THE DAILY LIFE OF OUR FARM. 193 



'' you will find your swede leaves, if free from mildew, 

 a much less objectionable adjunct ; but these also I 

 always prepare in the same manner, and with the 

 addition of some dry food, hay or straw, according to 

 the age of the animal, and increase or decrease the 

 quantity of the leaves according to the effect upon the 

 animal's interior arrangement. We leave the swedes 

 standing in the rows, denuded of leaves, and time the 

 taking up and storing to suit the cutting of the leaves, 

 always endeavouring to get the leaves consumed, and 

 the roots stored before Christmas, up to which time 

 we seldom have hard weather. We find it greatly 

 facilitates the getting up of this crop to run the plough 

 (without the coulter) under them. They are then, by 

 boys, easily picked and thrown into heaps ready for 

 the carts." 



I shall act upon this hint, and employ Howard's 

 potato-raiser under my crop, by way of a trial. In 

 fairness to that new implement, convertible into so 

 many useful forms, with so little trouble, I feel bound 

 to mention that in its first development as an ordinary 

 plough it is a grand success. A gentleman who has 

 always had a good deal to do with the machinery part 

 of the Royal Agricultural Show, predicted, as I sat 

 next to him one day at dinner, and somewhat proudly 

 described my implement, its failure as an ordinary 

 plough. I can only say in reply, that my bailiff offered 

 the loan of it ten days since to a neighbour, who pro- 

 posed competing at a ploughing match, and in a large 

 entry he won the champion and another first prize. 

 The work was magnificent, I am told. I shall always 

 mention deserved success. 



A farmer to whom I mentioned yesterday my friend's 



