148 CHRONICLES OF A CLAY FARM. 



deep one. A man who finds his field improved by 

 the shallow drain, holds that as a fact. When you 

 tell him that double the depth would have more 

 than doubled the improvement, he treats that as a 



a theory. A DREADFUL thing, that Theory ! 

 I wonder how many who use the word ab-use it 

 rather know the meaning of it. But what say 

 you to the dibbing ? ' 



'Well, they're very reglar: hardly one miss'd. 

 But I don't like to see 'em quite so high out of 

 the ground. I fancy it makes a tough skin, and a 

 bitter one. The drilled uns don't look so reglar, 

 but they seem to hold the ground better. How's it 

 done ? ' 



' By the acre ; after the first ridging-up, un- 

 manured ; a boy goes first, pressing the dib in with 

 his foot. You shall see it presently ; it is held by 

 both hands at the top, with a spoke out for the foot, 

 just above the ball of the dibber, to mark the next 

 distance as its point meets the ground, in drawing it 

 out, sideways, in going along. The hole takes about 

 a half-pint more it should be. The women follow 

 with the manure in a sort of hopper, toss a can-full 

 in, which fills the hole, and drop the seed in. It is 

 done very quickly ; but the mixing of the manure 



