THE DAILY LIFE OF OUR FARM. 243 



foot or more hiorh, we mowed for cliaffincy for several 

 weeks into the mid-winter in the case of one field ; 

 another field, the " seeds " sown upon which were in- 

 tended for permanent pasture, we did not thus perse- 

 cute, but allowed the barley crop its way. The conse- 

 quence is, that now at mowing time we have had a 

 grand crop of clover, rye-grass, and barle}' upon the 

 field mown, whereas upon the petted land the barley 

 had half died off, smothering the young trefoil, &c., 

 beneath its shade, and so injuring the "seeds " that we 

 shall have to plough it up again. We have a crop of 

 autumn oats that has been in full ear for nine days or 

 more, and which we hope to get cleared now in time to 

 replace it by excellent turnips. During mowing, for- 

 tunately, we never cut across a single nest, except a 

 landrail's, although we found several, both of partridges 

 and pheasants, in the adjoining fences. One pheasant 

 hen allowed me actually to lift her off her nest. She 

 must have been one of a lot petted about the house 

 through the winter, or she would have been more 

 terrified at the approach of man. Her eggs were 

 hatched by a Friesland hen, and are at this moment 

 enjoying a feed of ants' eggs that I have thrown into 

 their pen. We have had several barrowfuls of the 

 large black ant imported from a neighbouring common 

 for them. This large sort does not breed or build 

 within our grounds, and won't stay there, for some 

 reason, when imported. Possibly, like bees, they may 

 have a Lady Superior, whom we may never have 

 managed to secure. So the mass gradually wing or 

 crawl their way back, weighted though each one be 

 with an infant in swaddling clothes, the juicy contents 

 of which are so beneficial to the youthful pheasant 



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