comes. " I daren't do such a thing," said my gallant 

 neighbour; "I should have all my tenants following 

 my example." " Another sad consequence of being an 

 extensive landed proprietor," I reply ; but surely the . 



