THE DAILY LIFE OF OUR FARM. 295 



their youth" is where the roots and about a foot of the 

 upstanding stem, with its attaching tresses, was left 

 uncleared at the base of the slope ; but I am thankful 

 that it was overlooked, for it has taught us an excellent 

 lesson. The " exception proves the rule " is a proverb 

 which is herein borne out. 



Gradually we watched the waters burrow round its 

 holding (we were always intending to remove it, but 

 either the boat was not ready when we wanted it, or the 

 bill-hook, and so it never got removed, and is now hang- 

 ing wearily — we can see it in the deep water — waiting 

 until the sinking of the flood shall enable us to sever its 

 surviving claw), and finally a solid mass of the bank, 

 after the old fashion, slipped in to fill the hole. In all 

 other respects, as without exception the most prejudiced 

 have confessed on paying them a visit of inspection, these 

 protective fences have answered admirably. Within 

 them it is surprising what a quantity silts up with every 

 flood — a process which will obviously continue until the 

 accumulation is level with the slope of the piers, and 

 forms one gi'adual turfed incline, right into the heart of 

 what were, before building, the deep waters of a salmon 

 pool. Then shall the assailing stream slip over them 

 without let or damage. 



I had been long since persuaded of their general ex- 

 ceeding merit, but it has only been during the recent 

 thaw that we have had the structure tested to the utter- 

 most. There has not been such a frost hereabouts for 

 ten years it is said, and when once the ice-locked waters 

 began to move it was a sight to see. For hours, for days, 

 and nights, with a seething sloppy sound, in one con- 

 tinuous flow the broken-up masses of snow-covered ice 

 continued to move on as it were to the distant spectator 



