THE DAILY LIFE OF OUR FARM. 195 



been nearly off once ; as she has a beautiful mouth, I 

 cannot comprehend how such a misfortune could have 

 happened to her. 



The Italian rye grass and trifolium that we sowed 

 upon our stubbles have failed in a great degree. The 

 barley-sheddings have come up as thick as a hay-crop, 

 the escaped ears having been so thoroughly torn to 

 pieces, and scattered by the harrows. I have one field 

 nearly a foot high ; I don't know exactly what to do 

 with it. I don't know that the crop would survive the 

 winter, even if I were to let it stop ; besides, it would 

 put us out of course. Again : I don't like to feed it, 

 because the sheep would nibble the clover as well, and 

 that, I am sure, on our light soil, is a mistake. The 

 rank autumnal growth of grass has caused us a good 

 deal of botheration. I caught some ewes, the other 

 day, only just in time to save them, by administering 

 strong doses of carbonate of soda and ginger ; and now 

 we have a valuable cow in a very bad way indeed. The 

 V.S. calls it indigestion ; but it's pitiable to see the 

 saliva running from her lips, and to hear her groaning. 

 He's just going to "prop" her. What that means I 

 don't know, but, as he says that is her only chance, and 

 I'm sure I don't know what to do with her, I leave the 

 business to him and my careful herdsman. It's not all 

 fun, this farming " on times ! " To reward my little 

 men, the other day, for very good behaviour over their 

 Latin lessons, I allowed them to go out ferreting 

 for the first time in their lives. It was a very cold 

 day, and late in the afternoon when we started. Of 

 course their little sisters must go too, and it was a fine 

 sight to see them all seated upon a heap of leaves, and 

 holding their pet terriers in their laps (the whole lot 



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