182 THE DAILY LIFE OF OUR FARM. 



mind that there has been something anomalous in the 

 climate of the past season, especially as regards that 

 mainstay of the homestead. The ground was damp 

 enough, and there was plenty of wet hearty muck put 

 underneath ; still, amidst mangold roots of real gran- 

 deur for this year (for it so happens that these swedes 

 are situated in the best portion of the wurzel crop), the 

 turnip has failed to develope any succulent growi:h. 

 It is a withered wizen-shaped and mildewy specimen, 

 suffering from what in the Eastern Counties they so 

 appropriately term " the dry stunt." 



Respecting these mangold-wurzel, it is worth noting 

 that where the women searched for the larvae of the 

 dart moth the plants are smaller and weaker than in 

 the portion of the field which was let alone, out of pure 

 weariness at the apparently endless labour. Query, 

 have I lost or gained by that outlay ? 



I certainly saved several hundreds of plants from 

 being gnawed clean through, but is not the general 

 bulk of the yield lessened by such tampering with the 

 root fibres during the plants' infancy? — treatment which 

 at the time, not I alone, predicted would be beneficial 

 to its growth, inasmuch as it seemed to pulverize the 

 soil about the seedling so thoroughly. There is one 

 circumstance about the field that puzzles me. In a 

 slight hollow, situated about three parts down the en- 

 closure, the marl-bed comes rather near the surface, 

 and the rain-water lodges somewhat there. The fallow 

 was consequently knobby in this part when worked in 

 preparation for roots, and so rough when we sowed, 

 that we despaired of seeing any come up at all. They 

 certainly long delayed putting in an appearance, and 

 came thin when they did come ; but the bulbs that are 



