THE DAILY LIFE OF OUR FAEM. 291 



percha pipe immersed in deep water, I worked away 

 until I was quite hot, pumping now lustily, now softly, 

 to the amusement of my young geese, who were splash- 

 ing in a quick current just beyond my range. " Papa's 

 squirting the bank," they cried with delighted ridicule. 

 In faith it taught me one thing, that is, to estimate the 

 value of a good hour's rain. Only to watch the splash- 

 ing shower absorbed so rapidly by the brown bank with- 

 out leaving a trace, and considering the weight of my 

 steady exertion I felt more than ever a longing that 

 the brazen heavens would open and let down a refresher 

 on the parched meadow, to which we look for our winter 

 supply of hay. What ever the price of this article will 

 be I cannot dare to guess. Certain it is that hereabouts 

 there is no bottom grass, therefore right thankful am I 

 that I put in thirteen acres of autumn oats after wheat, 

 which are now in full ear, and I hope to cut when 

 three-parts ripened in a fortnight, so as to get in mus- 

 tard quickly, with a strong dose of artificial, the 

 stubble being clean. This will come partly to cut 

 in chaff with wheaten straw, partly to consume with 

 sheep. Then, it being my own land, I shall put 

 wheat in again, having faith in Mr. Lawes' doctrine, 

 that every soil has its idiosyncracy. This particular 

 plot is locally considered " to throw a capital crop 

 of wheat, one of the best about." Why then not 

 meet its inclination? The idea of the several soils 

 in various combinations being adapted to special vege- 

 table growths bears on its surface persuasion to my 

 mind. I shall at least try it, not being tied to the 

 four-course or any other system. " Some take coffee 

 some take tea," is a piece of sedimentary wisdom we 

 owe our ancestors, which should never be lightly re- 



u 2 



