3 o8 



CHAPTER XIV. 



THE "OLD MORTALITY" OF THE TURF. 



HAT "The Druid" knew about 

 racing, fox-hunting, and grey- 

 hound coursing was quite in- 

 sufficient to fit him for writ- 

 ing upon agriculture, and upon flocks and 

 herds. Sitting, however, at the feet of such 

 a Gamaliel as Mr. Thornton, the far-famed 

 shorthorn auctioneer, he soon acquired an 

 amount of information which enabled him 

 for many years to supply a weekly column, 

 headed " The Farm," to the Illustrated 

 London News, which soon became his favour- 

 ite work. With Mr. Thornton as his co- 

 adjutor, "The Druid" also wrote an essay 

 upon " The History of Shorthorns " for the 

 Journal of the Royal Agricultural Society, 

 which succeeded (as all who read it will 



