,,grain ,,and ,,chaff ,,from ,,an ,,english ,,manor ,by ,,arthur ,h4 ,,savory ,,oxford ,,basil ,,blackwell #aibj ,,preface ,as a result of increased facilities within the last quarter of a century for the exploration of formerly inaccessible parts of the country1 interest concerning our ancient villages has been largely awakened4 ,most of these places have some unwritten history and peculiarities worthy of attention1 and an extensive literary field is thus open to residents with opportunities for observation and research4 ,such records have rarely been undertaken in the past1 possibly because those capable of doing so have not recognized that what are the trivial features of everyday life in one generation may become exceptional in the next1 and later still will have disappeared altogether4 ,gilbert ,white1 who a hundred and thirty years ago published his ,natural ,history of ,selborne1 was the first1 and ,i suppose the most eminent1 historian of any obscure village1 and it is surprising1 as his book has for so long been regarded as a classic1 that so few have attempted a similar record4 ,his great work remains an inspiring ideal which village historians can keep in view1 not without some hope of producing a useful description of country life as they have seen it themselves4 ,it is a pleasure to acknowledge with grateful thanks the kind help of friends and correspondents which ,i have received in writing this book4 ,mr4 ,warde ,fowler was good enough to look through the chapters while still in manuscript1 and ,i have also received great help from ,mr4 ,herbert ,a4 ,evans1 who has read through the proofs4 ,the help of others--besides those whose names ,i give in the text--has been less general and mostly confined to some details in the historical part of the first chapter1 and to portions of the subject-matter of the last4 ,mr4 ,hugh ,last1 ,fellow of ,st4 ,john's ,college1 ,oxford1 most kindly gave much valuable time to the examination of the ,roman coins and assigning them to their respective reigns2 he contributed also the notes on the ,emperors1 with special reference to the events in ,britain which occurred during their reigns4 ,mr4 ,dudley ,f4 ,nevill of ,burley helped me in a variety of ways1 and ,mr4 ,c4,a4 ,binyon of ,badsey supplied some of the historical details and information about the ancient roads4 ,looking back over the years ,i spent at ,aldington1 ,i see much more sunshine and blue sky than cloud and storm1 notwithstanding the difficulties of the times4 ,it is a continual source of pleasure to go over the familiar fields in imagination and to recall the kindly faces of my loyal and willing labourers4 ,i trust that what ,i have written of them will make plain my grateful remembrance of their unfailing sympathy and ready help4--,,arthur ,h4 ,,savory4 ,,burley1 ,,hants4 ,january1 #aibj4 ,,contents ,,chapter ,,page ,i4 ,,aldington ,,village--,,the ,,manor ,,house--,,the ,,farm4444444444 #a ,,ii4 ,,the ,,farm ,,bailiff4444444444444444444444444444444 4444444 #aa ,,iii4 ,,the ,,hop ,,foreman ,,and ,,the ,,hop ,,drier444444444444444444444 #bc ,,iv4 ,,the ,,head ,,carter--,,the ,,carpenter444444444444444444444444 #ce ,v4 ,,an ,,old-,,fashioned ,,shepherd--,,old ,,thicker--,a ,,gardener--,,my ,,second ,,head ,,carter--,a ,,labourer444444444 #df ,,vi4 ,,characteristics ,,of ,,agricultural ,,labourers ,,and ,,villagers44444444444444444444444444444 44444444444444 #eg ,,vii4 ,,machinery--,,village ,,politics--,,asparagus4444444444444444 #hj ,,viii4 ,,my ,,three ,,vicars--,,church ,,restoration--,,churchwarden ,,experiences--,,clerical ,,and ,,other ,,stories4444444444444 #hi ,,ix4 ,,the ,,school ,,board--,,religious ,,instruction--,,school ,,inspectors--,,dean ,,farhar--,,compulsory ,,education4444444 #ajf ,x4 ,,village ,,institutions3 ,,cricket--,,football--,,flower-,,show --,,band--,,postman--,,concerts444444444 444444444444444444 #aai ,,xi4 ,,dealers--,,luck ,,money--,,fairs--,,sales--,,effect ,,of ,,climate ,,on ,,cattle ,,and ,,sheep--,,agricultural ,,shows44444 #abf ,,xii4 ,,farm ,,specialists444444444444444444444444444 44444444444 #ada ,,xiii4 ,,the ,,dairy--,,cattle--,,sheep--,,lambs--,,p igs--,,poultry44444444 #aec ,,xiv4 ,,orchards--,,apples--,,cider--,,perry44 4444444444444444444444 #afg ,,xv4 ,,plums--,,cherries444444444444444444444 444444444444444444 #ahb ,,xvi4 ,,trees3 ,,elm--,,oak--,,beech--,,willow--,,scots -,,fir4444444444444 #ahg ,,xvii4 ,,corn--,,wheat--,,ridge ,,and ,,furrow--,,barley--,,farmers ,,newstyle ,,and ,,oldstyle444444444444444444444444444444 4 #bjg ,,xviii4 ,,hops--,,insect ,,attacks--,,hop ,,fairs44444444444444444444444 #bbj ,,xix4 ,,meteorology--,,eton ,,and ,,harrow ,,at ,,lord',s--,,rus ,,in ,,urbe4444444444444444444444444444444444 4444444444444 #bcj ,,xx4 ,,changing ,,course ,,of ,,streams--,,dewponds--,a ,,wet ,,harvest--,,weather ,,phenomena--,,will-,o'-,,the- ,,wisp--,,various44444444444444444444444 4444444444444444 #bci ,,xxi4 ,,birds3 ,,peacocks--,a ,,white ,,pheasant--,,rooks' ,,arithmetic44 #bec ,,xxii4 ,,pets3 ,,susie--,,cocky--,,trump--,,chips--,,we ndy--,,taffy44444444 #bfd ,,xxiii4 ,,butterflies--,,moths--,,wasps444444444 44444444444444444444 #bga ,,xxiv4 ,,cycling--,,pageants ,,of ,,the ,,roads--,,roadside ,,creatures--,,harmonious ,,building--,,collecting ,,old ,,furniture ,,and ,,china444444444444444444444444444444444 #bgh ,,xxv4 ,,dialect--,,local ,,phraseology ,,in ,,shakespeare--,,names --,,stupid ,,places44444444444444444444444444444444 44444 #bhh ,,xxvi4 ,is ,,aldington ,,the ,,roman ,,antona8444444444444444444444444 #bid ,,index444444444444444444444444444444444 4444444444444444444444 #cjf ,ah1 what a life were this6 how sweet6 how lovely6 ,gives not the hawthorn-bush a sweeter shade ,to shepherds looking on their silly sheep1 ,than doth a rich embroider'd canopy ,to kings that fear their subjects' treachery6 #c ,king ,henry ,,vi4 ,when ,i paused to lean on my hoe1 these sounds and sights ,i heard and saw anywhere in the row1 a part of the inexhaustible entertainment which the country offers4 --,,thoreau4 ,life is sweet1 brother4444 ,there's night and day1 brother1 both sweet things2 sun1 moon and stars1 brother1 all sweet things2 there's likewise the wind on the heath4 ,life is very sweet1 brother2 who would wish to die8 --,,borrow3 ,jasper ,petulengro4 ,,grain ,,and ,,chaff ,,from ,,an ,,english ,,manor ,,chapter ,i4 ,,aldington ,,village--,,the ,,manor ,,house--,,the ,,farm4 ,there's a divinity that shapes our ends4 --,hamlet4 ,deep-meadow'd1 happy1 fair with orchard lawns4 --,morte d',arthur4 ,in recalling my earliest impressions of the village of ,aldington1 near ,evesham1 ,worcestershire1 the first picture that presents itself is of two chestnut-trees in full bloom in front of the ,manor ,house which became my home1 and their welcome was so gracious on that sunny ,may morning that it inclined me to take a hopeful view of the inspection of the house and land which was the object of my visit4 ,the village took its name from the ,celtic ,alne1 white river2 the ,anglo-,saxon1 ing1 children or clan2 and ton1 the enclosed place4 ,the whole name1 therefore1 signified the enclosed place of the children1 or clan1 of the ,alne4 ,there are many other ,alnes in ,england and ,scotland1 also ,allens and ,ellens as river names1 probably corruptions of ,alne1 and we have many instances of the combination of a river name with ing and ton1 such as ,lymington and ,dartington4 ,the ,celtic ,alne points to the antiquity of the place1 and there were extensive traces of ,roman occupation to which ,i shall refer later4 ,the village was really no more than a hamlet ecclesiastically attached to the much larger village of ,badsey4 ,in addition to ,celtic1 ,roman1 and ,anglo-,saxon associations1 it figured before the ,norman ,conquest in connection with the ,monastery and ,abbey of ,evesham1 the ,manor and the mill being mentioned in the ,abbey records2 and they were afterwards set down in ,domesday ,survey4 ,the ,vale of ,evesham1 in which ,aldington is situated1 lies at the foot of the ,cotswold ,hills1 and when approached from them a remarkable change in climate and appearance is at once noticeable4 ,descending from ,broadway or ,chipping ,campden--that is1 from an altitude of about #a1jjj feet to one of #aej or less--on a mid-,april day1 one exchanges1 within a few miles1 the grip of winter1 grey stone walls and bare trees1 for the hopeful greenery of opening leaves and thickening hedges1 and the withered grass of the ,hill pastures for the luxuriance of the ,vale meadows4 ,the earliness of the climate and the natural richness of the land is the secret of the intensive cultivation which the ,vale presents1 and year by year more and more acres pass out of the category of farming into that of market-gardening and fruit-growing4 ,the climate1 however1 though invaluable for early vegetable crops1 is a source of danger to the fruit4 ,after a few days of the warm1 moist greenhouse temperature which1 influenced by the ,gulf ,stream1 comes from the south-west up the ,severn and ,avon valleys1 between the ,malverns and the ,cotswolds1 and which brings out the plum blossom on thousands of acres1 a bitter frost sometimes occurs1 when the destruction of the tender bloom is a tragedy in the ,vale1 while the ,hills escape owing to their more backward development4 ,the ,manor ,house had been added to and largely altered1 but many years had brought it into harmony with its surroundings1 while ,nature had dealt kindly with its colouring1 so that it carried the charm of long use and continuous human habitation4 ,behind the house an old walled garden1 with flower-bordered grass walks under arches of honeysuckle and roses1 gave vistas of an ample mill-pond at the lower end1 forming one of the garden boundaries4 ,the pond was almost surrounded by tall black poplars which stretched protecting arms over the water1 forming a wide and lofty avenue extending to the faded red-brick mill itself1 and whispering continuously on the stillest summer day4 ,the mill-wheel could be seen revolving and glittering in the sunlight1 and the hum of distant machinery inside the mill could be heard4 ,the brook1 which fed the pond1 was fringed by ancient pollard willows2 it wound through luxuriant meadows with ploughed land or cornfields still farther back4 ,the whole formed a peaceful picture almost to the verge of drowsiness1 and reminded one of the land in which it seemd always afternoon4 ,the space below the house and the upper part of the garden immediately behind it was occupied by the rickyard1 reaching to the mill and pond1 and a long range of mossy-roofed barns divided it from the farmyard with its stables and cattle-sheds4 ,the village occupied one side only of the street1 as it was called--the street consisting of two arms at a right angle1 with the ,manor ,house near its apex4 ,the cottages were built1 mostly in pairs1 of old brick1 and tiled1 having dormer windows1 and gardens in front and at the sides1 well stocked with fruit-trees and fruit-bushes1 and this helped the cottagers towards the payment of their very moderate rents1 which had remained the same1 ,i believe1 for the best part of half a century4 ,throughout all the available space not so occupied1 on either side of the two arms of the street1 and again behind the cottages themselves1 beautiful old orchards1 chiefly of apple-trees1 formed an unsurpassed setting both when the blossom was out in pink and white1 or the fruit was ripening in gold and crimson1 and even in winter1 when the grey limbs and twisted trunks of the bare trees admitted the level rays of the sun4 ,the farm consisted of about #cjj acres of mixed arable and grass land on either side of two shallow valleys1 along which wandered the main brook and its tributary1 uniting1 where the valleys joined1 into one larger stream1 so that all the grass land was abundantly supplied with water for the stock4 ,these irregular brooks1 bordered throughout their whole course with pollard willows1 made a charming feature and gave great character to the picture4 ,in the records of ,evesham ,abbey we find the ,manor1 including the lands comprised therein1 among the earliest property granted for its endowment4 ,the erection of the ,abbey commenced about #gja1 and ,william of ,malmesbury1 writing of the loneliness of the spot1 tells us that a small church1 probably built by the ,britons1 had from an early date existed there4 ,in #gji sixty-five manses were given by ,kenred1 ,king of ,mercia1 leagued with ,offa1 ,king of the ,east ,angles1 including one in ,aldinton 7sic71 and ,domesday ,survey mentions one hide of land 7varying from #hj to #abj acres in different counties7 in ,aldintone 7sic7 as among the ,abbey possessions at the time of the ,norman ,conquest4 ,abbot ,randulf1 who died in #abbi1 built a grange at ,aldington1 and bought ,aldington mill1 in the reign of ,henry ,,iii41 when the hamlet was a berewic or corn farm held by the ,abbey2 and at the time of the ,dissolution it was granted to ,sir ,philip ,hoby1 who appears to have been an intimate of ,henry ,,viii41 together with the ,abbey buildings themselves and much of its other landed property4 ,the ,manor remained in the hands of the ,hoby family for many years1 and was one of ,sir ,philip's principal seats4 ,freestone from the ,abbey ruins seems to have been largely used for additions probably made in the reign of ,queen ,elizabeth1 for in some alterations ,i made about #ahhh1 ,i found many carved and moulded stones1 built into the walls1 evidently the remains of arches from an ecclesiastical building1 and ,sir ,philip ,hoby is known to have treated the ,abbey ruins as if they were nothing better than a stone quarry4 ,leland1 who by command of ,henry ,,viii4 visited ,evesham very soon after the ,dissolution1 says that there was noe towene at ,evesham before the foundation of the ,abbey1 and the earliest mention of a bridge there is recorded in monastic chronicles in #aaei4 ,there is a notice of a ,mr4 ,richard ,hoby1 youngest brother of ,sir ,philip1 as churchwarden in #afjb1 and a monument1 much dilapidated1 is to be seen in the chancel of ,badsey ,church1 erected to the memory of his wife and that of her first husband by ,margaret ,newman1 their daughter1 who married ,richard ,delabere of ,southam1 ,warwickshire1 in #afjh4 ,aldington afterwards became the property of ,sir ,peter ,courtene1 who was created a baronet in #afbb4 ,another explanation of the origin of the carved and moulded stones mentioned above may be found in the former existence of a chapel at ,aldington1 for there is evidence that a chapel existed there immediately before the ,dissolution4 ,in an article in ,badsey ,parish ,magazine by ,mr4 ,e4,a4,b4 ,barnard1 ,f4,s4,a41 brought to my notice by the editor1 the ,rev4 ,w4,c4 ,allsebrook1 ,vicar1 details are given of the will of ,richard ,yardley of ,awnton 7,aldington71 dated ,january #bb1 #aeca1 in which the following bequests are made3 ,to the ,mother ,church of ,evesham1 #bs4 ,to the ,church of ,badsey1 a strike of wheat4 ,to the ,church of ,wykamford1 one strike of barley4 ,to the ,chappell at ,awnton1 one hog1 one strike of wheat1 and one strike of barley4 ,the chapel1 however1 disappeared1 and seems to have been superseded by the assignment of the transept of ,badsey ,church as the ,aldington ,chapel1 and in #aefa-fb the first churchwarden for ,aldington was elected at ,badsey4 ,the assignment may1 however1 have been only a return to a much earlier similar arrangement when the transept was added to ,badsey ,church about the end of the thirteenth century1 possibly expressly as a chapel for ,aldington4 ,that it was an addition is proved by the remains of the arch over a small ,norman window in the north wall of the nave1 which had to be cut into to allow of the opening into the new transept4 ,a shelf or ledge is still to be seen in the east wall of the transept1 probably the remains of a super-altar1 and1 to the right of it1 a piscina on the north side of the chancel arch1 and therefore inside the transept4 ,a large square pew and a smaller one behind it in the transept were for centuries the recognized seats of the ,aldington ,manor family and their servants1 and so remained until the restoration of the church in #ahhe1 when the pews were taken down and a row of chairs as near as possible to the old position was allotted for the use of the same occupants4 ,in #afhe the ,jarrett monument was placed immediately over the larger pew in the east wall of the transept1 bearing the following inscription3 ,near this place lies interred in hope of a joyful ,resurrection the bodies of ,,william ,,jarrett of ,aldington in this ,parish ,gent1 aged #gc years1 who died ,anno ,domini #afha and of ,jane his wife the daughter of ,william ,wattson of ,bengeworth ,gent1 who died ,anno ,domini #afhc1 aged #gc years1 by whom he had ,issue three ,sons and two ,daughters4 ,thomas ,augustin and ,jane ley buried here with them and ,mary the youngest ,daughter ,married ,humphrey ,mayo of hope in the ,county of ,herreford ,gent1 and ,william the ,eldest ,son ,marchant in ,london set this ,monument in a dutiful and affectionate memory of them #afhe4 ,it is pleasant to think of ,william1 the eldest son1 marchant1 returning in his prosperity to the quiet old village1 braving the dangers and inconveniences of unenclosed and miry roads1 and riding the #ajj odd miles on horseback1 to revisit the scenes of his childhood1 in order to do honour to the memories of his father and mother4 ,what a contrast to the crowded streets of ,london the old place must have presented1 and one has an idea that perhaps he regretted1 in spite of his success in commerce1 that he had not elected in his younger days to pursue the simple life4 ,the monument is a somewhat elaborate white marble tablet with a plump cherub on guard1 and with many of the scrolls and convolutions typical of the ,carolean and later ,jacobean taste4 ,this monument was removed to the north wall of the nave two centuries later1 in #ahhe1 when the church was restored1 to allow of access to the new vestry then added4 ,william ,jarrett1 senr41 and his wife lived through the very stirring times of the ,civil ,war in the reign of ,charles ,i41 about twenty miles only from ,edgehill1 where1 in #afdb1 twelve hundred men are reported to have fallen4 ,it is said that on the night of the anniversary of the battle1 ,october #bc1 in each succeeding year the uneasy ghosts of the combatants resume the unfinished struggle1 and that the clash of arms is still to be heard rising and falling between hill and vale4 ,the worthy couple must have almost heard the echoes of the ,battle of ,worcester in #afea1 only eighteen miles distant1 and have been well acquainted with the details of the flight of ,charles ,,ii41 who1 after he left ,boscobel1 passed very near ,aldington on his way to the old house at ,long ,marston1 where he spent a night1 and1 to complete his disguise1 turned the kitchen spit4 ,this old house is still standing1 and is regarded with reverence4 ,the cherub on the ,jarrett tablet bears a strong resemblance to two similar cherubs which support a royal crown carved on the back of an old walnut chair which ,i bought in the village in a cottage near the ,manor ,house4 ,the design is well known as commemorating the restoration of ,charles ,,ii4 in #affj1 and ,i like to think that in bringing it back ,i restored it to its old home1 and that ,william ,jarrett1 senr41 who was doubtless a ,royalist1 enjoyed a peaceful pipe on many a winter's night therein enthroned4 ,i noticed1 lately1 in a description of a similar chair in the ,connoisseur1 that the cherubs are spoken of as amorini2 ,i have always understood that they are angelic beings supporting or guarding the sacred crown of the martyred ,king1 though possibly the appellation is not unsuitable if they are to be regarded in connection with ,charles ,,ii4 alone4 ,there is a story of a hosiery factory established by refugee ,huguenots at the date of the ,revocation of the ,edict of ,nantes1 #afhe1 and the ,jacobean building adjoining the east end of the ,manor ,house is probably the place referred to4 ,later it became a malthouse1 and later still was converted into hop-kilns by me4 ,being of ,huguenot descent myself1 ,i take a special interest in this tradition4 ,in #agae ,aldington took its part in preparing to resist the ,jacobites1 and the following record is copied from an old manuscript3 ,a ,,bill ,,for ,ye ,,constable ,,of ,,anton ,,dun ,,by ,,me ,,wm4 ,,phipps4 s4 d4 #a musket and bayonet444444444444444444444444444444444 4 #j #j #a cartridg box at4444444444444444444444444444444444444 #j #c #f #a belt at44444444444444444444444444444444444444 4444444 #j #e #j for #a scabard and cleaning ye blad and blaking ye hilt444444444444444444444444444444444444 #j #c #f ------- #a #ab #j 7,on the back47 ,three days pay4444444444444444444444444444444444444 444 #j #g #f half ,a pound of pouder44444444444444444444444444444444 #j #j #h for ye muster master 44444444444444444444444444444444 #j #j #f for listing money44444444444444444444444444444444444 44 #j #a #j for drums and cullers444444444444444444444444444444444 #j #c #j ------- #b #d #h ,thos ,rock ,conble #j #ab #h 7,,in7 ,a ,,true ,,account ,,of ,ye ,,cons,,bl ,,of ,,aldington ,,charges ,,for ,ye ,,yeare #agaf_/e ,,nov4 ,ye #g #h #agae ,ye ,,charges ,,for ,,atending ,,as ,,cons,,bl s4 d4 bringing in ye ,train souldiers44444444444444444444444 #c #j spent when ye soulders whent to ,worcester444444444444 #a #f ,one can picture the scene in the little hamlet as ,thomas ,rock collected his forces at the gossip corner2 the little crowd of admiring villagers and the martial bearing of the one recruit1 as with cullers flying and drums beating he marched away1 followed by the village children to the end of the lane4 ,william ,tindal1 in his ,history of ,evesham1 #agid1 records the fact that in #agij ,aldington belonged to ,lord ,foley1 but history is silent as to local events from that date until modern times1 when1 in the first half of the next century1 the ,manor became the property of an ancestor of the present owner4 ,there is a tradition that the ,manor ,house was a small but beautiful old building1 with a high-pitched stone-slate roof and three gables in line at the front2 but these disappeared1 the pitch of the roof was reduced1 and about #ahej the modern part of the house was added at the southern extremity of the old structure4 ,as the neighbouring parish of ,wickhamford is referred to in connection with ,badsey and ,aldington several times in these pages1 it may not be out of place to give the following inscription on the tombstone of a member of the ,washington family4 ,it is particularly of interest at the present time1 more especially to ,americans1 and it has not1 as far as ,i am aware1 previously appeared in any other book4 ,,inscription ,,on ,,the ,,tombstone ,,lying ,,on ,,the ,,north ,,side ,,of ,,the ,,altar1 ,,in ,,the ,,parish ,,church ,,of ,,wickhamford1 ,,near ,,evesham1 ,,in ,,the ,,county ,,of ,,worcester1 ,,england4 ,m4,s4 ,,penelopes ,fili perillustris militari virtute clarissimi ,henrici ,washington1 collonelli1 ,gulielmo ,washington ex agro ,northampton ,milite prognati2 ob res bellicosas tam ,angl3 quam ,hiberni fortiter1 feliciter gestas1 ,illustrissimis ,principib3 ,regum optimis ,carolo primo et secundo charissimi3 ,qui duxit uxorem ,elizabetham ex antiqu1 et ,generos prosapi ,packingtoniensium ,de ,westwood2 ,famili intemeratae fidei in principes1 et amoris in patriam4 ,ex praeclaris hisce natalibus ,penelope oriunda1 ,divini ,numinis summ cum religione ,cultrix assidua2 ,genetricis 7parentum sol superstitis7 ,ingens ,solatium2 ,aegrotantib4 et egentib4 mir promptitudine ,liberalis et benefica2 ,humilis casta1 et soli ,christo nupta2 ,ex hac vit caduc ad sponsum migravit ,febr4 #bg ,an4 ,dom4 #afig4 ,translation ,,inscription ,,on ,,the ,,tombstone ,,lying ,,on ,,the ,,north ,,side ,,of ,,the ,,altar1 ,,in ,,the ,,parish ,,church ,,of ,,wickhamford1 ,,near ,,evesham1 ,,in ,,the ,,county ,,of ,,worcester1 ,,england4 ,m4,s4 ,sacred to the memory of ,,penelope1 daughter of that renowned and distinguished soldier1 ,colonel ,henry ,washington4 ,he was descended from ,sir ,william ,washington1 ,knight1 of the county of ,northampton1 who was highly esteemed by those most illustrious ,princes and best of ,kings1 ,charles the ,first and ,second1 for his valiant and successful warlike deeds both in ,england and in ,ireland3 he married ,,elizabeth1 of the ancient and noble stock of the ,packingtons of ,westwood1 a family of untarnished fidelity to its ,prince and love to its country4 ,sprung from such illustrious ancestry1 ,,penelope was a diligent and pious worshipper of her ,heavenly ,father4 ,she was the consolation of her mother1 her only surviving parent2 a prompt and liberal benefactress of the sick and poor2 humble and pure in spirit1 and wedded to ,christ alone4 ,from this fleeting life she migrated to her ,spouse1 ,february #bg1 ,anno ,domini4 #afig4 ,,chapter ,,ii4 ,,the ,,farm ,,bailiff4 ,if a job has to be done you may as well do it first as last4 --,,william ,,bell4 ,the labourers born and bred in the ,vale of ,evesham are mostly tall and powerful men1 and mine were no exception2 where the land is good the men compare favourably in size and strength with those in less favoured localities1 and the same applies to the horses1 cattle1 and sheep2 but the ,vale1 with its moist climate1 does not produce such ruddy complexions as the clear air of the ,hills1 and even the apples tell the same story in their less brilliant colouring1 except after an unusually sunny summer4 ,in the days of the ,whitsuntide gatherings for games of various kinds1 sports1 and contests of strength1 the ,vale men excelled1 and certain parishes1 famous for the growth of the best wheat1 are still remembered as conspicuously successful4 ,my men1 though grown up before education became compulsory1 could all read and write1 and they were in no way inferior to the young men of the present day4 ,they were highly skilled in all the more difficult agricultural operations1 and it was easy to find among them good thatchers1 drainers1 hedgers1 ploughmen1 and stockmen2 they were1 mostly1 married1 with families of young children1 and they lived close to their work in the cottages that went with the farm4 ,they exhibited the variations1 usual in all communities1 of character and disposition1 and though somewhat prejudiced and wedded to old methods and customs they were open to reason1 loyal1 and anxious to see the land better farmed and restored to the condition in which the late tenant found it1 when entering upon his occupation seven years previously4 ,the late tenant1 my predecessor1 though a gentleman and a pleasant man to deal with1 was no farmer for such strong and heavy land as the farm presented2 it was no fault of his1 for the farmer1 like the poet1 is born1 not made1 and1 as ,i was often told1 he was nobody's enemy but his own4 ,his wife came of a good old stock of shorthorn breeders whose name is known and honoured1 not only at home1 but throughout the ,united ,states of ,america1 our ,dominions1 and wherever the shorthorn has established a reputation2 and my men were satisfied that she was the better farmer of the two4 ,i had scarcely bargained for the foul condition of the stubbles1 disclosed when the corn was harvested shortly before ,i took possession at ,michaelmas2 they were overrun with couch grass--locally called squitch--and the following summer ,i had #dj acres of bare-fallow1 repeatedly ploughed1 harrowed1 and cultivated throughout the whole season1 which1 of course1 produced nothing by way of return4 ,my predecessor had found that his arable land was approaching a condition in which it was difficult to continue the usual course of cropping1 and had expressed his wish to one of the men that all the arable was grass4 ,he was answered1 ,i was told3 ,if you goes on as you be a-going it very soon will be6 ,i heard1 moreover1 that a farming relative of his1 on inspecting the farm1 shortly before he gave it up1 had pronounced his opinion that it was all going to the devil in a gale of wind6 ,i soon recognized that ,i had a splendid staff of workers1 and1 under advice from the late tenant1 ,i selected one to be foreman or bailiff4 ,blue-eyed1 dark-haired1 tall1 lean1 and muscular1 he was the picture of energy1 in the prime of life4 ,straightforward1 unselfish1 a natural leader of men1 courageous and untiring1 he immediately became devoted to me1 and remained my right hand1 my dear friend1 and adviser in the practical working of the farm1 throughout the twenty years that followed4 ,like many of the agricultural labourers1 his remote ancestors belonged to a class higher in the social scale1 and there were traditions of a property in the county and a family vault in ,pershore ,abbey ,church4 ,however this might be1 ,william ,bell was one of ,nature's gentlemen1 and it was apparent in a variety of ways in his daily life4 ,shortly before my coming to ,aldington he had received a legacy of #aej1 which1 without any legal necessity or outside suggestion1 he had in fairness1 as he considered it1 divided equally between his brother1 his sister and himself--each--and his share was on deposit at a bank4 ,seeing that ,i was young--,i was then twenty-two--and imagining that some additional capital would be useful after all my outlay in stocking the farm and furnishing the house1 he1 greatly to my surprise and delight1 offered in a little speech of much delicacy to lend me his #ej4 ,i was immensely touched at such a practical mark of sympathy and confidence1 but was able to assure him gratefully that1 for the present at any rate1 ,i could manage without it4 ,on another occasion1 after a bad season1 he voluntarily asked me to reduce his wages1 to which of course ,i did not see my way to agree4 ,bell was always ready with a smart reply to anyone inclined to rally him1 or whom he thought inclined to do so2 but his method was inoffensive1 though from most men it would have appeared impertinent4 ,in the very earliest days of my occupation the weather was so dry for the time of year--,october and ,november--that fallowing operations1 generally only possible in summer1 could be successfully carried on1 a very unusual circumstance on such wet and heavy land4 ,meeting the ,vicar1 a genial soul with a pleasant word for everyone1 the latter remarked that it was rare weather for the new farmers4 ,bell1 highly sensitive1 fancied he scented a quizzing reference to himself and to me1 and knowing that the ,vicar's own land--he was then farming the glebe with a somewhat unskilful bailiff--was getting out of hand1 replied3 ,yes1 sir2 and not so bad for some of the old uns4 ,bell happened to pass one day when ,i was talking to the ,vicar at my gate4 ,hullo6 ,bell1 said he1 hard at work as usual2 nothing like hard work1 is there8 ,no1 sir1 said ,bell2 ,i suppose that's why you chose the one-day-a-week job6 ,labourers have great contempt for the work of parsons1 lawyers1 and indoor workers generally2 a farmer who spends much time indoors over correspondence and comes round his land late in the day is regarded as an afternoon or armchair farmer1 and a tradesman who runs a small farm in addition to his other business is an apron-string farmer4 ,with some hours daily employed on letter-writing1 accounts and labour records1 which a farm and the employment of many hands entails1 and with frequent calls from buyers and sellers1 ,i was sometimes unable to visit men working on distant fields until twelve o'clock or after1 and ,i was told that it had been said of me by some new hands1 why don't 'e come out and do some on it8 ,it was remarked of the late tenant1 ,i reckon there was a good parson spoiled when 'e was made a farmer4 ,and of a lawyer1 who combined legal practice with the hobby of a small farm1 that there was no doubt that ,lawyer ,g----s kept farmer ,g----s4 ,bell's favourite saying was1 ,if a job has to be done you may as well do it first as last1 and it was so strongly impressed upon me by his example that ,i think ,i have been under its influence1 more or less1 all my life4 ,he was certain to be to the fore in any emergency when promptitude1 courage1 and resource were called for2 he it was who dashed into the pool below the mill and rescued a child1 and when ,i asked if he had no sense of the danger simply said that he never thought about it4 ,it was ,bell who tackled a savage bull which1 by a mistaken order1 was loose in the yard1 and which1 in the exuberance of unwonted liberty1 had smashed up two cow-cribs1 and was beginning the destruction of a pair of new barn doors1 left open1 and offering temptation for further activity4 ,the bull1 secured under ,bell's leadership and manacled with a cart-rope1 was induced to return to its home in peace4 ,when felling a tall poplar overhanging the mill-pond1 it was necessary to secure the tree with a rope fixed high up the trunk and with a stout stake driven into the meadow1 to prevent the tree falling into the pond4 ,bell was the volunteer who climbed the tree with one end of the rope tied round his body and fixed it in position4 ,he was always ready to undertake any specially difficult1 dirty1 or hazardous duty1 and in giving orders it was never ,go and do it1 but ,come on1 let's do it4 ,an example of this sort was not lost upon the men2 they could never say they were set to work that nobody else would do1 and their willing service acknowledged his tact4 ,one day a widow tenant asked me to read the will at the funeral of an old woman lying dead at the cottage next her own4 ,i consented1 and reached the cottage at the appointed time4 ,it was the custom among the villagers1 when there was a will1 to read it before1 not after1 the ceremony1 as1 ,i believe1 is the usual course4 ,i found the coffin in the living-room and the funeral party assembled1 and the will1 on a sheet of notepaper1 signed and witnessed in legal form1 was put into my hands4 ,looking it through1 ,i could see that there would be trouble1 as all the money and effects were left to one person to the exclusion of the other members of the family1 all of whom were present4 ,it was quite simply expressed1 and1 after reading it slowly1 ,i inquired if they all understood its provisions4 ,oh yes1 they understood it well enough4 ,i could see that the tone of the reply suggested some kind of reservation2 ,i asked if ,i could do anything more for them4 ,the reply was1 ,no1 with their grateful thanks for my attendance2 so1 not being expected to accompany the funeral1 ,i retired4 ,i was no sooner gone than the trouble ,i had anticipated began1 and the disappointed relatives expressed their disapproval of the terms of the will1 some going so far as to decline to remain for the ceremony4 ,bell was not among the guests or the bearers1 but1 hearing raised voices at the cottage and guessing the cause1 he boldly went to the spot1 and in a few moments had1 with the approval of the sole legatee1 arranged an equal division of the money and goods2 whereupon the whole party proceeded in procession to the church4 ,i think no one else in the village could so easily have persuaded the favoured individual to forgo the legal claim2 but ,bell was no ordinary man1 and his simple sincerity of purpose was so apparent1 that his influence was not to be resisted4 ,later in the evening a plain1 but very useful1 old oak chest was sent to me1 when the division of the furniture was arranged1 as an acknowledgment of my services and in recognition of the saving of a lawyer's attendance and fee1 with the thanks of the persons concerned4 ,i was loath to accept it1 but it was of course impossible to refuse such a delicate attention4 ,bell's cheerfulness and his habit of making light of difficulties were very contagious4 ,i had early recognized the seriousness of the problem presented by the foul condition of the land1 but1 as we gradually began to reduce it to better order1 ,i remarked that the prospect was not so alarming after all4 ,his reply was that when once the land was clean1 and in regular cropping1 a man might farm it with all the playsure in life4 ,though no scholard1 his wonderful memory stood him in good stead1 and was most valuable to me4 ,he came in for a talk every evening1 to report the events of the day and arrange the work for the morrow4 ,after a long day spent with one of the carters delivering such things as faggots--locally kids--of wood1 he would recall the names of the recipients1 and the exact quantities delivered at each house without the slightest effort4 ,his only memoranda for approximate land measurements would be produced on a stick with a notch denoting each score yards or paces4 ,this primitive method is particularly interesting1 the numeral a score being derived from the ,anglo-,saxon sciran1 to divide4 ,similar words are plough share1 shire1 shears1 and shard4 ,he could keep the daily labour record when ,i was away from home2 but though ,i could always decipher his writing1 he found it difficult to read himself4 ,a letter was a sore trial1 and he often told me that he would sooner walk to ,broddy 7,broadway7 and back1 ten or eleven miles1 than write to the veterinary surgeon there1 whose services we sometimes required4 ,we had a simple method of disposing of small pigs2 it was an understood thing that no pig was to be sold for less than a pound4 ,i had a good breed1 always in demand by the cottagers1 who never failed to apply1 sometimes1 perhaps1 before the pound size was quite reached1 as it was a case of first come first served1 and there was the danger that the best would be snapped up before an intending buyer could have his choice4 ,bell's face was wreathed in smiles when he came in and unloaded a pocketful of sovereigns on my study table1 saying1 when trade was brisk1 ,i could sell myself if ,i was little pigs6 ,many and anxious were the deliberations we held in the early days of my farming2 the whole system of the late tenant was condemned by my theoretical and ,bell's practical knowledge1 but they did not invariably coincide1 and1 after a long discussion on some particular point1 he would yield1 though ,i could see that he was not convinced1 with1 ,well1 ,i allows you to know best4 ,when1 a few years later1 ,i introduced hop-growing as a complete novelty on the farm1 he regarded it at first as an extravagant and unprofitable hobby1 akin to the hunters my predecessor kept4 ,he reckoned1 he said1 that my hop-gardens were my hunting horse1 and ,i heard that my neighbours quoted the old saw about a fool and his money4 ,bell was not so enlightened as to be quite proof against local superstitions2 ,i had to consult his almanac and find out when the moon southed1 and when certain planets were in favourable conjunction1 before he would undertake some quite ordinary farm operations4 ,he was a clever and courageous bee-master1 and took all my neighbours' swarms as well as my own1 my gardener not being persona grata to bees4 ,the job is not a popular one1 and he would1 when accompanied by the owner1 always ask1 ,will you hold the ladder or hive 'em8 ,the invariable answer was1 ,hold the ladder4 ,he firmly believed in the necessity of telling the bees in cases where the owner had died1 the superstition being that unless the hive was tapped after dark1 when all were at home1 and a set form of announcement repeated1 the bees would desert their quarters4 ,i had an alarming experience once with bees when cycling between ,ringwood and ,burley in the ,new ,forest1 my present home4 ,as ,i passed a house close to the road1 a swarm crossed my path1 rising from their hive just as ,i reached the hedge before the garden4 ,there was a mighty humming1 and ,i felt the bees1 with which ,i was colliding1 striking my hands and face with some violence4 ,i expected a sting each moment1 but my greatest fear was lest the queen should have settled on my coat amongst the bees it had collected1 and that presently ,i should have the whole swarm in possession4 ,it was dangerous to stop1 so ,i raced on some distance1 dismounted1 discarded my coat1 shaking off my unwelcome fellow-travellers1 and ,i was much surprised to find that none of them retaliated4 ,bell was an excellent brewer1 and with good malt and some of our own hops could produce a nice light bitter beer at a very moderate cost4 ,in years when cider was scarce we supplemented the men's short allowance with beer1 #d bushels of malt to #ajj gallons2 and for years he brewed a superior drink for the household1 which1 consumed in much smaller quantities and requiring to be kept longer1 was double the strength4 ,his methods were not scientific1 and he scorned the use of a theometer1 his rule being that the hot water was cool enough for the addition of the malt when the steam was sufficiently gone off to allow him to see his face on the surface4 ,owing to his having lived so long in such a quiet place1 and the limited outlook which his surroundings had so far afforded1 ,bell was somewhat wanting in the sense of proportion1 and when ,i had a field of #aj acres planted with potatoes1 he told me quite seriously that he doubted if the crop could ever be sold1 as he didn't think there were enough people in the country to eat them6 ,i remember a parallel incident at the first auction sale of stock ever held at ,chipping ,campden1 a lovely old town and1 for centuries now long past1 a leading centre of the ,cotswold wool trade4 ,the pens1 in the wide spaces between the road and the footways1 were1 as ,i stood watching1 rapidly filling with fat sheep1 and1 ,i suppose1 the scene being so novel and so animated1 the interest of the inhabitants was greatly excited1 as they stood in little groups at the house doors looking on4 ,i heard an ancient dame marvelling at the numbers of sheep collected--probably only #a1jjj or #a1bjj all told--and expressing her certainty of the impossibility of rinding mouths enough to consume such a mass of mutton4 ,as a matter of fact1 there were1 ,i suppose1 four or five large dealers present1 any one of whom would have bought every sheep1 could he have seen a fair chance of a possible profit of threepence a head2 to say nothing of innumerable smaller dealers and retail butchers1 good for a score or two apiece4 ,what ,i may call the parochial horizon is well illustrated1 too1 by the announcement of a domestic economist3 ,farmer ,jones lost two calves last week2 ,i reckon we shall have beef a lot dearer4 ,and again by the recommendation of a shrewd and ancient husbandman of my acquaintance that it was desirable for any young farmer to get away from home and visit the county town sometimes1 at any rate on market days1 and attend the ordinary dinner1 even if it cost him a few shillings--for there1 he added1 you med stick and stick and stick at home until you knows nothin' at all4 ,shakespeare puts the matter more tersely1 if less forcibly1 ,home-keeping youth have ever homely wits4 ,i cannot forbear1 too1 the temptation to recall ,punch's picture at the time of ,king ,george's coronation4 ,the scene depicted two rustics gossiping at the parish pump1 as to the forthcoming village festivities1 and the squire's carriage with the squire and his family1 followed by the luggage cart1 on their way to the railway station3 ,first ,rustic4 ,where be them folks a-goin' to2 ,i wonder8 ,second ,rustic4 ,off to ,lunnon1 ,i reckon1 but they'll be back for the ,cor-o-nation4 ,soon after the reopening of the church ,i overtook ,bell as we were returning from ,sunday morning service4 ,it was a dark day1 and the pulpit1 having been moved from the south to the north side of the nave--farther from the windows--the clerk lighted the desk candles before the ,vicar began his sermon4 ,i asked ,bell how he liked the service1 referring to the new choir and music2 he hesitated1 not wanting1 as ,i was the ,vicar's churchwarden1 to appear critical1 but being too conscientious to disguise his feelings4 ,i could see that he was troubled1 and asked what was the matter4 ,then it came out2 it was them candles6 which he took to be part of the ritual1 and he added1 ,but you ain't a-goin' to make a ,papist of me6 ,bell was proof against attempted bribery1 and often came chuckling to me over his refusals of dishonest proposals4 ,a man from whom ,i used to buy large quantities of hop-poles required some withy bonds for tying faggots2 they are sold at a price per bundle of #ajj1 and the applicant suggested that #abj should be placed in each bundle4 ,bell was to receive a recognition for his complicity in the fraud1 and he agreed on condition that in my next deal for hop-poles #ajj should be represented by #abj in like manner4 ,the bargain did not materialize4 ,i found ,bell a very amusing companion in walks and excursions we took to fairs and sales for the purchase of stock4 ,he knew the histories and peculiarities of all the farmers and country people whose land or houses we passed1 and his stories made the miles very short4 ,i often helped with driving sheep and cattle home1 and their persistence in taking all the wrong turnings or in doubling back was surprising2 but two drovers are much more efficient than one1 and we got to know exactly where they would need circumventing4 ,when we visited a town ,i always took him to an inn or restaurant and gave him a good dinner4 ,visiting what was then a much-frequented dining-place--,mountford's1 at ,worcester1 near the cathedral--we sat next to a well-known hon4 and rev4 scholar of eccentric habits4 ,he would read abstractedly1 forgetting his food for several minutes1 then suddenly would make a noisy dash for knife and fork1 resuming the meal with great energy for a while1 and as suddenly relinquish the implements and return to his reading1 and so on continuously4 ,i noticed ,bell watching with great surprise1 much shocked at such unusual table manners1 and presently he could not forbear very gently nudging my elbow to draw my attention to the performance4 ,mountford's was celebrated for succulent veal cutlets with fried bacon and tomato sauce1 also for ,severn salmon and lamperns2 visitors to the cathedral and china works generally refreshed themselves there1 and it was amusing to watch their exhausted and grim looks when entering and waiting1 in comparison with their beaming smiles when confessing their indulgences on leaving2 for no bills were rendered1 and guests were trusted to remember the details consumed4 ,you will always find the best eating-houses near the cathedrals2 vergers' recitals are apt to be long-winded1 and visitors require speedy refreshment after a complete round4 ,it was a popular village belief that bad luck follows if a woman was the first to enter a house on ,christmas morning1 and ,bell always made a point of being the first over my threshold1 shouting loudly his greetings up the staircase4 ,bell's wife survived him1 living on in the same cottage in which he was born and had passed his life4 ,she was a hard-working woman1 and came over to my house once a week for some years to bake the bread1 made from my own wheat ground at the village mill4 ,it was somewhat dark in colour1 owing to the most nutritious parts of the grain being retained in the flour1 but it was deliciously sweet and kept fresh for the whole week4 ,i only wish everyone could enjoy the same sort2 the modern bread is poor stuff by comparison1 and its lack of nutritive value is undoubtedly the cause of much of the poor physique of our rural and urban population at the present time4 ,i had a very human dog1 ,viper1 partly fox-terrier2 though not very well bred1 his manners were unexceptionable and his cleverness extraordinary4 ,one summer afternoon ,mrs4 ,bell was greatly surprised by ,viper coming to her house much distressed and trying to tell her the reason2 he was not to be put off or comforted1 and1 seizing her skirts1 he dragged her to the door and outside4 ,she guessed at once that her two boys were in some danger1 and she followed the dog4 ,he kept turning round to make sure that she was close behind1 and led her down a lane1 for perhaps #cjj yards1 to a gate leading into a #ab-;acre pasture4 ,they pursued the footpath across the field1 through another gate and over the bridge which spanned the brook1 into a meadow beyond4 ,there she found the children in fear of their lives from the antics of two mischievous colts which were capering round them with many snorts and much upturning of heels4 ,it was really only play1 but the boys were alarmed1 and ,viper1 who had accompanied them1 had evidently concluded that they were in danger4 ,before the days of the safety bicycle an excellent tricycle1 called the omnicycle1 was put on the market2 and the villagers were greatly excited over one ,i purchased1 of course only for road work1 expecting me to use it on my farming rounds2 and ,mrs4 ,bell was heard to say1 ,i knows ,i shall laugh when ,i sees the master a-coming round the farm on that thing4 ,bell always spoke of her as my 'ooman1 and1 referring to the depletion of their exchequer on her returns from marketing in ,evesham1 often said1 ,i don't care who robs my 'ooman this side of the elm--a notable tree about halfway between the town and the village--knowing that she would then have very little change left4 ,,chapter ,,iii4 ,,the ,,hop ,,foreman ,,and ,,the ,,hop ,,drier4 ,oft did the harvest to their sickle yield1 99 99 99 99 99 ,how bowed the woods beneath their sturdy stroke4 --,,gray',s ,elegy4 ,jarge was one of the most prominent characters among my men4 ,he was not a native of the ,vale1 coming from the ,lynches1 a hilly district to the north of ,evesham4 ,he was a sturdy and very excellent workman4 ,he did with his might whatsoever his hand found to do1 and everything he undertook was a success4 ,the beautifully trimmed hedge in front of his cottage-garden proclaimed his method and love of order at a glance4 ,jarge was a wag2 he was the man who1 like ,shakespeare's clowns1 stepped on to the stage at the critical moment and saved a serious situation with a quaint or epigrammatic expression4 ,he was very scornful of the condition of the farm when ,i came1 and it was he1 whose reply to the late tenant that his arable land would soon be all grass1 ,i have already quoted4 ,in speaking to me1 at almost our first interview1 he could not refrain from an allusion to the foulness of the land2 some peewits were circling over those neglected fields1 and it was far from reassuring to be told--though he did not intend to discourage me--that folks say1 when you sees them things on the land1 the farm's broke6 ,from the natural history point of view he was perfectly correct1 as peewits generally frequent wild and uncultivated places where the ploughman and the labourer are rarely seen4 ,owing to the somewhat unconvincing fact of his wife's brother being a gamekeeper on the ,marquis's estate near ,jarge's native village1 he had acquired1 and retained through all the years of my farming1 a sporting reputation2 he was always the man selected for trapping any evil beast or bird that might be worrying us2 and when the cherries were beginning to show ruddy complexions in the sunshine1 and the starlings and blackbirds were becoming troublesome1 armed with an old muzzle-loader of mine1 he made incessant warfare against them1 and his gun could be heard as early as five o'clock in the morning1 while the shots would often come pattering down harmlessly on my greenhouse4 ,there came a time when some thieving carrion crows were robbing my half-tame wild duck's nests of their eggs1 and ,jarge was1 of course1 detailed to tackle them4 ,weeks elapsed without any result2 the depredations continued1 and the men began to chaff him2 finally ,bell put the lid on1 as people say nowadays1 by the following sally3 ,ah1 ,jarge1 if ever thee catches a craw 'twill be one as was hatched from an addled egg6 ,for weeks before harvest ,jarge patrolled my wheatfields1 crowds of sparrows rising and dispersing for a time after every shot1 only1 ,i fear1 to foregather again very soon on another field1 perhaps half a mile distant4 ,no doubt he sent some to my neighbours in return for those which they sent to me4 ,jarge was an instance of superior descent2 his surname was that of an ancient and prominent county family in former days2 he carried himself with dignity and was generally respected2 he possessed the power of very minute observation1 and was of all others the man to find coins or other small leavings of ,roman and former occupiers of my land4 ,his eldest daughter was a charming girl1 and1 when ,jarge became a widower1 she made a most efficient mistress of his household4 ,she showed1 too1 quite unmistakably her descent from distinguished ancestry4 ,tall1 clear-complexioned1 graceful1 dignified1 and rather serious1 but with a sweet smile1 she was a daughter of whom any man might have been proud4 ,to my thinking1 she was the belle of the village1 and she made a very pretty picture in her sun-bonnet1 among the green and golden tracery of the hop-bine in the hopping season accompanied by the smaller members of the family4 ,at the crib into which the hops are picked1 many bushels proved their industry1 and there were no leaves or rubbish to call for rebuke at the midday and evening measurings4 ,i selected ,jarge for foreman of the hop-picking as a most responsible and trustworthy man2 it was then that his sense of humour was most conspicuous1 a very important and valuable trait when #cjj women and children1 and the men who supplied them with hops on the poles1 have to be kept cheerful and good-tempered every day and all day for three weeks or a month1 sometimes under trying conditions4 ,for though hop-picking is a fascinating occupation when the sun shines and the sky is blue1 it is otherwise when the mornings are damp or the hops dripping with dew1 and when heavy thunder-rains have left the ground wet and cold4 ,he had a cheery word for all who were working steadily1 and a semi-sarcastic remark for the careless and unmethodical2 a keen eye for hops wasted and trodden into the ground1 or for poles of undersized hops1 unwelcome to the pickers and hidden beneath those from which the hops had been picked4 ,he acted as buffer between capital and labour1 smoothing troubles over1 telling me of the pickers' difficulties1 and explaining my side to the pickers when the quality was poor and prices discouraging1 so that the work went with a swing and with happy faces and good-humoured chaff4 ,i was always pleased to hear the pickers singing1 for ,i knew then that all was well4 ,sometimes1 after a trying day1 when ,jarge had been called upon to expostulate1 or to talk more than usual1 the corners of his mouth would take a downward turn1 and he complained1 perhaps1 of gipsies or tramps whom ,i was obliged to employ when the crop was heavy1 though they were kept in a gang apart from the villagers2 but he always came up happy again next morning1 the mouth corners tending upwards1 and his broad and beaming smile with a radiance like the rising sun on a midsummer morning4 ,jarge was a man of discrimination4 ,when we were forced to inaugurate a ,school ,board on account of the growing difficulty1 owing to the bad times1 of collecting voluntary subscriptions1 all the old school managers1 including my second ,vicar--,i served under three ,vicars as church-warden--refused to join the ,board4 ,jarge1 who was much exercised in his mind as to the possibility of future bad management1 came to me1 and referring to a proposal to place working-men on the ,board1 said3 ,we wants men like you1 sir1 for members2 what's the good of sending we dunderyeads there8 ,going round the farm on his daughter's wedding-day1 ,i was surprised to find him at work2 and when ,i asked him why he was not at the ceremony1 ,well1 he replied1 ,i don't think much of weddings--the fittel 7victuals7 ain't good enough2 give me a jolly good fu-ner-ral6 ,jarge wore a brown velveteen coat on high-days and holidays by virtue of his sporting reputation1 and looked exceedingly smart with special corduroy breeches and gaiters and a wide-awake felt hat4 ,he was much annoyed in ,birmingham1 whither ,i had sent all the men to an agricultural show1 at hearing a man say to a companion1 ,there's another of them ,country ,johnnies4 ,when ,i told him what a swell he looked1 he replied somewhat ruefully1 ,no6 that's what ,i never could be1 as though he felt that his appearance was disappointingly rustic4 ,though a most industrious man1 he had dreams of the enjoyment of complete leisure2 he told me that if ever he possessed as much as fifty pounds he would never do another day's work as long as he lived4 ,i answered that when that ideal was reached he would postpone his projected ease until he had made it a hundred1 and so on ad infinitum2 and this proved a correct forecast1 for in time1 by the aid of a well-managed allotment and regular wages1 he saved a good bit of money4 ,when ,i sold my fruit crops by auction1 on the trees1 for the buyers to pick1 just before ,i gave up my land1 as ,i should not be present to harvest the late apples and cider fruit after ,michaelmas1 he came forward with a bid of one hundred pounds for one of the orchards1 though it was sold eventually for a higher price4 ,he was not well versed in finance1 however1 for when the owner of his cottage offered1 at his request1 to build a new pigsty if he would pay a rent of #e per cent1 annually on the cost--a very fair proposal--,jarge declined with scorn1 being1 ,i think1 under the impression that the owner was demanding the complete sum of five pounds annually1 and ,i found it impossible to disabuse his mind of the idea4 ,he felt aggrieved also by the fact that1 having paid rent for twenty-five or thirty years1 he was no nearer ownership of his cottage than when he began4 ,his argument was that1 as he had paid more than the value of the cottage1 it should be his property2 the details of interest on capital and all rates and repairs paid by the owner did not appeal to him4 ,on the occasion of a concert at ,malvern1 which my wife and her sister organized for the benefit of our church restoration fund1 ,i gave all my men a holiday1 and sent them off by train at an early hour2 they were to climb the ,worcestershire ,beacon--the highest point of the ,malvern range--in the morning1 and attend the concert in the afternoon4 ,it was a lovely day1 and the programme was duly carried out4 ,next morning ,i found ,jarge and another man1 who had been detailed for the day's work to sow nitrate of soda on a distant wheat-field1 sitting peacefully under the hedge2 they told me that the excitement and the climb had completely tired them out1 but that they would stop and complete the job1 no matter how late at night that might be4 ,it was the hill-climbing1 ,i think1 that had brought into play muscles not generally used in our flat country4 ,i sympathized1 and left them resting1 but the work was honourably concluded before they left the field4 ,when there was illness in ,jarge's house and somebody told him that the doctor had been seen leaving1 he answered that he ,would sooner see the butcher there any day--not1 perhaps1 a very happy expression in the circumstances1 but intended to convey that a butcher's bill1 for good meat supplied1 was more satisfactory than a doctor's account1 which represented nothing in the way of commissariat4 ,among the annual trips to which ,i treated my men1 ,i sent them for a long summer day to ,london1 and one of my pupils kindly volunteered to act as conductor to the sights4 ,they had a very successful day1 and the principal streets and shows were visited2 among the latter the ,great ,wheel1 then very popular1 was the one that seemed to interest them most4 ,next morning some of the travellers were hoeing beans in one of my fields2 ,i interviewed them on my round1 and inquired what they thought of ,london4 ,they had much enjoyed the day1 and were greatly struck by the fact that the barmaid1 at the place where they had eaten the lunch they took with them1 had recognized them as ,oostershire men2 they had demanded their beer in three or four quart jugs1 which could be handed round so that each man could take a pull in turn1 instead of the usual fashion of separate glasses1 and it appeared that this indicated the locality from whence they came4 ,probably she had noticed their accent1 and1 being a native of ,worcestershire1 remembered their intimate drinking custom as a county peculiarity4 ,the men proceeded to describe the sights of ,london1 and one of them added that there was one thing they could not find there1 stopping suddenly in some confusion4 ,i pressed him to explain4 ,he still hesitated1 and1 turning to the others1 said3 ,you tell the master1 ,bill4 ,bill was not so diffident4 ,well1 he said1 we couldn't see a good-looking 'ooman in ,lunnon2 for ,jarge here1 'e was judge over 'em for a bit1 and then ,tom 'e took it1 nor 'e couldn't see one neither6 ,jarge was somewhat of a bon vivant1 and much appreciated my annual present of a piece of ,christmas beef4 ,when thanking me and descanting upon its tenderness and acceptability1 on one occasion1 he continued1 ,it ain't like the sort of biff we folks has to put up with1 that tough you has to set in the middle of the room at dinner1 for fear you might daish your brains out agen the wall a-tuggin' at it with your teeth6 ,jarge had one song and only one that ,i ever heard1 and he was always called upon for it at harvest suppers and other jollifications2 it was not a classic1 but he rendered it with characteristic drollery1 and always brought down the house4 ,i conclude my sketch of him by mentioning it because it is almost my last impression of his vivid personality1 trotted out with great energy at my farewell supper1 a day or two before ,i left ,aldington4 ,among the men who were bequeathed to me1 so to speak1 by my predecessor1 ,tom was one of whom ,i always had a high opinion4 ,tall1 vigorous1 and well made1 one recognized at once his possibilities as a valuable man4 ,he was somewhat cautious1 taciturn1 very sensitive and reserved1 but would open out in conversation when alone with me4 ,as quite a young man he had worked at the building of the branch line from ,oxford to ,wolverhampton1 via ,worcester1 the ,o4,w4 and ,w41 or ,old ,wusser and ,wusser1 as it was called1 until taken over by the ,great ,western ,railway4 ,the latter1 extending from ,london to ,oxford1 was1 ,i believe1 one of ,brunell's masterly conceptions1 being without a tunnel the whole way4 ,but the new line had to pierce the ,cotswolds before reaching the ,vale of ,evesham1 and ,tom had many yarns about the construction of the long ,mickleton tunnel4 ,among them was a tradition of the cost1 so great that guineas laid edgeways throughout its length would not pay for it4 ,in my time there was a splendid service of express trains running from ,london to ,worcester without a stop1 and coming downhill into the ,vale1 through the tunnel and towards ,evesham1 the speed approximated to a mile a minute4 ,i was talking to one of my men1 a hedger1 working near the line which bounded a portion of my land1 when one of the express trains came dashing along and passed us with a roar in a few seconds4 ,my word1 said he1 ,i reckon that's a co-rider4 ,i was puzzled1 but presently it came to me that he meant corridor2 he had probably seen the word in the local paper without having heard it pronounced4 ,it was a treat to watch ,tom's magnificent physique when felling a big tree1 stripped to his shirt1 with sleeves rolled up1 and his gleaming axe slowly raised and poised for a second above him before it fell with the gathered impetus of its own weight and his powerful stress4 ,biting time after time into the exact place aimed at1 and at the most effective angle possible1 the clean chips would fly in all directions until the necessary notch was cut and the basal outgrowths1 close to the ground around the sturdy column1 were reduced1 so that the cross-cut saw could complete its downfall with a mighty crash4 ,there is always something sad about the felling of an ancient tree2 one feels it is a venerable creature that has passed long years of unchallenged dominion on the spot occupied1 and one can scarcely avoid an idea of its intelligence and its silent record of passing generations1 who have welcomed its shade at blazing summer noontides1 or crept close to its warm touch for shelter from the winter's chilling blast and the hissing hail4 ,tom was always the leader of my team of mowers when the grass was cut1 for1 with the large staff ,i employed on purpose for the all-important hop-gardens1 ,i never wanted1 till towards the end of my time1 to make use of a machine4 ,the steady swing of his scythe1 with scarcely an apparent effort1 the swish1 as the swathe fell beneath its keen edge1 and the final lift of the severed grasses at the end of the stroke1 all in regular rhythmic action1 were very fascinating to watch4 ,at intervals came a halt for whetting the blade1 and the musical sound of rubber 7sharpening stone7 against steel1 equally adroitly accomplished1 proved the artist at his work1 with a delicacy of touch which1 perhaps in different circumstances1 might have produced the thrills with which ,pachmann's velvet caress or ,paderewski's refined expression enchant a vast and rapturous audience4 ,as a land-drainer1 too1 ,i loved to watch him standing in the slippery trench1 with not an inch more soil moved than was necessary1 lifting out the decreasing draws1 and leaving a bottom nicely rounded exactly to fit the pipes1 and finally the methodical adjustment of each pipe1 with the concluding tap to bring it close to the last one laid4 ,draining is an art which taxes the ability of the best of men1 for it must be remembered that1 like the links of a chain1 its efficiency is no greater than that of its weakest part4 ,when ,i had to arrange for the harvesting of my first hop crop1 it was necessary to find a man who could be entrusted with the critical work of drying the hops1 and ,tom was the man ,i chose4 ,i had my kiln ready1 constructed in an old malthouse1 on the latest principles1 and in time for the first crop4 ,the kiln consisted of a space about #bj feet square1 walled off at one end of the old building1 but with entrances on the ground and first floors4 ,beneath1 in the lower compartment1 was the fireplace1 a yard square1 and #af feet above was the floor on which the hops were dried4 ,anthracite coal was used for fuel1 the fire being maintained day and night throughout the picking--the morning's picking drying between #a p4m4 and #ab midnight1 and the afternoon's picking between #a a4m4 and #ab o'clock noon4 ,tom was therefore on duty for the whole twenty-four hours1 with what snatches of sleep he could catch in the initial stage of each drying and at odd moments4 ,the process requires great skill and attention2 at first he and ,i1 with what little knowledge ,i had1 puzzled it out together1 he having had no previous experience1 and night after night ,i sat up with him till the load came off the kiln at midnight4 ,a slight excess of heat1 or an irregular application of it1 will spoil the hops1 the principle being to raise the temperature1 very gradually at first1 to #cj or #dj degrees higher at the finish4 ,hops should be blown dry by a blast of hot air1 not baked by heat alone4 ,the drier1 of course1 has to keep a watchful eye on the thermometer on the upper floor among the hops--,tom always called it the theometer--regulating his fire accordingly and the admission of cold air through adjustable ventilators on the outside walls4 ,this regulation varies according to the weather1 the moisture of the air1 and the condition of the hops1 and calls for critical judgment and accuracy4 ,often1 tired out with the previous ordinary day's work1 we had much ado to keep awake at night1 and it was fatal to arrange a too comfortable position with the warmth of the glowing fire and the soporific scent of the hops4 ,then ,tom would announce that it was time to get them little props out1 which1 in imagination1 were to support our wearied eyelids4 ,when we decided that the hops were ready to be cooled down1 to prevent breaking when being taken off the drying floor1 all doors1 windows1 and ventilators were thrown open and the fire banked up1 and1 while they were cooling1 he went to neighbouring cottages to rouse the men who came nightly to unload and reload the kiln1 and then ,i could retire to bed4 ,tom was devoted to duty1 and was so successful as a hop-drier that he soon became capable of managing two more kilns in the same building1 which ,i enlarged as ,i gradually increased my acreage4 ,in a good season he would often have #ajj worth of hops through his hands in the twenty-four hours1 sometimes more4 ,he was the only man ,i ever employed at this particular work1 and throughout those years he turned out hops to the value of nearly #cj1jjj without a single mishap or spoiled kiln-load--a better proof of his devotion to duty than anything else ,i could say4 ,he was a very picturesque figure when1 crowned with the sickle and the wheaten sheaf1 ,autumn comes jovial on1 and he was cutting wheat1 his head covered with a coloured handkerchief1 knotted at the corners1 to protect the back of his neck from the sun1 which must have been much cooler than the felt hat--a kind of billycock with a flat top--which he habitually wore4 ,i have noticed that the labourer's style of hat is a matter of great conservatism1 probably due to the fancy that he would look odd in any other1 and would be liable to chaff from his fellow-workers4 ,tom had a tremendous reach1 and got through a big day's work in the harvest-field1 but nearly always knocked himself up after two or three days in the broiling sun1 developing what he called1 ,tantiddy's fire in one forearm2 this is the local equivalent of ,st4 ,anthony's fire1 an ailment termed professionally erysipelas1 but ,i have never heard how it is connected with the saint4 ,harvesters often work in pairs1 and they are then butties 7partners71 but not infrequently a harvester will be accompanied by his wife or daughter to tie up the sheaves2 and their active figures among the golden corn1 backed by a horizon of blue sky1 make a charming picture4 ,the mind goes back to the old ,scripture references to the time of harvest1 and the idea impresses itself that one is looking at almost exactly the same scene as it appeared to the old writers1 and which they described in all the dignity of their stately language4 ,tom was not much given to the epigrammatic expression of his thoughts1 like some of the other men1 but he had a vein of humour4 ,a relative of his used to come over from ,evesham to sing in our church choir1 and ,i remember a special occasion when the choir was somewhat piano until this singer's part came in2 he had a strong and not very melodious voice1 and the effort and the effect alike were startling4 ,tom was in church at the time1 and had evidently been watching expectantly for the fortissimo climax2 he told me afterwards that when ,s4 opened his mouth ,i knew it was sure to come4 ,it did6 ,i have mentioned ,tom's cautiousness2 he had a way of assenting to a statement without committing himself to definite agreement4 ,i once asked him who the leaders had been in a disorderly incident1 being aware that he knew2 ,i suggested the names1 but the nearest approach to assent which ,i could extract was1 ,if you spakes again you'll be wrong4 ,,chapter ,,iv4 ,,the ,,head ,,carter--,,the ,,carpenter4 ,there's a right way and a wrong way to do everything1 and folks most in general chooses the wrong un4 --,,tom ,g4 ,jim was my first head carter1 and he dearly loved a horse4 ,he had1 as the saying is1 forgotten more about horses than most men ever knew1 and what he didn't know wasn't worth knowing4 ,he was a cheery man1 and when ,i went to ,aldington was about to be married4 ,not being much of a scholard1 his first request was that ,i would write out his name and that of his intended1 for the publication of the banns4 ,a group of men was standing round at the time1 and ,i asked him how his somewhat unusual name was spelt4 ,seeing that he was puzzled1 ,i hazarded a guess myself1 repeating the six letters in order slowly4 ,he was greatly surprised and pleased to recognize that my attempt was correct1 and1 turning to the bystanders1 remarked with the utmost sincerity1 ,there ain't many as could have done that1 mind you6 ,i felt that my reputation for scholarship was established4 ,jim was a fisherman1 and was no representative of a worm at one end and a fool at the other4 ,i gave him leave to fish in my brooks2 he was wily1 patient1 and successful1 and one day brought me a nice salmon-trout1 by no means common in these streams4 ,in thanking him1 ,i made him a standing offer of a shilling a pound for any more he could catch1 but he never got another4 ,writing of fishing1 ,i cannot forbear quoting ,thomson's lines on the subject1 under ,spring1 the most vivid description of the sport ,i have ever read3 ,when with his lively ray the potent sun ,has pierced the streams1 and roused the finny race1 ,then1 issuing cheerful1 to thy sport repair2 ,chief should the western breezes curling play1 ,and light o'er ether bear the shadowy clouds4 ,high to their fount1 this day1 amid the hills1 ,and woodlands warbling round1 trace up the brooks2 ,the next1 pursue their rocky-channel'd maze1 ,down to the river1 in whose ample wave ,their little naiads love to sport at large4 ,just in the dubious point1 where with the pool ,is mix'd the trembling stream1 or where it boils ,around the stone1 or from the hollow'd bank ,reverted plays in undulating flow1 ,there throw1 nice-judging1 the delusive fly2 ,and as you lead it round in artful curve1 ,with eye attentive mark the springing games ,straight as above the surface of the flood ,they wanton rise1 or urged by hunger leap1 ,then fix1 with gentle twitch1 the barbed hook3 ,some lightly tossing to the grassy bank1 ,and to the shelving shore slow-dragging some1 ,with various hand proportion'd to their force4 ,if yet too young1 and easily deceived1 ,a worthless prey scarce bends your pliant rod1 ,him1 piteous of his youth and the short space ,he has enjoy'd the vital light of heaven1 ,soft disengage1 and back into the stream ,the speckled captive throw4 ,but should you lure ,from his dark haunt1 beneath the tangled roots ,of pendant trees1 the monarch of the brook1 ,behoves you then to ply your finest art4 ,long time he following cautious1 scans the fly2 ,and oft attempts to seize it1 but as oft ,the dimpled water speaks his jealous fear4 ,at last1 while haply yet the shaded sun ,passes a cloud1 he desperate takes the death1 ,with sullen plunge4 ,at once he darts along1 ,deep-struck1 and runs out all the lengthen'd line2 ,then seeks the furthest ooze1 the sheltering weed1 ,the cavern'd bank1 his old secure abode2 ,and flies aloft1 and flounces round the pool1 ,indignant of the guile4 ,with yielding hand1 ,that feels him still1 yet to his furious course ,gives way1 you1 now retiring1 following now ,across the stream1 exhaust his idle rage3 ,till floating broad upon his breathless side1 ,and to his fate abandon'd1 to the shore ,you gaily drag your unresisting prize4 ,horses were scarce and dear when ,i went to ,aldington1 and many ,french animals were being imported4 ,i got an old acquaintance in the ,south of ,england to send me four or five2 they were all greys1 useful workers1 but wanting the spirit and stamina of the ,english horse2 and they would always wait for the ,englishman to start a heavy standing load before throwing their weight into the collar4 ,jim told me that they were desperate ongain 7very awkward71 and1 as foreigners1 well they might be1 for ,i myself had some difficulty in understanding the local words of command1 more especially in ploughing1 when1 with a team of four1 he shouted his orders1 addressing the new horses by names with which they were quite unfamiliar4 ,i admired ,jim's loyalty to his late master1 if not his veracity1 at the valuation of the stock1 which ,i took over as it stood4 ,being aware that there was a lame one or two among the horses1 ,i warned my valuer beforehand4 ,we entered the stable1 and my valuer1 thinking to catch ,jim off his guard1 asked casually which they were4 ,jim was quite ready for him1 and answered without a moment's hesitation1 ,nerrun1 sir 7never a one74 ,they were1 however1 easily detected when trotted out on the road4 ,jim was a capital hand at getting up a horse for sale2 an extra sack or two of corn1 constant grooming1 and rest in the stable1 with the aid of some mysterious powders1 which1 ,i think1 contained arsenic1 soon brought out the dapples1 which he called crown-pieces1 on their coats1 and in a couple of months' time one scarcely recognized the somewhat angular beast upon which his labours had wrought a miracle1 and put a ten-pound note at least on the value4 ,we had an ancient and otherwise doubtful mare1 ,bonny1 ready for ,pershore ,fair1 and the previous day ,jim wanted to know if ,i intended to be present4 ,i told him1 ,no6 ,i should have to tell too many lies4 ,oh6 said he1 ,i'll do all that1 sir6 ,he sold the mare to a big dealer for all she was worth1 ,i think1 though not a large figure4 ,soon afterwards ,i had to expostulate with him about some fault4 ,he explained the circumstances from his point of view1 adding1 ,and that's the truth1 sir1 and the truth is the truth1 and--triumphantly--that's what'll carry a man through the world6 ,i could say no more1 but could not help remembering his willingness to testify to ,sonny's doubtful merits at ,pershore ,fair4 ,jim became a widower1 but eventually married again2 a good woman1 who made a capital wife4 ,shortly before the wedding1 when he came to see me on some business1 my wife happened to be present2 she was very anxious to find out the date in order that we might attend4 ,jim was shy1 not wishing it to be generally known1 and nothing could be got out of him4 ,on leaving1 however1 he repented and1 looking back over his shoulder1 made the announcement1 ,our job comes off next ,thursday1 then closing the door quickly1 he was gone4 ,he got my permission to visit his mother and son1 both ailing in ,birmingham1 and on his return ,i made inquiries4 ,the boy was better1 but about his mother he said1 ,i don't take so much notice of she1 for her be regular weared out--not unkindly or undutifully intended1 but just a plain statement of fact1 simply put2 for she was a very old woman1 and could not in the course of nature be expected to live much longer4 ,that ,jim had a tender heart ,i know1 for when we lost a very favourite horse1 one which you could not put at the wrong job1 ,i found him weeping and much distressed4 ,later he said1 ,when you lose a horse ,i reckon it's a double loss1 for you haven't got the horse or the money4 ,my mind being dominated by the unanswerable accuracy of the latter part of the statement1 ,i did not1 for a moment1 see that the first part was fallacious1 because1 of course1 one could not have both at one and the same time4 ,he was an excellent ploughman1 and considerable skill is demanded to manage the long wood plough1 locally made1 and still the best implement of the sort on the adhesive land of the ,vale of ,evesham4 ,it has no wheels1 like the ordinary iron plough has1 to regulate the depth and width of the furrow-slice1 because in wet weather1 if tried on this almost stoneless land1 the wheels become so clogged with mud and refuse1 such as stubble from the previous crop1 that they will not revolve1 sliding helplessly involved along the ground4 ,even the mould-board is wood1 generally pear-tree1 to which the mud does not adhere1 as happens with iron4 ,as an old neighbour explained to me1 ,you can cut the newest bread with a wooden knife1 whereas the doughy crumb of the bread would stick to a steel one4 ,pear-tree wood is used because it wears slick 7smooth71 and does not splinter like wood which is longer in the grain4 ,with these long wood ploughs the ploughman himself regulates the depth and width of the furrow-slice--i4e41 each strip that is severed and turned over--by holding the handles firmly in the correct position as the plough travels along1 for it cannot be left for a moment to its own inclination4 ,this entails strict attention and much muscular effort1 and1 of course1 the latter comes into play also in turning at each end of the field4 ,the result is very effective2 the flat mould-board offers the least possible resistance to the inversion of the soil1 whereas the iron plough1 with a curling mould-board1 presses the crest of the furrow-slice into regularity of form1 and gives a more finished appearance at the expense of much extra friction and labour for the horses4 ,a carter-boy accompanies each team1 as driver1 to keep the horses up to their work and turn them at the ends4 ,a farmer ,i knew in ,hampshire would not1 if possible1 employ a boy unless he could whistle--of course the ability and degree of excellence is a guide to character1 and indicates to some extent a harmonious disposition2 he always said1 ,now whistle1 when engaging a new boy4 ,there are few more pleasant agricultural operations to watch and to follow than a lusty team1 a skilful ploughman1 and a whistling boy at work1 on a glowing autumn day1 when the stubble is covered with gossamers gleaming with iridescent colours in the sunshine4 ,the upturned earth is fragrant1 the fresh soil looks rich and full of promise1 there is the feeling that old mistakes and disappointments are being buried out of sight1 and the hope and anticipation of the future4 ,on a ,lincolnshire farm where ,i was a pupil1 an incident occurred illustrating the anxiety of a carter for the welfare of his horses1 in combination with no small cunning4 ,the owner1 in the stable one ,sunday morning1 noticed an open ,bible in the manger2 having doubts as to the reliability of the carter1 he regarded the ,bible1 so prominently displayed1 with some suspicion4 ,looking carefully all round he could see nothing to find fault with1 until he glanced upward at the floor over the manger1 where he discovered a protruding cork4 ,he remembered that a heap of oats was stored in the loft1 from which the bailiff gave out the rations for their teams to each man weekly4 ,getting the key of the loft1 he found that the cork was nicely adjusted to a hole beneath the oats1 so that the carter in question could exceed the recognized ration whenever inclined4 ,the fault was1 of course1 more one of disobedience than of robbery1 as the corn was consumed by his master's horses1 and the prominence of the ,bible was perhaps the worst feature1 evidently a deceptive device to arrest suspicion1 though it proved to have exactly the opposite effect4 ,very few of my men suffered from rheumatism1 but ,jim was an exception4 ,i think he applied horse embrocation to himself2 he would extol its efficacy1 and would tell how1 when the pain attacked his shoulder1 the remedy druv it to his back2 applied to the latter1 it druv it to his legs2 and so on indefinitely4 ,i kept about a dozen working horses besides colts2 the latter are broken at two years old1 but only very lightly worked1 and1 when quiet and handy1 they are turned out again till a year older4 ,our method of maintaining the full capacity of horse-power on the farm was to breed1 or buy at six months old1 two colts1 and sell off two of the oldest horses every year4 ,as two colts could be bought for forty or fifty pounds at that age1 and the two old horses sold for a hundred and twenty pounds or thereabouts1 a good balance was left on the transaction1 while the full strength of the teams was maintained4 ,jim had sufficient foresight to view with alarm the gradual dispersion of most of the oldest and best farmers in the neighbourhood1 and the conversion to grass of the arable land1 owing to the unfair and dangerous competition of ,american wheat4 ,when we discussed the subject and foretold the straits to which the country would be reduced in the event of war with a great ,european ,power1 he concluded these forebodings with the habitual remark1 ,well1 what ,i says is1 them as lives longest will see the most4 ,a truism1 no doubt1 but1 as time has proved1 by no means an incorrect view4 ,there was always plenty of employment for an estate carpenter on my farms1 as ,i had a vast number of buildings1 including four separate sets of barn1 stable1 sheds1 and yard1 away from the village1 as well as those near the ,manor ,house1 and many repairs were necessary4 ,there were1 too1 very many gates1 repairs to fences1 hurdle-making1 and odd jobs1 to keep a man employed for months at a time4 ,the building of three hop-kilns1 with the necessary storerooms for green and dried hops1 as the hop acreage increased1 the preparation of hop-poles1 and the erection of wire-work on larger poles1 which gradually superseded the ordinary pole system1 all demanded a great deal of regular work4 ,i was most fortunate in obtaining the services of a man living in a neighbouring village1 not only as estate carpenter1 but as a skilled joiner1 and possessing all the knowledge and efficiency of an experienced builder4 ,when ,i first met him1 or very soon afterwards1 ,tom ,g4 was a teetotaller1 and ,i have always had immense admiration for the strength of will which enabled him to conquer completely the drink habit1 for he freely admitted that he was entirely mastered by it in his younger days4 ,he told me1 and it proves what a kindly word will sometimes do1 that the ,squire of his village1 who also employed him largely1 said to him1 after praising some of his work1 ,there's only one thing the matter with you1 ,tom1 and that's the drink4 ,i went home1 said ,tom1 and ,i thought to myself1 if the drink is all that's wrong with me1 what a fool ,i must be to continue it4 ,next day ,i went to ,evesham and signed the pledge1 and ,i've never touched a drop since1 though the smell and the sight of a public-house have been so sore a temptation that many a time after a long day's work1 and with money in my pocket1 ,i've gone a mile or two out of my way in order not to pass a place of the sort4 ,his training as a carpenter had induced habits of great accuracy1 exact method1 and lucid thought1 and a chat with him1 and watching his quick and clever workmanship1 was an educational opportunity4 ,i have always been fascinated by such work1 and one of my earliest recollections is of being taken by my father to interview a carpenter about some small household job4 ,his name was ,snewin--,i am not sure of the spelling1 for ,i was only about eight years old at the time--and we found him in his workshop vigorously using a long plane on some red deal boards1 his feet buried in beautifully curled shavings1 and the whole place redolent of the delicious scent of turpentine4 ,every time his plane travelled along the edge1 to my childish fancy1 the board said in plaintive tones of remonstrance1 in crescendo1 his name1 ,snewin1 ,snewin1 and again1 ,,snewin1 and even now the scent and action of planing a deal board always brings back the scene clearly to my mind4 ,i suppose1 therefore1 it was partly old associations that induced the fascination of watching ,tom ,g4 at his work1 but there were other reasons4 ,with his axe1 the edge beautifully ground and sharpened to a razor-like finish1 he could trim a piece of wood1 or shape it1 so neatly that it presented almost the appearance of having been planed2 his saw1 with no apparent effort1 raced from end to end of a board or across the grain of a piece of quartering1 and his chisels and plane irons were ground to the correct concave bevel that relieves the parting of a chip or shaving1 and gives what he called sweetness to the cutting action4 ,he was a strong ,conservative1 good at an argument1 and had many heated discussions with some of my men whose tendencies leaned to the opposite side2 but his sound logic and common sense were observable in all his ideas1 and ,i think he generally came off best as a shrewd and clear-headed debater1 for from his employment in various places his horizon was wider than that of the ordinary farm labourers4 ,tom ,g4 had considerable knowledge of the ,bible1 which he sometimes employed in conversation2 alluding to the work that was nearly always waiting for him at ,aldington1 he told a friend of mine that there was earn 7corn7 in ,egypt2 and when he had a written contract with me for a special piece of work1 and wished to suggest that as time went on we might think of some improvement1 and that there was no necessity to adhere to the original specifications1 he announced that we bean't ,mades1 nor we bean't ,piersians 7we're not ,medes1 nor are we ,persians74 ,no necessary measurement was ever guessed at1 his rule was always handy in a special pocket1 but in cases where a rough guess was sufficient he would hazard it by what he called scowl of brow 7intently regarding it74 ,the agricultural labourer is inclined1 both with weights and measures1 to be inaccurate1 reckoning it's near enough4 ,i found soon after ,i came to ,aldington that the weighing machine which had been in use throughout the whole of my predecessor's time1 and had weighed up hundreds of pounds of wool at #bs4 and #bs4 #f;d4 a pound1 cheese at #h;d41 and thousands of sacks of wheat1 barley1 and beans1 was about a pound in each hundredweight against the seller1 so that he must have lost a considerable sum in giving overweight4 ,tom ,g4 was scornful about weather signs1 and summed up his doubts in such matters with sarcasm3 ,i reckon that the indications for rain are very similar to the indications for fine weather6 ,but the best epigram ,i ever heard from him was1 ,there's a right way and a wrong way to do everything1 and folks most in general chooses the wrong un6 ,i should like to see those words of wisdom on the title-page of every school book1 and blazoned up in letters of gold on the wall of every classroom in every school in the kingdom4 ,i have referred to the hop-kilns ,i built4 ,throughout the work of erecting them1 and it was no small one1 ,tom ,g4 was the leading spirit2 it gave scope for his abilities1 ,i think1 on a larger scale than any building he had previously undertaken4 ,we began with a kiln sufficient for the first #f acres planted2 it was necessary1 with the gradual extinction of ,british corn-growing1 to find something to supersede it1 and to compensate for the falling off in farm receipts4 ,i had seen something of hops as a pupil on a large farm near ,alton1 ,hampshire1 where they occupied an area of over a hundred acres1 but at that time ,i had no intention of growing them myself1 and had not been infected with the glamour1 formerly attaching to hops beyond any other crop1 that came to me later4 ,i visited the old ,alton farm1 and obtained all particulars of the latest kind of hop-kiln in the neighbourhood from the inventor1 and instructed him to prepare plans and specifications for the conversion of an old malthouse close to the ,manor4 ,i contracted with ,tom ,g4 for all the carpenter's work1 and with an excellent stonemason or bricklayer for that belonging to his department4 ,they both entered with enthusiasm upon the job1 and we had many interesting discussions as to improvement1 as it proceeded4 ,tom ,g4 was a man of great resource1 and could always find a way out of every difficulty2 he told me1 before we began1 that he could see the completed building as if actually finished1 just as a great sculptor once said how easy it was to produce a statue from a block of marble1 for all he had to do was to cut away the superfluous material6 ,the alterations entailed a new roof from end to end of the old building1 and a new floor for the upper part1 the length being about #gj and the width about #bj feet4 ,the old roof was covered mostly with stone-slates--flakes of limestone from the ,cotswolds--very uneven in size and rough as to surface1 and in part with ordinary blue slates4 ,the latter lie much more closely on the laths1 the stone slates allowing the passage of more air between them1 and it was interesting to find that while the ancient laths under the stone slates were fairly well preserved1 those beneath the blue slates were much decayed1 evidently from the fact of the damp in an unheated building remaining longer where the air was excluded1 though one would have expected the close-lying blue slates to be the better protection of the two4 ,much expense was saved by ,tom ,g4's economical use of materials2 wherever the old oak beams could be used again they were incorporated with the new work4 ,he never cut sound old or new pieces of timber to waste2 almost every scrap came in somewhere1 for he worked with his head as well as his hands4 ,the difference in this respect is very noticeable in different men2 an old plumber once told me that he had been employed upon a pump on a neighbouring farm1 where the slot in which the handle works was so worn on one side that the bolt which carries the handle had given way1 owing to the man1 who had used it for years1 not keeping it running truly in the centre4 ,he called the man's attention to the cause of the damage1 and1 being a sententious old fellow1 asked him why he didn't think what he was doing4 ,the answer was1 ,i'm not paid to think4 ,the hop-kiln was a great success1 and later1 with the same workmen1 ,i added two more1 as my hopyards extended1 on exactly the same lines4 ,they would probably have been annually in use in the picking season up to the present time had it not been that the low prices ruling latterly have rendered a crop which requires so much labour1 knowledge1 and supervision1 not worth growing4 ,i hear1 however1 with much satisfaction1 that these old hop-kilns and storerooms have been of great service during the war for drying medicinal herbs1 chiefly belladonna and henbane1 and that in #aiag the turnover exceeded #f1jjj4 ,,chapter ,v4 ,,an ,,old ,,fashioned ,,shepherd--,,old ,,tricker--,a ,,gardener--,,my ,,second ,,head ,,carter--,a ,,labourer4 ,along the cool sequester'd vale of life ,they kept the noiseless tenor of their way4 --,,gray',s ,elegy4 ,i had experiences of various shepherds1 and the man ,i remember best was ,john ,c4 ,short1 sturdy1 strong1 and willing1 he was somewhat prejudiced and old-fashioned1 with many traditions and inherited convictions as to remedies and the treatment of sheep4 ,john had a knowing expression2 his nose projected and his forehead and chin retreated1 so that his profile was angular4 ,he wore the old-fashioned long smock-frock--not the modern short linen jacket which goes by the name of smock1 but a garment that reached to his knees1 with a beautifully worked front over the chest4 ,it is a pity that these old smock-frocks are no longer in vogue3 ,i never see one now2 they were most picturesque1 and afforded great protection from the rough weather which a shepherd has constantly to face4 ,his hat was of soft felt1 placed well towards the back of his head1 and1 behind it1 he wore a wealth of curls overlapping the collar of his smock4 ,john was very proud of his curls2 he told a group of men1 who were sheep-dipping with him1 that the parasites of the sheep1 which are formidable in appearance1 never troubled him until they reached his head4 ,into them curls1 ,i suppose1 ,john8 said a flippant bystander4 ,john was pleased that his most attractive feature should receive even this recognition4 ,altogether he presented a notable figure1 and one quite typical of his profession1 especially when armed with his staff of office1 his crook4 ,he was inclined to superstitious beliefs1 and told me when ,i noticed the matted condition of the manes of some colts domiciled in a distant set of buildings that he reckoned ,old ,p4 ,g4--an ancient dame in a neighbouring cottage with a reputation for witchcraft--had been a-ridin' of 'em on moonlight nights4 ,this matted appearance of colts' manes1 which is only the natural result of their not being groomed or combed when young and unbroken1 was known in many country places as hag-ridden4 ,such superstitions are now nearly1 if not quite1 extinct1 but still linger in old place-names1 for it was usual in former times to attribute any uncommon or surprising physical appearance to supernatural agency4 ,thus we have such names as ,devil's ,dyke1 ,devil's ,punchbowl1 ,puck ,pits1 ,pokes-down 7,puck's ,down71 and many others4 ,the fairy rings1 too1 which puzzled our ancestors1 are explicable by a natural process4 ,the starting-point is a fungus1 ,marasmius oreades1 which in due course sheds its spores in a tiny circle around it2 the decay of the fungus supplies nitrogen to the grass1 and renders it dark green in colour4 ,the circle expands1 always outwards1 more and more fungi appearing every year2 it does not return inwards because the mineral constituents of the soil are exhausted by the growth of the fungus and of the grass1 under the stimulus of the abundant nitrogen left by the former1 so that the dark ring of grass extends its diameter year by year4 ,in the ,tempest ,shakespeare refers to the fairies3 444 ,that ,by moonshine do the green sour ringlets make1 ,whereof the ewe not bites4 ,john carried a magic bottle of caustic liniment for application to the feet of sheep affected with the complaint called foot-rot4 ,the cause of this troublesome disease is excessive development of the walls of the hoof1 owing to the animals grazing exclusively on wet pasture1 the surface of which is too soft to keep them worn down2 the walls gradually double over and collect wet mud1 which causes inflammation4 ,it never occurred on my arable land1 either among ewes or younger sheep1 but whenever ,i bought sheep from the flint stones of ,hampshire and grazed them on soft pasture1 it soon made its appearance4 ,the remedy is timely and constant paring of the hoof before any tendency to lameness is observed1 and when this is properly attended to no caustic application is necessary4 ,lame sheep indicate an inefficient shepherd1 and the disorder has been well called ,shepherd's ,neglect4 ,an eminent breeder of prize ,hampshire ,down sheep told me that1 when contemplating the exhibition of sheep1 the first necessity is to get a prize shepherd1 a man with a presence1 and a reputation which he would not risk in the show-ring without something worth exhibiting4 ,i started a flock of pedigree ,shropshires1 but my land was too good and grew them too big and coarse for showing1 and ,i soon found that it was useless to try1 though ,i succeeded in taking a prize at the ,warwickshire county show4 ,it so happened that when my shepherd 7not ,john7 returned in great triumph from the show1 he found his first-born son1 who had arrived in his absence1 awaiting him4 ,well done1 shupperd1 said a neighbour1 got him a son and a prize the same day6 ,john was jealous of any interference in his remedial measures for ailing sheep1 but my wife1 who doctored the village generally1 was anxious to try her hand1 having little faith in his skill2 so we arranged that the next time he had what he considered a hopeless case it was to be given over to her exclusively4 ,the opportunity soon occurred2 a ewe was found caught by the fleece in some rough briars in an old hedge1 where it had been some hours in great distress1 and1 with much struggling to free itself1 it was quite exhausted4 ,pneumonia supervened1 and when ,john thought it impossible to save its life he handed the case over to my wife4 ,she succeeded1 chiefly1 ,i think1 by careful nursing1 in pulling it through1 much to ,john's surprise2 doubtless he thought its recovery a lucky fluke4 ,john was given to occasional alcoholic lapses2 on one occasion ,i found him aimlessly driving sheep across a field of growing mangolds6 ,i could see that he was muddled1 and on reaching home later ,i sought an interview4 ,he was not to be found1 but at his cottage his wife told me that ,john was not very well4 ,i postponed my reckoning till the following day1 when1 with great readiness1 he explained how it happened4 ,the day before1 he said1 ,i frained my fittle 7refrained from my victuals7 all day1 and when ,i got up yesterday ,i didn't feel justly righteous 7quite right7 ov my inside2 so ,i gets a bit of 'bacca1 just about as much as you med put in your pipe 7this1 apparently1 to incriminate me71 and ,i putts it at the bottom of a tay-cup1 with a drop ov rum2 then ,i fills it up with hot tay and drinks it off1 and very soon ,i felt it a coming over 7overcoming7 mer 7me74 ,sheep-breeding was not one of the most important branches of farming in my part of ,worcestershire3 the land is too stiff and wet1 they thrive much better on the ,cotswolds or the chalk downs of ,hampshire4 ,at one time ,i visited the latter county every summer1 attending the big fairs like ,overton or ,alresford1 for the purpose of buying #ajj draft 7full-mouthed7 ewes from one of the best flocks4 ,it was very interesting in the early morning1 reaching ,overton by rail from ,basingstoke1 where ,i had passed the night at the ,red ,lion with #cjj in bank-notes under my pillow1 to see the gipsies in the village asleep on the ground under their vans1 the girls sometimes awake1 combing their hair1 and beautifying themselves in readiness for the pleasure fair where they were to appear in charge of the shooting-galleries and competitions4 ,a short walk1 with only time for a passing glance at the speckled trout near the bridge over the ,itchen1 which ,i never omitted1 took me to the sheep-pens on the hill-top where the fair is held4 ,one could see the flocks1 with their shepherds always in front and the dogs behind1 winding along the narrow lanes1 which1 from all directions1 lead to the hill1 in a cloud of chalky dust1 flock after flock with only a few dividing yards between them4 ,it is advisable to reach the fairground thus early1 to see the sheep before they are penned2 they can be much better inspected in the open than when packed close together1 and a more reliable opinion of their condition can be formed4 ,from the aesthetic point of view the grand old shepherds interested me most1 dignified1 patriarchal men1 with a reserve of strength of character evident in their rugged features1 and the patience and hardihood that takes little heed of exposure to every variety of weather4 ,the sheep were sold by auction1 and when ,i had bought a pen of #ajj1 generally from ,lord ,ashburton's flock1 paid the auctioneer's clerk as soon as possible and received a ticket permitting the release of the sheep1 as the roads in all directions are soon crowded1 ,i induced the shepherd to help in driving them to the railway-station4 ,he was always a dear old fellow1 and full of interesting information4 ,on reaching the station we packed the sheep into three open trucks1 so close that they could not jump out1 and despatched them to ,worcestershire1 whither they would arrive about noon the following day4 ,we never had a mishap with them on the journey1 but they were terribly thirsty on reaching ,aldington1 and made straight for water immediately4 ,old ,tricker came to ,worcestershire originally with a farmer who migrated from ,suffolk1 which proves him to have been a valuable man4 ,but he was worn out even when he first came to work for me1 though as willing and industrious as ever4 ,my bailiff often praised him--for his work was excellent1 if somewhat slow on account of his age--and used to tell him that ,all as be the matter with you1 ,tricker1 is that you was born too soon1 which was only too true1 for he must have been the oldest man on the farm by at least twenty years4 ,he was a steady worker1 and was often so absorbed in his job1 such as hoeing1 that1 being1 moreover1 somewhat deaf1 he was not aware of my approach until ,i was quite close4 ,on such occasions1 with a violent start1 he always said3 ,my word1 how you did frighten ,i1 to be sure6 ,shows ,i don't look about me much1 however1 don't it8 ,he was fond of fairs1 wakes1 and mops--no doubt they were reminiscent of old days1 for he lived in the past--and he would often beg a day off for such outings2 he was a subject for the chaff of the other men for his gaiety when these jaunts took place4 ,they pretended that1 as a widower for many years1 it was time for him to think of another courtship4 ,on a festive occasion1 when we were giving a dinner to all the men and their wives1 great amusement was caused by crackers1 which the guests1 ,i think1 had never seen before1 containing paper caps and imitation jewellery2 and it was a merry scene when all around the tables were decorated in the most incongruous fashion4 ,old ,tricker happened to become possessed of a plain gilt wedding-ring1 and of course chaff was levelled at him from all sides3 ,ah1 ,tricker2 sly dog1 sly dog6 and so on4 ,he was greatly pleased1 accepting good-naturedly the part of pantaloon of the piece2 and ,i am sure1 from his beaming smiles1 he felt1 for a time at least1 dozens of years younger4 ,years before1 when still able to do a good day's work1 he walked to ,ipswich to revisit his old home1 a distance of about #afj miles1 which he accomplished in four days1 and returned in the same time4 ,he had been specially struck by the building of a new post-office there--this must have been at least thirty years before the time of which ,i am writing4 ,one of my brothers who lived near ,ipswich was visiting me1 and ,i introduced him to the old man1 knowing that they would have common interests4 ,no sooner did ,tricker hear that my brother had just come from ,ipswich than he inquired anxiously if the new post-office was finished4 ,oh yes1 and pulled down some years ago1 and a new one built6 ,tricker was astonished2 the years had evidently slipped by him unnoticed1 and no record of dates remained in his memory4 ,tricker often got a little mixed in the names of novelties or in unusual words4 ,i chanced to pass him one day along the road1 on my omnicycle1 and next time ,i saw him he referred to it1 adding3 ,i didn't know as you'd got a phlorsopher 7velocipede and philosopher76 ,some of my land had been occupied by the ,romans in very distant days1 and coins and pottery were frequently found4 ,tricker1 having heard of the ,romans1 also of ,roman ,catholics1 jumbled them together1 and reckoned that the former inhabitants of these fields were some of those old ,romans or ,cartholics4 ,this mixture of words1 generally bearing some relation to each other1 was not infrequently carried still further by making one word of two4 ,with some of the villagers conservatory stood for conservative and tory1 and containment for concert and entertainment4 ,a messenger who was asked to bring ,daniel ,deronda from the ,evesham library returned with the announcement that ,dannel ,deronomy was not available2 this appeared to be a confusion between the books of ,daniel and ,deuteronomy4 ,a cook 7not a ,worcestershire person7 was asked if the papers had come4 ,yes2 the ,standard has arrived1 but not the ,condy's fluid 7,connoisseur7 6 ,the regatta at ,evesham was always the regretta4 ,an old sexton working in a churchyard1 from whom ,i inquired if there was a bridge over the river1 replied3 ,only a temperance bridge 7temporary bridge74 ,tricker1 as a very typical representative of the agricultural labourer in old age1 was engaged as model for a figure in a picture by ,mr4 ,chevalier ,taylor1 then staying in ,badsey4 ,he sat in this capacity when work was not very pressing1 and day by day used to repair to the artist's lodgings with his tools on his shoulder4 ,his remuneration was half a crown a day--ordinary day wages for an able-bodied man--but he told me that the inaction was very trying1 and that a day as model was much more exacting than a day's work on the farm4 ,when the old man could no longer complete even a short day's work1 and suffered from the cold in winter1 he decided to go to the workhouse for a time1 but he was out again before the cuckoo was singing1 and we found him light jobs by the piece1 so that he could work for as long or as short a time as suited him4 ,he was most grateful for any assistance1 and told me that ,a little help is worth a deal of sympathy4 ,eventually he became a permanent inmate of the workhouse1 much to my grief2 but it is1 of course1 impossible to run a farm on which heavy poor-rate has to be paid1 as a philanthropic institution4 ,the difficulty with aged and infirm persons is not so much food and maintenance as the necessity for nursing and supervision1 which are expensive and difficult to arrange4 ,tricker told me that he could live on sixpence a day1 and if it had been a question of food only1 and our village could have cut itself adrift from the ,union and the rates it entailed1 we could easily have more than kept the poor old man to the end of his days in comfort4 ,for years he was the only parishioner receiving any help from the immense sum the parish annually paid in rates4 ,i have heard it said that out of every shilling of the ratepayer's contributions the poor people only get twopence or its equivalent1 the officials and administration expenses absorbing the remaining tenpence4 ,my first gardener had been employed at the ,manor1 when ,i came1 for very many years1 and at the end of ten more he was obliged to resign through old age4 ,he had planted the poplars round the mill-pond in his earliest days1 and1 among other trees1 the beautiful weeping wych-elm on the lawn behind the house4 ,the weeping effect he produced by beheading the tree when quite small and grafting it with a slip of the weeping variety1 and the junction was still plainly visible4 ,it was a symmetrical and1 especially when in bloom1 a lovely tree1 but as the blossoms died and scattered themselves all over the grass1 they worried the methodical old man1 and every spring he wished it had never been planted4 ,it had flourished amazingly1 and we could comfortably find sitting room at tea for sixty or seventy people at a garden-party in its shade4 ,he was an excellent gardener1 but did not care about novelties in flowers1 though at one time he made a hobby of raising new kinds of potatoes4 ,his greatest success was the original ,ashleaf variety1 the stock of which he sold to ,mr4 ,myatt for a guinea1 and which was afterwards introduced to the public as ,myatt's ,early ,ashleaf4 ,it was one of the best potatoes ever grown1 very early1 and splendid in quality1 and it was unfortunate that he parted with it so cheaply1 though1 of course1 the purchaser of the first few tubers had no idea of its immense potential value1 and possibly1 like so many novelties1 it might have proved a failure4 ,it is still in cultivation1 though its constitution is impaired1 like that of all potatoes of long standing4 ,later on ,i shall have more to say about this unfortunate tendency to deterioration4 ,j4,e4 was one of my most reliable men1 working for me1 first as under-carter and afterwards as head carter1 for1 ,i think1 altogether twenty-six years2 he was well educated and a great reader1 quiet and somewhat reserved1 and though his humour did not lie on the surface1 he could appreciate a joke4 ,my recollections of him1 after his steadiness and reliability1 are chiefly of his personal mishaps1 for he was an unlucky man in this particular4 ,i was on my round one morning when ,i met a breathless carter-boy making for the village4 ,asked where he was off to1 ,please1 sir1 he replied1 ,i be to fetch ,master ,e4 another pair of trowsers6 ,trousers1 said ,i2 what on earth for8 ,please1 sir1 the bull ha' ripped 'em6 ,i hurried on1 and soon saw that it was no laughing matter1 for ,i found poor ,e4 in a terrible plight of rags and tatters1 sitting in a cart-shed in some outlying buildings1 on a roller4 ,the cowman was standing by holding a ,jersey bull4 ,the story was soon told4 ,the cowman1 having to go into the yard1 had asked ,e4 to hold the bull a minute4 ,unfortunately1 the animal had only a halter on him1 the cowman having omitted to bring the stick1 with hook and swivel1 to attach to the bull's nose-ring4 ,no sooner was the cowman out of sight than the bull began to fret1 and1 turning upon ,e41 knocked him down between a mangoldbury and the outside wall of the yard4 ,in this position he was unable to get a direct attack upon the man1 but he managed to gore him badly and tear his clothes to pieces4 ,the cowman1 hearing ,e4 calling1 came back and rescued him1 the bull becoming quite docile with his regular attendant4 ,poor ,e4 was black and blue when he got home in the pony-cart1 and was laid up for many weeks afterwards4 ,he undoubtedly had a very narrow escape4 ,it is curious that1 though the ,jersey cows are the most docile of any kind1 the bulls are the most uncertain and1 when annoyed1 savage2 ,i had trouble with two or three1 and one became so dangerous that he had to be killed in his stall4 ,e4's bad luck overtook him again when returning from ,evesham with1 fortunately1 an empty waggon and team2 one of the horses was startled1 and ,e4 ran forwards to catch the reins4 ,by some means he fell1 and the waggon-wheels passed over him2 had it been full1 as it was on the outward journey1 with a heavy load of beans1 it would have been a serious matter1 but nevertheless he suffered a great deal for some time afterwards4 ,j4,e4 must have walked many hundreds of miles among my hops with the horses drawing the mistifier1 a syringing machine which pumped a mist-like spray of soft soap and quassia solution upon the under-side of the hop-leaves1 when attacked by the aphis blight2 and he must have destroyed many millions of aphides1 for the blight was an annual occurrence at ,aldington1 and taxed our energies to the utmost at one of the busiest times of year4 ,mrs4 ,j4,e4 was1 and is1 one of those kind persons always ready to do a good turn to a neighbour4 ,she and her husband brought up a large family1 all of whom have done well1 and a son in the ,grenadier ,guards especially distinguished himself in the war4 ,she has a remarkable memory for dates of birthdays1 weddings1 and such-like events1 and often writes us one of her interesting letters1 full of information of the old village4 ,i had many experiences of the honesty of the agricultural labourer1 but one especially remains in my mind4 ,i4,p41 a man living some two miles from ,aldington1 regularly walked the four miles there and back for many years1 in addition to his day's work4 ,he was an excellent drainer1 and a most useful all-round man1 exceedingly strong and willing1 bright and cheerful in conversation1 and ,i had a very high opinion of him4 ,i had just reached the end of a long pay when he reappeared--having taken his wages earlier in the proceedings--and asked if ,i had made a mistake in his money2 a sovereign was missing1 and he could not remember actually taking it from the table with the rest of the cash4 ,i at once balanced my payments and receipts for the evening1 but they corresponded exactly4 ,it was a serious matter1 as a half-year's rent was due to the owner of his cottage that day1 and ,i4,p4 was one of those men who take a pride in paying up with punctuality4 ,i could see1 as he realized that the sovereign was lost1 how disappointed and worried he felt1 and being glad of an opportunity to do him a good turn1 ,i gave him another1 and sent him away very grateful4 ,later still he returned again1 placed a sovereign on my table1 and said that he had nearly reached home when he felt something hard against his knee1 inside his corduroys1 where he found the missing coin2 there was a hole in his pocket1 but the encircling string which labourers tie below the knee had prevented its escape4 ,,chapter ,,vi4 ,,characteristics ,,of ,,agricultural ,,labourers ,,and ,,villagers4 ,my crown is in my heart1 not on my head3 ,not deck'd with diamonds and ,indian stones1 --#c ,henry ,,vi4 ,the agricultural labourer1 and the countryman generally1 does not recognize any form of property beyond land1 houses1 buildings1 farm stock1 and visible chattels4 ,a groom whom ,i questioned concerning a new-comer1 a wealthy man1 in the neighbourhood1 summed him up thus3 ,oh1 not much account--only one hoss and a brougham6 ,a railway may run through the parish1 worth millions of invested capital1 but the labourer does not recognize it as such1 and a farmer1 employing a few men and with two or three thousand pounds in farm stock1 is a bigger man in his eyes than a rich man whose capital is invisible4 ,the labourer in the days of which ,i am writing was inclined to be suspicious of savings banks and deposit accounts at a banker's2 his savings represented a vast amount of hard work and self-denial2 and he looked askance at security other than an old stocking or a teapot4 ,he had heard of banks breaking1 and felt uncomfortable about them4 ,a story was current in my neighbourhood of a ,warwickshire bank in difficulties1 where a run was in progress4 ,a van appeared1 from which many heavy sacks were carried into the bank1 in the presence of the crowd waiting outside to draw out their money4 ,some of the sacks were seen to be open1 and apparently full of sovereigns2 confidence was restored1 and the run ceased4 ,later1 when all danger was over1 it transpired that these supposed resources were fictitious1 for the open sacks contained only corn with a thin layer of gold on the top4 ,formerly it was said of a certain street in ,evesham1 chiefly inhabited by market-gardeners and their labourers1 that the houses contained more gold than both the banks in the town1 and ,i have no doubt that1 even at the present day1 there is an immense amount of hoarded money in country places4 ,only a short while ago1 long after the commencement of the ,great ,war1 the sale of a small property took place in my neighbourhood1 when the purchaser paid down in gold a sum of #fjj1 the bulk of which had earned no interest during the years of collection4 ,no doubt people1 as a rule1 in these days of war bonds and certificates1 have a better idea of investment1 but probably a vast sum in possible loans has been lost to the ,government through want of previous information on the subject4 ,it should have been a simple matter1 during the last fifty years of compulsory education1 to teach the rudiments of finance in the elementary schools1 and ,i commend the matter as worth the consideration of educational enthusiasts4 ,the labourer's attitude1 as ,i have said1 is suspicious towards lawyers4 ,i was chatting with a man1 specially taken on for harvest1 who expressed doubts of them2 he continued1 ,if anybody were to leave me a matter of fifty pounds or so1 ,i'd freely give it 'em1 meaning that by the time all charges were paid he would not expect more than a trifle1 because he supposed stamps and duties to be a part of the lawyer's remuneration1 and that very little would be left when all was paid4 ,i was once discussing farming matters with a labourer when prospects were looking very black1 and ended by saying that ,i expected soon to be in the workhouse4 ,ah1 sir1 said he1 ,i wish ,i were no nearer the workhouse nor you be6 ,it should not be forgotten that the agricultural labourer's financial horizon does not extend much beyond the next pay night1 and were it not for the generosity of his neighbours--for the poor are exceedingly good to each other in times of stress--a few weeks' illness or unemployment1 especially where the children are too young to earn anything1 may find him at the end of his resources4 ,almost the first time ,i went to ,evesham1 in passing ,chipping ,norton ,junction--now ,kingham--three or four men on the platform1 in charge of the police1 attracted my attention4 ,i was told that they were rioters1 guilty of a breach of the peace in connection with the ,national ,agricultural ,labourers' ,union1 then under the leadership of ,joseph ,arch4 ,being so close to my new neighbourhood1 where ,i was just beginning farming1 the incident was somewhat of a shock4 ,arch undoubtedly was the chief instrument in raising the agricultural labourer's wages to the extent of two or three shillings a week1 and the increase was justified1 as every necessity was dear at the time1 owing to the great activity of trade towards the end of the sixties4 ,the farmers resisted the rise only because1 already in the early seventies1 the flood of ,american competition in corn-growing was reducing values of our own produce2 and as all manufactured goods which the farmer required had largely increased in price1 he did not see his way to incur a higher labour bill4 ,arch sent a messenger to me a few years later1 to ask permission to hold a meeting in ,aldington in one of my meadows4 ,i saw at once that opposition would only stimulate antagonism1 and consented4 ,the meeting was held1 but only a few labourers attended1 and no farmers1 and agitation1 so far as we were concerned1 died down4 ,one or two of my men were1 ,i think1 members of the ,union1 but having already obtained the increased wages there was nothing more to be gained for themselves by so continuing1 and they soon dropped out of the list4 ,eventually the organization collapsed4 ,arch was a labourer himself1 and exceedingly clever at laying hedges1 or pleaching1 as it is still called1 and was called by ,shakespeare in ,much ,ado ,about ,nothing3 ,bid her steal into the pleached bower1 ,where honeysuckles1 ripen'd by the sun1 ,forbid the sun to enter4 ,pleaching is a method of reducing and renovating an overgrown hedge by which all old and exhausted wood is cut out1 leaving live vertical stakes at intervals1 and winding the young stuff in and out of them in basket-making fashion1 after notching it at the base to allow of bending it down without breakage4 ,arch was a native of ,warwickshire1 the home of this art2 it takes a skilled man to ensure a good result1 but when well done an excellent hedge is produced after two or three years' growth4 ,the quickset or whitethorn 7,may7 makes the strongest and most impervious hedge1 and it flourishes amazingly on the stiff clay soils of the ,lias formation in that county and its neighbour ,worcestershire4 ,i have often wondered at1 and admired1 the labourer's resignation and fortitude in adversity2 a discontented or surly face is rarely seen among them2 they have1 like most people1 to live lives of self-sacrifice1 frugality1 and industry1 which doubtless bring their own compensation1 for the exercise and habit of these very virtues tend to the cheerfulness and courage which never give up4 ,possibly1 too1 the open-air life1 the vitalizing sunshine1 the sound sleep1 and the regularity of the routine1 endows them with an enviable power of enjoyment of what some would consider trifles4 ,after a long day out of doors in the natural beauty of the country1 who shall say that the labourer's appetite for his evening meal1 his pipe of tobacco beside his bright fireside1 and his detachment from the outside world1 do not afford him as great or greater enjoyment than the elaborate luxury of the millionaire1 with his innumerable distractions and responsibilities8 ,the labourer has1 as ,i have said1 little appreciation of the invisible or what does not appeal strongly to his senses2 he cannot understand1 for instance1 that a small bag of chemical fertilizer1 in the form of a grey1 inoffensive powder1 can contain as great a potentiality for the nutrition of crops as a cartload of evil-smelling material from the farmyard2 nor is he aware that1 in the case of the latter1 he has to load and unload #ij pounds or thereabouts of worthless water in every #ajj pounds with which he deals4 ,possibly1 however1 his preference for the natural fertilizer is not wholly misplaced1 for there is1 no doubt1 much still to be learned concerning the relative values of natural and artificial compounds with special reference to the bacterial inoculation of the soil and its influence on vegetable life4 ,he is not without some aesthetic feeling for the glories of ,nature daily before him1 and though like ,peter ,bell1 of whom we are told that ,a primrose by a river's brim ,a yellow primrose was to him1 ,and it was nothing more1 and putting aside the metaphysical analogy and the moral teaching which are presented by every tree and plant1 he enjoys1 ,i know1 the simple beauty of the flower itself1 the exhilarating freshness of the bright spring morning1 the prodigality of the summer foliage1 the ripe autumnal glow of the harvest-field1 and the sparkling frost of a winter's day4 ,but he very rarely expresses his enthusiasm in superlatives3 a usefulish lot1 and a smartish few1 meaning in ,worcestershire a very good lot1 and a great many1 is about the limit to which he will commit himself4 ,his natural reticence in serious situations and calamity1 and his reserve in the outlet of feeling by vocal expression1 give a wrong impression of its real depth1 and may even convey the impression of callousness to anyone not conversant with the working of his mind4 ,to a nephew of mine who was surprised to see his gardener's little son leaving the garden1 the man explained3 ,that little fellow be come to tell ,i a middlinish bit of news2 'e come to say as his little sister be dead4 ,notice the middlinish bit of news1 where a much stronger expression would have been justified1 and note the restraint as to his loss1 suggesting an unfeeling mind1 though in reality very far from the grief he was shy of expressing4 ,an old woman in a parish adjoining mine1 having lost a child1 received the condolences of a visitor with1 ,yes1 mum2 we seems to be regular unlucky1 for only a few weeks ago we lost a pig4 ,a lady well known to me1 the daughter of the ,vicar of a ,cumberland parish1 was calling on a woman whose husband had died a few days previously1 and expressing her sympathy with the widow in her affliction1 spoke of the sadness of the circumstances4 ,the widow thanked her visitor1 and added3 ,you know1 miss1 we was to have killed a pig that week1 but there1 we couldn't 'ave 'em both about at the same time6 ,all these incidents suggest callousness1 but in reality they were plain statements of fact from persons with a limited vocabulary and unskilled in the niceties of polished language4 ,another incident will illustrate how faulty expression may give an unintended impression4 ,a lady1 calling at a cottage1 exclaimed with appreciation at the fragrant odour of frying bacon which greeted her4 ,the cottager was busy with it at the fire4 ,yes1 miss1 she said1 it is nice to 'ave a bit of bacon as you've waited on yourself--of course1 referring to the fact that she knew the animal was always fed on really good food1 an important and reassuring condition1 though a tender heart might have regretted the sacrifice of an intimate creature which some would have regarded almost as a pet4 ,the cottager does not look upon his pig in that light2 it is fed well and comfortably housed with a definite object1 and very little love is lost between the pig and his master4 ,children in some places in ,worcestershire were formerly kept at home in order to be present on the great occasion of the pig's obsequies4 ,a woman1 asked why her children were absent from school1 replied3 ,well1 sir1 you see1 we killed our pig that day1 and ,i kept the children at home for a treat2 there's no harm in that1 sir1 ,i'm sure1 for pigs allus dies without malice6 ,villagers accept the novel significations which time or fashion gradually confer upon old words very unreadily4 ,i could see1 at first1 that they were puzzled by my use of the word awful1 now long adopted generally to strengthen a statement1 very much as they themselves make use of terrible1 desp'rate1 or de-adly4 ,they connect the word friend with the signification benefactor only2 a man1 speaking of someone born with a little inherited fortune1 said that his friends lived before him4 ,i told an old labourer that my little daughter considered him a great friend of hers4 ,he looked puzzled1 and replied3 ,well1 ,i don't know as ,i ever gave her anything4 ,they still distinguish between two words now carrying the same meaning4 ,i told a man that ,i was afraid some work he had for me would give him a lot of trouble4 ,he corrected me3 ',twill be no trouble1 master1 only labour4 ,the labourer does not appreciate a sudden order or an unreasonable change in work once commenced2 he does not like being taken by surprise in such matters3 the necessary tool--for farm labourers find their own hand implements--may not be readily available1 may be out of order1 require grinding1 or a visit to the blacksmith's for repair or readjustment4 ,the wise master introduces the subject1 whenever possible1 gradually beforehand4 ,we shall have to think about wheat-hoeing1 mowing1 potato-digging1 next week1 prepares the man for the occasion1 so that when the time comes he has his hoe1 axe1 scythe1 or bill-hook1 as the case may be1 ready4 ,the job1 too1 may demand some special clothing--hedging gloves1 gaiters1 new shoes1 and so forth4 ,he is often suspicious of new arrangements or alteration of hours1 and is inclined to attribute an ulterior motive to the proposer of any change in the unwritten but long-accustomed laws which govern his habits2 he lives in a groove into which by degrees abuses may have crept1 and some alteration may have become imperative4 ,when we introduced a coal club for the villagers1 with the idea of buying several trucks at lowest cash price1 collecting their contributions week by week during the previous summer1 when good wages were being earned1 and delivering the coal gratis in my carts shortly before winter1 they seemed very doubtful as to the advantage of joining4 ,some saw the advantage at once1 knowing the high prices of single half-tons or hundredweights delivered in coal-merchants' carts2 others would let us know in a day or two1 wanted time to consider the matter1 being taken unawares2 others1 assured that nobody would undertake such a troublesome business without an eye to personal profit1 but anxious not to offend my daughter1 who was visiting each cottage1 replied3 ,oh yes1 miss1 if 'tis to do you any good6 ,eventually1 however1 they were all satisfied and very grateful1 appreciating the fact that the cartage was not charged for1 and that they were getting much better coal than before at a lower price4 ,village people1 ,i am afraid1 are rather fond of horrors2 the newspaper accounts of events which come under that description1 such as murders1 suicides1 and sensational trials1 afford1 apparently1 much interest4 ,a man was working for me on some repairs close to my door2 as he was a stranger1 ,i tried1 as usual1 to induce him to talk whenever ,i passed4 ,i had no success and could not get a word out of him1 until1 one morning1 ,i chanced to see a sensational headline in a local paper about a suicide in a neighbouring town4 ,on passing my workman1 he immediately broke out in great excitement1 ,did you read in the paper about that bloke who went to his father's house at ,w----1 sat down on the doorstep1 and cut his throat8 ,the account had evidently seized upon his imagination1 and had thoroughly roused him out of himself1 but the following day he was as silent as before4 ,births1 marriages1 and deaths are interesting topics in the village1 and perhaps with reason1 for1 after all1 they are the most important events in our lives1 and in the villages most of the cottagers are more or less related4 ,all the inhabitants were much excited when a poor old widow1 living very near my house1 sitting on a low circular stone parapet round her well1 lost her balance in some way1 fell in1 and was drowned4 ,i was foreman of the jury at the inquest1 and after hearing the evidence1 which amounted to no more than the finding of the body soon after the event1 the coroner expressed his opinion that it was a case of accidental death1 with which ,i at once concurred4 ,with some reluctance1 the other jurymen agreed2 they had1 ,i imagine1 as usual1 made up their minds for a more sensational verdict1 but scarcely liked to suggest it1 and a verdict of accidental death was accordingly returned4 ,afterwards ,i heard that the villagers were saying that it was very kind of me to bring in such an indulgent verdict1 but they knowed very well it was suicide4 ,i was invited to the wedding feast of my bailiff's daughter1 and being1 ,i suppose1 regarded as the principal guest1 was1 according to custom1 requested to carve the excellent leg of mutton which formed the pice de rsistance4 ,the parish clerk1 considerably over eighty at the time1 was one of the most sprightly members of the company2 he kept us interested with historical recollections going back to the ,battle of ,waterloo1 and spoke of ,wellington and ,napoleon almost as familiarly as we now speak of ,earl ,haig and the ,kaiser4 ,he had a strong sense of humour1 and1 after a very hearty meal1 announced that he didn't know how it was1 but he'd sort of lost his appetite1 pretending to regard the fact as an injury1 premeditated by the hospitality of our host and hostess4 ,the labourer dearly loves a grievance1 not exactly for its own sake1 but because it affords an interesting topic of conversation4 ,one autumn1 returning from a holiday in the ,isle of ,wight1 ,i found the whole village agog with the first ,county ,council election4 ,a magistrate candidate1 in the neighbouring village of ,broadway1 was to be opposed by an ,aldington man4 ,i found a local committee holding excited partisan meetings on behalf of the latter1 active canvassing going on1 a villager appointed as secretary 7always called seckertary in these parts71 and the election the sole topic of conversation4 ,the village people1 always delighted in the possession of a common enemy and a common cause1 were making the election a village affair1 as opposed to the village of the other candidate2 popular feeling was running very high1 ,badsey1 of course1 joining up with ,aldington as strong allies4 ,some young men had lately been before the magistrates at ,evesham1 and fined for obstructing the footpath1 and the magistrate candidate was selected as the scapegoat for the affront to our united villages4 ,at the election the ,aldington man was returned1 and his supporters started with him on a triumphal progress through the constituency4 ,of course1 they visited ,broadway1 to crow over the conquered village1 but the wind was somewhat taken out of their sails when the defeated candidate at once came forward1 shook hands with his opponent1 and congratulated him upon his success6 ,the return journey was not so hilarious2 one of the men of ,broadway1 noticing a string of carts in the procession1 conveying sympathizers with the victor1 in addition to the owners of the vehicles--thus rendering the latter liable to the carriage duty of #aes4 each--and strongly resenting the spirit which brought the victorious party to ,broadway1 sent a telegram to the ,superintendent of ,police at ,evesham1 who met the returning procession and took down their names1 with the ultimate result of a substantial haul in fines for the excise6 ,during the ,boer ,war the common foe was1 of course1 ,old ,kruger 7with a soft g71 and we hoisted the ,union ,jack in front of the ,manor whenever our side scored a substantial success4 ,the news of ,lord ,roberts's victory at ,paardeburg reached ,badsey in the morning1 after the papers1 and1 returning by road from my farm round1 ,i heard great rejoicings and cheering from the direction of the village4 ,meeting a boy1 ,i learned that ,old ,cronje was defeated and a prisoner1 with 'leven thousand men6--a report which proved to be correct with the trifling discount of #i1jjj of the latter6 ,the same spirit of union for a common cause was almost as evident at that time as in the far more strenuous struggle of #aiad-aiah1 and so long as ,england to herself remains but true1 doubtless our enemies will fulfil the part assigned to them by the greatest of ,english poets4 ,a love of the marvellous is a common characteristic of country village folks1 and ,i have already referred to such beliefs in the supernatural among my men4 ,we had our own white lady on the highroad where it turns off to ,aldington1 though ,i never met anyone who had seen her2 there were1 too1 signs and wonders before approaching deaths1 and a thrilling story of a headless calf in the neighbourhood4 ,an old house at ,badsey1 once a hospitium or sanatorium for sick monks from ,evesham ,abbey in pre-,reformation days1 was reported to be haunted1 and people told tales of the old fellows rattling about again of a night4 ,probably these beliefs had been encouraged in former times by the monks themselves1 to prevent the villagers prying too closely into their occupations2 and no doubt the scattered individuals of the same body originated the popular theory that the ,abbey lands of which they were dispossessed would never1 owing to a curse1 pass by inheritance in the direct line from father to eldest son--an event that in the course of nature often fails1 though by no means invariably4 ,in recent years a startling story has been told1 and even appeared in a local paper1 of a ghostly adventure near the ,aldington turning4 ,a young lady 7not a native71 riding her bicycle to ,evesham from ,badsey1 passed1 machine and all1 right through an apparition which suddenly crossed her path1 without any resulting fall4 ,in connection with the monk's hospitium ,i lately made an interesting discovery as to the origin of a curious name of one of my fields1 which had always puzzled me4 ,the field adjoined the hospitium1 and was always known as the ,signhurst4 ,field-names are a very interesting study1 they usually bear some significance to a peculiarity in the field itself1 or its position with reference to its surroundings1 and it has always been a hobby of mine to trace their derivations4 ,the word ,signhurst presented no clue to its origin except the ,anglo-,saxon burst1 signifying a wood1 but there was no appearance or tradition of any wood having ever occupied the spot1 and the land was so good1 and so well situated as to aspect1 that it was unlikely to have been such a site1 even in ,anglo-,saxon days4 ,i stumbled upon a passage in ,may's ,history of ,evesham which mentioned the ,seyne ,house1 meaning ,sane ,house1 the equivalent of the modern word sanatorium1 and ,i saw at once the origin of the corrupted word ,signhurst--the field near the ,seyne ,house4 ,wages are1 of course1 the crowning reward of the working-man's week2 throughout the whole of my time #aes4 a week was the recognized pay for six full summer days--a very little to receive1 but a good deal to pay away1 as a neighbour once said4 ,during harvest1 and at piecework1 more money was earned1 and it always pleased me that ,i could pay much better prices for piece-work among the hops than for piece-work at wheat-hoeing or on similar unremunerative crops4 ,the reason is obvious3 the hoeing of an acre of wheat1 a crop which might possibly return a matter of #aj per acre1 takes no more manual effort than the hoeing of an acre of hops1 where a gross return of #gj or #hj per acre is not unusual1 and is sometimes considerably exceeded4 ,as wages must eventually always depend upon prices of produce raised by the labour for which such wages are expended1 when the agricultural labourer buys his bread he is only buying back his own labour in a concrete form plus the other relative expenses on the farm1 and the cost of milling1 baking1 and distribution1 so that when he gets a high price for his labour he must expect to pay a high price for his food2 and when the price of food is reduced the price of his labour also falls4 ,here1 again1 the rudiments of economics1 taught in the schools1 would conduce to his understanding the position1 and the eradication of discontent4 ,it is impossible1 economically speaking1 to defend the system of equal wages to the most capable and industrious men on the one hand and to inefficient slackers on the other2 and as a graduated scale of payment1 according to results1 is not practicable without arousing ill-feeling and jealousy1 the farmer's only remedy is to get rid of the slackers4 ,inefficiency and slacking are often due to a man's enfeebled mental and physical condition1 owing to neglect in his bringing up as a child1 or to insufficient or unwholesome food provided by an improvident wife in his home4 ,i was fortunate in meeting with very few of these degenerates1 but ,i remember one tall1 delicate-looking man who seemed unable to apply either his strength or his attention to his work4 ,he was denounced by the foreman under whom he worked as not only useless1 but the starvenest wretch as ever ,i see1 intended to convey the impression1 and confirming my own conclusion1 that cold and hunger were really the cause of his inability to render a fair day's work4 ,i remember1 too1 when some elderly women1 with a younger one1 were hay-making1 one of the old ladies1 dragging the big heel-rake behind the waggon in course of loading--always rather a tough job--tried to induce the younger woman to take her place with1 ,here1 ,sally1 thee take a turn at it2 thee be a better 'ooman nor ,i be4 ,my bailiff1 overhearing1 at once interposed3 ,be she a better 'ooman than thee1 ,betsy1 ov a ,saturday night pay-night8 ,hard-and-fast laws and fixed prices for agricultural labour will be found very difficult to maintain as to piecework2 no wage board can fix just prices1 because conditions are so variable4 ,of two men cutting corn on separate plots in the same field1 the one at #abs4 an acre may really earn more money per diem than another man at #aes4 an acre on the other side of the field1 owing to the difference in the weight of the crop or its condition1 it being1 perhaps1 erect in the first case1 and laid by heavy storms in the second4 ,there is1 too1 a vast difference in the value of boys' work and usefulness2 one may easily be worth double another1 yet no difference is allowable by the new law2 or one may demoralize another1 so that two are less effective than one4 ,a good old saying puts the matter very plainly3 ,one boy's a boy1 two boys are half a boy1 and three boys are no boy at all6 ,it is1 in fact1 ridiculous for townspeople1 lawyers1 and manufacturers to legislate for the labour of the farm2 they do not understand that indoor labour in the workshop or factory1 under regular conditions and with unvarying materials1 is totally different from labour out of doors1 in constantly changing conditions of season1 weather1 and the resulting crops dealt with4 ,an old maxim of the ,worcestershire labourer who1 without a fixed place1 took on piece-work at specially busy times1 will confirm this3 ,go to a good farmer for wheat-hoeing1 and to a bad one for harvesting4 ,i may explain that the fields of the good farmer are clean and nearly free from weeds1 so that hoeing is a comparatively light job2 but the same1 or nearly the same1 price per acre is paid by the bad farmer1 whose corn is overrun with weeds1 entailing much more time and harder work4 ,on the other hand1 the good farmer's wheat crop is much heavier than that of the bad1 and1 the prices for cutting being again very similar1 more money per diem can be earned at harvest on the farm of the latter4 ,it is a sound old ,worcestershire saying that the time to hoe is when there are no weeds--apparently a paradox1 but the meaning is simple3 when no weeds are to be seen above ground there are always millions of tiny seedlings just below the surface ready to increase and multiply wonderfully with a shower of rain2 if attacked at the seedling stage1 these can be slaughtered in battalions1 with far greater ease and efficacy than when they become deep-rooted and established1 and dominate the crop4 ,i have heard of farmers to whom pay-night was a sore trial2 one such was frequently known to mount his horse and gallop away just before his men appeared3 how he settled eventually ,i do not know4 ,some farmers will pay out of doors on their rounds1 having a rooted objection to business of any kind under a roof2 and one small farmer1 ,i was told1 always passed the cash to his men behind his back so that he might not have the agony of parting actually before his eyes4 ,a labourer is supposed to come to work in his master's time and go home in his own1 thus sharing the necessary loss1 and1 as a rule1 they are fairly punctual2 but one defaulter in this particular will waste many moments of a whole gang working together1 as it seems to be etiquette not to begin till they are all present4 ,i have often heard1 too1 sarcastic comparisons made between the day-man and the any-time-of-day man4 ,the cottagers have their feuds1 and the use of joint wash-houses or baking-ovens between two or more adjoining cottages is a frequent source4 ,i have had excited wives of tenants coming to me at unseasonable hours to settle these differences1 and ,i found it a very difficult business to reconcile the disputants4 ,i could only visit the locus in quo and arrange fixed and separate days and regulations2 but though the wisdom of ,solomon may administer justice in a dispute1 it is impossible to ensure a really peaceful solution that will endure4 ,sometimes feuds1 originating in such or similar causes1 were maintained for years by neighbours living with only a #i-;inch party wall between them1 and daily meetings outside1 to the extent of not even passing the time of day4 ,at last1 however1 in a day of distress to one1 the heart of the unafflicted other would melt1 and after an offer of help1 or actual assistance1 kind relations would be once more established4 ,or a peace offering1 in the shape of a dish of good pig-meat1 sent over with a kind message1 would restore more genial conditions1 and they would return to happy and neighbourly familiarity4 ,i once employed an old ,dorset labourer1 a tall1 slim1 aristocratic figure1 with an elegant1 refined nose to match2 he bore the well-known name of an ancient and distinguished ,dorset family1 and ,i have no doubt was well descended4 ,he was decidedly a canny1 not to say crafty1 man4 ,i gave him a holiday at ,whitsuntide to visit his old home1 but he overran the time agreed upon and returned some days late4 ,before ,i could begin the rebuke ,i proposed to administer1 he produced a charming photograph of a ruined abbey near his old locality1 and handed it to me as a present4 ,i thought upon you1 master1 while ,i was away1 and knowing as you was fond of ancient things ,i've brought you this picture4 ,i was completely disarmed1 and the rebuke had to be postponed sine die4 ,as ,i was talking one day to my bailiff--one of the men who lived a mile away standing near--he said3 ,tom1 here1 is always the first man to arrive in the morning2 ,i have never known him to be late4 ,i congratulated ,tom1 and asked what time he went to bed3 ,oh1 about seven o'clock6 ,he was1 in fact1 a lonely old bachelor1 and1 being no scholard1 it saved lights and firing to be early to bed4 ,this man1 like many villagers1 had very vague ideas of geography4 ,to save the trouble of cooking1 he lived largely on ,american tinned beef1 and got chaffed about it by his fellow-workers4 ,how be you getting on with the ',merican biff8 ,tom was asked4 ,oh1 said he1 never no more ',merican biff for me4 ,how's that1 ,tom8 ,why1 the other day ,i found a trouser-button in it6 ,the point of this story lies in the fact that the ,russo-,turkish war was proceeding at the time4 ,tempora mutantur1 we were then encouraging ,turkey against ,russia1 though the latter had declared war to avenge the atrocities in ,bulgaria of which the ,turks were guilty1 while in the recent struggle the position was almost exactly reversed4 ,there was then a violent militant feeling here in ,britain1 and excited crowds were singing3 ,we don't want to fight but1 by ,jingo1 if we do1 ,we've got the ships1 we've got the men1 ,we've got the money too4 ,hence the expression ,jingoism1 which we often hear to-day1 though1 perhaps1 the origin is now almost forgotten4 ,it is not unusual to see villagers1 as married couples1 complete contrasts to each other in appearance and character--one fat and jolly1 the other thin and miserable2 one happy and contented1 the other grumbling and morose2 one open-hearted and generous1 the other close and parsimonious4 ,in matrimony people are said to choose their opposites1 and possibly1 as time goes on1 the difference in their appearance and dispositions becomes still more definitely developed4 ,the labourer understands sarcasm and makes use of it himself1 but irony is often lost upon him4 ,passing an old man on a pouring wet day1 ,i greeted him1 adding1 ,nice morning1 isn't it8 ,he stared1 hesitated1 and then1 ,well1 it would be if it wasn't for the rain6 ,i only remember one surly man--not one of my workers or tenants4 ,he was scraping a very muddy road1 and ,i remarked1 for something to say1 ,makes it look better1 doesn't it8 ,all ,i got in reply was1 ,i shouldn't do it if it didn't6 ,it is important1 in managing a mixed lot of farm labourers1 to find out each man's special gift1 making him the responsible person when the time or opportunity arrives for its application4 ,there are men1 excellent with horses1 who have no love of steam-driven machinery1 and vice versa2 and there are men who are capable at small details1 yet unable to take comprehensive views4 ,responsibility is the life-blood of efficiency1 and men can always be found upon whom responsibility will act like a charm1 producing quickened perception1 interest1 foresight1 economy1 resource1 industry1 and all the characteristics that responsibility demands4 ,put the square peg in the square hole1 the round peg in the round hole2 show the man you have confidence in him1 teach him to act on his own initiative in all the lesser matters that concern his job1 coming only to the master in those larger considerations to which the latter are subordinate1 and my experience is that your confidence will not be betrayed1 and that he will save you an immense amount of tiresome detail4 ,the most difficult man to deal with is the over-confident know-all2 he is always ready to oppose experience--often dearly bought--with his superior knowledge1 he can suggest a quicker or a cheaper way of doing everything1 and in his last place he never saw your system followed4 ,he is the penny-wise and pound-foolish individual1 and his methods are near enough4 ,it has been said that at twenty a man knows everything1 at forty he is not quite so sure1 and at sixty he is certain that he knows nothing at all2 but there are exceptions even to this rule1 who continue all their lives thinking more and more of their own opinions1 and completely satisfied with their own methods4 ,on the other hand1 the master will always find1 among the more experienced1 men from whom much is to be learnt2 they are generally diffident and not too ready to hazard an opinion1 but when consulted they can give very valuable help4 ,i willingly acknowledge my indebtedness to my old hands1 their well-founded convictions that were the fruit of long years of practical experience1 and their readiness to impart them in times of doubt and difficulty4 ,just as bad-tempered grooms make nervous1 bad-tempered horses2 rough and noisy cattle-men1 fidgety cows2 ill-trained dogs and savage shepherds1 sheep wild and difficult to approach2 so does the bad-tempered1 impatient1 or slovenly master make men with the same bad qualities1 when a smile or a kind word will bring out all that is good in a man and produce the best results in his work4 ,i began my farming with four dear old women1 working on the land1 when wanted for light jobs2 the youngest must have been fifty at least4 ,they received the time-honoured wage of tenpence a day1 and worked1 or talked1 about eight hours4 ,they loved to work near the main road1 discussing the natural history of the occupants of passing carts or carriages4 ,they knew something comic1 tragic1 or compromising about everybody1 and expressed themselves with epigrammatic force4 ,a farmer occupant of a neighbouring farm in long-past days1 was a favourite subject of such recollections4 ,after relating how he were a random duke1 and recalling his habits1 one old lady would conclude the recital with an account of his last days1 adding1 as if everything was thereby finally condoned3 ,but there1 'e was just as nice a carpse as ever ,i see1 and ,i was a'most minded to put his paddle thistle-spud beside him in his coffin1 for he was always a-diggin' and a-delvin' about with it4 ,one member of this quartet1 when ill1 had a dish of minced mutton sent her in the hopes of tempting her appetite4 ,she eyed the gift with disfavour1 and announced with scorn that she preferred to chew her meat herself6 ,in due course these old ladies retired from active service and younger women took their places2 women were especially necessary in the hop-yards for the important operation of tying the selected bines to the poles with rushes and pulling out those which were superfluous4 ,it was difficult1 at first1 to accustom them to the fact that the hop always twines the way of the sun1 whilst the kidney bean takes the opposite course4 ,and there was a problem which greatly exercised their minds3 ,how were they to reach the hops at the tops of the poles--#ad feet from the ground--when the time came8 ,it did not occur to them that it was possible to cut the bine and pull up the pole4 ,they soon became very quick and expert at the tying1 and their well-worn wedding-rings1 telling of a busy life1 would flash brightly in the sunshine as they tenderly coaxed the brittle bines round the base of the poles1 securing them with the rush tied in a special slip-knot1 so that it easily expanded as the bine enlarged4 ,women are splendid at all kinds of light farm work whenever deftness and gentle touch are required1 such as hop-tying and picking1 or gathering small fruit like currants1 raspberries1 and strawberries2 but ,i do not consider them in the least capable of taking the place of men in outdoor work which demands muscular strength and endurance and the ability to withstand severe heat or bitter cold or wet ground under foot1 through all the varying seasons4 ,village women have1 too1 their home duties to attend to1 and it is most important that their men-folk should be suitably fed and their houses kept clean and attractive4 ,on the farm of my son-in-law1 in ,warwickshire1 ,i have seen something of the work of land girls1 to the number of seventy or more1 for whom he provided a well-organized camp with a competent lady ,captain2 and ,i know how useful they proved in the emergency caused by the ,war1 but ,i still adhere to my former conclusion as to the more strenuous forms of farm labour1 without in the least detracting from my admiration for the courage and patriotism that brought them forward4 ,i know one woman1 however1 who quite successfully undertakes very strenuous garden work1 including digging1 having been inured to it at a very early age4 ,if she could be spared from her own work to take the position of instructress for young girls determined to make the land their chief employment1 they would be saved a vast amount of unnecessary fatigue and labour by learning the art of using spades1 forks1 hoes1 and rakes in the way that experience teaches1 relying more upon the weight and designed capabilities of the tool to do the work than upon their own untrained muscles4 ,we could always get a supply of excellent maids for house-work from among the village families2 they began very young1 coming in for a few hours daily to help the regular staff1 and1 as these left or got married1 they were ready trained to take their places4 ,these girls were quite free from the self-importance of the present-day domestic1 but ,i remember one nice village girl about whom we inquired as a likely maid who1 it then appeared1 was engaged to marry a thriving small tradesman4 ,the girl's mother1 being over-elated at her daughter's apparently brilliant prospects of independence1 rejected the proposal with some hauteur1 adding that her daughter would soon be keeping her own maid4 ,i fear1 however1 that she was disappointed1 as the course of true love did not run smooth4 ,we preferred a married man as shepherd1 because1 when ,i had only a few cows1 he combined his duties with those of cowman2 and1 bringing in the milk and doing the churning1 he was much about the back premises4 ,on one occasion1 however1 ,i engaged a young bachelor1 partly because he replied1 with a knowing smile1 to a question as to whether he was married1 that he dared say he could be if he liked--which ,i optimistically took to amount to an announcement of his engagement4 ,time went on and he remained a single man1 but it was observable that he lingered on his milky way1 and was more in evidence in the dairy than his duties appeared to warrant4 ,we concluded that he was attracted by the cook4 ,one day my wife said to another maid3 ,i can't think why the shepherd spends so much time in the house4 ,i suppose cook is the attraction8 ,the girl blushed1 hesitated1 and looked down1 but finally courageously murmured3 ,please1 mum1 it's me1 mum6 ,they were married in due course1 and we lost an excellent servant4 ,some of the village women and girls filled up spare moments with gloving2 the large kid-glove manufacturers in ,worcester supplied the material1 cut into shape1 and a stand1 with a kind of vice divided into spaces the exact size of each stitch1 which held the work firmly while the stitching was done by hand2 they grew very quick at this work1 and turned out the gloves with beautifully even stitches1 but ,i don't think they could earn much at it in a day1 and it must have been rather monotonous4 ,i was interested to read in ,mr4 ,warde ,fowler's ,kingham ,old and ,new an account of a peculiar ceremony--called ,skimmington1 by ,mr4 ,hardy1 in his ,mayor of ,casterbridge--which took place in ,kingham village4 ,i have known of two similar cases1 one in ,surrey and one at ,aldington1 under the name of rough music4 ,the ,kingham case was quite parallel with that at ,aldington1 being a demonstration of popular disapproval of the conduct of a woman resident1 in matters arising out of matrimonial differences4 ,the outraged neighbours collect near the dwelling of the delinquent1 having provided themselves with old trays1 pots and pans1 and anything by means of which a horrible din can be raised1 and proceed to serenade the offender4 ,to be the subject of such a demonstration is regarded as a signal disgrace and a most emphatic mark of popular odium4 ,mr4 ,warde ,fowler tells me1 on the authority of a ,german book on marriage1 etc41 that the same sort of din is made at marriage in some parts of ,europe to drive evil spirits away from the newly married pair4 ,possibly1 therefore1 the custom among our own villagers may have originated with the same idea1 and they may formerly have taken the charitable view that evil spirits were responsible for evil deeds1 and that their exorcism was a neighbourly duty4 ,the holiday outings ,i gave my men were a quid pro quo for some hours of overtime in the hay-making1 and included a day's wages1 all expenses1 and a supply of food4 ,they generally went to a large town where an agricultural show was in progress1 but ,i think the sea trips to ,ilfracombe and ,weston-super-,mare were the most popular1 offering as they did much greater novelty4 ,i have a vivid recollection of the preparation of the rations on the previous night3 a vast joint of beef nicely roasted and got cold before operations commenced1 my wife and daughter making the sandwiches1 while ,i cut up the beef in the kitchen1 sometimes in my shirt-sleeves on a hot summer night2 mountains of loaves of bread1 great slices of cake1 and pounds of cheese1 completed the provisions4 ,the rations were wrapped in separate papers and placed in a hipbath1 covered with a cloth1 and finally kept in a cool building1 whence each man took his portion at early dawn4 ,for the sea trips the train took the party to ,gloucester and ,sharpness1 where they embarked upon the steamer4 ,many and thrilling were the tales ,i heard next day2 the sea was fairly smooth until they reached the ,bristol ,channel1 but then1 if they met a south-west wind1 the vessel began to roll1 and jovial faces looked thoughtful4 ,i must not dwell upon the delightful horrors of the voyage on such occasions2 they were accepted with good-humour and regarded as part of the show1 but it was curious that not one of the narrators himself suffered the fate that he so graphically described as the portion of the others4 ,arrived at their destination1 they inspected the town1 watched the people on the piers and parades1 and the children playing on the sands4 ,the latter created the greatest interest1 busy with their spades and buckets1 or1 as one man expressed it1 little jobs o' draining and summat6 ,at ,christmas the village children always came in small gangs to sing1 or rather chant1 a peculiar and very ancient seasonable greeting3 ,i wish you a merry ,christmas and a happy ,new ,year1 ,a pocket full of money and a cellar full of beer1 ,a good fat pig to last you all the year4 ,may ,god bless all friends near6 ,a merry1 merry ,christmas and a happy ,new ,year4 ,,chapter ,,vii4 ,,machinery--,,village ,,politics--,,asparagus4 ,last week came one to the county town ,to preach our poor little army down4 --,maud4 ,though machinery has lightened the labour of manual workers to some extent1 it entails much more trouble upon masters and foremen1 for breakages are frequent and always occur at the busiest time4 ,what with mowers1 reapers1 thrashing machines1 chaff-cutters1 root-pulpers1 and grain-mills run by steam-power or in connection with horse-gears2 hop-washers1 separators1 and other delicately adjusted novelties1 the master must of necessity be something of a mechanic himself4 ,i doubt if machinery is really quite the advantage claimed by theorists and reconstructionists at the present day4 ,even the thrashing machine1 universally adopted1 presents disadvantages in comparison with the ancient flail1 generally regarded as obsolete1 though still to be found in occasional use by the smallholder or allotment occupier4 ,in former times the farmer reserved his thrashing by hand1 for the most part1 for winter work during severe frost or wet weather1 when nothing could be done outside4 ,the immense barns1 which still exist1 were filled almost to the roof at harvest2 thatching was not necessary1 and every sheaf was absolutely safe from rain as soon as it was under cover4 ,continuous winter work was provided for the men1 and a daily supply of fresh straw for chaff-cutting and bedding1 besides fresh chaff and rowens or cavings for stock throughout the winter4 ,with the thrashing machine in use for ricks1 thatching is a necessity1 and is often difficult to arrange in the stress of harvest2 the machine and engine demand a day's work for two teams of horses to fetch them1 and the cartage and expense of much coal1 now so dear4 ,on a small farm extra hands have to be engaged1 the straw has to be stacked or carried to the barns1 and the same applies to the chaff and rowens4 ,if the weather is damp1 straw1 chaff1 and rowens get stale1 mouldy1 and unpalatable to the stock1 a heavy charge is made for the hire of the machine and the machine men1 and the latter require food and drink or payment instead4 ,the machine breaks and bruises many grains of corn1 which are thereby damaged for seed or malting1 whereas the less urgent flail leaves them intact4 ,the sound of the thrashing machine gives an impression to outsiders of brisk and remunerative work1 but it is cheerful to the farmer only when high prices are ruling4 ,far otherwise was it for many years before the ,war1 when corn-growers heard only its moaning1 despondent note1 telling anything but a flattering tale1 only varied by an occasional angry growl1 when irregular feeding choked its satiated appetite4 ,from the aesthetic standpoint uncouth and noisy machines1 such as mowers and reapers1 cannot be compared to a lusty team of men with scythes1 in their white shirts1 backed by the flowering meadows2 or a sunny field of busy harvesters facing a golden wall of corn1 and leaving behind them the fresh-shorn stubble dotted with sheaves and nicely balanced shocks4 ,the rattle of the machines1 too1 is discordant and out of harmony with the peaceful countryside4 ,it is related of ,ruskin that1 hearing the insistent rattle of a mowing machine in a meadow adjoining his home by the beautiful ,coniston ,water1 and his sense of the fitting being outraged1 he interviewed the owner1 and1 by an offer to pay the trifling difference between machine and hand labour1 induced him to discontinue the annoyance4 ,as to the relative cost of machine and hand wheat-cutting1 quite early in my farming ,i obtained the opinion of a distinguished farmer1 then well known on the ,council of the ,royal ,agricultural ,society1 ,mr4 ,charles ,randell1 of ,chadbury1 near ,evesham1 on the subject3 ,if you can get a good crop1 he said1 cut1 tied1 and stocked by hand at anything like #aes4 an acre1 don't use a machine4 ,if the corn is ripe it knocks out and wastes quite a bushel of wheat per acre 7worth at that time about #es41 now nearer #is4 or #ajs474 ,i always bring out my machines1 and have them oiled and made ready1 but ,i don't want to use them4 ,in a wet harvest the machine is unworkable on sticky clay soil1 and after a wet summer1 when the corn is badly laid and twisted1 it makes very poor work1 cutting off the ears and scattering them1 and leaving a quantity of uncut and untidy straw on the ground4 ,in my own case my equanimity was never disturbed by a reaping machine1 with its unwieldy tossing arms1 on my land1 for ,i had to find employment for my full staff of regular hands1 specially required for the much more important hop-picking a little later1 and it pleased me that they should get the extra pay for harvest work as well4 ,the cream separator1 ,i admit1 is a wonderful invention1 and its hum is not unmusical2 it provides fresh skim milk for the calves and pigs morning and night1 which1 as well as the cream1 is thoroughly cleansed in the process4 ,the aeration of the skim milk leaves it a most wholesome and nourishing article of diet for the villagers if they could be made to understand its value1 and that the removal of the cream takes away only the fat 7heating material71 leaving the bone and muscle making constituents in the milk4 ,i could never induce my village folk to accept this rudimentary proposition2 they fancied that all the goodness was gone with the cream1 and though ,i offered the skim milk at the nominal price of one halfpenny a quart1 very few would send their children to fetch it1 though they mostly lived within a hundred yards of the dairy4 ,the hay or straw elevator is one of the greatest helps1 saving much heavy overhand labour in rick-building4 ,an old labourer1 pointing to one1 with great appreciation1 on a farm ,i was visiting1 said3 ,that's a machine as will be always kept in the dry and took care on4 ,he spoke from experience of the arduous work of unloading and the passing of heavy weights1 sometimes from the bed of the waggon to the summit of the rick2 for1 as my bailiff often said1 ,nobody knows so well where the shoe pinches as the man who has to wear it4 ,steam has not done all that was expected of it as an agricultural slave4 ,the steam plough is not a success on heavy land where the ridges are high and irregular in width1 and even the steam cultivator has to be used with caution lest the soil should be carried from the ridges to the furrows1 and the squitch 7couch7 buried to a depth at which it is difficult to eradicate4 ,the great convenience of steam cultivation is that full advantage can be taken of a short spell of hot1 dry weather for fallowing operations1 and the soil is left so hollow that it soon bakes and kills the weeds4 ,i fully sympathize with ,tennyson's1 ,northern ,farmer1 ,old ,style3 ,but summon 'ull come ater me mayhap wi' 'is kittle o' stem ,huzzin' an' mazin' the blessed felds wi' the ,devil's on tem2 for1 except on a large farm with immense fields1 the ponderous and ungainly steam1 tackle gives one a sensation of intrusion4 ,such a field can be found on a farm between ,evesham and ,alcester2 it contains #cjj acres4 ,the occupier1 speaking of it1 mentioned that it was all wheat that year except one corner4 ,to a question as to the size of the corner1 it transpired that it was #ej acres1 and growing peas4 ,for comparison there is a story of a ,devonshire farmer who said he had been very busy one winter making four fields into one4 ,then you've got a big field1 said a friend4 ,yes1 was the reply2 it's just four acres4 ,when the farm labourer was enfranchised in #ahhe he became an important member of the electorate4 ,candidates and canvassers alike had a much more strenuous time than ever before1 the former were constrained to hold meetings in every village1 and the latter were obliged to visit nearly every cottage4 ,the late ,sir ,richard ,temple after a distinguished career in ,india1 became ,conservative candidate for our division4 ,the doctrine of three acres and a cow1 in opposition to every tenet of rural economy1 as well as the division of the land among the labourers1 were at the time paraded by theorists and paid agitators1 as bribes to purchase the votes of the new electors1 and as ensuring the salvation of the rural population1 which was then beginning to suffer from unemployment1 resulting from the destruction of corn-growing by foreign competition4 ,the more credulous of the labourers were excited and unsettled by the alluring prospect of independence thus held out to them1 and it was reported that some went so far as to survey the fields around their villages and select the plots they proposed to cultivate1 and that others took baskets to the poll in which to bring home the all-powerful magic of the mysterious vote6 ,among the new voters in a neighbouring village1 a man of very decided views found it puzzling to decide by which candidate they were most nearly represented1 and1 determined to make no mistake at the poll1 he consulted a fellow-labourer1 inquiring3 ,which way be the big uns a-going1 because ,i be agin they8 ,the ,squire of an adjoining parish met an old villager with whom he had always been on good terms2 after mutual greetings1 the man sympathised3 ,i be sorry for you1 ,squire4 ,why8 was the rejoinder4 ,yes1 ,i be regular sorry for you1 ,squire1 that ,i be44 ,what's the matter8 asked the ,squire4 ,ay6 about this here land2 'tis to be divided amongst we working men4 ,indeed1 said the ,squire2 but look here1 after a bit1 some of you won't want to cultivate it any longer1 and some1 with improvident habits1 will sell their plots to others1 so that soon it will be all back again into the hands of a few2 what will you do then8 ,the man looked puzzled1 scratched his head1 and cogitated deeply1 until a simple solution presented itself3 ,then1 ,squire1 said he1 we shall divide again6 ,sir ,richard ,temple was undoubtedly an able man1 but he was a complete stranger to the local conditions of the constituency4 ,the villagers of ,badsey especially1 as well as of other adjoining parishes1 were just beginning to retrieve their position1 threatened by the collapse of corn-growing and consequent unemployment1 by the adoption of market-gardening and fruit-growing4 ,the land1 run down and full of weeds and rubbish1 had been cut up into allotments and offered to them as tenants1 their only choice lying between years of hard work in redeeming its condition or emigration4 ,many young men chose the latter1 and did well in the ,states of ,america2 but where there was a wife and young children that course was scarcely possible1 and the man became an allotment tenant4 ,passing one of these on a plot full of squitch1 which he was laboriously breaking up with a fork to expose it in big clods to a baking sun1 ,i asked if he had taken it4 ,well1 said he1 ,i don't know whether ,i've taken it or it's taken me6 ,these men1 by unceasing labour and self-denial1 were just beginning to turn the corner2 they had cleaned the land1 ameliorated its mechanical condition by application of soot and by deep digging with their beloved forks1 and1 having discovered how wonderfully asparagus nourished on this deep1 rich soil1 had planted large areas1 as well as plum-trees and other market-garden crops1 and the well-merited return was coming in increasingly year by year4 ,sir ,richard ,temple did not understand the difference between the small holder1 growing corn and ordinary crops in less favoured parts of the countrymen the one hand1 and market-gardeners in the ,vale of ,evesham1 with its early climate1 splendid soil1 and railway connection with huge artisan populations1 delivering the produce with punctuality and despatch1 on the other4 ,he considered that small holders could not make an economic success where the farmers had failed1 and had made his views well known in the constituency1 but he did not distinguish between the small holder and the market-gardener4 ,the men of ,badsey felt aggrieved1 they knew better1 and at a meeting he held in the village they gave him a rather noisy hearing1 with interruptions such as1 ,keep off them steel farks1 ,mind them steel farks1 ,sir ,richard1 and so on4 ,sir ,richard came to ask for my support and assistance in our village1 and1 as ,i was not at home1 my wife entertained him in my absence1 with tea and wedding-cake4 ,she innocently asked if he had come to canvass me2 her straightforward query surprised him1 but1 after a moment's hesitation1 he replied cautiously3 ,well1 something of that sort4 ,he was eventually returned1 and the men of ,badsey continued to flourish on asparagus-growing in spite of his warnings2 new houses sprang up in every direction1 and available labour grew scarcer and scarcer4 ,those splendid asparagus sticks or buds1 as they are called1 tied with osier or withy twigs1 which may be seen in ,covent ,garden ,market and the large fruiterers' shops in ,regent ,street1 are grown in and around the parishes of ,badsey and ,aldington4 ,they command high prices1 up to #aes4 and #bjs4 a hundred for special stuff1 and this year 7#aiai7 ,i see that #ba was realized for the champion hundred at the ,badsey ,asparagus ,show4 ,that1 of course1 must be regarded as quite exceptional1 and possibly there were special considerations which made it worth the money to the purchaser4 ,later came difficulties2 after successive dry summers the asparagus was attacked by a fungoid complaint1 called by the growers rust4 ,instead of growing vigorously after the crop had been gathered--which is the time when the buds for next year's crop are developing on the crowns of the plants--and finally dying off naturally in beautiful feathery plumes of green and gold1 it presented a dingy and rusty appearance1 eventually turning black4 ,asparagus cannot stand long-continued summer and autumn drought2 it likes plenty of moisture1 in free circulation but not stagnant4 ,the crops that followed the appearance ,i have described were very deficient1 proving that the growing season of one year's foliage is the time when next year's crop is decided4 ,the growth of asparagus is still a very important part of the market-gardener's business in the parishes referred to1 but it does not continue to produce the best results indefinitely and continuously on the same land1 and the growers have been obliged to extend their acreages and take fresh plots4 ,i have little doubt that with the scientific application of artificial fertilizers the yield would continue satisfactory for a much longer period4 ,plant disease of any kind is nearly always due to starvation for want of the chemical constituents upon which the crop feeds1 though sometimes caused by unhealthy sap1 the result of late spring frosts or unsuitable weather4 ,the asparagus-growers relied too much upon soot as a fertilizer2 it has a marvellous effect upon the mechanical condition of heavy land2 its particles intervene between the particles of the almost impalpable powder of which clay is composed1 and the soil approximates to a well-tilled garden plot after a few applications and careful incorporation1 and in the local phraseology1 it becomes all of a myrtle4 ,but as plant food soot contains nitrogen only1 a great plant stimulant1 which quickly exhausts the soil of the other necessary constituents4 ,if the growers would make use of basic slag1 superphosphate1 or bone dust to replace the phosphate of lime removed by the crop1 and of potash in one of its available forms1 they would soon experience a great improvement in the power of their asparagus to resist disease and deterioration4 ,i am aware that some of the smaller growers regard all kinds of artificial fertilizers with suspicion1 but they may be interested1 should they ever read these pages1 in the following story4 ,when ,peruvian guano was first introduced into this country1 the farmers could not be persuaded that it merited any reliance as a manure4 ,the importers1 in despair1 caused some of the despised stuff to be sown in the form of huge letters spelling the word ,,fools upon a bare hillside1 visible from a great distance4 ,the following spring1 with the beginning of growth1 and throughout the summer1 the word stared the farmers in the face whenever they chanced to look that way1 in dark green outstanding characters upon the yellow background2 after this practical demonstration there was no difficulty in finding purchasers4 ,sir ,richard ,temple was opposed by ,mr4 ,arthur ,chamberlain1 one at least of whose canvassers was not above stretching a point to obtain the votes of the labourers4 ,my men told me that they had been promised roast beef and plum pudding every day of their lives should the ,liberal party be returned4 ,these tactics were again resorted to in the election of #aijf1 when walls were placarded with pictures of the ,chinese employed in the gold-mines of the ,transvaal1 driven in chains by cruel overseers1 presumably representing the ,conservative ,government which had sanctioned their employment4 ,i know from what ,i heard in my new home1 for ,i was no longer at ,aldington1 that this misrepresentation decided the votes of many of the more ignorant voters4 ,,chapter ,,viii4 ,,my ,,three ,,vicars--,,church ,,restoration--,,churchwarden ,,experiences-- ,,clerical ,,and ,,other ,,stories4 ,where many a generation's prayer1 ,hath perfumed and hath blessed the air4 --,,gladstone4 ,i saw a good deal of my three successive ,vicars1 for ,i was ,vicar's churchwarden for a period of nearly twenty years1 and was treasurer of the fund for the restoration and enlargement of ,badsey ,church4 ,my first ,vicar had held the living for over thirty years when we decided upon this important undertaking2 and not wishing to be burdened with the correspondence which the work would entail1 he invited me to act for him4 ,i was pleased1 because ,i have always been interested in the architecture of old buildings1 especially churches1 and readily undertook the post4 ,i had the constant and intimate co-operation of my co-warden1 ,mr4 ,julius ,sladden1 of ,badsey1 and ,i may say that no two people ever worked together with greater harmony4 ,the restoration had been debated for many years2 the ancient church was sadly dilapidated1 and disfigured by an ugly gallery at the west end of the nave1 which obscured the finest arch in the building1 leading into the tower2 and the incident which brought the matter within the range of possibility was romantic4 ,the ,vicar succeeded quite unexpectedly to a large inheritance2 the news reached him and his wife1 who was away from home at the time1 simultaneously4 ,the letters they wrote to each other on their good fortune crossed in the post1 and characteristically each wrote ,badsey ,church must now be restored4 ,soon afterwards the ,vicar came to my house and1 sitting down at my table1 wrote me a cheque for #ejj to start the fund4 ,on the advice of the patrons of the living--the ,dean and ,chapter of ,christ ,church1 ,oxford--we invited ,mr4 ,thomas ,graham ,jackson1 now ,sir ,thomas ,graham ,jackson1 ,r4,a41 to undertake the duties of architect4 ,his work was well known at ,oxford at the time1 as the beautiful ,new ,schools had just been completed from his designs2 we were also most fortunate in obtaining the services of ,mr4 ,thomas ,collins1 of ,tewkesbury1 as builder4 ,mr4 ,collins was devoted to church architecture1 and the financial consideration of such work was to him quite secondary to the pleasure he experienced as a connoisseur in restoring to the dignity and beauty of the past any ecclesiastical building of distinguished interest4 ,the first estimate was1 ,i think1 #a1ejj1 exclusive of architect's fees1 but when the work was completed we had expended in all a sum of over #b1acj4 ,we did not finally clear off the debt until #ahid1 nine years after the reopening of the church1 and since then a considerable further sum has been expended in rehanging the old bells and adding two new ones to make up the full peal of eight4 ,it was delightful to experience the willingness of everybody to help2 subscriptions1 large and small1 came in readily at the very outset1 and this part of the work never became arduous until the last few hundreds had to be raised4 ,most of us experienced the truth of the proverb ,bis dat qui cito dat1 but in a different sense from that which usually commends it1 for many who gave quickly not only literally gave twice1 but three times or more4 ,bazaars1 concerts1 and entertainments of all kinds were undertaken by the parishioners1 a sum of #cgf being raised by these means4 ,among them a bazaar at ,badsey realized #acj2 another1 later1 at ,aldington in one of my old barns1 #hj2 and two concerts--afternoon and evening--at ,malvern1 organized by my wife and her sister1 ,miss ,poulton1 #ajj4 ,the ,vicar received a notable letter from the late ,lord ,salisbury1 the ,premier2 they had been at ,eton and ,christ ,church together1 and ,lord ,salisbury was godfather to the ,vicar's eldest son4 ,the ,vicar had written of the fortune he had inherited1 and spoke of some rooks as having brought the luck by building1 for the first time1 in an elm-tree in the vicarage grounds4 ,lord ,salisbury1 in sending a donation of #be to the restoration fund1 added3 ,i see a great many rooks building near my house 7,hatfield71 but the luck has not come to me yet4 ,the ,vicar's comment to me was3 ,if the luck has not yet come to ,lord ,salisbury1 ,i don't see how anyone can hope for it6 ,the ,malvern concert was a strenuous undertaking2 ,badsey being a long way from ,malvern1 it was necessary to interest the inhabitants and to some extent to plead in forma pauperis1 for we were really a poor parish without any large resident landowners4 ,the first thing was to get a good list of influential local patrons2 and as soon as ,lady ,emily ,foley consented1 the promoters felt that the work was half done4 ,lady ,emily ,foley was supreme at ,malvern1 a very distinguished old lady and most popular1 but perhaps a little alarming4 ,on the day of the two concerts ,i was detailed with a troop of young men1 relatives of the patrons1 to conduct the people to their seats1 and an elaborate plan of the large ,assembly ,room was given me1 with minute particulars of the lettered rows and numbered seats1 presenting the appearance1 somewhat1 of a labyrinth4 ,i was studying it at the doors1 and arranging with the young stewards as to their individual functions1 when ,i heard an alarmed exclamation from one of them3 ,look out6 here comes ,lady ,emily ,foley6 ,in an instant the whole crowd took to their heels and disappeared down the corridor4 ,with some little difficulty ,i succeeded in finding the seats of ,lady ,emily ,foley's party1 but ,i could see that she regarded me as a rather feeble cicerone4 ,she was1 however1 exceedingly gracious after my wife's first solo1 which pleased her so much that we had to make an exception in this case1 and allow an encore by her special request1 though it had been arranged1 owing to the length of the programme1 that no encores were to be given4 ,lady ,alwyne ,compton1 wife of the ,dean of ,worcester1 very kindly assisted as a performer1 my wife having frequently sung at charity concerts and entertainments for her in ,worcester and the neighbourhood1 among them a recital by ,mr4 ,brandram of ,a ,midsummer-,night's ,dream1 when she undertook the soprano solos occurring in the play1 at the ,worcester ,guildhall4 ,lady ,alwyne ,compton was very musical1 and rehearsals were held in the stone-vaulted crypt beneath the ,deanery1 a place of splendid acoustic properties1 which intensified the sound without coarsening it1 and brought the voice back to the singer in a way unknown on the usual platform1 decorated with screens1 curtains1 and flags1 and obstructed by floral impedimenta4 ,among the performers at the ,malvern concerts some professionals had been engaged from ,london1 including ,miss ,margaret ,wild1 a well-known pianist4 ,i had given my men a holiday for the occasion and was anxious to hear their opinion of the performances4 ,they considered the music rather too high class for them1 but they thoroughly appreciated the nimble fingers of ,miss ,margaret ,wild2 one of them adding enthusiastically3 ,my word1 her did make 'im 7the piano7 rottle6 ,our old parish clerk too1 at the time over eighty years of age1 who walked three miles to ,evesham ,station in the morning1 ascended the ,worcestershire ,beacon--nearly #a1ejj feet--and finally walked back from ,evesham to ,badsey at night1 was much struck by the recitations of ,miss ,isabel ,bateman at the concert4 ,the dear old man was somewhat deaf1 and told me that1 sitting towards the back of the room1 ,i couldn't hear nothing1 but ,i could see as the gesters gestures was all right4 ,this old clerk was prominently devout in the church responses1 and had some original pronunciations of unusual words2 in the ,nicene ,creed he generally followed a few bars1 so to speak1 behind the ,vicar1 but one never failed to catch the words apost'lick church towards the end4 ,he was very scornful of ghosts1 and told me that he had been about the churchyard very often at night for fifty years without seeing anything like an apparition4 ,but the whole village was alarmed1 including the clerk1 one ,sunday when1 about midnight1 the tenor bell was heard solemnly tolling4 ,the clerk1 with some supporters and a lantern1 unlocked the door1 and found the village idiot--silly ,c4--in the tower ringing the bell4 ,it appeared that1 after service1 the clerk had extinguished the lights and locked up for the night about eight o'clock4 ,c41 who had gone to sleep in the gallery with his head upon his arms before him on the desk1 slumbered on until he woke in alarm some four hours later1 to find himself alone and the church in total darkness1 but he was intelligent enough to remember the bell and get his release4 ,c4 had a hand-to-hand fight in the church tower with ,aldington's special imbecile4 ,after service the clerk invited me to the scene of the battle1 pointing out some crimson traces on the stone pavement4 ,i called upon our imbecile's parents on my way home1 and the old father was greatly shocked4 ,here he be1 sir1 he said2 ,i hope you'll give him a jolly good hiding4 ,i told him ,i could hardly undertake the rle of executioner on a ,sunday1 in cold blood1 and contented myself with a severe reprimand4 ,i was handing the collecting-bag one morning after service1 and finding it did not return from the end of the row of chairs as quickly as usual1 ,i discovered this same individual with his hand in the bag4 ,i signed to him impatiently to pass it back4 ,after service he came to the vestry and said that he had contributed a florin in mistake for a penny1 and was trying to retrieve it4 ,i could generally estimate pretty accurately the amount of the collection1 as ,i handed the bag1 knowing the extent of each person's usual gift1 and sure enough1 there was an extra florin among the coins1 with which ,i sent him away happy4 ,the parish must have been an uncivilized place in former times2 there was an accusing record beneath the west window of the tower1 in the shape of a blocked up entrance4 ,i was told that the ringers1 not wishing to enter or leave the tower through the church door during service1 and also to facilitate the smuggling in of unlimited cider had1 after strenuous efforts1 cut an opening through the ancient wall and base some feet in thickness1 and that the achievement was announced to the village by uproarious cheering when at last they succeeded4 ,a door was afterwards fitted to the aperture1 but the entrance was abolished later by a more reverent ,vicar4 ,the belfry was decorated with various bones of legs of mutton and of joints of beef1 hung up to commemorate notable weddings of prominent parishioners--perhaps1 too1 as a hint to future aspirants to the state of matrimony--when the ringers had enjoyed a substantial meal and gallons of cider at the expense of the bridegroom4 ,there seems to have been a traditional connection between church bell-ringing and thirst1 for ,gilbert ,white relates that when the bells of ,selborne ,church were recast and a new one presented in #agce1 ,the day of the arrival of this tuneable peal was observed as an high festival by the village1 and rendered more joyous by an order from the donor that the treble bell should be fixed bottom upward in the ground and filled with punch1 of which all present were permitted to partake4 ,the ,vicar of ,badsey told me that at the neighbouring church of ,wickhamford1 then also in his jurisdiction1 that when he first came1 in the early fifties1 it was customary1 as the men entered the church by the chancel door1 to pitch their hats in a heap on the altar4 ,also that on his home-coming with his bride1 he was1 the same evening1 requisitioned to put a stop to a fight between two drunken reprobates outside the vicarage gate4 ,badsey people can in these modern times point with pride to a much higher standard of civilization1 and they fully recognize that ',eave 'alf a brick at his 'ead2 ,bill1 is a method of welcome to a stranger not considered precisely etiquette at the present day4 ,there was no vestry before the restoration of ,badsey ,church2 the ,vicar's surplice might be seen hanging over the side of one of the square pews which obstructed the chancel1 and when the ,vicar appeared he was followed by the clerk1 who assisted at the public ceremony of robing4 ,church decorations at ,christmas consisted at that time of sprigs of holly stuck upright in holes bored along the tops of the pew partitions at regular intervals1 and at the harvest thanksgiving an historic miniature rick of corn annually made its appearance on the altar4 ,in those days1 however1 flowers1 which are scarcely suitable for a festival where the decorations should proclaim the abundance of the matured season of growth1 by corn and fruit1 were not included4 ,i have seen too many of these1 to the exclusion of corn1 in modern town churches1 and even wild oats1 which1 though very pretty1 are not exactly typical of thanksgiving4 ,it is surprising how much damage may be done to valuable old woodwork by an enthusiastic band of decorators1 assisted by an indiscriminating curate1 and how inharmonious may be the general effect of individual labours--though charming taken separately--where a comprehensive scheme is neglected4 ,i have counted fourteen differing reds--not tones or shades of the same colour--including the hood of the officiating clergyman1 in one chancel at the same time1 bewildering to the eye and distracting to the mind4 ,and ,i once saw a beautiful and priceless old ,elizabethan table in a vestry1 covered with a mouldy piece of purple velvet secured with tin-tacks driven into the tortured oak4 ,there are1 or were1 two lovely old ,chippendale chairs with the characteristic backs and legs inside the altar-rails of ,badsey ,church2 they are valuable and no doubt duly appreciated1 not only for their own sake1 but because they were the gift of dear old ,barnard1 the clerk1 who spent fifty years of his life in the service of the church4 ,i once heard a curate preaching to an agricultural congregation at a harvest thanksgiving after a disastrous season1 when the earth had not yielded much by way of increase1 remarking that in such a time of scarcity we might be thankful that plenty of foreign corn would be available2 good theology1 perhaps1 but scarcely expedient under the circumstances4 ,we found ,sir ,thomas ,graham ,jackson a purist in the matter of church restoration1 and in my capacity as churchwarden and treasurer1 ,i was fortunate in having to confer with a man of such pre-eminent good taste4 ,he would not allow some new oak panels1 with which we had to supplement the old linen-pattern panels of the pulpit1 to be coloured to match the old work4 ,time1 he said1 will bring them all together4 ,possibly the lapse of two hundred years may do so1 but ,i saw at once that he was right in the principle that no sham should be tolerated in honest work1 more especially in a sacred building4 ,we objected also to a new chimney which surmounted the junction of the nave and choir exteriorly3 it seemed to smack of domestic detail2 but here again he satisfied us by saying that1 as heating the building was a modern necessity1 there was no reason to be ashamed of such an indispensable addition4 ,as a matter of fact1 this chimney long ago became nicely toned down by its native soot1 and is practically unnoticeable4 ,there is much ,american oak1 ,i believe1 now used in new churches and public buildings2 it appears to resemble chestnut much more than ,english oak1 and ,i doubt whether it will ever acquire the beautiful tone which time confers upon the latter4 ,it should1 however1 be recognized that much of the depth of colour of old oak panelling is really nothing but dirt1 though the true dark brown tint of old age can be found underneath1 and right to the centre of each piece4 ,spring-cleaning of the past consisted very much in polishing with beeswax and turpentine1 without removing the dirt produced by smoky fires and constant handling1 so that extraneous matter became coated with the polish and preserved beneath it4 ,i have had occasion1 when restoring old woodwork1 to wash off this outside accretion1 and when removed1 the tone of the wood remained still dark1 though lighter than before it lost its black and somewhat sticky appearance4 ,the fakers of sham old furniture produce the intense darkness by stains of various kinds4 ,i once found myself at an inn in ,devonshire which contained a quantity of delft and antique oak furniture for sale4 ,while the attendant was bringing me some refreshment1 ,i tested the genuineness of the oak by a small chip with my pocket-knife1 and1 as ,i anticipated1 found perfectly white wood under the surface1 and1 ,i believe1 ,american oak4 ,the irony of the transaction is striking2 here was a piece of wood imported from the ,states only a few months before1 converted in this country into ,elizabethan1 ,jacobean1 and ,stuart furniture1 and then1 it may be1 bought by ,american visitors and taken back to their own country4 ,some years before the church restoration could be taken in hand1 a piece of land1 bordering the west side of the churchyard1 and between it and the highroad1 and another similar piece on the east side of the churchyard1 were offered for sale by auction4 ,they belonged to the old ,badsey ,manor property and of course occupied important positions lying in each case just between the churchyard and the adjoining roads4 ,an individual who had fallen out with the ,vicar announced his intention of purchasing these pieces and building cottages and a public-house upon them1 presumably to spite the parson4 ,the ,vicar at once saw the absolute necessity of acquiring the land for the church and enclosing it with suitable walls1 as an addition to the churchyard4 ,it would have been a terrible eyesore from the village street if ugly brick and blue-slated buildings were erected in front of the beautiful old grey church1 and the idea of an inn in such a place was intolerable4 ,he consulted the patrons of the living1 who agreed to help1 and simultaneously a good old aunt gave him leave to bid up to a certain sum on her behalf as a gift to the parish4 ,the patrons sent a representative to the sale with an undisclosed price1 at which he was empowered to make the purchase4 ,absolute secrecy was preserved1 and1 except the ,vicar1 no one knew the man or whom he represented2 he was to leave the train from ,oxford at ,honeybourne ,station so as not even to come through ,evesham to ,badsey4 ,the ,vicar had arranged that the patrons' representative should also bid on behalf of the aunt1 but did not disclose the limit4 ,the man was not to bid until the ,vicar himself stopped1 and he was to go on bidding until the ,vicar removed a rose from his button-hole1 which would signify that the aunt's limit was reached4 ,whether the patrons' representative could go any further or not1 the ,vicar did not know4 ,before the auction the two did not meet1 and they sat apart during the proceedings4 ,the village malcontent was in great form1 making certain of success1 and was delighted when the ,vicar apparently gave up bidding as if beaten4 ,the rose was still in his button-hole1 but before long the aunt's limit was reached1 and it had to be removed2 he was however relieved to find that the patrons' representative continued to bid4 ,his opponent was getting very fidgety as the price rose1 hesitating for some moments every time the bidding was against him4 ,just as the hammer was about to fall he would arrest it with1 ,try 'im again1 but the stranger instantly capped his reluctant bid1 always leaving him to consider a further advance in great discomfort4 ,at last in despair but quite certain that the ,vicar at any rate was knocked out he gave up1 exclaiming1 ',e med 'ave it1 'e med 'ave it2 and the hammer fell4 ,all eyes were fixed upon the unknown bidder1 and the auctioneer demanded the name of the buyer2 very quietly came the announcement1 ,the ,dean and ,chapter of ,christ ,church4 ,horribly disgusted the malcontent fired a parting shot as he reached the door3 ,if ,i'd a-knowed the pairson was a goin' to 'ave it1 ,i'd a made 'im pay a pretty penny more nor that4 ,this ,vicar was a very impressive reader1 especially of dramatic stories from the ,old ,testament4 ,as he read the account of the discomfiture of the priests of ,baal by the ,prophet ,elijah one could visualize the scene4 ,elijah's dripping sacrifice blazing to the skies1 the priests of ,baal1 mutilated by their own knives and lancets1 in vain imploring their god to send the fire to vindicate himself4 ,the heavens were black1 and one could hear the rush of ,ahab's chariot1 the roar of the thunder and the hissing torrent of rain1 and see the prophet running swiftly before him4 ,the ,vicar1 however1 was not an actor like a clergyman ,i was told of1 who got so excited over ,agag and his delicate approach to ,samuel that he could not resist an illustration to intensify the action by taking a mincing step or two aside from the lectern4 ,no village is complete without its curmudgeon or self-appointed grumbler1 just as every village has its special imbecile4 ,the curmudgeon originates in a class above the idiot2 very often he is an ex-churchwarden1 guardian1 way-warden1 or other official1 who has resigned in dudgeon or been ousted from his post for some neglect or failure4 ,he is a man with whom the world has gone wrong1 a sufferer1 perhaps1 from some disaster which has become an obsession4 ,he views everything with distorted eyesight2 nothing pleases him1 and he wants to put everybody right4 ,he cherishes a perpetual grievance against some individual or clique for a fancied slight1 and goes about trying to stir up ill-feeling among the ignorant by malicious insinuations4 ,in former times he was an adept at parson-baiting at the annual ,easter vestry meeting1 when he would air his grievance against the ,vicar of the parish or any person in authority4 ,at these vestries the ,vicar is wise if he declares the curmudgeon to be out of order1 and declines to hear him1 for1 legally1 the business does not include any matter which does not appear upon the notice convening the meeting1 signed by the ,vicar and churchwardens4 ,this usually announces that churchwardens will be elected and the accounts produced2 the latter1 since church rates were abolished1 is not obligatory1 and only subscribers have a right to question them4 ,the proceedings are not legal unless three full days have elapsed since the publication of the notice on a ,sunday before morning service1 the following ,thursday being thus the earliest day on which the meeting can take place4 ,it is important to remember that no churchwarden has a legal status before he has been formally admitted by the ,archdeacon4 ,in former times1 before the creation of ,parish1 ,district and ,county ,councils1 the curmudgeon1 after the reaction of the winter months1 became very prominent towards the time of the ,easter vestry1 when he would appear1 having enlisted a small band of supporters1 with a number of grievances relating to rates1 parish officials1 rights of way1 footpaths1 and such-like debatable subjects4 ,of course1 he should have been promptly squashed by the chairman1 but too often an indulgent ,vicar would allow him to have his fling4 ,now1 however1 the curmudgeon can easily get himself elected upon one of the numerous councils2 having mismanaged his own affairs until he has none left to manage1 he appears to regard himself as a fit and proper person to mismanage the business of other people1 and the brief authority which his position confers gives him a welcome opportunity of letting off superfluous steam4 ,parishioners sometimes combined and elected an unpopular person to a troublesome post which nobody wanted4 ,such was the office of way-warden1 under whose jurisdiction came the management and repair of parish roads1 superintending and paying the roadmen1 and keeping the necessary records and accounts4 ,a market-gardener1 a canny ,scot1 who had fallen into disfavour1 had this office thrust upon him much against his will4 ,once elected1 the victim had no choice in the matter1 and1 being a very busy man1 he was thoroughly annoyed4 ,he soon discovered a weapon wherewith to avenge the wrong--one which his opponents had put into his hands themselves2 during his year of office he restricted the road repairs to a lane adjoining his own land1 leading to the railway-station1 which his carts traversed many times daily4 ,he gave it a thorough good coat of stones1 and all the available labour1 as well as the cash chargeable on the rates of the parish1 was in this way expended1 chiefly for his own benefit1 though the parish shared to the extent of the use they made of this particular piece of road4 ,great was the outcry1 but nothing could be done till the year of office expired1 and1 naturally1 he was never elected again4 ,the purchase of the land adjoining the churchyard had a remarkable sequel2 it was conveyed to the ,vicar and churchwardens for the time being1 these original churchwardens having been long out of the office before my appointment4 ,after the restoration of the church my co-warden and ,i1 with the ,vicar's consent1 levelled the rough places in the neglected churchyard1 sowed it with grass seeds1 and planted various ornamental shrubs2 we had the untidy southern boundary carefully dug over1 and set a man to plant a yew-hedge4 ,he was thus employed when a parishioner appeared in some excitement1 and objected to the planting of yew on account of possible damage to sheep grazing in the churchyard1 claiming the right--which1 as a matter of fact1 belonged to the ,vicar alone1 though never exercised--to such grazing1 jointly with the ,vicar4 ,he proceeded to pull up some of the young yews as a protest1 and threw them uprooted on the ground4 ,the man employed reported the matter to my co-warden1 living near1 who was very soon at my house4 ,we decided to prosecute the offender1 and obtained the ,vicar's consent1 he being the legal prosecutor4 ,the case was heard by a bench of magistrates composed entirely of clergy and churchwarden squires1 who naturally sympathized with us1 and1 quite logically1 convicted the defendant in a fine1 ,i think1 of about #bes4 and costs1 or a term in ,worcester ,gaol in default4 ,the defendant refused to pay a farthing and was removed in custody2 but later our dear old ,vicar1 very generously1 came forward and paid the amount himself4 ,shortly before the church restoration ,i had a notice to attend an archidiaconal visitation1 and duly appeared at the church at the time arranged4 ,the ,archdeacon made a careful inspection of the fabric and property of the church1 not too well pleased with its dilapidated appearance4 ,nothing much was said till we reached the fourteenth-century font1 showing signs of long use4 ,the ,archdeacon motioned to the clerk to remove the oak cover1 and the old man1 with the air of an officious waiter1 lifted it with a flourish1 disclosing1 inside the cracked font1 a white pudding-basin1 inside which1 again1 reposed a species of beetle known as a devil's coach-horse4 ,the ,archdeacon1 peering in and evidently recognizing the insect and its popular designation1 and looking much shocked1 exclaimed with some warmth3 ,dear me6 ,i should scarcely have expected to find that thing in a font6 ,this story reminds me of a similar visitation depicted in ,punch4 ,the ,archdeacon was seen at the lych-gate of a country church in company with a churchwarden farmer1 the ,vicar being unable to attend4 ,the contrast was well delineated--the ,archdeacon tall1 thin1 and ascetic1 in a long black coat and archidiaconal hat2 and the farmer of the ,john ,bull type1 in ample breeches and gaiters4 ,the churchyard presented a magnificent crop of exuberant wheat3 ,archdeacon4 ,i don't like this at all2 ,i shall really have to speak to the ,vicar about it4 ,churchwarden 7thinking of the rotation of crops74 ,just what ,i told un1 sir--just what ,i told 'un4 ,you keeps on a-wheating of it and a-wheating of it1 ,i says2 why don't you tater it8 says ,i4 ,at ,badsey objections were soon heard to the innovation of the surpliced choir and improved music in the restored church2 one old villager1 living close by1 expressed himself as follows concerning the entry of the ,vicar and choir1 in procession1 from the new vestry3 ,they come in with them boys all dressed up like a lot of little parsons1 and the parson behind 'em just like the old ,pope hisself4 ,but there ain't no call for me to go to church now1 for ,i can set at home and hear 'em a baarlin' noise like a calf and a harmenin amening in me own house4 ,on a similar occasion1 in another parish where more elaborate music had been introduced1 an old coachman1 given to much devotional musical energy1 told me as a sore grievance3 ,you know1 sir1 ,i'd used to like singin' a bit myself1 but now1 as soon as ,i've worked myself up to a tidy old pitch1 all of a sudden they leaves off1 and ,i be left a bawlin'6 ,among various special weekday services ,i remember a ,confirmation when an elderly ,aldington parishioner had courageously decided to participate in the rite4 ,she was missing from the ceremony1 and told my wife afterwards1 in answer to inquiries1 that a bad headache had prevented her from attending1 adding3 ,but there1 you can't stand agin your 'ead6 ,i was at the house of a neighbouring ,vicar where the ,bishop of the diocese had been lunching shortly before1 when there was a dish of very fine oranges on the table and another of ,blenheim orange apples4 ,the ,bishop was offered a ,blenheim orange by the ,vicar1 who remarked that they came from his own garden4 ,the ,bishop had probably never heard of a ,blenheim orange1 and the latter word directed his attention to the dish of oranges4 ,he examined them with great surprise1 and exclaimed3 ,dear me6 ,i had no idea that oranges would come to such perfection out of doors in this climate4 ,a capital story was told by a ,bishop of ,worcester1 in connection with the efforts of the ,church in that part of the country to alleviate the lot of the hop-pickers1 who flock into ,worcestershire in ,september by the thousand4 ,one of the mission workers1 who had gone down to the hopyards1 met a dilapidated individual in a country lane1 who said he was a picker4 ,pressed for further particulars1 the man responded3 ,in the summer ,i picks peas and fruit2 when autumn comes ,i picks hops2 in the winter ,i picks pockets2 and when ,i'm caught ,i picks oakum4 ,i'm kept nice and warm during the cold months1 and when the fine days come round once more ,i starts pea-picking again4 ,my second ,vicar was a scholar1 an excellent preacher of very condensed sermons2 he conducted the services with great dignity1 but his manner to the villagers was a little alarming4 ,he found the old clerk somewhat officious1 ,i think4 ,one evening1 after service1 when some strangers from ,evesham attended--for ,badsey was a pleasant walk on a summer evening--the clerk announced to the ,vicar1 with great jubilation1 that the gentleman with the party from ,evesham expressed himself as very well satisfied with the service4 ,no doubt the clerk had received a practical proof of the satisfaction4 ,the clerk imagined1 ,i believe1 that he was as much responsible for the conduct of the services as the ,vicar1 and thought the latter would be equally pleased with the stranger's commendation4 ,he was disappointed1 ,i fear1 for the ,vicar did not seem in the least impressed1 showing1 too1 some annoyance at what doubtless appeared to him great presumption4 ,at the time of the ,boer ,war1 followed by the ,boxers' revolt in ,china and the ,siege of ,peking1 when telegrams were exhibited in the post-office every ,sunday morning1 ,i saw one day1 on my way to church1 that ,peking had been relieved4 ,the ,vicar--my third--preached on the subject of the terrors of the siege--his sermon having been written on the previous day--and drew a harrowing picture of the fate of the defenders4 ,after service ,i asked if he had not seen the telegram1 and told him the good news4 ,good gracious6 said he2 ,i am glad ,i didn't know that before the service2 what should ,i have done about my sermon8 ,i was a little surprised that the delivery of a sermon which was no longer to the point should appear more important than the announcement of the happy event2 but perhaps the position would have been somewhat undignified had he been obliged to explain1 and dismiss the congregation with apologies4 ,an elderly ,vicar1 in a parish in the adjoining county1 ,gloucestershire1 found the morning service with a sermon very fatiguing1 and the patron1 the ,squire1 suggested that the ante-,communion service would be less tiring in place of the latter4 ,he was not a very interesting preacher1 and the ,squire was quite as well pleased as the ,vicar when he agreed4 ,there was never a sermon at the morning service thereafter4 ,other denominations besides the ,church1 of course1 existed in the parish and neighbourhood2 we did not hear much about them1 but the following story was related as occurring in a neighbouring village4 ,to see the point it is necessary to introduce the actors2 they consisted of ,daniel ,s4 and ,jim ,h41 rival hedgers in the art of pleaching1 of which ,joseph ,arch was such a notable exponent4 ,daniel had lately been employed upon a job of this kind for a farmer1 ,mr4 7locally ,master7 ,r4 ,the scene was the room that did duty for a chapel in the village4 ,daniel ,s4 advanced to the reading-desk1 and1 turning over the leaves of the ,bible to find the ,book of ,daniel1 announced sententiously3 ,let's see what ,dannel done in his dai 7day74 ,up jumped ,jim ,h4 at the back of the room3 ,oh1 ,i can tell tha 7thee7 what ,dannel done in his dai--cut a yedge 7hedge7 for ,master ,r41 and took whome all the best of the 'ood 7wood76 ,a story was current too--nearer home this time--of a grand fete given to the children4 ,they marched in procession from one village to another1 in which the tea was to take place1 under the leadership of an ancient parishioner4 ,of this person it was said that he had violated every article of the ,decalogue1 and that had the number been twenty instead of ten he would have treated them with equal indifference6 ,as the children entered the second village with beaming faces and banners waving1 as he gave the word of command1 they sang in sweet trebles and in perfect innocence1 ,see the mighty host advancing1 ,satan leading on6 ,,chapter ,,ix4 ,,the ,,school ,,board--,,religious ,,instruction--,,school ,,inspections--,,dean ,,farrar--,,compulsory ,,education4 ,knowledge is proud that he has learned so much2 ,wisdom is humble that he knows no more4 --,,cowper4 ,when ,i came to ,aldington ,i found that by the energy of the ,vicar an elementary school had been built and equipped1 and was working well under the voluntary system4 ,i accepted the post of treasurer at his invitation1 but as time went on financial difficulties arose1 as the ,education ,department increased their requirements4 ,the large farmers were being gradually ruined by foreign competition1 and the small market-gardeners1 in occupation of the land as it fell vacant1 could not be induced to subscribe1 although their own children were the sole beneficiaries4 ,a voluntary rate was suggested1 but met with no general response1 one old parishioner announcing that she didn't intend to pay no voluntary rate until she was obliged6 ,matters were getting desperate when ,vicar ,no4 #b arrived1 and it soon became evident that the voluntary system had completely broken down4 ,a ,school ,board was the only alternative1 and1 as all the old managers refused to become members and no one else would undertake the responsibility1 a deadlock ensued4 ,we were threatened by the ,education ,department that1 failing a ,board of parishioners1 they would appoint for the post any outsiders1 non-ratepayers1 who could be induced to volunteer4 ,the prospect was not a pleasant one1 and on the invitation of a deputation of working men1 ,i agreed to stand 7chiefly1 perhaps1 in my own interests1 as the largest ratepayer in the parish1 with the exception of the ,great ,western ,railway ,company71 and others eventually came forward4 ,the ,board was constituted1 and we were rather a three-cornered lot3 my co-warden2 a boot and shoemaker in ,evesham1 with land in ,badsey2 a carpenter and small builder2 three small market-gardeners and myself4 ,i was elected chairman1 and we obtained the services of an excellent clerk1 who held the same office for the ,evesham ,board of ,guardians--a capable man1 and well up in the forms and idiosyncrasies of the ,board of ,education4 ,our designation was the ,united ,district ,school ,board of ,badsey1 ,aldington1 and ,wickhamford4 ,it was not easy to discover the qualifications of all the members from an educational point of view2 some at least represented the village malcontent section1 now getting rather nervous as to ,school ,board rates4 ,and there was a talkative section who illustrated the truth of the old proverb1 ,it is not the loudest cackling hen that lays the biggest egg1 and of1 perhaps1 the still more expressive1 ,it's the worst wheel of the waggon that makes the most noise4 ,one1 at any rate1 was definitely qualified--,he knowed summat about draining6 ,the majority were conspicuous as economists in the matter of probable school expenditure1 and it appeared later that two1 if not three1 of the members were unable to write their own names1 so that sometimes we could not get the necessary number of signatures to the cheques1 when some of the more efficient members happened to be absent4 ,early in our existence as a ,united ,board1 one of the economists made a little speech in which he propounded the theory that our first duty is to the ratepayers2 but ,i could not help suggesting that1 as a legally appointed body1 we were bound to obey the law beyond all other considerations1 and corrected his dictum1 with all respect1 by substituting that our first duty is to the children4 ,i must do him the justice to say that he accepted my suggestion in a complimentary manner4 ,it soon became evident that it is not always desirable to belong to a parish grouped with others under a ,united ,district ,school ,board4 ,aldington possessed the largest rateable value with the lowest population1 which was about equal to ,wickhamford with the lowest rateable value2 and ,badsey1 with by far the largest population1 came between ,aldington and ,wickhamford as to rateable value--the obvious result being that ,aldington was called upon to pay an excessive and unfair share of the cost of educating ,badsey's children4 ,we did not1 however1 want a school in our quiet village2 it is something to get rid of children when inclined to be noisy1 so we did not grumble at a little extra expense4 ,we carried on the school at first in the old building1 but very soon the ,department began to press for a larger and better-equipped establishment4 ,many of their requirements we considered unnecessary in a country village1 and put off the evil day as long as possible1 with such phrases as1 ,the matter is under consideration1 or1 ,will shortly be brought to the notice of the ,board4 ,like retribution1 however1 the ,education ,department1 though leaden-footed1 comes iron-handed1 and when all other methods failed they always put forward as a final inducement to comply with their demands the threat of withholding the ,government grant2 so that1 in spite of the shoemaker's encomium1 that ,our chairman has plenty of combativeness1 we had eventually to give way4 ,at the outset it was decided to admit the ,press2 our meetings were generally expected to afford some spicy copy for readers of the local papers1 but ,i am pleased to think that both reporters and readers were disappointed4 ,some of our neighbours had given us specially lively specimens of the personalities indulged in at the meetings of their local bodies1 ,boards of ,guardians1 and ,councils--notably1 at that time1 those of ,winchcombe and ,stow-on-the-,wold1 where these exhibitions appeared to form a favourite diversion4 ,it is a mistake for such a ,board as ours to admit reporters2 the noisy members are apt to monopolize the speaking1 to the exclusion of the more useful and more thoughtful2 the former play to the gallery to the extent of visibly addressing themselves to the reporters instead of to the chairman1 as is proper4 ,the first point we had to consider was the acquisition of a suitable site for the new buildings1 the old site not affording space to enlarge the premises or for the addition of a master's house4 ,we were lucky to get the offer of an excellent position1 allowing not only space for all the buildings in contemplation1 but ample room for future enlargements1 which it was evident would be needed before many more years4 ,i was requested1 with another member1 to interview the vendor's solicitors1 and we were empowered to make the best bargain we could arrange for the site4 ,we concluded the purchase1 and congratulated ourselves upon the acquisition of a central and in every way desirable site1 with a long road frontage1 for the very moderate sum of1 ,i think1 #ij4 ,on reporting to the ,board at our next meeting1 the sum appeared large to some of the more simple members1 and they were inclined to be dissatisfied1 until ,i told them that ,i was prepared to appropriate the bargain myself1 and they could find another for the school4 ,this settled the matter1 and1 ,i suppose1 at the present time the site would fetch two or three times what it cost us4 ,plans and specifications were now necessary1 and from inquiries ,i had made ,i was able to suggest an architect with much experience in school buildings4 ,he appeared before the ,board later1 and was subjected to many questions from the members1 of which ,i only remember one that appealed to me as original3 ,do you pose before this ,board as an economical architect8 ,we soon had the work in train1 but1 of course1 before any active steps were taken1 all our proposals were submitted to1 and approved by the ,education ,department4 ,the question of religious instruction became urgent1 and ,i was pleased and surprised at carrying a unanimous resolution through the ,board--although it included some ,nonconformists--that the ,vicar 7,no4 #b71 who had declined to be nominated as a candidate for election1 should be invited to undertake the religious instruction of the school4 ,the ,vicar consented1 and the arrangement worked smoothly for some years4 ,one day1 later1 a member rose1 and inquired if the children were receiving religious instruction4 ,yes1 ,i said4 ,are the children taught science8 ,yes1 again4 ,well1 said he1 how do you reconcile the fact1 when religion and science are not in agreement8 ,fortunately1 ,i had been lately taking a course of ,darwin1 and ,i was able to refer him to the concluding lines of the ,origin of ,species4 ,we debated the matter with some energy1 but having made his protest1 the member was satisfied to let the matter drop4 ,all went well thereafter until we were settled in the new building1 and ,vicar ,no4 #c was in possession of the living4 ,he was young and inexperienced in the conduct of a parish1 and was imbued with ideas of what he considered a more ornate and elaborate form of worship4 ,innovations followed--lighted candles over the altar and the appointment of a ,server at the ,communion ,service4 ,almost immediately ,i heard objections from the villagers2 they could not understand the necessity for a couple of dim candles in a church on a summer day1 when the whole world outside was ablaze with the glory of the sun4 ,a member arose at a ,board meeting1 and began3 ,mr4 ,chairman1 ,i wish to draw the attention of the ,board to the question of religious instruction in the school1 for ,i reckon that our children are being taught a lot of ,popery4 ,i could see that he had been in consultation with other members of the ,board1 and that he had a majority behind him4 ,i tried hard to smooth matters over1 but they had made up their minds1 and he carried his resolution that1 in future1 the new ,vicar should be authorized to enter the school for the purpose of religious instruction only one day a week6 ,i think this small indulgence was accorded only as a result of my efforts in his favour1 though ,i was by no means pleased with the innovations myself4 ,i put the matter before the ,vicar1 asking him if he thought his novelties were worth while in the face of the opposition of the village and the loss of his religious influence with the children4 ,he would not go back from what1 he said1 he regarded as a matter of principle1 and could not see that he was throwing away a unique opportunity1 but he agreed to withdraw the unwelcome ,server4 ,in spite of the fact that every detail of the new school building had been submitted to1 and approved by1 the ,education ,department1 trouble began with an officious inspector1 who on his first visit complained of the ventilation4 ,an elementary school is never exactly a bed of roses1 but we had a lofty building and classrooms1 with plenty of windows1 which could be adjusted to admit as much or as little fresh air as was requisite4 ,we protested without result1 and we had eventually to pull the new walls about and spend #bj on what we considered an uncalled-for alteration4 ,our inspectors of schools varied greatly3 some were quiet with the children and considerate with the teachers2 others vindicated their authority by unnecessary fault-finding1 upsetting the teachers and alarming the children4 ,in the days of our voluntary school ,i have seen a room full of children in a state of nervous tension1 and the mistress and pupil-teachers in tears1 as the result of inconsiderate reprimands and irritable speech4 ,my sympathies have been strongly aroused on such occasions with a child's terror of being made an exhibition before the others4 ,as a boy at ,harrow1 in the form of the ,rev4 ,f4,w4 ,farrar1 afterwards ,dean of ,canterbury1 ,i had an unpleasant experience1 though it was no fault of his and quite unintentional4 ,the ,russian ,government had sent a deputation of two learned professors to ,england1 to inquire into the educational system of the ,public ,schools1 with the view of sending a member of the ,royal family for education in this country4 ,among other schools1 they visited ,harrow1 and ,mr4 ,farrar's form was one of those selected for inspection4 ,it was the evening of a winter's day1 when1 at the four o'clock school1 we found two very formidable-looking old gentlemen in spectacles and many furs seated near the master's desk4 ,great was the consternation1 but ,mr4 ,farrar was careful not to call upon any boy who would be likely to exhibit himself as a failure4 ,i was seated near ,mr4 ,farrar1 at one end of a bench4 ,he had a habit1 when wanting to change his position1 of moving quite unconsciously across the intervening space between his desk and this bench1 and placing one foot on the bench close to the nearest boy1 he would1 with one hand1 play with the boy's hair1 while he held his book in the other4 ,with horror1 ,i found him approaching1 and shortly his hand was on my head1 rubbing my hair round and round1 and ruffling it in a fashion very trying to any boy who was neat and careful of his personal appearance4 ,i could see the ,russians staring through their spectacles at these proceedings2 possibly they thought it a form of punishment unknown in ,russia1 and my feelings of humiliation can be imagined4 ,finally he gave me a smack on the cheek and retired to his desk1 leaving my hair in a state of chaos1 though he had not the least idea of having done anything which might appear unusual to the foreigners4 ,dear old ,farrar6--as we irreverently called him--it was an education in itself to be in his form4 ,i had the uncommon privilege of moving upwards in the ,school at very much the same rate as he did as a master1 though ,i fear for my school reputation none too quickly4 ,he first kindled my admiration for the classic giants of ,english literature1 more especially the poets1 taught me to appreciate the rolling periods of ,homer1 and even the beauty of the characters of the ,greek alphabet4 ,he was a voluminous student of the best in every form of ancient and modern literature4 ,he always kept a copy of ,milton1 his favourite poet ,i think1 on his desk1 and1 whenever a passage in the ,greek or ,latin classics occurred1 for which he could produce a parallel1 quoted pages without reference to the book4 ,i recall my delight and pride when ,i was sent on two occasions to the headmaster1 ,dr4 ,butler1 the late ,master of ,trinity1 with copies of original verses2 and the honour ,i felt it to inscribe them1 at ,mr4 ,farrar's request1 in a ,,ms4 book he kept for the purpose of collecting approved original efforts in the author's own writing4 ,for it was his habit once a week to give us subjects for verses or composition4 ,a unique effort of the ,captain of the ,school cricket eleven1 ,c4,f4 ,buller1 comes back to me as ,i write2 it did not however appear in the ,,ms4 book4 ,the ,school ,chapel was the subject1 full of interest and stirring to the imagination1 if only for the aisle to the memory of ,harrow officers who fell in the ,crimea4 ,buller's flight of imagination was as absurd as it was impertinent3 ,the things in the ,chapel nonsense are1 ,don't you think so dear ,farrar6 ,mr4 ,farrar1 however1 never took offence at such sallies4 ,i remember1 when he was denouncing the old yellow back novels1 murmurs becoming audible1 which were intended to reach him1 of ,eric6 ,eric6--the title of his early school-boy story--he only smiled in acknowledgment4 ,and on an ,april #ast several boys who had plotted beforehand gazed simultaneously and persistently at a spot on the ceiling1 until his eyes followed theirs unthinkingly in the same direction1 when it occurred to him1 as nothing unusual was visible1 that it was ,all ,fools' ,day4 ,he was very playful and indulgent2 he kept a squash racquet ball on his desk1 and could throw it with accurate aim if he noticed a boy dreaming or inattentive4 ,he would never when scoring the marks enter a #j1 even after an abject failure1 always saying1 ,give him a charity #a6 ,boys are quick judges of sermons3 if interested1 they listen without an effort2 if not interested1 they cannot listen4 ,whenever ,mr4 ,farrar's turn came as preacher in the ,school ,chapel there was a subtle stir and whisper of appreciation1 ,it's ,farrar to-day4 ,he was a natural orator4 ,i can still hear his magnificent voice swelling in tones of passionate denunciation decreasing to gentle appeal1 and dying away in tender pathos4 ,this was education in the true sense of the word1 and though ,i have wandered a long way from my immediate subject1 ,i feel that the digression is not irrelevant in contrast with the mechanical instruction that goes by the name of education in the ,board ,schools4 ,i cannot help recalling too that in the ancient ,i,vth ,form ,room at ,harrow1 the roughest of old benches were1 and ,i believe still are1 considered good enough for future bishops1 judges1 and statesmen2 while in the ,board ,schools expensive polished desks and seats have to be provided at the cost of the ratepayers to be shortly kicked to pieces by hobnailed shoes4 ,i was present at some amusing incidents in examinations at our village school4 ,a small boy was commanded by an inspector to read aloud1 and began in the usual child's high-keyed1 expressionless1 and unpunctuated monotone3 ,i-have-six-little-pigs-two-of-them-are- white-two-of-them-are-black-an d-two-of-them-are-spotted4 ,that's not the way to read1 interposed the inspector4 ,give me the book4 ,he stood up1 striking an attitude1 head thrown well back1 and reading with great deliberation and emphasis3 ,i have six ,,little ,,pigs2 two of them are white6 ,two of them are black6 and 7confidentially7 two of them are spottered6 ,i once picked up an elementary reading book in the school1 and read as follows3 ,tom said to ,jack1 ',there is a hayrick down in the meadow2 shall we go and set it on fire8' ,and so on1 with an account of the conflagration1 highly coloured4 ,so much for town ideas of the education of country children2 the suggestion was enough to bring about the catastrophe1 given the opportunity and a box of matches4 ,some of the inspectors were very agreeable men2 they occasionally came to luncheon at my house1 and ,i once asked where the best-managed schools were to be found4 ,the reply was1 ,in parishes where the voluntary schools still exist1 and the feudal system is mildly administered4 ,our villagers1 reading of the large sums that we were obliged to expend in response to the requirements of the ,education ,department1 and finding the consequent rates a burden1 began to think of economy and nothing but economy1 so that though ,i had expected them to be only too anxious to provide the very best possible education for their own children1 it came as a surprise that this was quite a subordinate aim to that of keeping down the cost4 ,and this was the more unexpected1 as the main cost fell upon the large ratepayers1 like myself and the railway company and the owners of land and cottages rented rate-free4 ,at the next election several of these economists became candidates1 with the result that many of the original members including myself were not returned1 in spite of the fact that our well-planned and well-built schools were erected at a lower cost per child than any in the neighbourhood4 ,i was not sorry to escape from the monotony of listening to interminable debates as to whether a necessary broom or such-like trifle should be bought at one shilling or one and threepence4 ,for this was the kind of subject that the ,board could understand and liked to enlarge upon1 while really important proposals were carried with little consideration4 ,as a matter of fact1 members of a ,school ,board are no more than dummies in the hands of an inflexible ,department1 and are appointed to carry out orders and regulations without the power of modification1 even when quite unsuitable for a country village school4 ,there was some little excitement at the election2 one of the members of the old ,board had been called an ignoramus1 in the stress of battle1 and being much concerned and mystified asked a neighbour what the term signified1 adding1 no doubt thinking of a hippopotamus1 that he believed it was some kind of animal6 ,his knowledge of zoology was probably as limited as that disclosed by the following story3 ,a menagerie was on view at ,evesham1 to the great joy of many juveniles as well as older people1 for such exhibitions were not very common in the town4 ,very early next morning1 a farmer1 living about two miles from ,aldington1 was awakened by a shower of small stones on his bedroom window4 ,looking out he saw his shepherd in much excitement and alarm4 ,oh master1 master1 there's a beast with two tails1 one in front and one behind1 a-pullin' up the mangolds1 and a-eatin' of 'em6 ,the farmer hurried to the spot and saw an ,african elephant which had escaped during the night2 he was wondering how to proceed when two keepers appeared and the strange beast was led quietly back to the town4 ,as chairman of our ,school ,board ,i early recognized among the members discoverers of mare's-nests1 who lost no opportunity of exhibiting their own importance by intruding such matters into the already overflowing agenda1 and my method of dealing with them was so successful1 though ,i believe not original1 that it may be found useful by those called upon to preside over any of the multitudinous councils now in existence4 ,whenever the member produced his cherished discovery--generally very shadowy as to detail--,i proposed the appointment of a subcommittee1 consisting of him and his sympathizers1 to inquire into the matter1 and report at the next ,board meeting4 ,in this way ,i shunted the bother of the investigation of usually some trifle or unsubstantiated opinion on to his own shoulders1 so that1 when he realized the time and trouble involved1 he became much less interested1 and we heard very little more of the subject4 ,i suppose that everybody living in a country parish1 who can look back over the period of fifty years of compulsory education1 would agree that the results are insignificant in comparison with the effort1 and one cannot help wondering whether1 after all1 they justify the gigantic cost4 ,we appear to have tried to build too quickly on an insecure foundation4 ,nature produces no permanent work in a hurry1 and ,art is a blind leader unless she submits to ,nature's laws4 ,the pace has been too great1 and the fabric which we have reared is already showing the defects in its construction4 ,how otherwise can we account for the littleness of the men representing the people1 who have been rushed into the big positions1 and for the vulgarity of the present age8 ,vulgarity in public worship2 vulgarity in the manners1 the speeches1 and the ideals of the ,house of ,commons2 vulgarity in literature1 on the stage1 in music1 in the studio1 and in a section of the ,press2 vulgarity in building and the desecration of beautiful places2 vulgarity in form and colour of dress and decoration4 ,we are far behind the design and construction of the domestic furniture of #aej years ago1 and we have never equalled the architecture of the earliest periods1 for stability and stateliness4 ,the skim milk seems to have come to the top and the cream has gone to the bottom1 as the result of the contravention of the laws of evolution1 and the failure to perceive the analogy between the simplest methods of agriculture1 and the cultivation of mentality4 ,we have expected fruit and flowers from waste and untilled soil2 we sowed the seed of instruction without even ploughing the land1 or eradicating the prominent weeds1 and we are reaping a crop of thistles where we looked for figs1 and thorns where we looked for grapes4 ,the seed scattered so lavishly by the wayside was devoured by the fowls of the air2 that which was sown upon the stony places1 where there was not much earth1 could not withstand the heat of summer2 and that which fell among thorns was choked by the unconquered possessors of the field4 ,a little1 a very little1 which fell into good ground brought forth fruit1 some an hundredfold1 some sixtyfold1 some thirtyfold2 and therein lies our only consolation4 ,the educational enthusiasts of #ahgj forgot that the material they had to work upon did not come from inherited refinement and intelligence2 that it was evolved from a parentage content with a vocabulary of some #ejj words2 that there was little nobility of home influence to assist in the process of development2 they crammed it with matter which it could not assimilate1 they took it from the open country air and the sunshine1 confined it in close and crowded school-rooms1 and produced what we see everywhere at the present time1 at the cost of physical deterioration--a diseased and unsettled mentality4 ,i am aware that there are those who decline to admit any influence of mental heredity1 and argue that environment is the only factor to be considered4 ,in a clever and well-reasoned work on the subject ,i lately read1 this proposition was substantiated by instances observable especially among birds brought up in unnatural conditions4 ,the writer1 however1 entirely forgot the most conclusive piece of evidence in favour of mental heredity which it is possible to adduce--namely1 that of the brood of ducklings1 who1 in spite of the unmistakable manifestations of alarm on the part of a frantic foster-mother hen1 take to the water and enjoy it on the very first opportunity4 ,,chapter ,x4 ,,village ,,institutions3 ,,cricket--,,football--,,flowershow--,,b and--,,postman-- ,,concerts4 ,there is sweet music here that softer falls ,than petals from blown roses on the grass4 ,the ,lotus-,eaters4 ,among village institutions a cricket club was started soon after ,i first came1 and ,i was able to lend a meadow in which the members could play4 ,i held the sinecure office of ,president4 ,the members met1 discussed ways and means1 drew up regulations1 and instituted fines for various delinquencies4 ,swearing was expensive at threepence each time1 but there was no definition of what were to be considered swear words4 ,locally1 a usual expletive is1 daazz it1 or1 ,i'll be daazzed1 and it was not long before a member making use of this euphemism was accused of swearing4 ,he protested that it was not recognized by philological authorities as coming under the category1 but he had to pay up4 ,a village cricket match was regarded more as a contest than a pastime2 each side feared the censure of his parish1 if conquered1 so nothing had to be given away likely to prove an advantage to an opposing team4 ,i once saw a member snatch a bat belonging to his own club from one of the other side who was about to appropriate it for his innings with1 ,no you don't4 ,how different is the feeling1 and how ready to help1 a member of a really sporting team would have been in similar circumstances6 ,referring to help or advice in cricket matters1 a story is told of the late ,dr4 ,w4,g4 ,grace4 ,the incident happened in an adjoining county to ,worcestershire4 ,the great batsman1 crossing ,clifton ,down1 came upon some boys at cricket4 ,three sticks represented the wickets1 arranged so wide apart that the ball could pass through without disturbing them4 ,ever ready to help1 ,dr4 ,grace pointed out the fault and readjusted the sticks2 as he turned away he heard1 ,what does 'e know about it1 ,i wonder6 ,this carries me to a parallel happening at ,stratford-on-,avon4 ,the late ,sir ,henry ,irving and a friend fell in with a native on the outskirts of the town1 and being anxious to test the local reputation of the poet asked the man if he had heard of a person named ,shakespeare4 ,the man assented and volunteered the information that he was a writer4 ,did he know what ,shakespeare had written8 ,their informant could not say1 but1 a moment after they had parted1 he called back that he believed he had written part of the ,bible4 ,an ancient villager1 who was secretary of our ,club and always acted as umpire1 gave me out1 incorrectly1 for accidentally touching the wicket when the ball was dead4 ,i retired without contesting his decision1 as ,i had been taught4 ,next time we met he apologized1 having discovered his mistake1 but he was greatly impressed by my practical example of playing the game4 ,cricket1 though popular in my first years at ,aldington1 gradually became difficult to arrange4 ,as the market-garden industry superseded farming1 the young men found full employment for the long summer evenings on their allotments and those of their parents4 ,in the winter1 when horticultural work is not so pressing1 they had plenty of time on their hands1 and a football club was formed4 ,it flourished exceedingly1 and ,badsey became almost invincible among the neighbouring villages and even against the towns4 ,they distinguished themselves in the local ,league matches1 and on one occasion1 something like two thousand spectators assembled to witness a final which ,badsey won1 in the meadow ,i lent them2 and ,i had the honour of presiding at a grand dinner to celebrate the event4 ,i notice in the local papers that in spite of the interruption of the war they are now again thriving and earning new laurels4 ,our most important fte day was that upon which the ,badsey1 ,aldington1 and ,wickhamford ,flower ,show was held4 ,the credit1 for the original inception and organization of this popular festival1 is almost entirely due1 ,i think1 to the public spirit and determination of my old friend and co-churchwarden1 ,mr4 ,julius ,sladden1 of ,badsey1 and it gives me much pleasure to record the debt of gratitude which the three villages still owe him4 ,the ,show is held as nearly as possible on the day of the ancient ,badsey wake1 in most parishes still celebrated on the day of the patron saint4 ,in the case of ,badsey the anniversary of the wake is the #beth of ,july 7,st4 ,james's day74 ,as a wake ,badsey's observance is a thing of the past2 it was formerly a time of much cider-drinking1 a meeting-day for friends and relations1 and for various trials of strength and skill1 though ,i believe the carousals outlasted the sports by many years4 ,nothing happier1 in the way of a revival1 and more civilized enjoyment1 could have been devised than a flower show1 and it is now one of the most popular fixtures of the neighbourhood with exceedingly keen competition4 ,besides fruit1 flowers1 and vegetables1 the exhibits include such produce as butter and eggs1 and my wife was very successful with these1 but on one occasion was rather disappointed to find a beautiful dish of ,langshan eggs1 almost preternaturally brown and rich-looking1 disqualified4 ,the judges were not acquainted with the peculiarities of the breed--then a new one--and the reason for disqualification1 as we afterwards discovered1 was artificially coloured4 ,i believe exhibitors have been known to use coffee for this purpose1 and the judges1 who had not the exhibitors' names before them1 fancied this to be an instance4 ,the children's exhibits of wild flower bouquets ,i always considered at this and similar shows far the most interesting and beautiful among the flowers2 but1 unfortunately1 they very soon droop in a hot tent and look rather unhappy4 ,aldington ,band was the outcome of a desire for musical expression on the part of a few parishioners with some skill and experience in such matters2 it included performers on wind instruments and a big drum4 ,the ,band was unfortunate at first in purchasing instruments of differing pitch1 as was discovered by my wife on attending a practice at the request of the members4 ,she pointed out the fault1 and found an instructor from ,evesham to give them a course of lessons1 so that with a new set of instruments they soon improved4 ,it was difficult1 at first1 to find a suitable place for practice4 ,a neighbour1 a little doubtful as to their attainments1 suggested the railway arch in one of my meadows as a nice airy spot under cover1 but later expressed doubts as to the safety of the trains running overhead on account of the violence of the commotion beneath6 ,this1 of course1 was mere chaff1 for they soon became so efficient that a large room was found for them in the village1 and eventually they were annually engaged to perform the musical programme at the ,badsey1 ,aldington1 and ,wickhamford ,flower ,show4 ,my gardener was the leading spirit of the ,band1 a great optimist and the most willing man of any who ever reigned in my garden4 ,there was nothing he would not cheerfully undertake1 and when we had a difficulty in finding a sweep as required1 he volunteered for the work and became quite an adept1 with the set of rods and brushes ,i bought for the purpose4 ,our postman1 though not a villager1 was quite an institution2 he walked a matter of ten miles a day from ,evesham to ,bretforton1 taking ,aldington and ,badsey on the way1 and back at night4 ,he filled up the interval between the incoming and outgoing posts at ,bretforton1 working at his trade as tailor4 ,entering our village each evening1 he announced his arrival by three blasts on his tin horn2 he was very shy of being observed in this performance1 and the people had to catch him as he passed and hand him their letters4 ,he must have walked nearly #ajj1jjj miles in the many years he was our postman1 and he told me before ,i left that more letters were addressed to the ,manor when ,i first came1 than to all the rest of the houses in the village together4 ,when correspondence became more general a pillar-box was erected1 but ,i always regretted the loss of the familiar notes of the tin horn4 ,among ,aldington's amusements no account would be complete without a reference to the numerous concerts and entertainments for charitable objects which my wife organized1 and in which her musical talent enabled her to take a prominent part2 and although ,i feel some hesitation in dealing with so personal a matter1 ,i am certain that many of those who co-operated with her in the organization and the performance of these affairs will be pleased to have their recollections of her own part in them revived4 ,she possessed a natural soprano voice of great sweetness and flexibility1 in combination with the sympathetic ability and clear enunciation which add so much to the charm of vocal expression4 ,she was not allowed to begin singing1 in earnest1 before she was nineteen1 for fear of straining so delicate a voice1 and she then had the advantage of the tuition of ,signor ,caravoglia1 one of the most celebrated teachers of the time4 ,his method included deliberation in taking breath1 thorough opening of the mouth1 practice before a mirror to produce a pleasing effect1 and to avoid facial contortion2 he would not allow any visible effort1 the aim being to sing as naturally and spontaneously as a bird4 ,his wife played the accompaniments1 so that the master could give his whole attention to the attitude1 production1 and facial expression of the pupil4 ,signer ,caravoglia only consented to teach her on the express condition that she would not sing in choruses1 on account of the danger of strain and overexertion4 ,she practised regularly1 chiefly exercises1 two hours a day in separate half hours4 ,her talent was soon recognized at ,malvern1 where she lived before her marriage1 and her assistance was in great demand for amateur charity concerts4 ,i have a book full of newspaper reports of my wife's performances1 containing notices of concerts at ,malvern repeatedly1 ,kidderminster1 ,worcester1 at ,birmingham under the auspices of the ,musical ,section of the ,midland ,institute--a very great honour before a highly critical audience--,alcester1 ,pershore1 ,moreton-in-the-,marsh1 ,evesham1 ,broadway1 ,badsey1 ,wallingford1 and a great many villages in the ,evesham district4 ,at ,moreton she sang for the local ,choral ,society1 taking the soprano solos in the first part of ,haydn's ,spring1 and the local paper reported that her birdlike voice added much to the beauty of the cantata4 ,in the second part of the concert she gave ,the ,bird that came in ,spring1 by ,sterndale ,bennett4 ,i was always a little nervous during this song in anticipation of the upper ,c towards the finale1 but it never failed to come true and brilliant4 ,as we were leaving by train the following morning we met a dear old musician who had taken part in the chorus of the cantata4 ,he begged to be introduced to her1 and said in his hearty congratulations on her performance1 that never before had such a note been heard in ,moreton4 ,at one of the ,broadway concerts my wife had the pleasure of meeting ,miss ,maude ,valerie ,white1 who was playing the accompaniments for performers of her own compositions1 including ,the ,devout ,lover1 which1 she told ,miss ,white1 she considered one of the best songs in the ,english language1 at the same time asking for her autograph4 ,miss ,white was kind enough to write her signature with the ,,ms4 music of the first phrase--notes and words--of the song in a book which my wife kept for the autographs of distinguished musicians and celebrated people4 ,while at ,malvern my wife once heard ,jenny ,lind in public1 and she describes it as a most memorable occasion4 ,jenny ,lind had for some years retired from public performance1 but consented to reappear at the request of a deputation of railway employees anxious to arrange a concert in aid of the widows and orphans of officials killed in a recent railway accident4 ,she stipulated that she should sing in two duets only1 choosing the other voice herself1 and she selected ,miss ,hilda ,wilson1 the well-known contralto of that time4 ,they sang two duets by ,rubinstein1 one being ,the ,song of the ,summer ,birds1 full of elaborate execution4 ,her voice was so true1 sweet and flexible1 trilling and warbling like a bird1 and taking the ,a flat as a climax of delight at the conclusion with the greatest ease1 that with closed eyes it might have been taken for the effort of a young girl4 ,jenny ,lind was over seventy at the time2 she was erect1 tall1 and graceful2 she wore a black dress with a good deal of white lace1 and a white lace cap4 ,she was then ,madame ,otto ,goldschmidt1 living at the ,wynd's ,point on the ,herefordshire ,beacon of the ,malvern ,range1 and had long been known as the ,swedish ,nightingale4 ,,chapter ,,xi4 ,,dealers--,,luck ,,money--,,fairs--,,sales--,,effect ,,of ,,climate ,,on ,,cattle ,,and ,,sheep--,,agricultural ,,shows4 ,i'll give thrice so much land ,to any well-deserving friend2 ,but in the way of bargain1 mark ye me1 ,i'll cavil on the ninth part of a hair4 --#a ,henry ,,iv4 ,dealers of all kinds were much more frequent callers at farm-houses in the early days of my farming1 than latterly when auction sales1 to some extent1 superseded private negotiations1 but the horse-dealer remained constant1 because comparatively few horses were offered by auction4 ,the horse-dealers appeared to conform to an understanding that it was a breach of etiquette to exceed certain well-marked boundaries in their search for purchases1 or to interfere in each other's business4 ,this principle was carried so far as to prevent dealers from one of these countries purchasing a horse at a fair coming from another dealer's country1 and the understanding of course minimized competition likely to raise the price4 ,the dealers however ,i think1 gave fair values1 governed for the most part by the prices obtainable by them in the large towns4 ,most of my horses1 when for sale1 were bought by a man in a considerable way of business1 a well-known breeder1 too1 of shire horses1 taking many prizes at the leading shows4 ,a handsome man with a presence1 and an excellent judge1 shrewd but straight4 ,he would ask the price after examining the animal1 and make an offer which he would very seldom exceed if refused at first2 but he would spend some time in conversation1 apparently quite irrelevant and very amusing1 though always returning to the point at intervals with arguments in favour of the acceptance of his bid4 ,he was so genial and pleasant and such good company1 for no man was ever better acquainted with the ways of the world1 that he very rarely1 ,i think1 left the premises without a deal1 though sometimes he was in his gig before the final bargain was struck4 ,it is a custom of the trade for the seller to give something back to the buyer by way of luck money1 and the last time ,i did business with him ,i refused to give more than one shilling each on two horses1 as ,i never received more than that sum when a buyer myself4 ,he accepted cheerfully1 telling me that a shilling each was quite worth taking1 as he had a thousand horses through his hands in the course of every twelve months1 and that a thousand shillings meant #ej a year4 ,the best piece of horse-dealing ,i ever did1 was the purchase of a six months old colt for #bf1 winning #bj in prizes with him as a two-year-old1 working him regularly at three and four on the farm1 and selling him at five for eighty guineas to a large brewery firm4 ,eighty guineas in those days was a big price for a cart horse1 though1 of course1 in modern times1 owing to the war1 much higher prices can be obtained4 ,i remember another dealer1 who1 a notable figure in a white top hat with a deep black band1 and large coloured spectacles1 was to be seen at all the fairs and principal sales4 ,he1 too1 had an ingratiating manner1 and would accost a young farmer with a hearty1 ,good-morning1 ,squire1 or some such flattering introduction4 ,a wise dealer always knows how to keep up amicable relations with a possible seller or buyer1 and never descends to abuse1 or the assumption of a personal injury if he cannot persuade a seller to accept his price1 as is the case with some dealers with less savoir faire4 ,a successful cattle dealer ,i knew had similar tactics of fraternity1 always addressing his sellers as ,governor1 with marked respect4 ,but the best instance of this diplomatic spirit occurred in the case of a deal between an old ,hampshire friend of mine and a well-known and historic sheep dealer from the same county4 ,my friend had lately become the happy father of twins1 the fact being widely known in the neighbourhood1 for he was a very prominent man4 ,he had #ajj sheep for sale1 and the dealer was inspecting them1 in a pen near the house4 ,as the bargain proceeded1 the front door opened1 and a nurse-maid appeared with the twins in their perambulator4 ,the dealer noticed them immediately1 and was not slow to turn the incident to his advantage4 ,there they be1 there they be1 the little darlings1 he called out1 a sovereign apiece nurse1 a sovereign apiece4 ,diving into a capacious pocket1 he pulled out a handful of gold and silver1 and selecting two sovereigns he handed them to the nurse for the children4 ,after that1 my friend said1 what could ,i do but sell him the sheep1 though he got them at two shillings a head less than ,i ought to have made4 ,now two shillings a head1 on one hundred sheep1 represents ten pounds1 leaving eight pounds which the dealer earned by his keen insight into human nature4 ,this dealer carried on business with a brother1 and they were to be seen for very many years at all the large ,hampshire summer sheep fairs1 where indeed1 sometimes1 when prices were rising1 they owned nearly all the sheep offered for sale1 having bought them up beforehand4 ,as in a favourable summer when there was plenty of keep and a good prospect of abundant roots prices would rise as much as #ajs4 a head during the months of the big fairs1 and as at a single fair as many as #cj1jjj sheep would be for sale1 the chances of profit offered to the courageous dealer with capital are manifest4 ,though risen from small beginnings1 these brothers amassed considerable fortunes1 all of which1 it was said1 they invested in real estate1 so that they were known at one time to be worth at least #ajj1jjj2 and1 as they continued in business for some years after the time of which ,i am writing1 they must have exceeded that sum considerably as a total1 though the values of land began to fall away towards the end of their active existence4 ,the more energetic of the two used very original phrases1 in which he extolled the physical virtues of flocks he had to sell2 referring to their size1 he would say1 ,just look at their backs6 look at their backs6 they be as long as a wet ,sunday6 ,watching him1 you could see that while giving full attention to his customer1 and keeping him in a good humour with pleasant chat1 while a bargain was proceeding1 his glance perpetually wandered to the moving crowd around the pens1 and that he had not only eyes1 but ears1 open to catch any impression bearing on the progress of the general trade4 ,he knew everybody1 and intuition told him upon what business they were present4 ,these two dealers combined money-lending with sheep-dealing2 if a buyer had not the ready cash they would give credit for the purchase price1 the sheep forming the security2 it being understood that when they were again for sale the lenders should have the selling of them on commission4 ,speaking of horse-dealers ,i referred to the custom of giving luck money1 otherwise called chap money4 ,the word chap takes its derivation from the ,anglo-,saxon ceap price or bargain1 and ceapean1 to bargain1 whence come the words chop1 to exchange2 cheap1 ,cheapside1 ,mealcheapen ,street in ,worcester1 cheapjack1 etc4 ,also1 the prefix in the names of market towns1 such as ,chipping ,campden1 ,chipping ,norton1 etc4 ,there is a curious place-name here in ,burley1 ,new ,forest1 where ,i am now living1 spelt ,shappen1 which puzzled me until ,i chanced to meet with an ancient print of a village merry-making1 with dancing and a ,may-pole and found that the name ,shappen applied especially to the spot1 and that not far away the ,forest ponies and cattle were formerly penned for sale at an annual fair in a lane1 still called ,pound ,lane ,pound is from the ,anglo-,saxon pund1 a fold or inclosure4 ,shappen is evidently1 therefore1 derived from ceap 7and possibly pund7 as a place in which bargains were struck1 and the name testifies to the extreme antiquity of the ,new ,forest pony and cattle fair formerly held there4 ,there are several notable horse fairs still held near ,evesham4 ,besides the one at ,pershore1 already mentioned1 the most important fairs are held at ,stow-on-the-,wold and ,shipston-on-,stour1 both very out-of-the-way places2 and many stories of the wiles of horse-copers were related in connection therewith4 ,i remember the following told as occurring at ,stow-on-the-,wold4 ,a man approached a simple-looking young farmer1 and getting into conversation with him1 pointed out a horse not far off1 telling him that he had quarrelled with the owner who refused in consequence to sell him the horse which he wished to buy4 ,he promised the farmer #b if he would undertake the negotiation1 and could buy the horse for #aj4 ,the farmer agreed1 and after some apparent difficulty succeeded in effecting the purchase at the sum named1 paid the money and returned with the horse to the place where he had left his acquaintance4 ,the latter1 however1 had disappeared1 and after searching the fair from one end to the other1 the farmer took back the horse1 to repudiate the bargain4 ,the owner had also vanished1 and the farmer found himself with an ancient screw1 which eventually he was glad to get rid of at a pound a leg1 losing #f on the deal4 ,there are small pig-dealers1 in almost every village1 on the lookout for bargains1 and very cute men they generally are4 ,one of these well-known at ,aldington1 though nearly blind1 could tell the points and value of any pig in a marvellous way almost by intuition2 it was said of him that1 though blind1 he was a better judge of a pig than most folks with their eyes open4 ,at farm and other auction sales there are always anxious buyers who make a practice of trying to depreciate 7crabbing1 as it is called7 any article or property they particularly wish to purchase1 by making damaging statements or insinuations to anybody whom1 they fear1 is also a probable buyer4 ,at a sale of cottage property adjoining a public-house1 in a village not far from ,aldington1 a keen purchaser remarked that there was no water on the premises4 ,the auctioneer1 however1 knowing that water was not his man's strong point1 immediately replied1 ,oh1 never mind the water1 sir1 there's plenty of whisky to be had next door4 ,at another property sale1 the tenant of the house on offer1 gratuitously informed me that the roof was in a very bad state2 knowing my man1 ,i was not surprised when the house was knocked down to him1 but ,i never saw any repairs to the roof in progress afterwards4 ,a friend of mine had a caretaker in an empty house1 and1 finding that no applications to view ever got beyond that stage1 called at the house with his wife1 ostensibly as intending tenants4 ,he was not personally known to the caretaker1 and on making the usual inquiries1 found the man by no means enthusiastic as to the amenities of the place1 and particularly doubtful as to the drainage1 so much so as to make it plain that any otherwise likely tenant would be repelled4 ,knowing that all the sanitary arrangements were in perfect order1 he disclosed his identity1 much to the dismay of the caretaker who1 of course1 was dismissed4 ,the person who asks damaging questions of the auctioneer or solicitor at a property sale1 though perhaps not declared the buyer on the fall of the hammer1 not infrequently proves later to have been so1 having employed an agent to bid for him4 ,at a sale of farm stock and implements ,i was examining a waggon practically new1 though with no intention of buying1 when ,i was surprised by a cousin of the vendor volunteering the statement that1 having lately borrowed the waggon1 he noticed one of the wheels giving out a suspicious noise when in use1 as if something were wrong4 ,this was a particularly bad case of crabbing1 as the man eventually became the purchaser at a high price4 ,it is an alarming sensation to see one's name on a waggon for the first time1 especially when the vehicle has been wholly repainted in blue or yellow to represent the owner's supposed political tendencies1 for such was the custom in ,worcestershire2 but perhaps one's name1 address1 and crest on a hop-pocket is more alarming still1 when we remember that twenty or more of these pockets1 all marked alike1 will form each of several loads to be carted from a ,london railway station to the ,borough1 the seat of the hop-trade1 on the way to the factor's warehouses1 for all beholders to read1 mark1 learn1 and inwardly digest4 ,in the delightful and now somewhat rare book ,talpa2 or1 ,the ,chronicles of a ,clay ,farm1 by ,chandos ,wren ,hoskins1 one of the few agricultural works ever written by a scholar1 he refers to his first experience of this sort1 when speaking of his difficulty in making up his mind as to whether he should let the property into which he had just come by inheritance1 or occupy it himself1 as follows3 ,what was to be done8 ,apostatize from all the promises and vows made from my youth up1 and take it in hand--that is1 in a bailiff's hand1 which certain foregone experiences had led me to conceive was of all things the most out of hand 7if that may be called so1 which empties the hand and the pocket too74 ,such seemed the only alternative6 ,at first it was an impossibility--then an improbability--and then1 as the ear of bearded corn wins its forbidden way up the schoolboy's sleeve1 and gains a point in advance by every effort to stop or expel it1 so did every determination1 every reflection counteract the very purpose it was summoned to oppose1 and1 in short1 one fine morning ,i almost jumped a yard backward at seeing--my own name on a waggon6 ,the reference to a bailiff reminds me of my father's illustration1 one evening at dessert1 of the difference between a farmer selling his produce personally1 or doing so through the medium of a bailiff4 ,taking three wine-glasses--,no4 #a representing the farmer1 ,no4 #b the bailiff1 and ,no4 #c the purchaser--he filled ,no4 #a with port and poured the contents into ,no4 #c2 what few drops were left in ,no4 #a remained the property of the farmer4 ,but if the wine were poured into ,no4 #b1 and from thence into ,no4 #c1 however much the complete transference was attempted1 some small portion always remained for the benefit of the intermediary4 ,i always conducted my sales personally1 except in small matters1 and my experience in the latter proved an exception to the above rule1 as ,i have previously related 7pp4 #ag and #bj74 ,i commend ,talpa1 with ,george ,cruikshank's clever illustrations1 to the attention of all readers of the curiosities of agriculture1 as well as to practical men2 it is one of those uncommon books which enters into the humorous side of farming under disadvantages--as1 for instance1 prejudiced labourers who have long been employed upon such work as draining4 ,the author found one of the men1 after instructions to lay the pipes at a depth of three feet1 cutting a drain about eighteen inches deep1 laying in the tiles1 one by one1 and filling the earth in over them as he went4 ,i've been a-draining this forty year and more--,i ought to know summat about it4 ,the author adds1 ,need ,i tell you who said this8 or give you the whole of the colloquy to which it furnished the epilogue8 ,talpa was published sixty-seven years ago1 but it contains much that might well be taken to heart by our post-war amateur agricultural reconstructionists4 ,the tactics of a combination of buyers at a sale of household goods1 with an arrangement for one man to buy everything they want1 so as to avoid competition1 is well known as the knock out4 ,i saw a most flagrant case at a sale of valuable books at an old ,cotswold ,manor ,house4 ,the books were tied up1 quite promiscuously1 in parcels of half a dozen or more1 and although the room was crowded with dealers who had been examining them with interest beforehand1 practically only one bidder appeared1 and nearly every lot was sold to him for a few shillings4 ,i noticed several men taking notes of the prices made1 and1 immediately the book sale was finished1 they removed them to the lawn1 where they were resold by one of the gang at greatly enhanced prices4 ,they would1 of course1 eventually deduct the original cost from the amount now realized and divide the difference amongst the buyers at the second sale1 pro rata1 according to the amount of each man's total purchases4 ,cattle-dealers1 with a reputation as judges of fat stock at auctions1 have to be very careful not to let inexperienced butchers see them bidding1 because the latter will bid on the strength of the dealer's estimate of value1 arguing that the animal must be worth more to himself as a butcher1 than to the dealer who has to sell again4 ,i have often watched the crafty ways of such dealers not to give themselves away in this manner1 and their methods of concealing their bids4 ,one ,i particularly noticed1 whose habit was to stand just below the auctioneer's rostrum1 facing the animal in the ring1 with his back to the auctioneer4 ,when he wished to bid he raised his head very slightly1 making a nod backwards to the auctioneer1 who1 knowing his man1 was looking out for this method of attracting his attention4 ,though the ordinary farm sale is by far the most amusing and picturesque1 the sale of pedigree stock is much more sensational4 ,when the shorthorn mania was at its height1 and the merits of ,bates and ,booth blood were hotly debated1 when such phrases as the sea-otter touch1 referring to the mossy coat of the red1 white1 or roan shorthorn1 were heard1 and the ,americans were competing with our own breeders in purchasing the best stock they could find--prices were hoisted to an extravagant height4 ,there is no forming a knock-out at a pedigree sale2 sturdy competition is the only recognized method of purchase1 and the sporting spirit is a strong incentive1 especially when the vendor is known as a courageous buyer at the sales of the leading breeders4 ,i attended the dispersal of a herd where the owner had been for years one of these sporting buyers2 he had1 however1 gone more for catalogue blue-blood than perceptible excellence1 and the stock were brought into the ring scarcely up to the exhibition form which a pedigree sale demands4 ,the ,american buyers were well represented1 and the popularity of the vendor brought a great crowd of home buyers1 so that the sale went off with spirit4 ,i chanced to sit next to the veterinary surgeon who attended my own stock as well as the herd on offer1 and it was amusing to hear his confidential communications as the animals were sold at huge prices4 ,he knew their faults and weaknesses professionally1 and it was no breach of confidence1 when a cow had passed through the ring and extracted a big figure from an ,american buyer1 to whisper them in my ear4 ,i noticed that the ,americans1 no doubt with commissions to buy a particular strain of pedigree1 appeared to pay more attention to the catalogue than to the cattle themselves1 and ,i saw some sold at fancy prices1 which ,i should really have been sorry to see in my own non-pedigree herd4 ,the sale was a great success1 from the vendor's point of view at any rate1 and ,i think the average exceeded seventy guineas all round1 including calves only a few months old4 ,some years later ,i visited ,shipston-on-,stour with two friends to attend a shorthorn sale in that neighbourhood4 ,mr4 ,thornton1 the well-known pedigree salesman1 was the auctioneer4 ,he waited about for a long time after the hour fixed for the sale1 until it became evident that something had gone wrong4 ,it appeared that the sheriff's representative had served a writ on the vendor restraining the sale1 and although it was stated that ,thornton had offered a personal guarantee that the proceeds should be handed over to the sheriff1 the representative could not exceed his instructions1 and the sale was abandoned4 ,a large company1 including many foreign buyers1 had assembled2 it was difficult to get these together at a postponement1 and when the sale was proceeded with some weeks later1 ,i fear the result could scarcely have proved so satisfactory4 ,the ,vale of ,evesham is particularly suitable for pedigree shorthorn breeding1 as the soil and climate are very favourable for their production according to exhibition type4 ,it is otherwise with the ,jersey1 for they quickly adapt themselves to the difference in their environment as compared with the conditions in their native ,channel ,island4 ,when ,i exchanged my shorthorns for ,jerseys1 owing to the foreign competition in the production of beef1 which at sevenpence a pound compared unfavourably with butter at fifteenpence1 ,i imported my cows direct from the ,island1 and afterwards bred from their descendants1 selling the bull calves1 and occasionally buying a young bull from ,jersey4 ,the blood was therefore kept absolutely pure1 and1 as ,i was a member of the ,english ,jersey ,society1 all my stock were entered in the ,herd ,book4 ,as time went on my cattle presented a noticeable change from the original type2 they were larger1 developing much more hair and bone1 and though they gained in strength of constitution1 and were handsome and profitable1 they gradually lost the dainty deer-like appearance of the imported stock2 and though quite as valuable for the purposes of the dairy1 they would have been regarded in the show ring by connoisseurs as having a tendency to coarseness4 ,i was1 at first1 successful at the shows1 but as the character of my cattle altered ,i recognized that they would stand no chance against ,jerseys bred on lighter land1 and in a climate more nearly approximating to that of their native country4 ,precisely the same thing happened with my pedigree ,shropshire sheep2 environment altered their character and produced a different type--bone1 wool1 and size all increased4 ,the wool was coarser and darker in colour2 they were good1 useful1 hardy stock1 but could not compete in quality with the pedigree sheep bred in their own county4 ,no pedigree ,shropshire breeder will1 as a rule1 buy rams bred outside his own district1 for fear of introducing coarseness and an alteration of the established exhibition type4 ,an amusing incident happened at ,mr4 ,graham's sale at ,yardley near ,birmingham1 at which ,i was present4 ,mr4 ,graham had a reputation as a ,shropshire sheep-breeder2 though not actually farming in the county1 his land was not unsuitable1 and1 on one occasion1 ,i believe1 he won the first prize for a shearling ram at the show of the ,royal ,agricultural ,society of ,england4 ,i noticed a very non-agricultural individual in a top hat1 who tried to get into conversation with me and who succeeded in getting a luncheon ticket gratis4 ,these sale luncheons were at the time very bountiful spreads1 including plenty of champagne1 and the man under my observation made a very hearty meal4 ,short speeches and toasts always follow1 but an adjournment is quickly made to the sale tent1 before the evaporation of the effects of the hospitality4 ,it is the custom for a glove to be passed round to collect subscriptions for the shepherd1 during the progress of the sale1 and on this occasion two young fellows undertook the duty of collectors4 ,the man1 who had done himself so well at ,mr4 ,graham's expense1 was evidently not buying or even making bids1 and to each of the collectors he said he had already contributed to the other4 ,being suspicious they compared notes1 and found that he had made the same excuse to both4 ,such meanness after the hospitality he had received was intolerable2 shouting1 ,he's a ,welsher1 they lifted him bodily1 protesting and struggling1 rushed him out of the tent into a neighbouring field1 and cast him into a dirty pond covered with green and slimy duckweed6 ,a miserable object he scrambled out1 for the pond was shallow1 and took his dishevelled and bedraggled presence away as fast as he could limp along1 amid the laughter and jeers of the crowd4 ,the ,hampshire ,down ram sales in the palmy days of farming were organized upon the same scale of liberality1 and while the sale was proceeding steam was kept up by handing round boxes of sixpenny cigars1 and brandy and water in buckets4 ,it is1 of course1 good policy to keep a company of buyers in good humour1 but ,i think it has long since been recognized that hospitality was carried a little too far in those times of prosperity1 and1 in these degenerate if more business-like days1 extravagance is much less evident1 though there is a hearty welcome and abundance for all4 ,agricultural shows under favourable weather conditions are always popular and well-attended4 ,the large exhibitions of the ,royal ,agricultural ,society of ,england1 the ,bath and ,west of ,england1 and the ,royal ,counties1 especially attract immense crowds2 much business in novel implements1 machinery1 seeds1 and artificial fertilizers1 was done when times were good1 and the towns in which the shows are held benefit by a large increase in general trade4 ,the weather1 however1 is the arbiter as to the attendance1 upon which the financial result of the show depends4 ,in #ahgi1 the last of the miserable decade that ruined thousands of farmers all over the country with almost continuous wet seasons1 poor crops1 and wretched prices1 the ,royal ,agricultural ,society held its show at ,kilburn4 ,the ground had been carefully prepared and adapted for the great show with the usual liberal outlay2 the work for next year's show always commencing as soon as the show of the current year is over2 but the site was situated on the stiff ,london clay1 and1 after weeks of summer rains and the traffic caused by collecting the heavy engines and machinery and the materials used in the construction of the sheds and buildings1 the ground was churned into a quagmire of clay and water1 so that in places it was impassable1 and some of the exhibits were isolated4 ,thousands of wattled hurdles were purchased in ,hampshire1 and laid flat on the mud along the main routes to the tents and sheds1 but they were quickly trodden in out of sight4 ,many ponderous engines were bogged on their way to their appointed places2 nothing could move them1 and they remained looking like derelict wrecks1 plastered with mud1 sunk unevenly above the axles of their wheels4 ,i attended the show and shall never forget the scene of disaster4 ,one afternoon the ,prince of ,wales--the late ,king ,edward--and a ,royal party made a gallant attempt1 in carriages1 to see the principal exhibits1 and succeeded1 by following a carefully selected and guarded route4 ,the crowd was dense by the side of the track1 and people were making a harvest by letting out chairs to stand on1 so as to get a view of the procession1 with cries of1 ',ere you are1 sir2 'ere you are1 warranted not to sink in more than a mile6 ,outside the show-yard1 too1 the streets were lined with long rows of nondescripts1 scraping the adhesive clay off the shoes of the people leaving the show4 ,i had a pocket of my hops on exhibition entered in the ,worcester class1 and had great difficulty in getting near it4 ,i found the shed at last1 deserted and surrounded by water1 with a pool below the benches on which the hops were staged4 ,my pocket was sold straight from the show-yard1 and when my factor sent in the account1 ,i found that the pocket had gained no less than seventeen pounds from the damp to which it had been subjected since it left my premises1 about ten days previously2 hops1 at that time1 were worth about #as4 a pound1 so that the increased value more than balanced all expenses4 ,a story is told of ,tennyson at the ,royal ,counties show at ,guildford4 ,accompanied by a lady and child he was walking round the exhibits1 closely followed by an ardent admirer1 anxious to catch any nights of fancy that might fall from his lips4 ,time passed1 and the poet showed no signs of inspiration until the party approached a refreshment tent2 then1 to the lady he said1 to the astonishment of the follower1 ,just look after this child a minute while ,i go and get a glass of beer6 ,i cannot vouch for the truth of this story1 but ,i tell the tale as 'twas told to me4 ,it is surprising how long farm implements will last if kept in the dry and repaired when necessary4 ,i remember a waggon at ,alton in the seventies1 which bore the name of the original owner and the date #agie2 it was still in use4 ,when ,i decided to give up farming1 or rather1 when farming had given up me1 ,i disposed of my stock and implements by the usual auction sale4 ,the attraction of a pedigree herd of ,jerseys1 and a useful lot of horses and implements1 brought a large company together1 and ,aldington was a lively place that day4 ,i was talking to my son-in-law some time afterwards1 and spoke with amusement about the price an old iron ,cambridge roller had made1 not in the least knowing who was the purchaser1 until he said1 ,and ,i was the mug who bought it6 ,i believe1 however1 that a year or two later it fully maintained its price when valued to the next owner1 and probably to-day it must be worth at least three times the money4 ,i can trace its history for a period of fifty-three years1 and ,i don't think it was new at the beginning4 ,,chapter ,,xii4 ,,farm ,,specialists4 ,and who that knew him could forget ,the busy wrinkles round his eyes4 --,the ,miller's ,daughter4 ,many specialists1 in distinct professions1 visited the farm in the course of every twelve months1 and each appeared at the season when his particular services were likely to be required4 ,among these an ancient grafter was one of the most important1 and ,april was the month which brought him to ,aldington4 ,in ,january we had usually beheaded some trees that we considered not worth leaving as they were3 these would be trees producing inferior and nondescript cider apples1 or perry pears4 ,and we had already cut1 and laid in a shady place1 half covered with soil1 the young shoots of profitable sorts to furnish the grafts for converting the beheaded trees into valuable producers4 ,the old man's function was to prepare the grafts1 and unite them in deftly-cut notches with their new parents4 ,his was a rosy-cheeked and many-wrinkled face1 reminding one of an apple stored all the winter1 and1 in his brown velveteen coat1 with immense pockets1 he made a notable figure4 ,he loved a chat and was always happy and communicative1 and his arrival seemed as much a herald of spring as that of the welcome cuckoo4 ,he was paid by the piece1 three-halfpence a graft and cider1 quantity not specified1 but an important part of the bargain because of a superstition that grafts unwetted would not thrive6 ,some of these large trees would have ten or more limbs requiring separate grafting1 and therefore they earned him a considerable sum1 but it is surprising how soon they make a new head1 come into bearing1 and repay with interest the cost of the work4 ,he was a thoughtful old man and a moralist4 ,i can see him now1 standing with his snuff-box open ready in his hand1 and saying very solemnly1 ,i often thinks as an apple-tree is very similar to a child1 for you know1 sir1 we're told to train up a child in the way he shall go1 and when he is old he will not depart therefrom4 ,he then refreshed himself with a mighty pinch of snuff1 closing his box with a snap that emphasized his air of complete conviction4 ,i think the sheep-dipper was one of the early arrivals4 ,he brings with him an apparatus which provides a bath1 and a kind of gangway1 rising at an angle from it1 upon which the sheep can stand after immersion1 to allow the superfluous liquid to find its way back into the bath2 each sheep is lifted by two men into the bath containing insecticide1 and has an interval for dripping before it rejoins the flock4 ,in the days when ,viper was young1 he was introduced to the process and given a dip himself1 much to his disgust2 but that was the only time1 for ever afterwards no sooner did the sheep-dipper and his weird-looking apparatus appear at night1 in readiness for the performance on the morrow1 than ,viper remembered his undignified experience1 and1 before even the overture of the play commenced1 vanished for the day4 ,nobody saw him go1 or knew where he went1 but it was useless to call or whistle1 he was nowhere to be found4 ,i believe the active ingredient of the dip was a preparation of arsenic1 and upon one occasion ,i lost several sheep after the dipping1 presumably from arsenical poisoning absorbed through the skin4 ,i met the dipper a few days later1 and he said with a beaming face that he had given 'em summat1 meaning the parasites4 ,his smiles disappeared when ,i told him the result1 and that the remedy had proved more fatal than the disease4 ,after this experience ,i used a more scientific dip which was quite as effective and without the element of danger to the sheep4 ,entries are to be found in the old parish records of sums paid and chargeable to the parish for killing woonts 7moles71 but later private enterprise was alone responsible4 ,a mole-catcher had been employed throughout the whole of my predecessor's time at ,aldington1 with a yearly remuneration of #abs4 ,on my arrival he called and asked me to forward the account for the last year to his employer2 it ran as follows3 ,to dastroyin thay woonts1 #abs4 ,the man hoped that ,i should continue the arrangement1 but1 as ,i had not seen a mole or a mole-hill on the farm1 ,i told him ,i would wait1 and would send for him if ,i found them troublesome4 ,as a matter of fact ,i never saw a mole1 or heard of one on my land1 throughout the twenty-eight years of my occupation4 ,rat-catchers are necessary when rats are very numerous1 but rats appear to be very capricious1 abounding in some seasons and scarce in others4 ,my particular rat-catcher was not a very highly evolved specimen of humanity2 he was thin and hungry-looking with an angular face1 bearing a strong resemblance to the creatures against whom he waged warfare2 he had a wandering1 restless and furtive expression1 and appeared to be perpetually on the lookout for his prey1 or for manifestations of their cunning and other evil characteristics in the humanity with which he came in contact4 ,his terms were1 no cure1 no pay1 which impressed one with his confidence in his own remedies2 but these were profound secrets1 and ,i had to be content with the assurance that he used nothing harmful to man or domestic animals4 ,he was certainly successful1 and effectually cleared the ricks and buildings at one of my outlying places previously badly infested2 no dead rats were ever found1 but all disappeared very soon after ,i engaged him4 ,it is well known that rats will unexpectedly desert quarters which they have occupied for a long time1 and travel in large bodies to a new locality4 ,an old man told me that1 in walking by the brook-side footpath from ,aldington to ,badsey1 he once encountered one of these armies2 they looked so threatening and were in such numbers1 that he had to turn aside to allow them to pass1 as they showed no signs of giving way for him4 ,one morning my bailiff came in to say that a bean-rick had suddenly been taken possession of by an immense number of rats1 where shortly before not one could have been found4 ,a man going to the rick-yard quite early had seen the roof of the rick black with them2 they were apparently drinking the dew hanging in drops on the straws of the thatch4 ,they were so close together1 so thick1 as he expressed it1 that one was killed by a stone thrown into the brown of them4 ,we sent for the thrashing machine a day or two later1 and killed over seventy1 and many escaped4 ,every dead rat was plastered with mud underneath1 especially on their tails1 and it was evident that they had only just arrived when first seen1 and had travelled some distance1 probably the evening before1 along the clayey overhanging bank of the brook4 ,we always had great numbers of water-rats about brook2 they are no relation of the land-rat1 having blunter1 noses1 shorter tails1 and very soft fur4 ,they have not the loathsome appearance of the land-rat1 and live1 almost entirely1 on water-weeds1 rushes1 and other vegetable matter4 ,it is pretty to see them swimming across a stream2 they dive when alarmed1 and remain out of sight a long time2 they never leave the water or the bank1 and are quite innocent of depredations on corn4 ,in some counties1 but not so far as ,i am aware in ,worcestershire1 one of the harmless snappers up of unconsidered trifles is the truffle-hunter4 ,at ,alton1 in ,hampshire1 one of these men appeared in summer2 he carried an implement like a short-handled thistle spud1 but with a much longer blade1 similar to that of a small spade but narrower2 he was accompanied by a frisky little ,frenchified dog1 unlike any dog one commonly sees1 and very alert4 ,the hunting ground was beneath the overhanging branches of beech-trees1 growing on a chalky soil2 the man encouraged the dog by voice to hunt the surface of the land regularly over2 when the dog scented the truffles underneath1 he began to scratch1 whereupon the implement came into use1 and they were soon secured4 ,i have since been sorry that ,i did not interview this truffle-hunter as to his methods and as to his dog1 for ,i believe he is no longer to be seen in his old haunts4 ,but ,i did get a pound or two to try1 and was disappointed by the absence of flavour4 ,i have since read that the ,english truffle is considered very inferior to the ,french1 which is used in making pt de foie gras4 ,the wool-stapler makes his rounds as soon as shearing is completed2 his first call is to examine the fleeces1 and if a deal results a second visit follows for weighing and packing4 ,he is of course well up in market values1 probably receiving a telegram every morning1 when trade is active1 from the great wool-trade centre1 ,bradford4 ,he is not unwilling to give a special price for quality1 but will sometimes stipulate for secrecy as to the sum1 because farmers1 naturally1 compare notes1 and everyone thinks himself entitled to the top price no matter how inferior or badly washed his wool may be4 ,the ,bradford stapler has the northern method of speech1 which sounds unfamiliar in the midland and southern counties1 but it is not so cryptic as that of the ,scottish wool trade4 ,the following colloquy is reported as having passed between two ,scots over a deal in woollen cloth4 ,buyer4 ',oo8 ,seller4 ,ay1 'oo4 ,buyer4 ,a' 'oo8 ,seller4 ,ay1 a' 'oo4 ,buyer4 ,a' a 'oo8 ,seller4 ,ay1 a' a 'oo4 ,which1 being interpreted1 is3 ,wool8--,yes1 wool4 ,all wool8--,yes1 all wool4 ,all one wool8--,yes1 all one wool4 ,when the stapler arrives for the weighing he brings his steelyards and sheets2 the wool is trod into the sheets1 sewn up1 and each sheet weighed separately1 an allowance being made for tare 7the weight of the sheet71 and for draught 7#a_/b a pound in each tod1 or #bh pounds74 ,this last is a survival of the old method of weighing wool1 when only enough fleeces were weighed at a time on the farmer's small machine to come to a tod as nearly as possible4 ,buyers did not recognize anything but level pounds 7no quarters or halves71 and consequently they got on the average half a pound over the tod at each separate weighing1 gratis4 ,owing to the immense importations of ,australian wool1 the price of ,english1 which at one time was half-a-crown a pound1 fell to the miserable figure of sevenpence or thereabouts4 ,when ,i was in ,lincolnshire1 the tenant of the farm where ,i was a pupil clipped #ad pounds each from #bjj hoggs 7yearling sheep71 which at #bs4 #f;d4 per pound produced #ces4 per sheep1 equal to #cej1 so the fall of three-quarters of the value was a serious loss4 ,a story is told of a cunning wool buyer in the dim past weighing up wool on an upper floor of some farm premises4 ,as the fleeces passed the machine they were thrown down an opening to the floor beneath in readiness for packing4 ,the pile of wool upstairs had been there some time1 and was full of rats4 ,as the fleeces were moved a rat would sometimes rush out trying to escape4 ,no farm labourer can resist a rat hunt1 so the buyer being left alone beside the still unmoved fleeces1 whenever a rat appeared1 and the men scattered in every direction in pursuit1 he took the opportunity to kick a few fleeces unweighed down the opening4 ,when the owner came to reckon the quantity the buyer should have had1 and compared it with the weight1 the fraud was discovered1 and the deficiency had to be made good4 ,i heard of a ,hampshire farmer whose wife was anxious for a drawing-room to be added to an inadequate farmhouse1 and the tenant with some difficulty persuaded the landlord to make the alteration4 ,when the work was complete the farmer expressed the great satisfaction of his wife and himself with the addition1 and the landlord was anxious to see the new room4 ,every time he suggested a day1 the farmer objected that it would be inconvenient to his wife1 or that he himself would be away from home4 ,time went on1 and the landlord1 finding it impossible to arrange a day that was not objected to1 made a surprise visit1 when shooting over the farm4 ,the farmer protested as to the inconvenience1 but the owner insisted1 and was conducted to the new drawing-room4 ,the door was thrown open1 and the room was seen to be stacked from floor to ceiling with wool1 without a stick of furniture in the place6 ,the veterinary surgeon is a necessary1 but not very welcome visitor1 for1 of course1 his attendance means disease or accident to the stock4 ,he is not often mistaken in his diagnosis1 though his patient cannot detail his symptoms1 or point to the position of the trouble4 ,but the vet is a man to be dispensed with as long as possible when epidemics1 like swine fever or foot and mouth disease1 are raging in the neighbourhood1 because he may be a ,government ,inspector at such times1 and there is great danger to healthy stock if he has been officially employed shortly before on an inspection4 ,we had very little disease at ,aldington1 being off the highroad1 but we had one bad attack of foot and mouth disease which ,i always thought was brought by a veterinary surgeon4 ,the complaint went all through my dairy cows and fattening bullocks1 and soon reduced them to lean beasts1 but it was surprising how quickly they picked up again in flesh and resumed their normal appearance4 ,it was curious to notice that1 with the cows standing side by side in the sheds1 the disease would attack one and miss the next two perhaps1 then attack two and miss one1 and so on2 doubtless it was a matter of predisposition on the part of those affected4 ,the veterinary lecturer at ,cirencester ,college told me that during the cattle plague in the sixties he had a coat well worth #ej to any veterinary surgeon1 so impregnated was it with the infection4 ,this man was fond of scoring off the students1 and had a habit at the commencement of each lecture of holding a short viv voce examination on the subject of the last4 ,i remember when the tables were turned upon him by a ready-witted student4 ,the lecturer1 who was a superior veterinary surgeon1 detailed a whole catalogue of exaggerated symptoms exhibited by an imaginary horse1 and selecting his victim added1 with a chuckle1 ,now1 ,mr4 ,k41 perhaps you will kindly tell us what treatment you would adopt under these circumstances8 ,k4 was not a very diligent student1 and the lecturer expected a display of ignorance1 but his anticipated triumph was cut short by the reply3 ,well1 if ,i had a horse as bad as all that ,i should send for the vet4 ,the lecturer expostulated1 but could get nothing further out of ,k41 and was forced to recognize that the general laugh which followed was against himself4 ,at a post-mortem1 however1 he was more successful in his choice of a butt4 ,a dead horse with organs exposed was the object before the class1 and the lecturer was asking questions as to their identification4 ,now1 ,mr4 ,jones1 perhaps you will show us where his lungs are8 ,jones made an unsuccessful search4 ,well1 can we see where his heart is8 and so on--all failures4 ,finally and scornfully1 ,well1 perhaps you can show the gentlemen where his tail is6 ,the village thatcher1 ,obadiah ,b41 was an ancient1 but efficient workman when engaged upon cottages or farm buildings1 for ricks require only a comparatively temporary treatment4 ,he was paid by the square of #ajj feet1 and1 although he was no scholard1 and never used a tape1 he was quite capable of checking by some method ,i could never fathom my own measurements with it4 ,the finishing touches to his work were adjusted with the skill of an artist and the accuracy of a mathematician2 and a beautiful bordering of buckles in an elaborate pattern of angles and crosses--,fantykes 7,van ,dycks71 his hard-working daughter ,sally called them--completed the job4 ,he reckoned that each thatching would last at least twenty years1 and being well stricken in years1 or getting-up-along as they say in ,hampshire1 he would add gloomily1 ,i shall never do it no more4 ,he was a true prophet1 for on every building he thatched for me the work outlived him1 and even after the lapse of thirty years is not completely worn out4 ,passing him and his son in the village street1 outside his house1 when he was packing fruit for market1 ,i heard him1 his voice raised for my benefit1 thus admonishing his son who was casually using some of the newer hampers3 ,allus wear out the old1 fust4 ,but ,i must not attribute to his son the unfilial retort which another youth made under similar circumstances1 when told to fetch some more hampers from a shed some distance away3 ,no1 father1 you fetch them1 allus wear out the old fust1 you know4 ,occasional visitors come with goods for sale in quest of orders1 and some are very persistent and difficult to get rid of4 ,a man professing to sell some artificial fertilizer called upon me with a small tin sample box1 containing a mixture which emitted a most villainous odour4 ,he sniffed with appreciation at the compound1 probably consisting of some nitrogenous material such as wool treated with sulphuric or hydrochloric acid1 and began his address4 ,he had not gone far before ,i remembered a story of a similar person in ,hampshire4 ,this man had called upon the leading farmers1 and offered them a bargain1 explaining that some trucks of artificial manure that he had consigned to ,walton ,station had been sent by mistake to ,alton4 ,he sold many tons in this way without any guarantee as to the analysis1 but the buyers found on using it that it was worthless4 ,the seller tried his game on again the following year1 without success4 ,one farmer whom he followed from the farm-house to a turnip-field went so far as to show him his hunting-crop1 and pointing to the field gate at the same time1 intimated that if he did not with all speed place himself outside the latter1 he would make unpleasant acquaintance with the former4 ,so now when my caller mentioned a truck of the manure which had come by mistake to ,evesham ,station1 though consigned to ,evershot in ,somerset1 my suspicions were confirmed1 and when ,i innocently remarked1 ,i think ,i remember that truck1 didn't it go to ,alton once in mistake for ,walton8 his countenance fell1 and he wished me good-morning in a hurry4 ,hurdles in ,worcestershire are generally made of withy 7willow71 and it is interesting to watch the hurdle-maker at work4 ,the poles have first to be peeled1 which can be done by unskilled labour1 the pole being fixed in an improvised upright vice made from the same material4 ,then comes the skilled man1 who cuts the poles into suitable lengths1 and splits the pieces into the correct widths4 ,next with an axe he trims off the rough edges1 shapes the ends of the rails1 and pierces the uprights with a centre-bit4 ,then he completes the mortise in a moment with a chisel1 the rails being laid in position as guides to the size of the apertures4 ,the rails are then driven home into the mortise holes1 and he skips backwards and forwards1 over the hurdle flat on the ground1 as he nails the rails to the heads2 two pieces1 in the form of a ,v reversed1 connect the rails and keep them in place4 ,in counties where hazel is grown in the coppices1 a wattled or flake hurdle is the favourite1 and they afford much more shelter to sheep in the fold than the open withy hurdle1 but1 being more lightly made1 they require stakes and shackles to keep them in position4 ,the hazel hurdle-maker may be seen in the coppice surrounded by his material and the clean fresh stacks of the work completed4 ,the process of manufacture differs from that of the open-railed hurdle3 he has an upright framework fixed to the ground with holes bored at the exact places for the vertical pieces1 and indicating the correct length of the hurdle1 when finished4 ,the horizontal pieces or rods are comparatively slender and easily twisted1 and so can be bent back where they reach the outside uprights1 and they are interlaced with the others in basket-making fashion4 ,at this stage the hurdle presents an unfinished appearance1 with the ends of the horizontal rods protruding from the face of the hurdle4 ,then the maker with a special narrow and exceedingly sharp hatchet chops off at one blow each of the projecting ends1 with admirable accuracy1 never missing his aim or exceeding the exact degree of strength necessary to sever the superfluous bit without injuring the hurdle itself4 ,the hurdle-maker is paid at a price per dozen1 and he earns and deserves good money4 ,the art of making wattled hurdles is passed on and carried down from father to son for generations2 the hurdle-maker is usually a cheery man and receives a gracious welcome from the missus and the maids when he calls at the farm-house1 often emphasized by a pint of home-brewed4 ,he combines the accuracy of the draughtsman with the delicate touch of the accomplished lawn-tennis player4 ,his exits and his entrances from and to the scene of his labours are made in the remote mysterious surroundings of the seldom-trodden woods2 overhead is the brilliant blue of the clear spring sky2 the sunshine lights up the quiet hazel tones of his simple materials1 his highly finished work1 and his heaps of clean fresh chips2 and his stage is the newly cut coppice1 carpeted with primroses and wild hyacinths4 ,i have never seen a representation of this charming scene1 and ,i commend the subject to the country-loving artist as full of interest and colour1 and as a theme of natural beauty4 ,our blacksmith came twice a week to the village when work was still plentiful in the early days of my farming1 and ,i was not yet the only practical farmer in the place4 ,i need not describe the forge3 it has been sung by ,longfellow1 made music of by ,handel1 and painted by ,morland2 everybody knows its gleaming red-hot iron1 its cascades of sparks1 and the melodious clank of the heavy hammer as it falls upon the impressionable metal4 ,in all pursuits which entail the use of an open fire at night1 its fascination attracts both busy and idle villagers1 and more especially in winter it becomes a centre for local gossip4 ,at that season the time-honoured gossip corner1 close to the ,manor gate1 was deserted for the warmth and action of the forge4 ,blacksmiths1 like other specialists1 vary1 and the difference may be expressed as that between the man who fits the shoe to the hoof1 and the man who fits the hoof to the shoe--in other words1 the workman and the sloven4 ,doubtless many a slum-housed artisan in the big town1 driven from his country home by the flood of unfair foreign competition1 looks back with longing to the bright old cottage garden of his youth and in his dreams hears the music of the forge1 sees the blazing fire1 and sniffs the pungency of scorching hoof4 ,,chapter ,,xiii4 ,,the ,,dairy--,,cattle--,,sheep--,,lambs--,,p igs--,,poultry4 ,and brushing ankle-deep in flowers1 ,we heard behind the woodbine veil ,the milk that bubbled in the pail1 ,and buzzings of the honied hours4 --,in ,memoriam4 ,my farm had the reputation of being a good cheese farm1 but a bad butter farm2 in spite1 however1 of this tradition ,i determined to establish a pedigree ,jersey herd for butter-making4 ,for early in my occupation ,i had abandoned the cheese manufacture of my predecessor and later the production of unprofitable beef4 ,my wife attended various lectures and demonstrations and was soon able to prove that the bad character of the farm for this purpose was not justified4 ,within a few years she covered one wall of the dairy with prize cards won at all the leading shows1 and found a ready market for the produce1 chiefly by parcel post to friends4 ,the butter1 although it commanded rather a better price than ordinary quality1 was considered not only by them but by the villagers more economical1 as owing to its solidity and freedom from butter milk1 it would keep good indefinitely1 and went much further4 ,the cream from my ,jerseys was so thick that the cream crock could be lifted up by the wooden spoon used for stirring1 by merely plunging it into the crock full of cream and raising it1 without touching the crock in any other way4 ,with fifteen cows and heifers in milk on an average1 the ,jerseys brought me in quite #cjj a year in butter and cream1 without considering the value of the calves1 and of the skim-milk for the pigs1 and they were worth a good deal besides from the sthetic point of view4 ,i think that the word dainty describes the ,jersey better than any other adjective2 their beautiful lines and colouring in all shades of fawn and silver grey make them a continual delight to behold4 ,after all1 however1 the shorthorn is a magnificent creature2 they1 too1 have their aesthetic side2 the outline is more robust1 their colouring more pronounced1 and ,i think that stately is the best description to apply to their distinguished bearing4 ,at ,worcester1 on market days1 a great deal of butter is brought in by the country people and retailed in the ,market ,hall1 and many of these farmers' wives and daughters have regular customers1 who come each week for their supply4 ,on one occasion when the inspector of weights and measures was making a surprise visit1 and testing the weights of the goods on offer1 a man1 standing near a stall where only one pound of butter was left unsold1 noticed that as soon as the owner became aware of the inspector's entrance1 she slipped two half-crowns into the pat1 obliterating the marks where they had been inserted4 ,she was evidently aware that the butter was not full weight1 but with the addition it satisfied the inspector's test1 the two half-crowns just balancing the one ounce short4 ,no sooner was he gone than the spectator came forward to buy the butter4 ,she guessed that he had seen the trick1 and dared not refuse to sell1 although she tried hard to avoid doing so2 so the cunning buyer walked off with fifteen ounces of butter worth #as4 #b;d41 and #es4 in silver for his outlay of #as4 #c;d4 ,in farm-houses where old-fashioned ways of butter-making are still followed1 and the thermometer is ignored1 it happens sometimes that after some hours' churning the butter does not come4 ,the traditional remedy is then tried of introducing one or two half-crowns into the churn1 partly1 ,i think1 as a kind of charm1 and partly with the idea of what is called cutting the curd4 ,the remedy is certainly sometimes successful1 probably the coins set up a new movement in the rotating cream1 which causes an almost immediate appearance of the butter4 ,on the outside of the framework of the windows in some of these old places1 the word dairy or cheese-room may still be seen1 painted or incised4 ,this is a survival from the days of the window tax1 and was necessary to claim the exemption which these rooms as places of business enjoyed by law4 ,my former tutor1 the late vicar of ,old ,basing in ,hampshire1 decided to keep a cow on his glebe1 and consulted the old parish clerk as to the kind of cow he would recommend4 ,the old man was the oracle of the village on all matters secular as well as those connected with his calling4 ,well1 he said1 what you wants is a nice pretty little cow1 not a great big beast as'll stand a-looking and a-staring at you all day long4 ,the vicar followed his advice1 avoided the stony regard of an unintelligent animal1 and purchased a charming little tender-eyed ,brittany1 which was quite an ornament to his meadow4 ,people were very shy of ,american beef when first imported but1 being lower in price than ,english it was bought by those who were willing to sacrifice quality to cheapness4 ,it was said that the most inferior ,english was sold under the name of ,american1 the best of the ,american doing duty for medium quality ,english4 ,i remember seeing a very ancient and poverty-stricken cow knocked down to a ,birmingham dealer1 who exclaimed exultingly as the hammer fell1 ,i'll make 'em some ',merican biff in ,brummagem this week4 ,the neglected and overgrown hedges1 now so often seen on what was formerly good wheat-growing land1 have a useful side as shelter when surrounding pasture4 ,in the bitter winds which often occur in ,may1 when the cattle are first turned out after a winter in the yards well littered with clean straw1 they can be seen on the southern side protected from the blast4 ,referring to the ,may blossom of the white-thorn1 an old proverb says1 with a faulty rhyme3 ,may come early or ,may come late ',tis sure to make the old cow quake4 ,may ,day has always been the customary date for turning out cattle to grass1 but people forget that old ,may ,day was nearly a fortnight later1 which makes a great difference as to warmth and keep at that time of year4 ,with changes of dates and times old customs and sayings lose their force4 ,under the daylight saving arrangement we should alter1 ,rain before seven1 fine before eleven1 to ,rain before eight1 fine before twelve1 which spoils the rhyme4 ,and ,between one and two1 you'll see what the day means to do1 into1 ,between two and three1 you'll see what the day means to be4 ,a few years ago1 when ,antony and ,cleopatra was reproduced at a ,london theatre by an eminent actor-manager1 it was reported that his mind was much exercised over the lines referring to the flight of ,pompey's galley3 ,the breese upon her1 like a cow in ,june1 ,hoists sails and flies4 ,it was suggested that for cow1 the correct reading should be crow1 who might very well spread her wings to the breeze and fly4 ,the difficulty was caused by the word breese 7the gad-fly7--no doubt presumed to be an archaic spelling of breeze4 ,shakespeare knew all about farming1 as about nearly everything else1 and a year on a farm would illustrate many of his allusions which the ordinary reader finds somewhat cryptic2 anyone who has seen the terrified stampede of cattle with their tails erect when attacked by the gad-fly1 will recognize the force of the simile4 ,the gad-fly pierces the skin of the animal1 laying its eggs beneath1 just as the ichneumon makes use of a caterpillar to provide a host for its progeny4 ,no doubt the operation is a painful one1 but the caterpillar may survive1 even into its chrysalis stage1 and the cow in due time is relieved1 after an uncomfortable experience1 by the exit of the maggot or fly4 ,a branch of the ,roman road1 ,ryknield ,street1 commonly called ,buckle ,street1 leaving the former near ,bidford-on-,avon and running over the ,cotswolds via ,weston ,subedge1 was known in former times as ,buggilde or ,buggeld ,street1 derived possibly from the ,latin buculus1 a young bullock4 ,no doubt vast herds of cattle traversed the road from the vale to the hills1 or vice versa1 according to the abundance of keep and the time of year4 ,similar roads in ,dorset and ,wiltshire are still known as ox droves1 and in the former county1 at least1 both young heifers and bullocks are known as bullicks4 ,cattle are subject to all manner of disorders which1 though puzzling to the owner to diagnose1 are not as a rule beyond the skill of a good veterinary surgeon to alleviate2 but there are also accidents which are much more annoying1 being impossible to foresee4 ,i had occasional losses from the latter causes3 once in the night when a cow was thrown on her back into a deep brick manger2 and once when a small piece of sacking1 part of a decorticated cotton-cake bag1 was somehow mixed in with the food1 and induced internal inflammation4 ,it is a difficult matter for a farmer when selling fat cattle direct to the butcher1 to compete with him in a correct estimate of the weight1 and it is therefore advisable to sell at a price per pound of the dead weight when dressed2 this1 however1 is not always feasible1 and a very close estimate can be arrived at by measurement of the girth and length of the live animal1 following rules laid down in the handbooks on the subject of fat stock4 ,it is a mistake to suppose that the fattening of stock is a profitable undertaking per se4 ,on all arable farms there is a certain amount of food1 hay1 straw1 chaff1 roots1 etc41 which must be consumed on the premises for the sake of keeping up the fertility of the land1 but ,i believe that only under very exceptional circumstances can a shilling's-worth of food and attendance be converted into a shilling's-worth of meat1 so that if in the future the price of corn is to fall back into anything approaching pre-war values1 the corn crops1 as well as the intermediate green crops1 which are only a means for producing corn1 must be discontinued1 and the land will again become inferior pasture4 ,old-fashioned farmers recognized the absence of direct profit in the winter of fattening cattle especially on the produce of arable land1 and the saying is well known that1 the man who fattens many bullocks never wants much paper on which to make his will4 ,there are few pleasanter sights about farm premises than to see1 as the short winter day is drawing to an end1 and the twilight is stealing around the ricks and buildings1 a nicely sheltered yard full of contented cattle deeply bedded down in clean bright wheat straw1 and settling themselves comfortably for the night2 and1 when one pulls the bed-clothes up to one's ears1 one can go to sleep thinking happily that they too are enjoying a refreshing sleep4 ,cattle and sheep can stand severe cold1 if they are sheltered from bitter winds and have dry quarters in which to lie2 even lambs are none the worse for coming into the world in a snow-covered pasture2 and an opened stable window without a draught will often cure a horse of a long-standing chronic cough4 ,it was pitiful in the early days of the war to see the ,indian troops with their mountain batteries at ,ashurst1 near ,lyndhurst1 in the ,new ,forest1 the mules up to their knees and hocks in black mud1 owing to the unfortunate selection of an unsound site for the camp4 ,a deadly man for ship--one of those expressions not uncommon in ,worcestershire1 on the lucus a non lucendo principle--signifies a celebrated sheep breeder2 the word deadly1 in this sense1 is akin to the ,hampshire and ,dorset terrible1 or1 turrble1 as a term of admiration or the appreciation of excellence2 but there are occasions even in the most carefully tended flocks where accidents cannot be anticipated4 ,such an event occurred to a ,cotswold ram1 which after washing was placed in an orchard near my house to dry before shearing4 ,the ram had an immense fleece on him1 nineteen pounds as it afterwards proved1 and the wool round the neck was somewhat ragged4 ,as he lay asleep with his head turned round and muzzle pointing backwards1 some little movement caused his head to become entangled in the loose wool1 and he was found hanged in his own fleece4 ,i was watching1 with my bailiff1 a splendid lot of lambs fat and ready for the butcher2 two of them were having a game--walking backwards from each other1 and suddenly rushing together like two knights in a medieval tournament1 their heads meeting with a concussion and a resounding smack--when one instantly fell to the ground with a broken neck4 ,had no one been present the meat would have been worthless1 but my man was equal to the occasion1 and1 borrowing my pocket knife1 produced the flow of blood necessary to render the meat fit for human food4 ,my villagers had a feast that week1 and my own table was graced by an excellent joint of real ,english lamb4 ,of course we never attempted to consume any of the meat from animals which had been killed when suffering from a doubtful complaint1 though some people are by no means particular in this matter4 ,a doctor told me that when attending a case at a farmhouse he was invited to join the family at their midday meal1 and was surprised to see a nice fore-quarter of lamb on the table4 ,his host gave him an ample helping1 and he had just made a beginning with it and the mint sauce1 green peas1 and new potatoes1 when the founder of the feast announced by way of excusing the indulgence in such a luxury3 ,this un1 you know was a bit casualty1 so we thought it better to make sure of un4 ,my informant told me that then and there his appetite completely failed1 and1 to the dismay of his host he had to relinquish his knife and fork4 ,it is always policy to kill a sheep to save its life1 as the saying is1 and the way to make the most of it is to send any fat animal1 which is off its feed and looking somewhat thoughtful1 to the butcher at once4 ,he knows quite well whether the sheep is fit for food1 and if he decides against it1 all one expects is the value of the skin4 ,but people are very shy of buying meat about which they have any misgiving1 and my butcher once told me not to send him an emergency sheep in one of my own carts1 but to ask him to fetch it himself3 ,it's like this1 he explained1 when a customer comes in for a nice joint of mutton1 if he is a near neighbour1 he will perhaps add1 ',i would rather not have a bit of the sheep that came in a day or two ago in one of ,mr4 ,s4's carts'6 ,it was always cheering in ,february1 fill dyke1 be it black or be it white1 on a dark morning1 to hear the young lambs and their mothers calling to each other in the orchards1 where there is some grass all the year round under the shelter of the apple trees2 or when a springlike morning appears1 about the time of ,st4 ,valentine's ,day1 and the thrushes are singing love-songs to their mates1 and the first brimstone butterfly has dared to leave his winter seclusion for the fickle sunshine1 to realize that ,spring is coming1 and the active work of the farm is about to recommence4 ,there is a superstition that when the master sees the firstling of the flock1 if its head is turned towards him1 good luck for the year will follow1 but it is most unlucky if its head is turned away4 ,after the disastrous wet season of #ahgi immense losses ensued from the prevalence of the fatal liver rot2 many thousands of sheep were sold at the auctions for #cs4 or #ds4 apiece1 and sound mutton was exceedingly scarce and dear4 ,it was represented to a very ,august personage1 that if the people could be induced to forgo the consumption of lamb1 these in due course would grow into sheep1 and the price of mutton would be reduced4 ,accordingly an order was issued forbidding the appearance of lamb on the ,court tables4 ,it had not occurred to the proposer of this scheme that a scarcity of food for the developing lambs would result1 nor was it understood that the producers of fat lambs make special cropping arrangements for their keep1 with the object of clearing out their stock about ,easter1 in time to plough the ground1 and follow the roots where the ewes and lambs have been feeding1 with barley4 ,the classes copied the example of the ,court1 as in duty bound1 and the demand fell to zero4 ,but the lambs had to be sold for the reasons mentioned1 and1 in the absence of the usual demand1 the unfortunate producers offered them at almost any price4 ,the miners and the pottery workers in ,staffordshire were not so loyal as the classes2 they welcomed the unusual opportunity of buying early lamb at #i;d4 a pound1 and trains composed entirely of trucks full of lambs from the south of ,england to the ,midlands supplied them abundantly4 ,the edict1 when its effect was apparent1 was therefore revoked1 but it was too late1 the lambs were gone1 and as everybody was hungry for his usual ,easter lamb1 the demand was immense1 and the price rose in proportion4 ,i had thirty or forty lambs intended for the ,easter markets1 and had1 with great difficulty and the sacrifice of grass which should have stood for hay1 managed to keep them on1 scarcely knowing what to do with them4 ,but the sudden demand arose just in time1 and ,i sent them to the ,alcester auction sale1 where buyers from ,birmingham and the neighbourhood attend in large numbers4 ,a capital sale resulted1 the price going as high as #fjs41 in those days a big figure for lambs about four months old4 ,i was so pleased with the result and my deliverance from the dilemma1 that1 passing through the town on my way home1 and spying an old ,worcester china cup and saucer1 and a bowl o the same1 all with the rare square mark1 ,i invested some of my plunder in what time has proved an excellent speculation1 and my cabinet is still decorated with these mementoes1 which ,i never see without calling to mind the story of the lamb edict and its result4 ,during the ,great ,war some controlling wiseacre evolved precisely the same scheme for bringing about an imaginary increase in the supply of mutton1 by prohibiting the slaughter of any lambs until ,june4 ,the ,dorset breeders1 who buy in ewes at high prices for the special production of early lamb--the lambs of this breed are born in ,october and ,november--were more particularly affected1 and the absurdity of the prohibition having been later represented to the authorities1 the order was withdrawn1 though not before great loss and difficulty were inflicted upon the unfortunate producers4 ,it goes to prove the necessity of the administration of such matters by competent men1 and how easily apparently sound theory in inexperienced hands may conflict with economical practice4 ,of late years the competition of the importations of ,new ,zealand lamb has reduced the price of ,english lamb to an unremunerative level4 ,this thin dry stuff bears about the same resemblance to real fat home-grown lamb1 as do the proverbial chalk and cheese to each other2 but it is good enough for the restaurants and eating-houses2 and the consumer who lacks the critical faculty of the connoisseur in such matters1 devours his ,canterbury lamb1 well disguised with mint sauce1 in sublime ignorance1 and1 apparently1 without missing the succulence of the real article--convinced as he is that it was produced in the neighbourhood of the cathedral city of the same name1 and unaware of the existence of such a place as ,canterbury in ,new ,zealand1 or that the name1 if not exactly a fraud1 is calculated to mislead4 ,doubtless it is the mint sauce that satisfies the uncritical palate4 ,just as the boy who1 when asked after a treat of oysters how he liked them1 said with gusto1 ,the oysters was good1 but the vinegar and pepper was delicious6 ,it is well known that there is a tendency among men in charge of special kinds of domestic animals gradually to approximate to them in appearance1 and we are told that men sometimes gradually acquire a resemblance to men they admire4 ,i knew a pedigree-pig herdsman1 very successful in the show-ring1 who was curiously like his charges1 and ,i had at least two shepherds whose profiles were extraordinarily sheepish--though not in the ordinary acceptation of the term4 ,such an appearance confers a singularly simple expression4 ,it must have been a man whose character justified such a facial peculiarity1 who1 having to bring the flock of one of my neighbours over a railway crossing between two of his fields1 neglected to open the further gate first1 drove the sheep on to the rails1 and proceeded to do so1 only to find the sheep1 in the meantime1 had wandered down the line4 ,before he could collect them a train dashed into them1 and many were killed and others injured4 ,the railway company not only repudiated all liability1 but sent in a counterclaim for damage to their engine6 ,but the tables were turned morally1 if not actually1 by a friend of mine1 who certainly scored off a railway company4 ,my friend's waggon1 with two horses and a load of hay1 was passing over a level crossing on his land1 when the ,london express came into view slinging downhill in all the majesty of triumphant speed1 but far enough away to be brought up in time1 ignominiously and abruptly4 ,the railway company wrote my friend a letter of remonstrance suggestive of pains and penalties1 and telling him that his waggoner should have made sure of the safety of crossing before attempting it--not an easy thing to do at this particular place4 ,my friend replied that his right of way existed centuries before the railway was dreamed of1 that the crossing was a concession for the company's convenience1 it had saved the expense of a bridge1 and that his hay was an urgent matter in view of the weather2 and that uninterrupted harvesting was of more importance than the punctuality of their passengers4 ,i have sometimes passed through a remote village on a ,sunday where the obsequies of a pig were to be seen in full view from the road2 these were usually places where the church was in an adjoining mother-parish1 and of course there are times when1 for reasons of health or perhaps more correctly ill-health1 it is impossible to defer the ceremony4 ,as a rule1 ,i should imagine that greater privacy is sought1 at any rate so far as the public point of view is concerned4 ,one remembers the story of the man doing some ,sunday carpentering2 his wife expostulated with him as a ,sabbath breaker2 he replied that in driving in the nails he could not help making some noise2 then why1 said she1 don't you use screws8 ,an old ,dorset labourer who helped with the removal of the pig-wash1 and did other small jobs for successive tenants of mine at a furnished cottage on my land in ,hampshire1 invariably estimated the social status and resources of each new tenant by the consistency of the wash4 ,when some rather extravagant occupiers were in possession1 he reported them as1 ,quite the right sort2 their wash is real good1 thick stuff4 ,the villagers at ,aldington did not smoke their bacon1 but1 as it usually hung in the kitchen not far from the big open hearth1 and as the place was often full of fragrant wood smoke1 the bacon acquired a pleasant suggestion of the smoked article of the southern counties4 ,the cottagers rarely complained of the smoky state of their kitchens1 consoling themselves with the saying1 ',tis better to be smoke-dried nor starred starved with the cold to death4 ,bacon naturally suggests eggs2 many of the villagers kept a few fowls which sometimes strayed into my orchards2 as a rule1 ,i made no objection1 but it was not pleasing1 when the apples were over-ripe and dropping from the trees1 to notice the destructive marks of their beaks on some extra fine ,blenheim oranges4 ,my wife determined to take over our fowls into her own jurisdiction2 hitherto they had been under my bailiff's care1 and he rather resented the change as an implication on his management1 until it was explained that she was anxious to undertake the poultry as a hobby4 ,one of the carter boys was detailed to collect the eggs1 as some of the hen-houses were in out-of-the-way corners of the yards and difficult to approach4 ,my wife thought the middleman was appropriating most of the profit2 she was determined to get as directly to the consumer as possible and1 among others1 she arranged with the head of a large school for a weekly supply of dairy and poultry produce4 ,all went well for a time until one day the boy1 anxious to produce as many eggs as possible1 as he received a royalty per dozen for collecting1 discovered some nests which my man had set for hatching before he retired from the post4 ,the boy1 not recognizing this important fact1 came in greatly pleased with an unusually large quantity1 and it so happened that the school received the eggs from this special lot4 ,next morning forty eggs appeared at the boys' breakfast table1 and forty boys simultaneously suffered a terrible shock on the discovery of forty incomplete chickens4 ,the head wrote an aggrieved letter of complaint1 and though my wife was by that time able to explain the matter1 and regret her own loss too of forty chickens1 he removed his custom to a more reliable source4 ,this schoolmaster was a collector of antique furniture and china1 and1 knowing that ,i was interested1 he asked me to come and see some ,chippendale chairs he had just acquired4 ,it happened that some months before ,i had declined to buy four or five chairs that were offered at #ajs4 apiece4 ,i had not then fully developed the taste for the antique1 which once acquired forbids the connoisseur to refuse anything good1 whether really wanted or not1 and at that time there was much more choice in such matters than at the present day4 ,the chairs were very dilapidated and ,i did not recognize their possibilities1 but ,i noticed the arms of the elbow chairs were particularly good1 being carved at the junction of the horizontal and vertical pieces with eagles' heads4 ,deciding that ,i did not want them ,i sent a dealer to the house and forgot all about the matter4 ,the schoolmaster took me into his drawing-room1 and ,i instantly recognized the set ,i had refused2 they were quite transformed1 nicely cleaned1 lightly polished1 and the seats newly covered4 ,i duly admired them1 and on inquiry found that he had purchased them in ,worcester from the dealer ,i had sent to look at them2 they cost him #e each1 and ,i suppose at the present time they would be worth #bj apiece at least4 ,i have previously mentioned old ,viper as a family friend1 but like all dogs he had his faults4 ,he acquired a liking for new laid eggs and hunted the rickyard for nests in the straw4 ,my bailiff determined to cure him2 he carefully blew an egg1 and filled it with a mixture of which mustard was the chief component4 ,viper was tempted to sample the egg1 which he accepted with a great show of innocence2 the effect when he had broken the shell was electrical2 he fled with downcast tail and complete dejection1 and nothing would ever induce him to touch an egg again4 ,the whirligig of time has indeed brought its revenge in the matter of the market value of eggs4 ,in ,worcestershire we have had to give them away at eighteen or twenty for a shilling2 last 7#aiah-aiai7 winter we sold some at #gs4 a dozen1 and many more at #es4 ,,chapter ,,xiv4 ,,orchards--,,apples--,,cider--,,perry4 ,lo6 sweetened with the summer light1 ,the full-juiced apple1 waxing over-mellow ,drops in a silent autumn night4 --,the ,lotus-,eaters4 ,a curious old punning ,latin line1 illustrating various meanings of the word malus1 an apple1 seems appropriate1 as a commencement1 to writing about apples2 it is ,i think very little known1 and too good to be forgotten4 ,malo1 malo1 malo1 malo2 it is translated thus3 ,malo1 ,i would rather be1 ,malo1 in an apple-tree1 ,malo1 than a bad boy1 ,malo1 in adversity4 ,the fruit was an important item on the ,aldington ,manor ,farm1 and when later ,i bought an adjoining farm of seventy acres with orcharding1 and had planted nine acres of plum trees1 my total fruit area amounted to about thirty acres4 ,there was a saying in the neighbourhood which pleased me greatly1 that it was always harvest at ,aldington2 it was not so much intended to signify that there was always something coming in1 as to convey an impression of the constant activity and employment of labour that continued throughout the seasons without intermission1 though it was true that with the diversity of my crops and stock1 there was a more or less continuous return4 ,i had a shock when an old friend in a neighbouring village spoke of me as a pomologist1 the title seemed much too distinguished1 and personally ,i have never claimed the right to anything better than the rather pretty old title of orchardist4 ,the position of an orchard is of the utmost importance2 shelter is necessary1 but it must be above the ordinary spring frost level of the district4 ,i should say that no orchard should be less than #aej feet above sea-level1 to be fairly safe1 and #bjj feet would in nearly any ordinary spring be quite secure against frost4 ,the climate has a remarkable effect upon the colour of apples1 and colour is one of the most valuable of market properties1 for the ordinary town buyer is a poor judge of the merits of apples and prefers colour and size to most other considerations4 ,here in the south of ,england seven miles from the sea1 in a dry and sunny climate1 all apples develop a much more brilliant colour than in the moist climate of the ,vale of ,evesham4 ,i fear that very few planters of fruit trees think of following the routine which ,virgil describes in his second ,georgic1 as practised by the careful orchardist1 when transplanting4 ,dryden's translation is as follows3 ,some peasants1 not t' omit the nicest care1 ,of the same soil their nursery prepare ,with that of their plantation2 lest the tree1 ,translated should not with the soil agree4 ,beside1 to plant it as it was1 they mark ,the heav'ns four quarters on the tender bark1 ,and to the north or south restore the side1 ,which at their birth did heat or cold abide3 ,so strong is custom2 such effects can use ,in tender souls of pliant plants produce4 ,virgil was born in the year #gj ,b4,c41 and died1 age #ea1 in #ai ,b4,c41 so that over nineteen centuries have elapsed since these words were written2 as he was an excellent farmer1 he would not have mentioned the practice unless he considered the advice sound4 ,it is quite possible that the vertical cracking of the bark on one side of a young transplanted tree may be due to a change from the cool north aspect to the heat of the south4 ,at any rate the experiment is well worth trying1 and nurserymen would not find it much trouble to run a chalk line down the south side of each tree1 when lifting them1 as a guide for the purchaser4 ,as showing how conservative is the popular demand for apples1 ,cox's ,orange ,pippin1 which is absolutely unapproached for flavour1 and is perfectly sound and eatable from early in ,november till ,easter if carefully picked at the right moment and properly stored1 was cultivated thirty or forty years before the ,british public discovered its extraordinary qualities6 ,i find it described as one of the best dessert apples in ,dr4 ,hogg's ,fruit ,manual1 and my copy is the third edition published in #ahff1 so it must have been well known to him some years previously1 though we never heard much about it until after the twentieth century came in4 ,though the colour1 when well grown1 is highly attractive to the connoisseur1 the ordinary buyer did not readily take to it as it is rather small4 ,in #aiag ,cox's ,orange ,pippin1 however1 really came into its own2 ,i myself1 here in the ,new ,forest1 grew over #c1jjj pounds on about #abj trees planted in #aijf1 each branch pruned as a cordon1 and very thinly dispersed1 and the trees restricted to a height of about #ad feet4 ,the apples were mostly sold in ,covent ,garden at #f;d4 a pound1 clear of railway carriage and salesmen's commission4 ,in #aiah1 a year of great scarcity1 these apples were selling in the ,london shops up to #cs4 #f;d4 apiece6 ,now that its reputation is fully established1 it is likely to be many years before it becomes relatively low in price1 as the foreign apples of this kind cannot compare in flavour with those grown in our own orchards4 ,i appreciate the man whose attention was wholly given to some particularly dainty dish1 and1 being bored at the table by a persistent talker1 gently said1 ,hush6 and let me listen to the flavour4 ,as an early market apple there is none more popular than the ,worcester ,pearmain1 first grown in the early eighties by ,messrs4 ,r4 ,smith and ,co41 of ,worcester1 and said to be a cross between ,king of the ,pippins and the old ,quarrenden 7nearly always called ,quarantine74 ,it is a most attractive fruit--brilliant in colour1 medium size1 with pleasant brisk flavour--and is an early and regular bearer4 ,i recognized its possibilities as soon as ,i saw it1 and getting all the grafts ,i could collect1 and they were very scarce at the time1 ,i had the branches of some of my old worthless trees cut off1 and set my old grafter to convert them into ,worcester ,pearmains2 they soon came into bearing and produced abundant and profitable crops4 ,this apple is not much use for keeping beyond a month or so1 as it soon loses its crisp texture and distinctive flavour1 and it is its earliness and colour that makes it so popular in its season4 ,its regularity as a bearer is due to its early maturity2 it can be picked in ,august1 which allows plenty of time1 in favourable weather1 for next year's fruit buds to develop before winter2 whereas with the late sorts these buds have very little chance to mature while the current year's fruit is ripening1 with the result that a blank season nearly always follows an abundant yield4 ,the ,worcester ,pearmain is so highly decorative1 with its large pale pink and white blossoms in spring and its glowing red fruit in autumn1 that it would be worth growing for these qualities alone in the amateur's garden1 and in any case it is an apple that nobody should be without4 ,an old apple1 not sufficiently known1 is the ,rosemary ,russet2 it has the distinctive russet-bronze colouring1 always indicative of flavour1 with a rosy flush on the sunny side1 and ,dr4 ,hogg describes it further as1 flesh yellow1 crisp1 tender1 very juicy1 sugary and highly aromatic--a first-rate dessert apple1 in use from ,december to ,february4 ,in my opinion it comes next1 though longo intervallo1 to ,cox's ,orange ,pippin1 but it wants good land to make the best of it4 ,it may with confidence be produced as a rarity across the walnuts and the wine to the connossieur in apples4 ,in ,covent ,garden ,market ,king ,pippins are known as ,kings2 ,cox's ,orange ,pippins as ,c4,o4,p4's2 ,cellinis as ,selinas2 ,kerry pippins as ,careys2 ,court pendu plat as ,corpendus2 and the pear1 ,josphine de ,malines as ,joseph on the palings6 ,the ,wellington is sold as ,wellington1 but in the markets of the large northern towns it is known as ,normanton ,wonder4 ,in ,worcestershire ,st4 ,swithin's ,day1 ,july #ae1 is called apple-christening day1 when a good rain often gives a great impetus to their growth1 and a little later great quantities of small apples may be seen under the trees2 this is ,nature's method of limiting the crop to reasonable proportions1 the weak ones falling off and the fittest surviving4 ,the inexperienced grower may be somewhat alarmed by this apparent destruction of his prospects1 but the older hand knows better1 and my bailiff always said3 ,when ,i sees plenty of apples under the trees about midsummer1 ,i knows there'll be plenty to pick towards ,michaelmas4 ,the ,blenheim ,orange was the leading apple at ,aldington2 some kind person had1 sixty or seventy years before my time1 planted a number of trees which had thrived wonderfully on that rich land4 ,the ,blenheim is a nice dessert apple and a splendid cooker2 the trees take many years to come into bearing1 and then they make up for lost time4 ,nature is never in a hurry to produce her best results4 ,as a market apple the ,blenheim has a great reputation2 if an ,evesham fruit dealer was asked if he could do with any apples1 his first question was always3 ,be 'em ,blemmins8 ,september blow soft till the fruit's in the loft1 is the prayer of all apple growers2 it is pitiful to see1 after a roaring gale1 the ground strewn with beautiful fruit1 bruised and broken1 useless to keep1 and only suitable for carting away to the all-devouring cider-mill1 though1 even for that purpose1 the sweet ,blenheim does not produce nearly so good a drink as sourer accredited cider varieties4 ,many of the gardening papers will name apples if sent by readers for identification2 ,i was told of an enquirer who sent twelve apples from the same tree1 and received eleven different names and one unknown6 ,apples off the same tree do differ wonderfully1 but ,i can scarcely credit this story4 ,it was the custom formerly at ,aldington to sell the fruit on the trees by auction for the buyer to pick and market1 growers as a rule being too busy with corn-harvest to attend to the gathering4 ,a considerable sum was thereby often sacrificed1 as the buyer allows an ample margin for risks1 and is not willing to give more than about half of what he expects to receive ultimately4 ,i discontinued the auction sales early in my farming1 preferring to take the risks myself1 and having plenty of labour available4 ,it is instructive too to know how individual trees are bearing1 and the sorts which produce the best returns4 ,except for the choicest fruit1 ,i consider ,london the worst market1 and ,i could do better1 as a rule1 by sending my consignments to ,manchester1 ,liverpool1 ,sheffield1 and ,glasgow2 the latter especially for large coarse stuff4 ,london is more critical1 pays well for the very best1 but requires apples to be carefully graded1 and the grades separately packed2 ,london is1 moreover1 naturally well supplied by the southern counties4 ,at the auctions the competition was generally keen1 there being much rivalry between the buyers2 and it was good for the sellers when political parties were opposed to each other1 for in those days ,evesham was inclined to be rather violent in such matters4 ,i remember a lively contest between ,conservatives and ,radicals1 when my largest orchard--about six acres--was sold to the champion of the former for #baj1 and the ,radical exclaimed1 as the lot was knocked down1 for everybody to hear3 ,he offered me #aj before the sale to stand out1 now that #aj is in ,mr4 ,s4's pocket6 ,a few strong gales in the winter are supposed to benefit apple-trees1 acting as a kind of root pruning2 but sometimes1 when they are getting old1 they come down bodily with a crash1 partly uprooted1 though even then they may be resuscitated for a time4 ,we had a powerful set of pulley tackle by which1 when made fast to a neighbouring tree1 they could be restored to the perpendicular1 after enlarging the hole left by the roots1 making the ground firm again round the tree1 and placing a strong sloping prop to take the weight on the weak side2 good yields would then often continue for some years4 ,when the pickers had gathered the crop1 by an ancient custom all the village children were allowed to invade the orchards for the purpose of getting for themselves any apples overlooked4 ,this practice is called scragging1 but it is a custom that would perhaps be better honoured in the breach than in the observance1 for hob nails do not agree with the tender bark of young trees4 ,like gleaning1 or leasing1 as it is called1 it is nevertheless a pleasant old custom1 and seems to give the children huge delight4 ,mistletoe did not find my apple-trees congenial1 there was only one piece on all my fruit land1 and it was regarded as something of a curiosity4 ,but in other parts of the neighbourhood it flourished abundantly1 though ,i noticed that it was most frequent where the land was poorer and the trees not so luxuriant4 ,it was also to be seen on tall black poplars1 and ,i have a piece--planted purposely--on a hawthorn in my garden here4 ,it grows in parts of the ,forest1 especially on the white-beams in ,sloden1 in curiously small detached pieces like lichen4 ,the white-beam was a favourite tree of the ,romans for the wood-work of agricultural implements1 being tough and strong4 ,mistletoe is quite easy to propagate by rubbing the glutinous berries and their seeds on the under side of a small branch at the angle where it joins a limb4 ,there it will often flourish unless snapped up by a wandering missel-thrush4 ,it is very slow in growth1 but1 when it attains a fair size1 is strikingly pretty in winter when the tree is otherwise bare1 for its peculiar shade of faded green1 with its white and glistening berries1 makes an unusual effect--quite different from that of any other green thing4 ,it is rare on the oak1 and1 possibly for that reason1 the ,druids regarded the oak upon which it grew as sacred4 ,the transition from apples to cider is a natural one1 and cider is a great institution in ,worcestershire4 ,on all the larger farms1 and in every village1 an ancient cider-mill can be found4 ,it consists of a circular block of masonry1 perhaps ten feet in diameter1 the outer circumference of which is a continuous stone trough1 about #ah inches across1 and #ae inches deep1 called the chase1 in which a huge grindstone1 weighing about #ae cwt41 revolves slowly1 actuated by a horse walking round the chase in an unending circle4 ,the apples are introduced in small quantities into the chase1 and crushed into pulp by the grindstone4 ,the pulp is then removed and placed between hair cloths1 piled upon each other1 until a stack is erected beneath a powerful press1 worked by a lever1 on the principle of a capstan4 ,as the pressure increases1 the liquor runs into a vessel below1 from whence it is carried in buckets1 and poured into barrels in the cellar4 ,fermentation begins almost immediately1 by which the sugar is converted in carbonic acid gas and alcohol2 the gas escapes and the spirit remains in the liquor4 ,such is the simplest method of cider-making1 and it produces a drink thoroughly appreciated by the men1 for we made annually #a1ejj to #b1jjj gallons1 and there was very little left when next year's cider-making began4 ,where cider is made for sale1 much greater care is necessary2 only the soundest fruit is used1 and the vinous fermentation is allowed to begin in open vessels before the pulp is pressed4 ,when the extracted liquor is placed in the barrels every effort is made to prevent the acetic fermentation1 which produces vinegar1 and spoils the cider for discriminating palates4 ,the stone mill has been superseded to some extent by the steam scratter2 but the cider is not considered so good1 as the kernels are left uncrushed1 an important omission1 as they add largely to the flavour of the finished product4 ,after a hot dry summer1 cider is unusually strong1 because the sugar in the apples is much more fully developed4 ,it is recognized that these hot summers produce what are known as vintage years for cider1 just as1 on the ,continent1 they produce vintage wines4 ,jarge1 of whom ,i have written1 was the presiding genius in the cider-mill1 and his duties began as soon as hop-picking was over4 ,all traces of the downward inclination of the corners of his mouth1 caused by the delinquencies of recalcitrant hoppers1 quite disappeared as soon as his new duties commenced1 and it was a pleasure to see his jovial face beaming over a job which seemed to have no drawbacks4 ,a really ,bacchanalian presence is the only one that should be tolerated in a cider-maker2 the lean and hungry character is quite out of place amidst the fragrance of the crushed apples1 and the generous liquor running from the press4 ,the cider-maker is always allowed a liberal quantity of last year's produce1 on the principle of thou shalt not muzzle the ox when he treadeth out the corn--a principle that should always be recognized in the labourer's hire1 and one which is too often forgotten by the public in its estimate of the necessities of the farmer himself4 ,it is usual for the man in possession1 so to speak1 of the cider-mill1 to mix1 for his own consumption1 some of the new unfermented liquor with the old cider1 which1 after twelve months1 is apt to be excessively sour2 but the quantity of the former must not be in too large a proportion1 as it has a powerful medicinal effect4 ,wouldst thou thy vats with generous juice should froth8 ,respect thy orchats3 think not that the trees ,spontaneous will produce a wholesome draught1 ,let art correct thy breed4 ,so sang ,philips in his ,cyder in the distant days of #agjf1 but the advice is as sound as ever1 for good cider can only be produced from the right kinds of apples4 ,the names of new sorts are legion1 but some of the old varieties are still considered to be very valuable4 ,among these1 the ,foxwhelp has been a favourite for #bjj years1 and others in great esteem are ,skyrme's ,kernal1 ,forest ,styre1 ,hagloe ,crab1 ,dymock ,red1 ,bromley1 ,cowarne ,red1 and ,styre ,wilding4 ,it requires about twenty pots 7a local measure each weighing #fd pounds7 to make a hogshead of cider2 a hogshead is roughly #ajj gallons1 and in ,worcestershire is hardly recognizable under the name of oxsheard--,i have never seen the word in print1 but the local pronunciation is faithfully represented by my spelling4 ,another local appellation which puzzled me for some years was crab varges1 which ,i eventually discovered to mean verjuice1 a terribly sour liquid1 made in the same way as cider from crab apples4 ,it was considered a wonderfully stimulating specific for sprains and strains1 holding the same pre-eminent position as an embrocation1 as did goose-grace 7goose-grease7 as an ointment or emollient4 ,this substance is the melted fat of a goose1 and was said to be so powerful that1 if applied to the back of the hand1 it could shortly be recognized on the palm6 ,the value of alcohol as a food is generally denied in these days by sedentary people1 but very few who have seen its judicious use in agricultural work will be inclined to agree2 it is possible that though it may be a carbo-hydrate very quickly consumed in the body1 it acts as an aid to digestion1 and produces more nourishment from a given quantity of food1 than would be assimilated in its absence4 ,the giving out of the men's allowances is1 however1 a troublesome matter and demands a firm and masterful bailiff or foreman1 for much is inclined to want more1 and the line should1 of course1 be drawn far short of excess4 ,it was related of an old lady farmer in the neighbourhood1 who always distributed her men's cider with her own hands1 that in her anxiety to be on the safe side after a season when the cider was unusually strong1 she mixed a proportion of water with the beverage1 before the arrival of the recipients4 ,one of the men1 however1 having discovered the dilution1 arrived after the first day with two jars4 ,asked the reason for the second jar1 he answered that he should prefer to have his cider and the water separate4 ,my bailiff always said that sixpennyworth of cider would do more work than a shilling in cash4 ,he was undoubtedly correct1 and1 moreover1 the quantity worth sixpence in the farm cider store would cost a shilling or more at the public-house1 to supply an equivalent in alcohol1 and valuable time would be lost in fetching it4 ,it is the alcohol that commends it to the agricultural labourer more than any consideration of thirst1 and no one can see its effect without the conviction that the men find it not only stimulating1 but supporting4 ,a friend of mine1 however1 found so much satisfaction in a deep draught of cider when he felt really dry1 that he said he would give a crown any day for a good thirst6 ,excess in drink was rare at ,aldington1 and it was very exceptional for a man to be seen in what were called his crooked stockings4 ,fortunately1 we had no public-house in the village1 and if the men had a moderate allowance during a hard day's work1 there was not much temptation to tramp a mile and back at night to the nearest licensed premises in order to sit and swill in the tap-room4 ,i had one man who lived near a place of the sort1 and he occasionally took what my bailiff called1 ,saints' days1 and did not appear for work4 ,i notice that this sort of day is now called by the more suitable name of alcoholiday4 ,well-fermented cider contains from #e to #aj gallons of alcohol1 and perry about #g gallons1 to every #ajj gallons of the liquor1 which compares with claret #ac to #ag1 sherry #ae to #bj1 and port #bd to #bf per cent1 of alcohol4 ,i found the truth of the proverb in vino veritas2 after a quite small allowance of cider on the farm the open-hearted man would become lively1 the reserved man taciturn1 the crabbed man argumentative2 but the work went with a will and a spirit that were not so noticeable when no tots were going round4 ,an old gentleman in the neighbourhood used to tell with much enjoyment the following story of his younger days4 ,i found myself1 he said1 gradually increasing my allowance of whisky and water1 as ,i sat alone of an evening1 and ,i said to myself3 ',now look here1 ,h4,w41 you began with one glass1 very soon you got on to two1 and now you're taking three4 ,i'll tell you what it is1 ,h4,w41 you shan't have another drop of whisky for a month'2 and1 he added1 ,h4,w4 did it1 too6 ,shortly before ,i came to ,aldington the men were suddenly seized with what seemed an unaccountable epidemic2 their symptoms were all similar1 and a doctor soon diagnosed the complaint as lead-poisoning4 ,nobody could suggest its origin until the cider was suspected1 and1 on enquiry1 it was elicited that the previous year the stones of the cider-mill chase1 which had become loosened by long use1 were repaired with melted lead poured in between the joints4 ,the malic acid of the apples had dissolved the lead1 and it remained in solution in the cider4 ,to the disgust of the men1 the doctor advised removing the bungs from the barrels and letting the cider run off into the drains1 but nobody had the heart to comply1 for there was the whole year's stock1 and it meant a wait of twelve months before it could be replaced4 ,after some months the men got impatient1 and told the master they were prepared to take the risk4 ,they began with great caution1 and finding no bad result1 they gradually increased the dose1 still without harm1 until the normal allowance was safely reached4 ,it is probable that the barrel which caused the symptoms was the first made after the repairs1 and contained an extra quantity of the lead1 and although the remainder was more or less contaminated1 the poison was in such small amount as to be harmless4 ,there were many old apple-trees about the hedges and in odd corners1 which went by the name of the roundabouts1 and the fruit was annually collected and brought to the cider-mill4 ,some of these were immense trees1 and not very desirable round arable land1 owing to their shade1 but they were lovely when in bloom1 for standing separately1 they seemed to develop richer colours than when close together in an orchard4 ,the story of ,shakespeare's carouse1 and his night passed under a crab-tree near ,bidford1 about six miles from ,aldington1 is well known4 ,it is stated1 but not without contradiction1 that he excused himself by explaining that he had been drinking with3 ,piping ,pebworth1 dancing ,marston1 ,haunted ,hillborough1 hungry ,grafton1 ,dudging ,exhall1 papist ,wixford1 ,beggarly ,broom1 and drunken ,bidford4 ,a carousal at all these places would have been a heavy day's work1 and ,i have often thought that if the lines can really be attributed to him1 he might have meant that he had met people from all the villages at one of the ,whitsuntide merry-makings annually held in the neighbourhood1 and passed a jovial time in their company4 ,perry is made in much the same way as cider1 and when due care has been taken in its manufacture1 it is a most delicious and wholesome drink4 ,when bottled and kept to mature it pours out with a beautiful creaming head1 and is far superior to ordinary champagne4 ,both cider and perry should be drunk out of a china or earthenware mug1 whence they taste much richer than from glass2 but my men always used in the field a small horn cup or tot1 holding about quarter of a pint4 ,i have a very interesting old cider cup1 of ,fulham or ,lambeth earthenware ,i think1 holding about a quart1 with three handles1 each of which is a greyhound with body bent to form the loop for the hand4 ,it was intended for the use of three persons sitting together at a small three-cornered oak table1 specimens of which are still1 though rarely1 met with at furniture sales in farm-houses or cottages2 the cup was placed in the middle1 and each person could take a pull by using his particular handle with the adjacent place for his lips1 without passing the cup round or using the same drinking space as another4 ,there are numerous kinds of perry pears1 but certain sorts have a great reputation1 such as ,moorcroft1 ,barland1 ,malvern ,hills1 ,longdon1 ,red ,horse1 ,mother ,huff ,cap1 and ,chate ,boy 7cheat boy71 a particularly astringent pear2 these are all small1 and require quickly grinding when gathered4 ,in the ,new ,forest there is a perry pear similar to the ,chate ,boy1 called ,choke ,dog1 which in its natural state1 is quite as rough on the palate as the former1 but it differs in colour and is not the same sort4 ,i had a splendid specimen of the ,chate ,boy pear-tree at an outlying set of buildings1 said to be the father of all the trees of that kind in the neighbourhood1 and it was a landmark for miles1 as it stood on high ground4 ,it was fitted with a ladder reaching to the middle of the tree1 where seats were arranged on a platform for eight or nine people2 but it was unfortunately blown down on the night of the great gale of ,october #ad1 #ahgg1 when twelve other trees on the farm were likewise overthrown4 ,cider and perry drinkers were said to be more or less immune from many human ailments1 including rheumatic affections1 though one would expect the acetic acid they contain1 unless very carefully made1 would have an opposite effect4 ,certainly my men suffered neither from gout nor rheumatism1 and there was a tradition that in #ahcb1 when the cholera was rife in the country1 the plague was stayed as soon as the cider districts were approached4 ,these noble old pear-trees are a great feature of the ,vale of ,evesham1 especially in the more calcareous parts where the lias limestone is not far from the surface2 they are exquisite in spring in clouds of pure white blossoms long before the apples are in bloom2 in the autumn the foliage presents every tint of crimson1 green and gold all softly subdued1 and in winter1 when the framework of the tree can be seen1 it is noticeable how far the massive limbs extend1 carrying their girth almost to the summit1 in a way that not even the oak can excel4 ,the timber is short in the grain1 and wears smooth in the long wood ploughs1 and is very suitable for carving quite small and elaborate patterns for such articles as picture frames2 but it is somewhat liable to the attack of the woodworm4 ,,chapter ,,xv4 ,,plums--,,cherries4 ,a right down hearty one he be as'll make some of our maids look alive4 ,and the worst time of year for such work too1 when the ,may-,dukes is in1 and the ,hearts a-colouring6 --,crusty ,john in ,alice ,lorraine4 ,the ,vale of ,evesham has the credit of being the birthplace of two most valuable plums--the ,damascene1 and the ,pershore1 or ,egg plum4 ,these both grow on their own stocks1 so require no grafting1 and can readily be propagated by severing the suckers which spring up around them from the roots of the tree4 ,the ,damascene1 as its name implies1 is a species of ,damson1 but coarser than the real ,damson or the ,prune ,damson4 ,they are not so popular on the ,london market as in the markets of the north1 especially in ,manchester1 where they command prices little inferior to the better sorts1 as they yield a brilliant red dye suitable for dying printed cotton goods4 ,when really ripe they are excellent for cooking1 and are not to be despised1 even raw1 on a thirsty autumn day4 ,in years of scarcity these have fetched #cjs4 and over per pot of #gb pounds4 ,the ,pershore is a very different plum1 green when unripe1 and attaining a golden colour later2 they are immense bearers and very hardy1 frequently saving the situation for the plum-growers when all other kinds are destroyed by spring frosts4 ,they are specially valuable for bottling1 and it is rumoured that in the hands of skilful manufacturers they become apricots under certain conditions4 ,as cookers1 too1 they are perhaps the most useful of plums1 for they can be used in a very green and hard state4 ,it is a wonderful sight to see them being despatched by tram at the ,evesham stations1 loaded sometimes loose like coals in the trucks for the big preserving firms in the north4 ,the trees grow very irregularly and are difficult to keep in shape by pruning1 as they send forth suckers from all parts when an attempt is made to keep them symmetrical4 ,the only purpose for which the fruit is of little use is for eating raw1 they are not unpleasant when just ripe1 but that stage is soon passed and they become woody and unpalatable4 ,i planted a thousand of these trees in a new orchard1 and took great pains with the pruning myself1 for it was curious that in that land of fruit at the time no professional pruner could be found4 ,i sought the advice of a market-gardener and plum-grower1 who1 in the early stage of their growth1 gave me an object-lesson1 cutting back the young shoots rather hard to induce them to throw out more at the point of incision1 so as to produce eventually a fuller head2 while he reiterated the instruction1 ,it is no use being afraid of 'em4 ,this young orchard adjoined the ,great ,western ,railway1 and one day when pruning there ,i saw a remarkable sight1 and ,i have never found any one with a similar experience4 ,the telegraph wires were magnified into stout ropes by a coating of white rime1 and ,i could see a distinct series of waves approximating to the dots and dashes of the ,morse code running along them4 ,the movement would run for a time up towards ,london1 cease for a moment1 and then run downwards towards ,evesham1 and so on almost continuously4 ,i thought it might be caused by the passage of electricity1 but ,i cannot get a satisfactory explanation4 ,no trains were passing1 there was no wind1 the rime was not thawing or falling off1 and apparently there was nothing to agitate either poles or wires4 ,this orchard was not a lucky one2 it was too low1 having only one flat meadow between it and the brook1 and therefore very liable to spring frosts4 ,i have seen the trees well past the blossoming stage1 with young plums as large as peas1 which after two nights' sharp frost turned black and fell off to such an extent that there was scarcely a plum left2 but ,i had a few very good crops which gave employment to a number of additional hands besides my regular people4 ,a season came when the plum-trees in my new orchard were badly attacked by the caterpillars of the winter-moth1 but the cuckoos soon found them out1 and ,i could see half a dozen at once enjoying a bountiful feast4 ,when better plums are abundant the ,pershore falls to very low prices2 ,i have sold quantities at #as4 or #as4 #c;d4 per pot of #gb pounds1 at which of course there was a loss2 but it is needless to say that at such times the consumer never gets the benefit1 #b;d4 a pound being about the lowest figure at which they are ever seen on offer in the shops4 ,the ,victoria is a very superior plum to the ,pershore1 and a local plum called ,jimmy ,moore is also a favourite4 ,i believe this plum is very similar to1 if not identical with1 one sold as ,emperor2 both it and the ,victoria nearly always made good prices and bore well4 ,the ,victoria1 especially1 was so prolific that in some seasons1 if not carefully propped1 every branch would be broken off by1 the weight of fruit1 and the tree left a wreck4 ,not discouraged1 however1 it would shoot out again and in a few years bear as well as ever4 ,my best plum was the greengage1 rather a shy bearer but always in demand4 ,living in a land of ,goshen1 like the ,vale of ,evesham1 one gets quite hypercritical 7or picksome1 as the local expression is71 and scarcely cares to taste a fruit from a tree in passing2 but ,i used to visit my greengages at times when the pickers had done with them1 for they have to be gathered somewhat unripe to ensure travelling undamaged4 ,i often found1 on the south side of the tree1 a few that had been overlooked which were fully ripe1 beautifully mottled1 full of sunshine1 and perfect in melting texture and ambrosial flavour4 ,for restocking old worn-out apple orchards1 in ,worcestershire at any rate1 there is nothing to equal plum-trees2 they flourished amazingly at ,aldington1 and soon made up for the lost apples2 they appeared to follow the principle that dictates the rotation of ordinary crops1 just as the leguminous plants alternate satisfactorily with the graminaceous1 or1 as ,i have read that in ,norway1 where a fir forest has been cut1 birch will spring up automatically and take its place4 ,my predecessor always sold his plums on the trees for the buyer to harvest1 and ,i heard that when the former turned a flock of ,dorset ewes into one of these orchards1 the buyer complained--the lower branches being heavily laden1 and within a few feet of the ground--that he had watched1 ,them old yows holding down bunches of plums with their harns for t'others to eat4 ,this ,i imagine was in the nature of hyperbole1 and not intended to be taken literally4 ,i had about forty cherry trees in one of my orchards1 and among them a very early kind of black cherry1 as well as ,black ,bigarreaus1 ,white ,heart and ,elton ,heart4 ,the early ones made particularly good prices1 but when the ,french cherries began to be imported1 being on the market a week or two before ours they took the keen edge off the demand1 though wretched-looking things in comparison4 ,the cherries from my forty trees made #hj one year when the crop was good1 but they are expensive to pick as there is much shifting of heavy ladders1 and the work was done by men4 ,in ,kent1 ,i believe1 women are employed at cherry-picking1 ascending forty-round ladders in a gale of wind without a sign of nervousness1 but with a man in attendance to pack the fruit and shift the ladders when required4 ,i found ,liverpool the best market for cherries1 where they were bought by the large steamship companies for the ,transatlantic liners1 and where they were in demand for the seaside and holiday places in ,north ,wales and ,lancashire4 ,like the pear-trees1 the cherry-trees are very beautiful in spring1 and again in autumn1 and as mine could be seen from the house and garden1 they added a great charm to the place4 ,i must put in a word here for the bullfinch1 which is unreasonably persecuted for its supposed destruction of the cherry crop when in bloom2 it undoubtedly picks many blossoms to pieces1 but probably no ultimate loss of weight follows2 very few comparatively of the blooms ever become fruits in any case1 and even if some are thus nipped in the bud1 it is probable that the remainder mature into larger and finer cherries in consequence4 ,the advantage of thinning is recognized in the case of all our fruits1 and is indeed1 the reason for pruning4 ,the vine-grower knows well the truth of the saying that1 ,you should get your enemy to thin your grapes1 and ,i would sacrifice many cherries for a few of these beautiful birds in my garden1 for man does not live by bread alone4 ,one of the old couplets1 of which our forefathers were so fond1 runs3 ,a cherry year is a merry year1 ,and a plum year is a dumb year4 ,i have seen the explanation suggested that cherries being particularly wholesome contributed to the happiness of mankind1 but that the less salubrious plum tended to depression of health and spirits4 ,there is1 however1 a small black cherry still grown in this and other parts of ,hampshire and ,surrey called the ,merry1 from the ,french merise1 and it was natural that when cherries were abundant the merry would also be plentiful4 ,the word dumb is an archaic synonym for damson1 and the same rule would apply between it and the plum1 as with the cherry and the merry4 ,my own small place here1 in the ,new ,forest1 has been known for centuries as the ,merry ,gardens1 and no doubt they were once grown here1 as at other places in the south of ,england1 called ,merry ,hills1 ,merry ,fields1 and ,merry ,orchards4 ,even now as ,i write1 on ,may ,day1 the buds on the wild cherries in my hedges are showing the white bloom just ready to appear1 and in a few days1 these trees will be spangled with their little bright stars4 ,i imagine that they are no very distant relation of the old merry-trees that once flourished here4 ,,chapter ,,xvi4 ,,trees3 ,,elm--,,oak--,,beech--,,willow--,,scots -,,fir4 ,o flourish1 hidden deep in fern1 ,old oak1 ,i love thee well2 ,a thousand thanks for what ,i learn ,and what remains to tell4 --,the ,talking ,oak4 ,keats tells us that ,the trees ,that whisper round a temple become soon ,dear as the temple's self1 and had he included the trees around a dwelling-house1 the epigram would have been equally applicable4 ,sometimes1 of course1 it becomes absolutely necessary to cut down an ancient tree that from its proximity to one's home has become a part of the home itself1 but it is a matter for the gravest consideration1 for one cannot foresee the result1 and to a person who has lived long with a noble tree as a near neighbour1 the place never again seems the same4 ,the ,elm is said to be the ,worcestershire weed1 as the oak is in ,herefordshire2 the former attains a great size1 but it is not very deeply rooted1 and a heavy gale will sometimes cause many unwelcome gaps in a stately avenue4 ,big branches1 too1 have a way of falling without the least notice1 and on the whole it is safer not to have elms near houses or cottages4 ,one of the finest avenues of elms ,i know1 is to be seen at the ,palace of the ,bishop of ,winchester at ,farnham in ,surrey1 but the land is quite exceptionally good1 and in the palmy days of hop-growing1 the adjoining fields commanded a rent of #bj an acre for what is known as the ,heart land of ,farnham1 where hops of the most superlative quality were grown4 ,when the dappled deer are grouped under this noble avenue1 in the light and shade beneath the elms1 they form an old ,english picture of country life not to be surpassed4 ,the elm is a sure sign of rich land1 it is never seen on thin poor soils4 ,an intending purchaser1 or tenant1 of a farm should always regard its presence as a certain indication of a likely venture4 ,it is a terrible robber1 and therefore a nuisance round arable land1 causing a spreading shade1 under which the corn will be found thin1 scrawley1 and broken-kneed1 with poor1 shrivelled ears2 and the alternating green crops will also suffer in their way4 ,in an orchard it is still worse2 ,i had several at one time surrounded by ,blenheim apples1 which were always small1 scanty1 and colourless4 ,eventually1 ,i cut the elms down1 the biggest1 carrying perhaps #ajj cubic feet of timber at #i;d4 a foot at the time1 was only worth #ges41 though it must have destroyed scores of pounds worth of fruit during its many years of growth4 ,the elm seems particularly liable to be struck by lightning1 possibly owing to its height1 and several suffered in this way during my time at ,aldington4 ,from the scarcity of oak in the ,vale of ,evesham elm was often used for making the coffers or chests we generally see made from the former wood4 ,i have one of these1 nicely carved with the scrolls and bold devices of the ,jacobean period1 and it is so dark in colour as to pass at first sight for old oak4 ,the timber is not much used in building1 except for rough farm sheds2 as boards it is liable to twist and become what is called cross-winding4 ,the land in the ,new ,forest is mostly too poor for the elm1 and this should warn the theorists1 who during the war have advocated reclaiming the open heaths and moors for agricultural purposes1 against such an ignorant proposition4 ,i suppose it would cost at least #ajj an acre to clear1 drain1 fence1 level1 make roads1 and erect the necessary farm buildings1 houses and cottages1 with the result that it would command less than #a per acre as annual rent2 and ,i should be sorry to be compelled to farm it at that4 ,oaks are somewhat scarce in ,worcestershire1 and are rarely found in the ,vale of ,evesham4 ,i had one remarkably fine specimen in a meadow on ,claybrook1 the farm ,i owned1 adjoining the ,aldington land4 ,it covered an area measuring #bb yards by #bb yards #dhd square yards1 the tenth part of an acre4 ,the trunk measured #ab feet in circumference1 about #g feet from the ground4 ,the rule for estimating the age of growing oak-trees is to calculate #ae years to each inch of radius #edj years to a yard1 therefore a tree #f feet in diameter1 and about #bj feet round1 including bark and knots1 would be just that age4 ,according to this rule my tree would be not less than #ccj years old1 which of course is young for an oak4 ,the life of this oak was saved in a peculiar way by a pint of drink1 and the story was told me by the agent of an old lady1 the previous owner4 ,it had been decided to fell the tree1 and two professional sawyers1 who were also tree-fallers 7fellers71 arrived one morning for the purpose with their axes and cross-cut saw4 ,they surveyed the prospect and agreeing that it presented a tough job1 an adjournment was arranged to the neighbouring ,royal ,oak for a pint of drink before commencing operations4 ,coming back1 half an hour later1 they had just stripped and rolled up their shirt sleeves1 when the agent appeared on the road not far off4 ,hullo1 he shouted1 have you made a start8 ,just about to begin1 replied the head man4 ,well then1 don't1 said the agent1 the old lady died last night1 and ,i must wait till the new owners have considered the matter4 ,so the tree was saved1 and curiously enough by its namesake the ,royal ,oak4 ,the new owner spared it1 and later when it became my property ,i did likewise1 for ,i should have considered it sacrilege to destroy the finest oak in the neighbourhood4 ,some years after ,i had sold the farm ,i heard that the tree was blown down in a gale1 its enormous head and widespread branches must have offered immense resistance to the wind1 and the fall of it must have been great4 ,the most celebrated1 if not the biggest oak in the ,new ,forest is the ,knightwood oak1 not far from ,lyndhurst2 it is #ag feet in circumference1 which would make it not less than #dej years old by the above rule4 ,it is strange to think that it may have been an acorn in the year #adfi1 in the reign of ,henry ,,vi41 and that #bjj years later it could easily have peeped over the heads of its neighbours in #affi1 to see ,charles ,,ii41 who probably went riding along the main ,christchurch road from ,lyndhurst with a team of courtiers and court beauties1 in all the pomp of royalty4 ,we know that in that year with reference to the waste of timber in the ,forest during his father's reign he was especially interested in the planting of young oaks1 and enclosed a nursery of #cjj acres for their growth4 ,it is also recorded that he did not forget the maids of honour of his court1 upon whom he bestowed the young woods of ,brockenhurst4 ,oak before ash--only a splash1 ,ash before oak--a regular soak1 is a very ancient proverb referring to the relative times of the leaves of these trees appearing in the spring1 and is supposed to be prophetic of the weather during the ensuing summer4 ,i have1 however1 noticed for many years that the oak is invariably first1 so that like some other prognostications1 it seems to be unreliable4 ,the attitudes of oak trees are a very interesting study4 ,there is the oak which1 bending forwards and stretching out a kindly hand1 appears to offer a hearty welcome2 the oak that starts backward in astonishment at any familiarity advanced by a passing stranger4 ,the oak that assumes an attitude of pride and self-importance2 the oak that approaches a superior neighbour with an air of humility and abasement1 listening subserviently to his commands4 ,the shrinking oak in dread of an enemy1 and the oak prepared to offer a stout resistance4 ,the hopeful oak in the prime of life1 and the oak that totters in desolate and crabbed old age4 ,the oak that enjoys in middle age the good things of life1 with well-fed and rounded symmetry2 and the oak that suggests decrepitude1 with rough exterior1 and a life-experience of hardship2 the sturdy oak1 the ambitious oak1 the self-contained oak1 and so on1 through every phase of character4 ,no other tree is so human or so expressive1 and no other tree bespeaks such fortitude and endurance4 ,to say that a well-grown oak typifies the reserve and strength of the true-born ,briton1 is perhaps to sum up its individuality in a word4 ,there is one old fellow who throws back his head and roars with laughter when ,i go by2 what can be the joke8 ,i must stop some day and look to see if the sides of his rather tight jacket of ,lincoln green moss are really splitting1 and perhaps1 if ,i can catch the pitch of his voice1 ,i shall hear him whisper3 ,a fool1 a fool6 ,i met a fool i' the forest4 ,i like to think that these old personalities are transmigrations1 and that each is now at leisure to correct some special mistake in a previous existence4 ,perhaps1 out there in the moonlight1 they tell their stories to each other1 and to the owls ,i hear at midnight performing an appropriately weird overture4 ,these talking oaks can only be found where they have grown from acorns naturally1 and where they have survived the struggle of life against their enemies1 including the interference of man1 the attacks of grazing animals1 the blasts of winter and the heavy burden of its snows4 ,the natural woods1 as distinct from the plantations of the ,new ,forest1 offer many examples of these varying trees and the lessons they convey4 ,such a piece of old natural forest almost surrounds my present home1 and every time ,i pass through it ,i bless the memory of ,william the ,conqueror4 ,randolph ,caldecott1 that prince of illustrators of rural life1 evidently noticed the characteristic attitudes of trees2 look at the sympathetic dejection displayed by the two old pollard willows in his sketch of the maiden all forlorn1 in ,the ,house that ,jack ,built4 ,the maiden has her handkerchief to her eyes1 and in a few masterly strokes one of the trees is depicted with a falling tear1 and the other bent double is hobbling along with a crutch supporting its withered and tottering frame4 ,far otherwise is it with the plantations where the oaks are artificially cultivated for timber4 ,these are planted close together on purpose to draw each other upwards in the struggle for air and sunlight1 which prevents their branching so near the ground as the natural trees1 the object being to produce an extended length of straight trunk that will eventually afford a long and regular cut of timber1 free from the knots caused by the branches4 ,all round the plantations ,scots-firs are planted as nurses1 to keep off the rough winds and prevent breakage2 these also help to lengthen the trunks by inducing upward development4 ,as the trees get nearer together they are repeatedly thinned out1 and1 eventually1 only those left which are intended to come to maturity4 ,under this artificial1 though necessary system1 the trees lose all individuality1 and they never regain it because they are all more or less controlled when growing1 and so become uninteresting copies of each other4 ,the motto of the natural oak is festina lente1 mindful of the proverb1 early maturity means early decay4 ,it is well known that oak1 slowly and naturally grown on poor soil1 is far more durable than that which is run up artificially or produced on rich land4 ,the branches of oaks rarely cross or damage each other by friction1 like those of the beech1 they are obstinate and will sooner break in a gale1 than give way4 ,where an oak and a beech grow side by side1 close together1 the oak suffers more than the beech1 from the dense shade of the latter2 and if they are so near as to touch and rub together in the wind1 the oak will throw out a plaster or protection of bark1 to act as a styptic to the wound in the first place1 and eventually as a solid barrier against further aggression4 ,paintings of landscape in which trees occur are rarely satisfactory2 if you look at children playing beneath timber trees1 or passers-by1 the first thing that strikes you is the majesty and the height of the tree1 as compared with the human figure4 ,in paintings this is not as a rule expressed2 the trees are too insignificant1 and the figures too important1 so that the range and wealth of tree-life is lost4 ,gainsborough's ,market ,cart is a notable exception1 but the cart is a clumsy affair1 and the shafts are much too low both on it and the horse4 ,constable's ,valley ,farm1 ,the ,haywain1 ,the ,cornfield1 and ,dedham ,mill are all striking examples of his sense of tree proportion1 lending no little to the nobility of his pictures1 and speaking eloquently of the reverence man should feel in the presence of ,nature1 untainted by his own fancied importance4 ,what is known as heart of oak in ,worcestershire is called spine-oak in the ,new ,forest1 and the latter is perhaps the better name of the two as expressive of greater durability4 ,the outer part of the trunk is called the sap1 and whilst the heart or spine is almost indestructible1 the sap-wood quickly decays1 and is rejected in using the timber for any important purpose4 ,pieces of the sap adhering to the heart-wood of which the old oak coffers were made1 may often be found riddled with worm holes and almost gone to dust1 while the remainder of the chest is as sound as the day it was made two or three hundred years ago4 ,it is interesting1 too1 to notice marks of charring on the edge of the lids of these coffers2 it is said that they were caused by placing the rushlight in that position1 the flame just overhanging the edge1 to give time to jump into bed by its light leaving it to be automatically extinguished on reaching the wood2 and that the charring occurred when sometimes the flame continued to burn a little longer than expected4 ,oak is usually felled in the spring when the sap is rising1 to allow of the easier removal of the bark for tanning4 ,it is a pretty sight to see1 amidst the greenery of the standing trees1 the stripped and gleaming trunks and larger limbs stretched upon the ground1 with the neatly piled stacks of bark arranged for the air to draw through and dry them before removal4 ,this is called rining in the ,new ,forest1 and good wages are earned at it by the men employed4 ,it is perhaps the only timber1 with the exception of sweet chestnut1 that is worthy to be used for the roofs of ecclesiastical buildings4 ,at ,badsey1 when we removed the roof of the church prior to restoration1 we found the oak timbers on the north side as sound as when placed there many years further back than living memory could recall1 and of which no record or tradition existed4 ,these timbers were all used again in the new roof1 but those from the south side had to be discarded1 having been much more exposed to driving rain and daily changes of temperature4 ,i had a number of oak field-gates made1 but as the timber was barely seasoned1 we were afraid shrinkage might take place in the mortises and tenons1 and it was an agreeable surprise to find in a year or two that nothing of the kind had happened4 ,the mortise hole had apparently got smaller1 and still fitted the shrunken tenon to perfection4 ,oak gates will last1 if kept occasionally painted1 sixty or seventy years in farm use1 and there were gates on my land fully that age and still quite serviceable4 ,the acorns from oaks in pastures are a trouble1 as cattle are very fond of them and sometimes gorge themselves to such an extent as to prove fatal1 if allowed unrestricted access to them when really hungry2 but in the ,new ,forest they are welcomed by the commoners 7occupiers of private lands71 some of whom possess the right of pannage 7turning out pigs on the ,crown property74 ,in old days the oak timbers of which our battleships were constructed were supplied from the ,new ,forest2 and the saw-pit in which the timbers of the ,victory were sawn by hand is still to be seen in ,burley ,new ,plantation4 ,but ,government methods appear to have been generally conducted in later times somewhat on the independent lines which distinguished them in the ,great ,war4 ,some years ago it was said that a department requiring oak timber advertised for tenders in a newspaper1 in which also appeared an advertisement of another department offering oak for sale4 ,a dealer who obtained an option to purchase from the latter1 submitted a tender to the former1 succeeded in obtaining the business1 and cleared a large profit4 ,the oak has figured repeatedly in ,english history and occupies a unique place in our national tradition1 commencing with its ,druidical worship as a sacred tree4 ,it was from an oak that the arrow of ,walter ,tyrrel which struck down ,william ,rufus is said to have glanced1 and ,magna ,charta was signed beneath an oak by the unwilling hand of ,king ,john4 ,it is associated in all ages with preachings1 political meetings1 and with parish and county boundaries4 ,these boundary oaks were called ,gospel-trees1 it is said1 because the gospel for the day was read beneath them by the parochial priest during the annual perambulation of the parish boundaries by the leading inhabitants in ,rogation week4 ,herrick alludes to the practice in the lines addressed to ,anthea in ,hesperides3 ,dearest1 bury me ,under that ,holy-oke or ,gospel-tree1 ,where 7though thou see'st not7 thou may'st think upon ,me1 when thou yeerly go'st ,procession4 ,but perhaps the oak that appeals most to the lively imagination venerating old tales of merry ,england1 and with whose story generous hearts are most in sympathy1 is that ,wherein the younger ,charles abode ,till all the paths were dim1 ,and far below the ,roundhead rode1 ,and hummed a surly hymn4 ,the beech is not a common tree in the ,vale of ,evesham1 preferring the dryer soils of the ,cotswold ,hills4 ,it is said to have been introduced by the ,romans1 and is familiar as the tree mentioned by ,virgil in the opening line of his first ,pastoral3 ,tityre tu patul recubans sub tegmine fagi2 the metre1 and the words of which1 apart from their signification1 suggest so accurately the pattering of the leaves of the tree in a gentle breeze4 ,this device like alliteration is a method of intensifying the expression of a passage1 and is frequently adopted by the poets4 ,in another famous onomatopoeic line-- ,quadrupedante putrem sonitu quatit ungula campum --,virgil imitates the sound of a galloping horse1 and the shaking of the ground beneath its hoofs4 ,tennyson renders very naturally the action of the northern farmer's nag and the sound of its movement1 by-- ,proputty1 proputty sticks an' proputty1 proputty graws4 ,and an excellent example of the effect of well-chosen words1 to express the sound produced by the subject referred to1 occurs in the ,morte d',arthur3 ,the many-knotted waterflags1 ,that whistled stiff and dry about the marge4 ,blackmore's passage in ,lorna ,doone1 describing the superlative ease and speed of ,tom ,faggus's mare1 when ,john ,ridd as a boy was allowed to ride her--after a rough experience at the beginning of the venture--is1 though printed as prose1 perhaps better poetry than most similar efforts4 ,to emphasize its full force it may be allowable to divide the phrases as follows3 ,i never had dreamed of such delicate motion1 ,fluent1 and graceful1 and ambient1 ,soft as the breeze flitting over the flowers1 ,but swift as the summer lightning4 ,i sat up again1 but my strength was all spent1 ,and no time left to recover it1 ,and though she rose at our gate like a bird1 ,i tumbled off into the mixen4 ,the last line is a delightful bathos1 adding immensely to the completeness of the catastrophe4 ,in spring the beech is the most beautiful of forest trees1 putting forth individual horizontal sprays of tender green from the lower branches about the end of ,april as heralds of the later full glory of the tree4 ,these increase day by day upwards in verdant clouds1 until the whole unites into a complete bower of dense greenery4 ,the beech is known as the groaning tree1 because the branches often cross each other1 and where the tree is exposed to the wind sometimes groan as they rub together4 ,the rubbing often causes a wound where one of the branches will eventually break off1 or occasionally automatic grafting takes place1 and they unite4 ,in the ,verderer's ,hall at ,lyndhurst specimens are to be seen which have crossed and joined a second time1 so that a complete hollow oval1 or irregular circle of the wood could be cut out of the branch4 ,estates where extensive beech woods existed have been bought by speculative timber dealers1 who shortly installed a gang of wood cutters and a steam saw1 on which the timber was sawn into suitable pieces1 to be afterwards turned on a lathe into chair legs and other domestic furniture1 and very often finally dyed to represent mahogany4 ,there are beeches in the ,new ,forest which vie with the oak for premier place1 measuring over #bj feet in circumference1 and the mast together with the acorns affords abundant harvest1 or ovest1 as it is called1 for the commoners' pigs4 ,there was a curious saying in use by persons on the road to ,pershore1 when asked their destination4 ,in a good plum year the reply was1 ,pershore1 where d'ye think8 ,and in a year of scarcity1 ,pershore1 ,god help us6 ,the same expressions were formerly current regarding ,burley in the ,new ,forest referring to the abundance or scarcity of beech-mast and acorns1 called collectively akermast4 ,when the nation had presented the ,duke of ,wellington1 after the ,battle of ,waterloo1 with ,strathfieldsaye1 an estate between ,basingstoke and ,reading1 the ,duke wishing to commemorate the event planted a number of beech trees as a lasting memorial1 which were known as the ,waterloo beeches4 ,some years later1 the eminent arboricultural author1 ,john ,loudon1 writing on the subject of the relative ages and sizes of trees1 wrote to the ,duke for permission to view his ,waterloo beeches4 ,the ,duke had never heard of ,loudon1 and his writing being somewhat illegible he deciphered the signature ,j4 ,loudon as ,j4 ,london 7the ,bishop of ,london71 and the word beeches as breeches4 ,for what on earth can the ,bishop want to see the breeches ,i wore at ,waterloo8 said the ,duke2 but taking a charitable view of the matter he decided that the poor old ,bishop must be getting irresponsible and replied that he was giving his valet instructions to show the ,bishop the garments in question1 whenever it suited him to inspect them4 ,the ,bishop was equally amazed1 but took exactly the same view about the ,duke as the latter had decided upon concerning the ,bishop4 ,no doubt the mystery was eventually cleared up1 and ,bishop and ,duke must have both enjoyed the joke4 ,the shade of the beech is so dense that grass will not grow beneath it2 it gradually kills even holly1 which is comparatively flourishing under the oak4 ,the beech woods in the ,forest are thus quite free from undergrowth1 and the noble trees with their smooth ash-coloured stems can be seen in perfection1 giving a cathedral aisle effect1 which is erroneously said to have suggested the massive columns and groined roofs of ,gothic architecture4 ,where thro' the long-drawn aisle and fretted vault1 ,the pealing anthem swells the note of praise4 ,there is1 too1 an unearthly effect at times to be seen beneath them1 so exaggerated as to remind one of the stage setting of a pastoral play1 with all the enhancing artificial contrivance of light and shade4 ,it is to be seen only on a brilliantly sunny day1 where the contour of the space around the stem and below the branches takes the form of an arched cavern1 flooded by a single shaft of sunlight1 piercing the foliage at one particular spot1 lighting up the floor carpeted with last year's red-brown leaves1 and emphasizing the gloom of the walls and roof4 ,imagination instantly supplies the players1 for a more perfect setting for ,rosalind and ,celia1 ,orlando and the melancholy ,jaques1 it would be impossible to conceive4 ,it is said that the ancient ,greeks could see with their ears and hear with their eyes1 a privilege doubtless granted to the nature lover in all ages4 ,in the ,forest some of the most ancient and remarkable trees have borne for generations descriptive names such as the ,king and ,queen oaks at ,boldrewood1 and the ,eagle oak in ,knightwood4 ,the communion between human and tree life is well illustrated by a passage from ,thoreau's ,walden3 ,i frequently tramped eight or ten miles through the deepest snow to keep an appointment with a beech tree1 or a yellow birch1 or an old acquaintance among the pines4 ,at ,aldington a most valuable tree was the willow1 or withy1 as it is called in ,worcestershire1 though in ,hampshire the latter name is given to the ,goat willow1 or sallow 7sally1 in ,worcestershire71 bearing the pretty blossoms known as palms1 which in former times were worn by men and boys in country places on ,palm ,sunday4 ,my brooks were bordered on both sides by pollard withies1 the whole being divided into seven parts or annual cuts1 so that1 as they are lopped every seven years a cut came in for lopping each year4 ,they were then well furnished with long and heavy poles1 which were severed close to the head of the pollard with a sharp axe4 ,when on the ground1 the brushwood was cut off and tied into kids 7faggots7 for fire-lighting1 the poles being made into hurdles or sold to the crate-makers in the potteries for crates in which to pack earthenware goods of all descriptions4 ,the men employed at the lopping had to stand on the heads of the pollards1 and it was sometimes quite an acrobatic feat to maintain their balance on a small swaying tree1 or on one which overhung the water4 ,there was a local saying that the withy tree would buy the horse1 while the oak would only buy the halter1 and ,i believe it to be perfectly true2 for the uses of the withy are innumerable1 and throughout its seven years' growth from one lopping to another there is always something useful to be had from it1 with its final harvest of full-grown poles4 ,one year after lopping the superfluous shoots are cut out and used or sold for bonds for tying up kids or the mouths of corn sacks4 ,as the shoots grow stronger more can be taken--with ultimate benefit to the development of the full-grown poles--for use as rick pegs and buckles in thatching4 ,the buckles are the wooden pins made of a small strip of withy1 twisted at the centre so that it can be doubled in half like a hairpin1 and used to fix the rods which secure the thatch by pressing the buckles firmly into it4 ,in ,hampshire these are called spars1 and they are sold in bundles containing a fixed number4 ,i heard an amusing story about these spars4 ,a certain thatcher1 we may call him ,joe1 was engaged upon the roof of a cottage1 when the parson of the parish chanced to pass that way4 ,joe had of late neglected his attendance at church1 and the vicar saw his way to a word of advice4 ,after passing the time of day he took ,joe to task for his neglected attendance and waxing warm expressed his fears that ,joe had forgotten all his ,sunday-school lessons2 he was doubtful even1 he said1 if ,joe could tell him the number of the ,commandments4 ,joe confessed his ignorance4 ,dear me1 said the vicar1 to think that in this nineteenth century any man could be found so ignorant as not to know the number of the ,commandments6 ,joe bided his time until the vicar's attention had been called to the spars1 when ,joe asked him how many a bundle contained4 ,it was a problem that the vicar could not solve4 ,dear me1 said ,joe1 to think that in this 'ere nineteenth century any man could be found so ignorant as not to know the number of spars in a bundle6 ,joe always added when telling the story1 ,but there1 ,i says1 every beggar1 ,i says1 to his trade1 ,i says4 ,sometimes a picturesque gipsy would come to the ,manor ,house with clothes-pegs for sale1 and she generally negotiated a deal1 for everybody has a sneaking regard for the gipsies and their romantic life sub ,jove4 ,walking round the farm shortly afterwards ,i would come upon the remains of their fire and deserted camp by the roadside close to the brook1 the ground strewn with the peel and refuse from the materials with which they had supplied themselves gratis1 and ,i recognized that we had been buying goods made from my own withies4 ,even so we did not complain1 for no real harm was done to the trees4 ,the heads of these old pollards are favourite places for birds'-nests1 and all kinds of plants and bushes take root in their decaying fibre1 the seeds having been carried by the birds2 so that ivy1 brambles1 wild gooseberries1 currants1 raspberries1 nut bushes and elders1 can be seen growing there4 ,whenever the foxhounds ran a fox to ,aldington he was always lost near the brookside1 and it was said that the cunning beast eluded the hounds by mounting a pollard and jumping from one to another1 until the scent was dissipated4 ,it was also a tradition that when hunting began on the ,cotswolds the experienced foxes left for the ,vale1 leaving the less crafty to fight it out with the hounds2 for the ,evesham district was seldom visited by the hunt1 owing to possible damage to the highly cultivated winter crops of the market-gardeners4 ,jarge had a very narrow escape when grubbing out an old willow overhanging a pool4 ,he had been at work some hours1 and had a deep trench dug out all round the tree1 to attack the roots with a stock-axe4 ,he had cut them all through except the tough tap-root1 when ,i reached him1 and he was standing in the trench at work upon it4 ,he was certain that it would be some time before the tree fell1 the tap-root being very large2 but1 as ,i stood watching on the ground above1 ,i thought ,i saw a suspicious tremor pass over the tree1 and an instant later ,i was certain it was coming down4 ,i shouted to him to get out of the trench4 ,it took a second or two to get clear1 as the trench was deep1 and he was not a tall man1 so he was scarcely out when the tree fell with a crash on the exact spot where he had been at work4 ,had ,i not been present it must have fallen upon him1 for not expecting the end was so near he had not been watching the signs4 ,though not a tall tree1 it was a very stout and heavy trunk1 and the tap-root on inspection proved to be partly rotten4 ,forth into the fields ,i went1 ,and ,nature's living motion lent ,the pulse of hope to discontent4 ,i wonder'd at the bounteous hours1 ,the slow result of winter showers3 ,you scarce could see the grass for flowers4 ,i wonder'd1 while ,i paced along3 ,the woods were fill'd so full with song1 ,there seemed no room for sense of wrong4 ,such is ,tennyson's description of a spring day in the fields and woods1 and nothing more beautiful could be written4 ,and so it was with joy that my men and carter boys with waggons and teams started early on the spring mornings to bring home the newly purchased hop-poles from the distant woods4 ,these poles are sold by auction in stacks where they are cut1 and the buyer has to cart them home4 ,usually1 after a successful hop year they were in great demand2 prices would rise in proportion1 and the early seller did well1 but when the later sales came sometimes1 the demand being satisfied1 there would be a heavy fall in values1 and as a cunning buyer expressed it1 ,the poles lasted longer than the money4 ,the dainty catkins of the hazel are the first sign of awakening life in the woods2 they are well out by the end of ,january or early in ,february1 and as they ripen1 clouds of pollen are disseminated by the wind4 ,tennyson speaks of ,native hazels tassel-hung4 ,the female bloom1 which is the immediate precursor of the nut itself1 is a pretty little pink star1 which can be found on the same branch as the catkin but is much less conspicuous2 and both are a very welcome sight1 as almost the earliest hint of spring4 ,the hazel bloom is shortly followed by the green leaves of the woodbine1 which climbs so exultingly to the tops of the highest trees and breathes its fragrance on a summer evening4 ,in the ,new ,forest the green hellebore is early and noticeable from its peculiar green blossoms1 but ,i have not seen it in ,worcestershire4 ,my men and teams were generally off to the hills1 ,blockley1 ,broadway1 ,winchcombe1 ,farmcote1 and suchlike out-of-the-way places1 when the wet rides in the woods were drying up4 ,the boys especially revelled in the flowers--primroses and wild hyacinths--and came home with huge bunches2 they enjoyed the novelty of the woods and the wild hill-country1 which is such a contrast to the flat and highly cultivated ,vale4 ,when unloaded at home the poles have to be trimmed1 cut to the proper length1 #ab to #ad feet1 sharped1 shaved at the butt #b or #c feet upwards1 and finally boiled so far for twenty-four hours1 standing upright in creosote1 which doubles the lasting period of their existence4 ,they were chiefly ash1 larch1 maple1 wych elm1 and sallow1 and the rough butts1 when sawn off before the sharping1 supplied the firing for the boiling4 ,green ash is splendid for burning3 ,the ash when green is fuel for a ,queen4 ,later1 when ,i adopted a ,kentish system of hop-growing on coco-nut yarn supported by steel wire on heavy larch poles1 our visits to the woods were less frequent1 and much wear and tear of horses and waggons was saved4 ,some of our journeys1 in the earlier days1 took us to the estate of the ,duc d',aumale1 on the ,worcester side of ,evesham1 where some excellent ash poles were grown4 ,in one lot of some thousands ,i bought1 every pole had a crook in it 7like a dog's hind leg1 my men said71 about #b or #c feet from the ground1 which was caused by the ,duc having given orders some years previously1 on the occasion of a visit from the ,prince of ,wales 7the late ,king ,edward71 to have a large area of young coppice cut off at that height1 to make a specially convenient piece of walking and pheasant shooting for the ,prince4 ,on this occasion many people went to ,evesham ,station to see the arrival of the ,prince and retinue1 and their departure for ,wood ,norton in the ,duc's carriages4 ,our old vicar was returning full of loyalty1 and passing an ancient ,badsey radical inquired if he had been to see the ,prince4 ,noa1 sir1 was the reply1 ,i been a-working hard to get some money to keep 'e with4 ,in some of the ,wood ,norton woods there are large numbers of fir trees1 planted1 it was said1 as roosting places for the pheasants1 so that they might not be visible to the night poacher2 but it was found that the birds preferred the leafless trees1 where they offer an easy pot shot in the moonlight or in the grey of the dawn4 ,the ,scots-fir is an interloper in the ,new ,forest1 and always looks out of place2 it was introduced as an experiment ,i believe1 less than #aej years ago1 and has been found useful as ,i have explained for sheltering young plantations of oaks4 ,it grows rapidly1 and has been planted by itself on land too poor for more valuable timber1 chiefly for pit-props4 ,during the war immense numbers of ,canadians and ,portuguese have been employed in felling these trees and cutting them up into stakes for wire entanglements1 trench timbers1 and sleepers for light railways4 ,huge temporary villages have grown up for the accommodation of the men employed1 equipped with steam sawing-tackle1 canteens1 offices and quarters1 and with light railways running far away into the plantations where the trees are cut4 ,it was a wonderful sight to see these busy centres alive with men and machinery1 in places where before there was nothing but the silence of the woods4 ,and it is curious that1 as in the old days the ,new ,forest provided the oak timber for the battleships that fought upon the sea in ,nelson's time1 so now1 in the fighting on land1 we have been able to export from the same place hundreds of thousands of tons of fir for the use of our troops in ,france and ,belgium4 ,old railway sleepers are exceedingly useful for many purposes on farms1 and as they are soaked in creosote1 they last many years1 for light bridges and rough shelters1 after they are worn out for railway purposes4 ,the railway company adjoining my land discarded a quantity of these partly defective sleepers1 and left them1 for a time1 lying beside the hedge which separated the line from my fields4 ,i applied to the ,company for some1 and suggested that they need only be put over the hedge1 and ,i would cart them away4 ,but that is not the routine of the working of such matters2 though it appeals to the simple rustic mind1 it would be considered irregular4 ,they had to be loaded on trucks sent specially on the railway1 taken to ,worcester sixteen miles by train1 unloaded1 sorted1 loaded again1 sent back to my station1 unloaded1 loaded again on to my waggons1 and carted a mile and a half on the waggons which had been sent empty the same distance to the station6 ,overgrown old hedges are exceedingly pretty in autumn when hung with clusters of haws1 the brilliant berries of the hawthorn1 and the hips of the wild rose4 ,there is1 too1 the peculiar pink-hued berry of the spindle wood1 and1 in chalky and limestone districts1 the old man's beard of the wild clematis1 bright fresh hazel nuts1 and golden wreaths of wild hops4 ,it is said that ,hops1 reformation1 bays and beer ,came into ,england all in a year4 ,but it is certain that the wild hops at any rate must have been indigenous1 for one finds them in neighbourhoods far from districts where hops are cultivated1 and the couplet probably refers to the ,flemish variety1 which would be the sort imported in the days of ,henry ,,viii41 though at the present time our best varieties are far superior4 ,the holly is only seen as garden hedges in the more sandy parishes of ,worcestershire1 but here in the ,forest it is a splendid feature1 growing to a great size and height4 ,in winter its bright shining leaves reflecting the sunlight enliven the woods1 so that we never get the bare and cheerless look of places where the elm and the whitethorn hedge dominate the landscape4 ,in spring its small white blossoms are thickly distributed1 and at ,christmas its scarlet berries are ever welcome4 ,its prickles protect it from browsing cattle and ,forest ponies1 but it is interesting to notice that many of the leaves on the topmost branches being out of reach of the animals are devoid of this protection4 ,,chapter ,,xvii4 ,,corn--,,wheat--,,ridge ,,and ,,furrow--,,barley--,,farmers ,,newstyle ,,and ,,oldstyle4 ,he led me thro' the short sweet-smelling lanes ,of his wheat-suburb1 babbling as he went4 --,the ,brook4 ,i do not propose to enter upon the ordinary details of arable farming1 as not of very general interest1 except for those actually engaged thereon4 ,i am aiming especially at the more unusual crops1 and what ,i may call the curiosities of agriculture4 ,it is most interesting to turn to ,virgil's ,georgics and see how they apply after the lapse of nearly twenty centuries to the farm-work of the present day4 ,horace1 too1 was a farmer1 though perhaps more of an amateur2 he exclaims at the busy scene presented when men and horses are engaged in active field work3 ,heu heu6 quantus equis quantus adest viris ,sudor6 which1 by the way1 was rendered with ,victorian propriety by a well-known ,oxford professor1 ,what a quantity of perspiration6 etc4 ,probably ,horace had been watching the sowing of barley or oats on a fine ,march morning1 the peck of ,march dust1 which we know is worth a ,king's ransom1 flying behind the harrows4 ,george ,cruikshank gives a very spirited and comic realization of ,horace's lines1 in ,hoskin's ,talpa1 where ploughing1 sowing1 harrowing1 reaping1 harvesting1 thrashing1 grinding and carting away the finished product1 are all actively proceeding in the same field4 ,the origin of the word field1 still locally pronounced feld1 as in ,badsey ,feld1 near ,evesham1 takes us back to primeval times when the country was mostly forest1 of which certain parts had been felled1 and were thus distinguished as opposed to the untouched portions4 ,we may be sure that the best pieces of land were the first to be brought under cultivation1 and it is thus that the best land in most old parishes1 at the present day1 is to be found close to the village1 and is generally a portion of the manor property4 ,later1 where glebe was allotted for the parson's benefit1 the poorer parts were apparently considered good enough for the purpose1 so that we generally expect to find the glebe on somewhat inferior land4 ,wheat-growing at ,aldington and on most heavy soils was practically killed by the vast importations from the ,united ,states1 rendered possible by the extraction of the natural fertility of her virgin soils1 and by the development of steam traction and transport1 resulting in the food crisis at home during the war4 ,the loss of arable land converted to inferior grass amounted1 in the forty years from #ahgd to #aiad1 to no less than four million acres4 ,i made such changes in my own cropping that1 where ,i formerly grew #ajj acres of wheat annually1 ,i reduced the area to ten or twenty acres1 mainly for the sake of the straw for litter and thatching purposes4 ,wheat can be planted in what would be considered a very unsuitable tilth for barley4 ,we had often to follow the drills--where they had cut into the clayey soil1 leaving the seed uncovered1 and where the ground was so sticky and unkind that harrowing had very little effect--with forks1 turning the clods over the exposed seed1 and treading them down4 ,wheat seems to like as firm a seed-bed as possible1 for the best crop was always on the headland1 where the turning of the horses and implements had reduced the soil to the condition of mortar4 ,the seed would lie in the cold ground for many weeks before the blade made its appearance1 but the men always said1 ',twill be heavy in the head when it lies long abed4 ,it is cheering in late autumn and early winter when no other young growth is to be seen on the farm1 suddenly to find the field covered with the fresh shoots of the wheat in regular lines1 and to notice how1 after its first appearance1 it makes little further upright growth for a time1 but spreads laterally over the ground as the roots extend downwards4 ,nothing in the way of weather will kill wheat1 except continuous heavy rain in winter1 where the land is undrained1 and stagnant water collects4 ,i have seen it in ,may lying flat on the ground after a severe spring frost1 but in a day or two it would pick up again as if nothing had happened4 ,and ,i have seen beans1 #b feet high1 cut down and doubled up1 revive and rear up their heads quite happily1 though at harvest the exact spot in every stalk could be seen where the wound had taken place4 ,in ,may1 if the weather is cold and ungenial1 wheat turns yellow2 this is the weaning time of the young plants1 which have then exhausted the nourishment contained in the seed1 and in the absence of growing weather they do not take kindly to the food in the land1 upon which they now become dependent4 ,the farmer came to his wheat in ,may1 ,and right sorrowfully went away1 ,the farmer came to his wheat in ,june1 ,and went away whistling a merry tune4 ,his wheat was what is called ,may-sick the first time1 but had recovered on the second visit1 for another old saw tells us that1 ,a dripping ,june puts all in tune4 ,may is said ,never to go out without a wheat-ear1 but ,i do not think this is invariably true1 though by splitting open a young wheat stem it is easy to find the embryo ear1 only about half an inch long4 ,i have heard people exclaiming at the beautiful effect of the breezes passing over a luxuriant field of growing wheat1 giving the appearance of waves on a lake2 but when the wheat is in bloom1 it is doubtful if this is a reason for congratulation1 as the blooms are rubbed off in the process1 which may be the cause of thin-chested ears at harvest1 when1 instead of being set in full rows of four or five grains abreast1 only two or three can be found1 reducing the total number in an ear from a maximum of about seventy to fifty or less4 ,god makes the grass to grow greener while the farmer's at his dinner1 is a proverb which may be applied to almost any enterprise1 for optimism is largely a physical matter1 and it is ill talking with a hungry man4 ,i suppose that no man1 even with the dullest imagination1 can fail to walk across a wheat field at harvest without being reminded of some of the innumerable stories and allusions to corn fields in the ,bible4 ,he will remember how1 when the famine was sore in the land of ,canaan1 ,jacob sent his ten sons to ,egypt to buy corn1 and how ,joseph knew his brethren1 but they knew him not2 with the touching details of his emotion1 until he could no longer refrain himself1 and1 weeping1 made himself known4 ,how he bade them return1 and bring their aged father1 their little ones1 and their flocks and herds1 to dwell in the land of ,goshen4 ,his mind1 too1 will revert to the commandment given to ,moses1 ,when ye reap the harvest of your land1 thou shalt not wholly reap the corners of thy field1 neither shalt thou gather the gleanings of thy harvest2 so that he will meet the villagers with a word of welcome1 when they invade his fields for the same time-honoured purpose4 ,he will remember the story of ,ruth and ,boaz1 told in the exquisite poetry of the ,bible diction1 than which nothing in the whole range of literature can compare in noble simplicity4 ,and the corn fields of the ,new ,testament1 where the disciples plucked the ears of corn1 and were encouraged1 and the accusing ,pharisees rebuked2 with the conclusive declaration that the ,sabbath was made for man and not man for the ,sabbath4 ,and1 finally1 the familiar chapter in the burial service1 which has brought comfort to thousands of mourners1 and will so continue till the last harvest1 which is the end of the world1 when the angels will be the reapers4 ,the word gleaning is never heard in ,worcestershire for collecting the scattered wheat stems and ears2 it is invariably leasing from the ,old ,english1 lesan1 to gather or collect anything4 ,when wheat was fairly high in price the village women and children were in the field as soon as it was cleared of sheaves1 and they made a pretty picture scattered about the golden stubble1 and returning through the meadows and lanes at twilight with their ample gatherings4 ,the leasings would be thrashed by husband or brother with the old flail1 in one of my barns1 to be then ground at the village mill1 and lastly baked into fragrant loaves of home-made bread--the dusky loaf1 as ,tennyson says1 that smelt of home4 ,one good old soul brought me every week1 while the leased corn lasted1 a small loaf called a batch cake1 and continued the gift later1 made from wheat grown on the family allotment2 her loaves were some of the best and the sweetest bread ,i have ever tasted4 ,the man who makes two blades of grass grow where one grew before is said to be a national benefactor1 and1 ,i suppose1 the same adage applies a fortiori to wheat1 but ,i have never seen a monument raised to his memory or even the circulation of the national hat for his benefit4 ,too often the only proof of his neighbour's recognition of his improved crops is the notification of an increased assessment of the amount of his liability to contribute to what is1 still quite unsuitably1 called the poor rate4 ,wheat rejoices in a tropical summer1 and it never succeeds better than when stiff land like mine splits into deep cracks1 locally called chawns4 ,you can see the root-fibres crossing these cracks which go so far into the earth that a walking-stick can be inserted to touch the drain pipes in the furrows at a depth of #b-a_/b or #c feet4 ,apparently this cracking acts as a kind of root-pruning1 and lets in the heat of the sun to the lower roots of the corn1 with the result of1 what is called1 a great cast 7yield7 to the acre4 ,in building wheat ricks the most important point is to arrange the sheaves with the butts sloping outwards1 so that should rain fall before thatching1 the water will run away from the centre4 ,i remember at ,alton1 where the rick-builder was an old and experienced man1 he neglected this precaution2 some weeks of heavy rain followed1 but in time the thatching was completed1 and nobody dreamed of any harm4 ,when the thrashing machine arrived1 and the ricks were uncovered1 the wheat was found so damp that1 in places1 the ears had grown into solid mats1 and the sheaves could only be parted by cutting with a hay-knife4 ,the old man was so discomfited that the tears rolled down his cheeks1 and the master's loss amounted to something like #cjj4 ,there was not a sack of dry wheat on that particular farm that winter1 though some was saleable at a reduced price4 ,he told me that it was a costly business for him1 but worth any money as a lesson to me4 ,i took it to heart1 and we never left a rick uncovered at ,aldington2 as fast as one was completed1 and the builder descended the ladder1 the thatcher took his place1 and temporarily hung it with straw1 secured by partially driven-in rick pegs until we could find time to attend to the regular thatching4 ,the high ridges and deep furrows1 to be seen on the heavy arable lands of the ,vale of ,evesham1 are a source of wonderment to people who come from light land districts1 and who do not recognize how impervious is the subsoil to the penetration of water4 ,the origin of these highly banked ridges dates from far-away days before land drain pipes were obtainable1 and it was the only possible arrangement to prevent the perishing of crops from standing water in the winter4 ,the rain quickly found its way into the furrows from the ridges1 and1 as they always sloped in the direction of the lowest part of the field1 the superfluous water soon disappeared4 ,even now1 when drain pipes are laid in the furrows1 it is not advisable to level the ridges1 because the water would take much longer to find the drains1 and the growing crop would be endangered4 ,it is not safe to drain this land deeper than about #b-a_/b feet1 and many thousands of pounds have been misapplied where draining has been done on money borrowed from companies who insist upon #c feet as the minimum depth for any portion of the drain1 which would mean much more than that where the drain occasionally passes through a stretch of rising ground4 ,as proving my statement that #b-a_/b feet is quite deep enough1 ,i have seen great pools of water after a heavy rain standing exactly over the drain in the furrows1 and we had sometimes to pierce the soil to the depth of the pipes1 with an iron rod made for the purpose1 before the water could get away4 ,on light land1 the subsoil of which is often full of water1 the case is quite different1 and the pipes must be laid much deeper to relieve its water-logged condition2 but on our stiff clay the subsoil was comparatively dry1 and we had to provide only for the discharge of the surface water as quickly as possible1 where the solid clay beneath prevented its sinking into the lower layers4 ,in the subsoil of the lias clay there are large numbers of a fossil shell1 ,gryphea incurva1 known locally as devils claws2 they certainly have a demoniac claw-like appearance1 and worry the drainers by catching on the blade of the draining tool1 and preventing its penetration into the clay4 ,i have heard the suggestion that our highly banked ridges were intended to increase the surface of the land available for the crops1 just as it takes more cloth to cover a hump back than a normal one1 but of course the rounded ridge does not provide any more vertical position for the crop1 and the theory cannot be maintained4 ,some of these ridges1 lands as they are called1 are so wide and so elevated that it was said that two teams could pass each other in the furrows1 on either side of a single land1 so hidden by the high ridge that they could not see one another2 and ,i myself have noticed them on abandoned arable land that has been in grass from time immemorial1 so high as nearly to answer the description4 ,though the blue clay in the ,vale of ,evesham is so tenacious1 it works beautifully after a few sharp frosts1 splitting up into laminations that form a splendidly mouldy seed bed1 so that frost has been eloquently called ,god's plough4 ,it is a very curious fact that many of these old lands take the form of a greatly elongated ,illustration3 7,s backwards71 though not so pronounced as that figure1 for the curves are only visible towards the ends1 and these curves always turn to the left of anyone walking towards the end4 ,various explanations have been given1 and one by ,lord ,avebury is the nearest approach to a correct solution which ,i have seen1 though not1 ,i think1 quite accurate4 ,my own idea is that1 as the plough turns each furrow-slice only to the right1 the beginning of the ridge would be accomplished by two furrows thrown together on the top of each other1 and the remainder would be gathered around them by continuing the process1 until the land was formed with an open furrow on each side4 ,the eight oxen would be harnessed in pairs1 or the four horses tandem fashion4 ,when they reached the end of each furrow-slice1 the plough-boy1 walking on the near side1 would have to turn the long team on the narrow headland1 and in order to get room to reach a position for starting the next furrow-slice1 he would have to bear to the left before commencing the actual turn4 ,in the meantime the horse next the plough would be completing the furrow-slice alone1 and would1 naturally1 try to follow the other three horses towards the left1 so that the furrow-slice at its end would slightly deviate from the straight line4 ,when the horses were all turned1 the second furrow-slice would follow the error in the first1 and the same deviation would occur at each end of the ploughing1 gradually becoming more and more pronounced1 until the curved form of each ridge became apparent4 ,lord ,avebury says that when the driver1 walking on the near side1 reached the end of each furrow1 he found it easier to turn the team by pulling them round than by pushing them1 thus accounting for the slight curvature4 ,the saying1 ,he that by the plough would thrive ,himself must either hold or drive1 is largely true1 but only the small farmer can comply with it4 ,the man of many acres cannot restrict his presence to one field1 and must adopt for his motto the equally true proverb1 ,the master's eye does more than both his hands4 ,the thrashing-machine is the ultimate test of the yield or cast of the wheat crop1 and it seems to have something itself to say about it4 ,for when the straw is short the cast is generally good1 and vice versa4 ,in the first case the machine runs evenly1 and gives out a contented and cheerful hum1 but in the second it remonstrates with intermittent grunts and groans4 ,even when the yield is pretty good1 the voice of the machine is not nearly so encouraging to the imaginative farmer1 when prices are low1 as when prices are up4 ,throughout the course of my farming the gloomy note of the machine was that which predominated1 but in the spring of #ahgg1 on the prospect of complications with ,russia1 when wheat rose to ,i think nearly #gjs4 a quarter1 it was again a cheerful sound1 for ,i had several ricks of the previous year's crop on hand4 ,i do not remember that bread rose to anything like the extent that occurred in the ,great ,war4 ,forty years has marvellously widened the gap between the raw material and the finished product--that is1 between producer and consumer2 immense increases have taken place in the cost of labour employed by miller and baker1 and rates and other expenses are much higher4 ,farmers do not lose much in bad debts2 they have to lay out their capital in cash payments so long before the return that they are not expected to give extended credit when sales take place1 and for corn payment is made fourteen days after the sale is effected4 ,i had one rather narrow escape4 ,i had sold #aej sacks of wheat to a miller1 and it had been delivered to the mill1 but one evening ,i had a note from him to say that his credit was in question on the local markets4 ,a nod1 ,i thought1 was as good as a wink to a blind horse2 so next morning ,i sent all my teams and waggons1 and by night had carted all the wheat away1 except twenty sacks1 which had already been ground4 ,the miller paid eventually #ajs4 in the 1 so my loss was only a matter of about #aj4 ,a similar chap money1 or return of a trifle in cash from seller to buyer1 as that in vogue in horse-dealing1 still exists in selling corn2 it goes by the indefinite name of custom1 and in ,worcestershire it was a fixed sum of #as4 in every sixty bushels of wheat1 and #as4 in every eighty bushels of barley2 each of these quantities formed the ancient load4 ,i think the payment of custom arose when tarpaulin sheets were first used instead of straw to cover the waggon loads4 ,the straw never returned2 it was the miller's perquisite1 and its value paid for the beer to which the carters were treated at the mill2 but the tarpaulin comes back each time1 so the miller gets his quid pro quo in the custom4 ,barley was not an important crop at ,aldington1 the land was too stiff1 but ,i had some fields which contained limestone1 where good crops could be grown4 ,even there it was inclined to coarseness1 but in dry seasons sometimes proved a very nice bright and thin-skinned sample4 ,before the repeal of the malt tax1 which was accompanied by legislation that permitted the brewers to use sugar1 raw grain and almost anything1 including1 as people said1 old boots and shoes instead of barley malt1 good prices1 up to #dbs4 a quarter and over1 could be made2 but under the new conditions1 the maltsters complained that my barley was too good for them1 and they could buy foreign stuff at about #bbs4 or #bds41 which1 with the help of sugar1 produced a class of beer quite good enough for the ,black ,country and ,pottery consumers4 ,i heard an amusing story about barley in ,lincolnshire1 some years before the repeal of the malt tax1 which1 ,i think1 is worth recording4 ,a farmer1 after a very hot summer and dry harvest1 had a good piece of barley which he offered by sample in ,lincoln market4 ,he could not make his price1 the buyers complaining that it was too hard and flinty4 ,he went home in disgust1 but1 after much pondering1 thought he could see his way to meet the difficulty4 ,he had the sacks of barley shut on his barn floor1 in a heap1 and several buckets of water poured over it4 ,the heap was turned daily for a time1 until the grain had absorbed all the water1 and there was no sign of external moisture4 ,the appearance of the barley was completely changed3 the hard flinty look had vanished1 and the grain presented a new plumpness and mellowness4 ,he took a fresh sample to ,lincoln next market day1 and made #bs4 or #cs4 a quarter more than he had asked for it in its original condition4 ,the following lines1 which have never been published except in a local newspaper1 though written many years ago1 apply quite well in these days of the hoped-for revival of agriculture4 ,i am not at liberty to disclose the writer's identity beyond his initials1 ,e4,w4 ,,farmer ,,newstyle ,,and ,,farmer ,,oldstyle ,good day1 said ,farmer ,oldstyle1 taking ,newstyle by the arm2 ,i be cum to look aboit me1 wilt 'ee show me o'er thy farm8 ,young ,newstyle took his wideawake1 and lighted a cigar1 ,and said1 ,won't ,i astonish you1 old-fashioned as you are6 ,no doubt you have an aneroid8 ere starting you shall see ,how truly mine prognosticates what weather there will be4 ,i ain't got no such gimcracks2 but ,i knows there'll be a flush ,when ,i sees th'oud ram tak shelter wi' his tail agen a bush4 ,allow me first to show you the analysis ,i keep1 ,and the compounds to explain of this experimental heap1 ,where hydrogen and nitrogen and oxygen abound1 ,to hasten germination and to fertilize the ground4 ,a putty sight o' learning you have piled up of a ruck2 ,the only name it went by in my feyther's time was muck4 ,i knows not how the tool you call a nallysis may work1 ,i turns it when it's rotten pretty handy wi' a fork4 ,a famous pen of ,cotswolds1 pass your hand along the back1 ,fleeces fit for stuffing the ,lord ,chancellor's woolsack6 ,for premiums e'en ',inquisitor' would own these wethers are fit1 ,if you want to purchase good uns you must go to ,mr4 ,garsit4#a ,two bulls first rate1 of different breeds1 the judges all protest ,both are so super-excellent1 they know not which is best4 ,fair#a could he see this ,ayrshire1 would with jealousy be riled2 ,that hairy one's a ,welshman1 and was bred by ,mr4 ,wild4#a ,well1 well1 that little hairy bull1 he shanna be so bad3 ,but what be yonder beast ,i hear1 a-bellowing like mad1 ,a-snorting fire and smoke out8 be it some big ,roosian gun6 ,or be it twenty bullocks squez together into one8 ,my steam factotum1 that1 ,sir1 doing all ,i have to do1 ,my ploughman and my reaper1 and my jolly thrasher1 too6 ,steam's yet but in its infancy1 no mortal man alive ,can tell to what perfection modern farming will arrive4 ,steam as yet is but an infant--he had scarcely said the word1 ,when through the tottering farmstead was a loud explosion heard2 ,the engine dealing death around1 destruction and dismay2 ,though steam be but an infant this indeed was no child's play4 ,the women screamed like blazes1 as the blazing hayrick burned1 ,the sucking pigs were in a crack1 all into crackling turned2 ,grilled chickens clog the hencoop1 roasted ducklings choke the gutter1 ,and turkeys round the poultry yard on devilled pinions flutter4 ,two feet deep in buttermilk the stoker's two feet lie1 ,the cook before she bakes it finds a finger in the pie2 ,the labourers for their lost legs are looking round the farm1 ,they couldn't lend a hand because they had not got an arm4 ,oldstyle all soot1 from head to foot1 looked like a big black sheep1 ,newstyle was thrown upon his own experimental heap2 ,that weather-glass1 said ,oldstyle1 canna be in proper fettle1 ,or it might as well a tow'd us there was thunder in the kettle4 ,steam is so expansive4 ,aye1 said ,oldstyle1 so ,i see4 ,so expensive1 as you call it1 that it winna do for me2 ,according to my notion1 that's a beast that canna pay1 ,who champs up for his morning feed a hundred ton of hay4 ,then to himself1 said ,oldstyle1 as he homewards quickly went1 ,i'll tak' no farm where doctors' bills be heavier than the rent2 ,i've never in hot water been1 steam shanna speed my plough1 ,i'd liefer thrash my corn out by the sweat of my own brow4 ,i neither want to scald my pigs1 nor toast my cheese1 not ,i1 ,afore the butcher sticks 'em or the factor comes to buy2 ,they shanna catch me here again to risk my limbs and loife2 ,i've nought at whoam to blow me up except it be my woif4 ,,chapter ,,xviii4 ,,hops--,,insect ,,attacks--,,hop ,,fairs4 ,oft expectation fails1 and most oft there ,where most it promises2 and oft it hits ,where hope is coldest and despair most fits4 --,all's ,well that ,ends ,well4 ,in a very rare black-letter book on hop culture1 ,a ,perfite ,platforme of a ,hoppe ,garden1 published in the year #aegh and therefore over #cdj years old1 the author1 ,reynolde ,scot1 has the following quaint remarks on one of the disorders to which the hop plant is liable3 ,the hoppe that liketh not his entertainment1 namely his seat1 his ground1 his keeper1 or the manner of his setting1 comith up thick and rough in leaves1 very like unto a nettle2 and will be much bitten with a little black flye1 who1 also1 will not do harme unto good hoppes1 who if she leave the leaf as full of holes as a nettle1 yet she seldome proceedeth to the utter destruction of the ,hoppe2 where the garden standeth bleake1 the heat of summer will reform this matter4 ,thomas ,tusser1 who lived #aeae to #aehj1 in his ,five ,hundred ,points of ,good ,husbandry1 included many seasonable verses on ,hop-growing1 among which the following are worth quoting3 ,,may4 ,get into thy hop-yard for now it is time ,to teach ,robin ,hop on his pole how to climb1 ,to follow the sun1 as his property is1 ,and weed him and trim him if aught go amiss4 ,,june4 ,whom fancy perswadeth among other crops1 ,to have for his spending sufficient of hops3 ,must willingly follow of choices to chuse ,such lessons approved1 as skilfull do use4 ,ground gravelly1 sandy1 and mixed with clay1 ,is naughty for hops1 any manner of way2 ,or if it be mingled with rubbish and stone1 ,for dryness and barrenness let it alone4 ,chuse soil for the hop of the rottenest mould1 ,well dunged and wrought as a garden plot should3 ,not far from the water 7but not overflown71 ,this lesson well noted is meet to be known4 ,the sun in the south1 or else southly and west1 ,is joy to the hop1 as welcomed ghest3 ,but wind in the north1 or else northerly east1 ,to hop is as ill1 as a fray in a feast4 ,meet plot for a hop-yard1 once found as is told1 ,make thereof account1 as of jewell of gold3 ,now dig it and leave it the sun for to burn1 ,and afterward fence it to serve for that turn4 ,the hop for his profit1 ,i thus do exalt1 ,it strengtheneth drink and it favoureth malt1 ,and being well brewed1 long kept it will last1 ,and drawing abide1 if ye draw not too fast4 ,in ,worcestershire and ,herefordshire hop-gardens are always called hop-yards1 which seems to be only a local and more ancient form of the same word1 and from the same root4 ,the termination occurs also in orchard--from the ,anglo-,saxon ortgeard 7a wort-yard7 --olive-yard1 and vineyard4 ,the quotation from the ,perfitie ,platforme of a ,hoppe ,garden refers to a little black flye1 now called the flea 7,worcestershire plural flen71 really a beetle like the turnip fly1 and it is the first pest that attacks the hop every year4 ,first the flea1 then the fly1 ,then the lice1 and then they die1 is a couplet repeated in all the hop districts to-day1 but the damage done by the flea is not to be compared to that caused by the next pest1 the fly4 ,the latter is one of the numerous species of aphis which begins its attack in the winged state1 and after producing wingless green lice in abundance--which further increase by the process known as gemmation--reappears with wings in the final generation of the lice1 and hibernates in readiness for its visitation in the spring next year4 ,so long as the hop plant maintains its health the aphis is comparatively harmless1 for the plant is then able to elaborate to the full the bitter principle which is its natural protection4 ,on a really hot day in ,july it is sometimes possible to detect the distinctive scent of the hop quite plainly in walking through the plantation1 long before any hops appear1 and when this is noticeable very little of the aphis blight can be found4 ,there is however nearly always a small sprinkling lying in wait1 and a few days of unsuitable weather will reduce the vitality of the plant so that the blight immediately begins to increase4 ,there is little doubt that all the distinctive principles of plants or trees have been evolved1 and are in perfect health elaborated1 as a protection from their most destructive insect or fungoid enemies2 just as physical protective equipment1 such as thorns1 prickles1 and stinging apparatus1 is produced by other plants or trees as safeguards against more powerful foes4 ,if it were not so1 plants that are even now seriously damaged and kept in check by such pests would long ago have become extinct4 ,pursuing this theory it seems likely that the solanin of the potato is its natural protection against the disease caused by the fungus ,phytophthora infestans4 ,the idea is suggested by the invariably increasing liability to the potato disease experienced as new sorts become old4 ,the new kinds of potatoes are produced from the seed--not the tubers--of the old varieties1 and the seed1 when fully vitalized and capable of germination1 may be assumed to contain the maximum potentiality for transmission of the active principle to the tubers immediately descended from it4 ,during the early years of their existence these revitalized tubers contain so much solanin that they are not only injurious1 but more or less poisonous1 to man1 and it is only after they have been cultivated1 and have produced further generations of tubers from tubers1 that they become eatable1 showing that in the tuber condition the plant gradually loses its efficient protection4 ,in the case of the hop the most effective remedy is a solution of quassia and soft soap4 ,the caustic potash in the soap neutralizes the oily integument of the lice and dries them up1 but the quassia supplies a bitter principle not unlike that of the hop1 though without its grateful aroma1 which acts as a protection in the absence of the bitter of the hop itself4 ,so closely does the hop bitter resemble that of quassia1 that in seasons of hop failure it is said to be employed as a substitute in brewing1 and at one time its use for that purpose was prohibited by law4 ,as a further proof that the bitter principle of the hop is distasteful to the aphis1 it is noticeable that when the fly first arrives it always attacks the topmost shoots of the bine where the leaves have not developed1 and where the active principle is likely to be weakest4 ,the same position is selected by the aphis of the rose1 the bean1 and every plant or tree subject to aphis attack--it is the undeveloped and therefore unprotected part which is chosen4 ,it is remarkable that when a destructive blight is proceeding--generally in a wet and cold time--and a sudden change occurs to really hot dry weather1 the hop plant often recovers its tone automatically1 shakes off the disease1 and the blight dies away1 a fact which strengthens the assumption that in normal weather the plant can protect itself4 ,again1 the blight is always most persistent under the shade of trees or tall hedges1 or where the bine is over luxuriant1 when owing to the exclusion of light and air the plant is unable to elaborate its natural safeguard4 ,fertilizers not well balanced as to their constituents1 and containing an excess of nitrogen1 act as stimulants without supplying the minerals necessary for perfect health4 ,the effect is the same as that produced in man by an excess of alcohol and a deficiency of nourishing food1 the health of the subject suffers in both cases1 leaving a predisposition to disease4 ,reasoning by analogy1 these causes affecting the success or failure of plants give us the clue to the remedies for bacterial disease in man4 ,disease is the consequence and penalty of life under unnatural or unfavourable conditions1 which should first receive attention and improvement4 ,when in spite of improved conditions disease persists1 specifics must be sought4 ,the conditions which produce disease in the vegetable world are fought by the active principle of each plant1 and inasmuch as the germ diseases of man are probably1 though distantly1 related to those which affect vegetable life1 the specific protections of plants should be exploited for the treatment of human complaints4 ,this1 of course1 has for long been a practice1 but possibly more success might be achieved by careful research to identify each distinct bacterial disease in man with its co-related distinct disease in plants1 so as to utilize as a remedy for the former the natural protection which the latter indicates4 ,our artificially evolved domesticated plants are more subject to disease than their wild prototypes1 because they are not natural survivals of the fittest4 ,they are survivals only by virtue of the art of man1 inducing special properties pleasing to man's senses1 and therefore profitable for sale2 but in the development of some such special excellence1 ability to elaborate protective defence is generally neglected1 and the special excellence produced may possibly be antagonistic to the really sound constitution of the plant4 ,it is thus that cultivated plants are more in need of watchful care and attention than their wild relations1 and that1 in the development of quality1 a sacrifice of quantity may be involved4 ,the observant hop grower notices constant changes in the appearance of his plants from day to day under varying weather influences and other conditions3 a retarded and unhappy expression in a cold1 wet and rough time2 an eager and hopeful expansiveness under genial conditions2 a dark1 plethoric and rampant growth where too much nitrogen is available1 and a brilliant and healthily-restrained normality when properly balanced nourishment is provided4 ,there should be sympathy between the grower and his plants1 such as is described by ,blackmore in his ,christowell2 though in the following passage with consummate art he puts the words into the mouth of the sympathetic daughter of the amateur vine-grower1 and gives the plant the credit of the first advance3 ',for people to talk about sensitive plants1' she says1 'does seem such sad nonsense1 when every plant that lives is sensitive4 ,just look at this holly-leafed baby vine1 with every point cut like a prickle1 yet much too tender and good to prick me4 ,it follows every motion of my hand2 it crisps its little veinings up whenever ,i come near it2 and it feels in every fibre that ,i am looking at it4' ,blackmore was much more than a writer of fiction2 ,i think he had a deeper insight into the spirit of ,nature and country character than perhaps any writer of modern times2 he combined the accuracy of the scholar with the practical knowledge of the farmer and gardener2 the logic of the philosopher with the fancy and expression of the poet4 ,i regard the appreciation of his ,lorna ,doone--a book in which one can smell the violets--as the test of a real country lover2 ,i mean a country lover who1 besides the gift of acute observation1 has the deeper gift of imaginative perception4 ,if only the book could have been illustrated by the pencil of ,randolph ,caldecott1 such a union of sympathy between author and artist would have produced a work unparalleled in rural literature4 ,like all insects the aphis has its special insect enemies1 among which the lady-bird 7lady-cow in ,worcestershire7 is the most important4 ,it lays its eggs in clusters on the hop-leaf1 and in a few days the larv 7called niggers7 are hatched1 aggressive-looking creatures with insatiable appetites4 ,it is amusing to watch them hunting over the lower side of the leaf like a sporting dog in a turnip field1 and devouring the lice in quantities4 ,i knew an old hop grower in ,hampshire who had a standing offer of a guinea a quart for lady-birds1 but it is scarcely necessary to add that the reward was never claimed4 ,the hop is dioecious 7producing male and female blossoms on separate plants71 but very rarely both can be found on the same stem--the plant thus becoming monoecious4 ,in #ahic1 a very hot dry year1 several specimens were found1 including one in ,kent1 one in ,surrey1 one in ,herefordshire1 and one in my own hopyards at ,aldington4 ,it is curious that the same unusual season should have produced the same abnormality in places so far apart1 practically representing all the hop districts of the country4 ,till ,james's ,day be past and gone1 ,you might grow hops or you might grow none4 ,st4 ,james's ,day is ,july #be1 and so uncertain was the crop in the days before insecticides were in use1 that the saying fairly represents the specially speculative nature of the crop in former times4 ,as an instance of the effects of varying years ,i had the uncommon experience of picking two crops in twelve months3 the first in a very late season when the picking did not commence till after ,worcester hop-fair day1 ,september #aith1 and the second the following year when picking was unusually early1 and was completed before the fair day4 ,at ,farnham1 where many of the tradespeople indulged in a little annual flutter as small hop growers1 in addition to a more regular source of income from their respective trades1 it was said that the first question on meeting each other was not1 ,how are you8 but ,how are they8 ,hop-picking is always somewhat reminiscent of the ,saturnalia2 with hundreds of strangers from distant villages and a few gipsies and tramps1 it is not possible to enforce strict discipline1 for it is very necessary to keep the people in good-humour4 ,on the final day of the picking they expect to be allowed to indulge in a good deal of horse-play1 the great joke being suddenly to upset an unpopular individual into a crib among the hops4 ,shrieks of laughter greet the disappearance of the unlucky one1 of whom nothing is to be seen except a struggling leg protruding from the crib4 ,the last operation in the hop garden is stacking the poles1 and burning the bine1 a most inflammable material which makes a prodigious blaze4 ,as the men watch the leaping flames the same remark is made year after year--fire is a good servant1 but a bad master4 ,these fires seem a great waste of good fibrous matter1 as in former times the bine was utilized for making coarse sacking and brown paper4 ,during the war ,i suggested to the ,national ,salvage ,council that1 owing to the scarcity of both these articles1 it might be worth while to attempt the resuscitation of the manufacture4 ,the suggestion was followed by experiments which produced quite a useful brown paper of which ,i received a sample1 but the cost of treatment was unfortunately prohibitive from the commercial point of view4 ,worcester hop fair is the start of the trade1 and the market is held behind the ,hop-,pole ,hotel1 where there are spacious stores and offices for the merchants4 ,when the crop is bountiful the stores are filled to overflowing1 and the ancient ,guildhall built in #agba has to be requisitioned4 ,on either side of the doorway stand the statues of ,carolus ,i4 and ,carolus ,,ii41 who must have watched the entrance and the exit of innumerable pockets4 ,worcester is distinguished as the ,faithful ,city1 for like the ,county it had small use for ,cromwell and his ,roundheads2 and to this day1 on the date of the restoration of ,charles ,,ii4--the twenty-ninth of ,may1 oak apple day--a spray of oak or an oak-apple is in some villages worn as a badge of loyalty1 the penalty for non-observance being a stroke on the hands with a stinging-nettle4 ,it was a great relief to get away from my #cjj pickers and ride the eighteen miles to ,worcester on my bicycle1 through the lovely river scenery of the ,vale of ,evesham1 the hedges drooping beneath the weight of brilliant berries1 the orchards loaded with apples1 the clean bright stubbles1 and the cattle in the lush aftermath2 then1 after a visit to the busy hop-market and a stroll among the curio shops in ,new ,street1 to return by a different road as the shadows were lengthening beside the copses and the hedgerow timber trees4 ,in former times the ,october fair at ,weyhill1 near ,andover1 was the market for the ,hampshire and ,farnham hops2 it was the custom for the growers to send them by road1 and load back with cheese brought to the fair by the ,wiltshire farmers4 ,i heard of a ,hampshire grower1 who in a year of great scarcity had spent some time trying to sell several pockets to an anxious but reluctant buyer1 unwilling to give the price asked--#bj a hundredweight4 ,they continued the deal in the evening at the inn at ,andover1 where both were staying1 and said ,good-night without having concluded the bargain4 ,the grower was in bed and almost asleep when he heard a knock at his door1 and a voice1 ,give you #ah1 which he refused4 ,next morning trade was dull and the buyer would not repeat his offer1 and at the end of the week the grower sent his hops home again4 ,prices continued to fall1 until two years later he sold the same lot at #es4 a hundredweight to a cunning speculator1 who took them out to sea1 after claiming a return of the duty 7about #a a hundredweight originally paid by the grower71 which the ,excise refunded on exported hops4 ,the hops went overboard of course1 and the buyer netted the difference between the price he paid and the amount received for the refunded duty4 ,at these old fairs the showmen and gipsies take large sums in the pleasure departments for admission to their exhibitions--swings1 roundabouts1 shooting-galleries1 and coco-nut shies4 ,in ,evesham ,post-,office a gipsy woman once asked me to write a letter2 she handed me an order for #aj1 and instructed me to send it to a ,london firm for #e worth of best coco-nuts and #e worth of seconds4 ,they were for use on the shies2 it struck me as a large supply1 and the economical division of the qualities as ingenious4 ,,chapter ,,xix4 ,,meteorology--,,eton ,,and ,,harrow ,,at ,,lord',s--,,rus ,,in ,,urbe4 ,but if ,i praised the busy town1 ,he loved to rail against it still1 ,for 'ground in yonder social mill ,we rub each other's angles down1 ',and merge1' he said1 'in form and gloss ,the picturesque of man and man4' --,in ,memoriam4 ,during the terribly wet summer of #ahgi the following lines were written--it was said by the then ,bishop of ,wakefield--in the visitors' book at the ,white ,lion ,hotel at ,bala1 in ,wales3 ,the weather depends on the moon1 as a rule1 ,and ,i've found that the saying is true2 ,for at ,bala it rains when the moon's at the full1 ,and it rains when the moon's at the new4 ,when the moon's at the quarter1 then down comes the rain2 ,at the half it's no better ,i ween2 ,when the moon's at three-quarters it's at it again1 ,and it rains besides mostly between4 ,rather hard on ,bala1 for the summer was so abnormally wet that these lines would have been true of any part of ,england4 ,i suppose everybody is more or less interested in the weather1 but the custom of alluding to the obvious1 as an opening to conversation1 is probably a survival from the time when everyone was directly interested in its effect upon agriculture4 ,nothing proves how completely town interests now dominate those of the country so much as the innovation called summer time4 ,during the war it was no doubt a boon to allotment holders1 and of course it gives a longer evening to those employed all day indoors2 but it inflicts direct loss on the farmer1 who is practically forced to adopt it in order to supply the towns with produce in time for their altered habits4 ,the farmer exchanges the last hour of the normal day1 one of the most valuable in the old working time1 for the first hour of the new day1 one of the most useless1 for owing to the dew which the sun has not had time to dry up1 many agricultural operations cannot be properly performed or even commenced--hay-making and corn-hoeing for instance are impossible4 ,we may be sure that the former times of beginning and ending farm-work1 which ,i suppose had been customary for at least #b1jjj years in ,england1 did not receive the sanction of such a period without good reason1 and it seems to me1 that so far as outdoor work is concerned the new arrangement savours of teaching our grandmothers to suck eggs4 ,there is a saving of lighting requirements1 no doubt1 but in such a six weeks of winterly mornings as we had1 following the commencement of summer time this first year of peace1 there is a considerable increase in the consumption of fuel4 ,wherever possible1 ,i suppose1 most houses are built to face the south1 and the breakfast-room would be generally on that side1 so that by #i o'clock1 old time1 the sun had warmed the room1 but at #i o'clock1 new time1 the sun has scarcely looked in at the window2 a fire is probably lighted and to save trouble kept up all day4 ,if the new arrangement is continued1 and ,i understand that it was tried more than #ajj years ago and abandoned as a mistake1 it would be much better to begin it at least a month later4 ,our present ,may ,day is nearly a fortnight earlier than before the ,new ,style was introduced1 which is the reason why old traditions of ,may ,day merry-makings appear unseasonable2 and probably the promoters of summer time have not heard of blackthorn winter and whitethorn winter1 which1 in the country1 we experience regularly every year in ,april and ,may4 ,when the grass grows in ,janiveer ,it grows the worse for it all the year1 and ,if ,candlemas-,day be fine and fair ,the half of winter's to come and mair2 ,if ,candlemas-,day be wet and foul ,the half of winter was gone at ,yule1 are both rhymes suggesting the probability of wintry weather to follow1 if the early weeks of the year are mild and unseasonable1 and they may be considered as generally correct prognostications4 ,a neighbouring village had the distinction of possessing a weather prophet1 with the reputation also of an astrologer2 he could be seen when the stars were gleaming brightly1 late at night1 gazing upwards and making his deductions1 though1 in reality1 ,i fancy1 his inspiration came from the study of almanacs which profess to foretell the future4 ,he was quiet and reserved1 with a spare figure1 dark complexion1 and an abstracted expression4 ,occasionally ,i could induce him to talk1 but he did not like to be drawn4 ,he told me1 as one of his original conceptions1 that he thought the good people were accommodated in the after-life within the limits of the stars of good influence1 and that the wicked had to be content with those of an opposite character4 ,the proverb about ,march dust1 and ,a dry ,march and a dry ,may for old ,england1 are both apposite1 for they are busy months on the land1 and a wet ,march amounts to a national disaster2 but everyone forgives ,april when showery1 for we all know that ,april showers bring forth ,may flowers4 ,shakespeare1 too1 says3 ,when daffodils begin to peer1 ,with heigh6 the doxy over the dale1 ,why1 then comes in the sweet of the year4 ,a charming sentiment and charmingly rendered1 but possibly more accurate when the ,old ,style was in vogue1 and the seasons were nearly a fortnight later than now4 ,the modern daffys too1 no doubt1 begin to peer somewhat earlier than those of the reign of ,queen ,elizabeth4 ,during a very hot summer ,i suggested to the ,board of ,agriculture that it might be worth while to experiment with explosions of artillery1 with a view of inducing the clouds to discharge the rain they evidently contain when they keep passing day after day without bursting4 ,i had seen it stated that many great battles had ended in tremendous downpours1 and that it was believed that the rain was caused by concussion from the explosions4 ,the ,board replied1 however1 that experiments had been conducted in ,america for the purpose1 without in any way substantiating the theory2 and the experiences of the ,great ,war have since conclusively proved that it has no foundation4 ,as to weather signs1 ,i have already quoted the original pronouncement of my carpenter1 ,t4,g41 that the indications for rain are very similar to the indications for fine weather1 and there is a good deal in his words4 ,my own conclusion1 after fifty years of out-door life on the farm1 in the woods1 in the garden1 at out-door games1 and on the roads1 is that fine weather brings fine weather1 and wet weather brings wet weather1 in other words1 it never rains but it pours1 in an extended sense4 ,my impression is that when the ground is dry there is a minimum of capillary attraction between it and the clouds1 and though the sky may look threatening they do not easily break into rain4 ,on the other hand1 when the ground is thoroughly wet and evaporation is active1 capillary attraction tends to unite earth and clouds1 and rain results4 ,we all know that hill-tops receive showers which frequently pass over the vales without falling1 probably because of the greater proximity of the hills4 ,in a long drought a violent thunderstorm1 which soaks the ground1 will often be followed by a complete change of weather1 as the result of contact established between the earth and the clouds4 ,the best description ,i know of a really hot and cloudless day is that by ,coleridge in the ,ancient ,mariner3 ,the sun came up upon the left1 ,out of the sea came he2 ,and he shone bright1 and on the right ,went down into the sea4 ,the succession of monosyllables expresses most forcibly the monotony of a day of blazing sunshine1 unruffled by a cloud2 and the absence of incident illustrates the remorseless march of the dominant sun across the heavens4 ,very little of my time has been spent in ,london or any other town1 and my early recollections of passing through ,london on my way to or from school after or before the holidays are of very depressing weather conditions--fog1 greasy streets and pavements1 or a sun veiled in a haze of smoky vapour4 ,even when ,i went to ,lord's annually in ,july to see the ,eton and ,harrow match my recollection of the weather is of dull1 sultry heat and oppression of spirits4 ,cricket never seemed the same game as ,i knew and loved at ,harrow1 or in my own home in ,surrey2 there was an unreality about it1 and a black coat and top hat were insufferably uncongenial4 ,i am able1 as an eye-witness on one of these occasions1 to write of an incident which1 ,i think1 has been almost forgotten4 ,it was within a year of the marriage of ,king ,edward1 then ,prince of ,wales1 and ,queen ,alexandra4 ,a ball had been hit almost to the boundary1 but was stopped by a spectator close to the ropes1 thrown in to the fielder1 and smartly returned to the wicket-keeper4 ,the batsmen took it for granted that it was a boundary hit1 and were changing ends when1 one man being out of his ground1 the wicket was put down1 the wicket-keeper not recognizing that the ball was dead4 ,the umpire gave the man out4 ,the man demurred1 and immediately shouts arose on all sides3 ,out6 ,not out6 ,out6 ,not out6 ,out6 ,not out6 rising in crescendo to a pitch of intense excitement4 ,the boys watching the match1 and the other spectators1 some agreeing with1 and some disputing the verdict1 rushed into the centre of the ground1 and completely blocked the open space still shouting vociferously4 ,when the turmoil was at its height the carriage of the ,prince and ,princess was driven on to the ground2 one of the players rushed up excitedly1 and asked the ,prince to decide the matter4 ,the ,prince had not seen the incident1 and of course declined1 as no doubt he would have done under any circumstances1 to give an opinion4 ,it was impossible to clear the ground and continue the play that evening1 and stumps were drawn for the day4 ,next morning the fielding side offered the disgusted batsman to continue his innings1 but he decided to play the game and abide by the umpire's decision4 ,i forget whether ,eton or ,harrow was in the field at the time1 and after this lapse of years it does not matter4 ,the headmaster always sent a notice round1 just before the match1 to be read to every form1 that the boys were desired not to indulge in any ironical cheering at ,lord's2 this was his euphemism for what we called chaff1 and ,i fear that on this occasion the warning was disregarded even more completely than usual4 ,as a child1 ,i generally paid a visit to ,london with my brothers and sisters during the ,christmas holidays to see a pantomime1 and ,i remember an occasion when returning from ,covent ,garden ,theatre after a matinee we all--nine of us--walked over ,waterloo ,bridge and paid nine halfpennies toll--a circumstance that had never happened before1 and never happened again4 ,in the days before the railway was made between ,alton and ,farnham the old bailiff on the ,will ,hall ,farm at ,alton1 who1 though quite an elderly man1 had never visited ,london1 expressed a wish to visit it for once in his life4 ,his master gave him a holiday and paid his expenses1 and the old man drove the ten miles to ,farnham ,station4 ,arrived in ,london he started to walk over ,waterloo ,bridge1 but the further he got the more astonished he became at the traffic1 and began to wonder what fair all the people could be going to4 ,feeling very much out of his element he reached the ,strand1 and looking up and down he saw still greater crowds of passengers and the unending procession of 'buses1 cabs1 and vans4 ,he became so confused and alarmed that he turned round1 went straight back to ,waterloo ,station1 and left by the first available train4 ,he came home disgusted with ,london1 and in an account of the traffic and the people1 ended by saying1 ,i never saw such a place in my life2 ,i couldn't even get a bit of anything to eat until ,i got back to ,farnham4 ,this old man was called the ,great ,western3 ,i suppose his bulk and commanding figure were reminiscent of the power and energy of one of the locomotives on that line4 ,he wore a very wide-brimmed straw hat1 and a vast expanse of waistcoat with sleeves1 without a coat over it1 and he had a very determined and masterful habit of speech4 ,caldecott's sketch of ,ready-,money ,jack in ,bracebridge ,hall always recalls him to my mind4 ,he must have been born before the opening of the nineteenth century1 for he could remember the stirring events of its early years4 ,any remark about unusual weather made in his hearing was at once put out of court by his recollections of eiteen-eiteen 7#ahah71 which seems to have been a very remarkable year for maxima and minima of meteorology4 ,he could remember the high price of wheat during the war which ended at ,waterloo1 and how his old master1 the grandfather of the tenant of the farm in my time1 would stand by the men in the barn as they measured up the wheat1 bushel by bushel1 to fill the sacks1 and exclaim as each bushel was poured in1 ,there goes another guinea1 boys6 ,this would make the price #afhs4 a quarter2 ,i find the average recorded for #ahab was #abfs4 #f;d41 so that it is quite possible that for a time in that year in places #afhs4 was realized2 which leaves us little to grumble at in the price of #hjs4 during the greatest war in history4 ,his horizon must have been considerably widened by his brief visit to ,london2 previous to that event it might have been nearly as extensive as that of the hero of a recent story of ,pwllheli4 ,meeting a crony in the town1 he remarked that the streets of ,london would be pretty crowded that day4 ,how's that8 said his friend4 ,why1 there's a trip train gone up to-day with fourteen people from ,pwllheli6 ,bredon ,hill1 in the ,vale of ,evesham1 is the direction in which many people look for hints of coming changes of weather4 ,when ,bredon ,hill puts on his cap ,ye men of the vale beware of that is a well-known proverb referring to the dark curtain of rain clouds obscuring the top1 which is generally followed by heavy rain and floods in the ,avon meadows and those of all the little streams which join that river4 ,the same purple curtain can be seen on the ,cotswolds above ,broadway1 and is likewise the forerunner of floods in the ,vale3 ,when you see the rain on the hills ,you'll shortly find it down by the mills4 ,there is1 too1 the beautiful blue hazy distance one sees in very fine weather1 which gives a feeling of mystery and remoteness and unexplored possibilities4 ,i lately read somewhere of a man who had passed his life without leaving his native village1 though he had often looked far away into the blue distance1 and longed to start upon a journey of discovery2 for its invitation seemed an assurance that in such beauty there must be something better than he had ever experienced in his own home4 ,there came a day when the appeal was so insistent that he braced himself to the effort1 and after many weary miles reached the place of his dreams1 only to find that the blue distance had disappeared4 ,meeting a passer-by he told him of his journey and its object1 and of his disappointment1 ,look behind you1 was the reply4 ,he looked1 and behold6 over the very spot he had left in the morning--over his own home--the blue haze hung1 as a veil of beauty1 with its exquisite promise4 ,there is a moral and there is comfort in this tale for him who fancies that he is the victim of circumstances and surroundings4 ,that is the man who1 as my bailiff used to say in harvest1 has always got a heavier cut of wheat than his neighbour in the same field1 and is always finding himself at the wrong job4 ,,chapter ,,xx4 ,,changing ,,course ,,of ,,streams--,,dewponds--,a ,,wet ,,harvest--,,weather ,,phenomena--,,will-,o'-,,the-,,wisp--,, various4 ,there rolls the deep where grew the tree4 ,o ,earth1 what changes hast thou seen6 --,in ,memoriam4 ,with many a curve my banks ,i fret ,by many a field and fallow1 ,and many a fairy foreland set ,with willow-weed and mallow4 ,i chatter1 chatter1 as ,i flow ,to join the brimming river1 ,for men may come and men may go1 ,but ,i go on for ever4 ,the ,brook4 ,living so many years in one place ,i had unusual opportunities1 as my rounds nearly always took me beside my brooks1 of watching their slowly changing courses4 ,the roots of the pollard willows helped to keep them to their regular path by holding up the banks1 but sometimes when an old tree fell into the water it had an opposite result4 ,a fallen tree1 reaching partly across the stream1 has the immediate effect of damming the flow of the water on the side of its growth and diverting the current towards the opposite bank in a narrowed but more powerful advance1 so that the bank is worn away and the beginning of a bend is formed4 ,as the breach increases1 the water1 momentarily retarded there by the new concavity1 rushes forward again in the direction of the bank from which the tree fell4 ,so that a second concavity is produced on that side some little way below the tree1 resulting in the slow formation of an extended ,s-like figure1 or hook with a double bend4 ,the collection of rubbish and sediment retained by the fallen tree helps to form a new bank on that side1 extending further into the stream than the bank on which the tree originally stood4 ,as this process continues it is easy to see that a straight stretch of stream will in time assume a winding course1 and the stream will be continually altering its path1 so that large areas of flat meadows will be formed1 every part of which has at times been the stream's course4 ,how many ages1 then1 must it have taken to produce the level meadows we see extending for immense distances on either side of our big rivers1 and even those adjoining quite small streams8 ,the level surface thus created by the river or brook's course perpetually deflected and reflected1 is finally completed by the floods bringing down a deposit of soil in solution1 which is precipitated and settles into any surface irregularities left by the wanderings of the stream4 ,a faint conception of an absolutely illimitable cycle of years1 during which the whole extent of visible flat meadow has been again and again eroded and restored1 is thus conveyed4 ,confirmation of this alteration of their courses by streams is afforded when we cut a main drain through one of these meadows1 to carry the water from the connected furrow drains of adjoining arable land4 ,the alluvial soil can be found as deep as the depth of the present brook1 free from the stones found in the arable land1 and containing1 to the same depth as the brook1 fresh water shells similar to those in the brook to-day4 ,there was a bend in course of formation in one of my brooks1 where the stump of a tree1 whose fall was the starting-point1 could be seen standing in the newly-formed ground1 a yard or more from the stream when ,i left1 though ,i can remember when it was so near as almost to touch the water4 ,if we form an ,s from a piece of wire1 and pinch it together from top to bottom1 the loops become so flattened1 ,s1 that one of them may almost unite with the central curve4 ,the same thing often happens in the loops of a brook1 and1 in time1 the stream will complete the junction1 forming a short circuit4#b ,thus an island may be formed2 or when the old loop opposite the short circuit gets filled up with deposit or falling banks--the water preferring the short circuit--a piece of land may be cut off from one of the former sides of the brook and transferred to the other1 so that where the brook is a boundary between two owners or parishes one owner or parish may be robbed and the other owner or parish becomes a receiver of stolen goods4 ,there was an instance of this on the farm ,i owned and occupied adjoining the ,aldington ,manor property1 and the owner and the tenant of the piece transferred to my side could not reach it without walking through the brook4 ,in this case1 however1 the tenant had wisely planted the ground with withies1 which he managed to get at for lopping when its turn came round every seven years4 ,thus we have an example of the necessity of the ancient practice of beating the bounds1 which1 at least before the days of ordnance surveys1 was not merely an opportunity for a holiday4 ,another proof of the creation of new land by the meanderings of a stream is found in the ancient carrs of ,north ,lincolnshire1 near ,brigg1 where the hollowed-out logs of black bog oak1 which formed the canoes of the ancient inhabitants1 are sometimes discovered many feet below the surface1 and long distances from the present course of the ,ancholme4 ,these having sunk to the bottom of the river in past ages1 and gradually become covered with alluvium1 were left behind as the river changed its course4 ,in some cases however these canoes may have sunk to the bottom of the water when it formed a lake1 and the lake having gradually silted up1 the river receded to something like its present width4 ,the floods in the ,vale of ,evesham from the ,avon and even from my brooks1 often converted the adjoining flat meadows into lakes1 and they rose so suddenly after heavy rains or the melting of deep snowfalls on the hills1 that they were attended with danger to the stock4 ,in the summer of #ahgi one of these sudden floods occurred1 and people standing on ,evesham bridge1 saw fallen trees and hay-cocks floating down the stream4 ,a pollard willow was noticed with a crew of about twenty land rats1 which had found refuge there until the tree itself was lifted by the rising water and carried down the stream2 and a floating hay-cock supported a man's jacket1 his jar of cider1 and his shuppick4 ,the local word shuppick1 a corruption of sheaf-pike1 means a pike used for loading the sheaves of wheat in the harvest field on to the waggon1 and is the fork in general use at hay-making4 ,during another summer flood the whole of the pleasure ground at ,evesham1 beside the ,avon1 was under water several feet deep2 the water poured in at the lower windows of the adjoining hotel1 and the proprietor's casks of beer and cider in the cellars1 ready for the regatta1 were lifted from their stands and bumped against walls and ceilings4 ,every parish has its ,council in these days1 and in country places almost every other person one meets is a councillor of some sort1 and inclined to be proud of the distinction4 ,these ,councils are excellent safety-valves for parochial malcontents who thus harmlessly let off superfluous steam which might otherwise ruffle the abiding calm of peaceful inhabitants1 but their powers are really very limited4 ,in a village in ,worcestershire where an approach road crossed a brook by a ford1 during floods the current was sometimes so strong as to constitute a danger to horses and carts4 ,the village pundits therefore1 in council duly assembled1 considered the matter1 and after an extended debate the following resolution was carried unanimously1 ,that a notice board be erected on the spot bearing the inscription3 ,when this board is covered with water it is dangerous to attempt to cross the ford4 ,the numerous brooks in the ,vale of ,evesham supply ample water for the stock1 but in more elevated parts1 especially on the chalk ,downs of ,sussex1 ,hants1 ,wilts1 and ,dorset1 provision is made for an artificial water supply by what are called dewponds4 ,a shallow saucer-shaped depression is dug out on the open ,down1 the bottom being made water-tight by puddling with a well-rammed layer of impervious clay4 ,the first heavy rainfall fills the pond1 and1 the water being colder than the air1 the dew or mist condenses on its surface sufficiently1 in ordinary weather1 to maintain the supply4 ,in a dry time the sheep can always reach the water1 the pond having no banks1 by the shelving formation of the bottom4 ,sometimes a few trees are allowed to grow round it2 they also act as condensers1 and their drip helps to fill the pond4 ,it is only in an abnormal drought that these dewponds really fail1 and a thunderstorm1 followed by ordinary weather1 will soon refill them4 ,gilbert ,white1 in ,the ,natural ,history of ,selborne1 refers to these ponds in a very interesting letter on the subject1 including details of condensation by trees1 in which he gives an instance of a particular pond1 high up on the ,down1 #cjj feet above his house1 and situated in such a position that it was impossible for it to receive any water from springs or drainage1 which though never above three feet deep in the middle1 and not more than thirty feet in diameter1 and containing1 perhaps1 not more than two or three hundred hogsheads of water1 yet never is known to fail1 though it affords drink for three hundred or four hundred sheep1 and for at least twenty head of large cattle besides4 ,the natural well-water in the ,vale of ,evesham is exceedingly hard1 and in the town and some villages was formerly much contaminated4 ,after great opposition from obstructive ratepayers1 a splendid supply was obtained from the ,cotswolds above ,broadway1 about six miles away1 of much softer and really pure spring water4 ,it comes in pipes by gravitation1 so there is no expense of pumping2 but it was difficult to get recalcitrant ratepayers to lay the water on from the mains to their houses1 as that part of the cost had to be borne by them individually2 and1 before compulsion could be resorted to1 the ,council had to prove contamination of the wells and close them4 ,to get the evidence samples were submitted to a ,london analyst1 and they were invariably condemned4 ,one of the ,councillors suggested sending1 with a number of well samples1 a sample of the new supply for a fad4 ,the samples were numbered1 but had no other distinguishing mark1 and in due course the usual condemnations were received1 including that of the new town supply6 ,during the wet harvest of #ahgi1 when what was called by townspeople the agricultural depression1 was becoming acute1 it was impossible to get a whole day on which wheat could be carried4 ,the position was serious1 because the grain was sprouting in the sheaves in the field1 and time after time a fairly dry ,saturday would have allowed carrying the following day1 though ,monday was always as wet as ever4 ,at last at ,aldington we faced the situation and decided to proceed with the work whenever possible1 ,sunday or no ,sunday4 ,a fine drying ,saturday occurred1 and my bailiff told the men what we proposed1 adding that we did not wish anyone to help who had scruples as to the day4 ,they all appeared on ,sunday morning1 a brilliant day1 except one conscientious objector1 who1 as ,i heard later1 spent most of the day at the public-house4 ,we got up two ricks from about ten acres1 which eventually proved to be some of the driest wheat we had that year1 and which ,i was able to sell for seed at a good price1 to go into districts where no dry seed wheat could be found4 ,my old vicar was somewhat scandalized at this ,sunday work1 and some of my neighbours fancied themselves shocked1 but a day or two later ,i happened to meet another clergyman friend1 who farmed a little himself4 ,i was so pleased1 he said1 to hear that you were carrying wheat last ,sunday2 when ,i was preaching ,i was strongly disposed to conclude by telling my people--',now you have been to church1 go home to your dinners1 and then off with your jackets and carry wheat for the rest of the day4' ,next ,sunday all my neighbours were busy with their wheat1 but ,i had managed to complete my harvest during the previous week1 on the #hth of ,october1 quite a month or six weeks later than usual1 and an extraordinary contrast to the very dry year #ahfh1 when all the corn on the farm1 ,i was told1 was carried before the last day of ,july4 ,i attended a neighbour's sale that autumn2 the wet seasons and the low prices had been too much for him1 and he was leaving for the ,united ,states2 his rick-yard was empty1 all the corn sold1 and nothing but straw left4 ,i heard him remark1 ,folks are saying that ,i'm very backward with my payments1 but ,i'm very forward with my thrashing1 anyway6 ,before the following spring nearly all the rick-yards were empty1 and wheat-ricks1 it was said1 were as scarce as churches--one in each parish4 ,the situation was summed up later in a phrase which passed into a proverb3 ,in #ahgi farmers lived on faith1 in #ahhj they are living on hope1 and in #ahha they will have to live on charity4 ,the attitude of the towns was one of apathy and indifference1 like that of the ,general in ,bracebridge ,hall1 which1 published in #ahbb1 proves how history repeats itself in agricultural as in other matters3 ,he is amazingly well-contented with the present state of things1 and apt to get a little impatient at any talk about national ruin and agricultural distress4 ',they talk of public distress1' said the ,general this day to me at dinner1 as he smacked a glass of rich burgundy and cast his eyes about the ample board3 ',they talk of public distress1 but where do we find it1 sir8 ,i see none2 ,i see no reason anyone has to complain4 ,take my word for it1 sir1 this talk about public distress is all humbug6' ,at ,evesham1 long before the depression grew into a debacle1 the shadows of coming events could easily be detected4 ,there was the disappearance of the long rows of farmers' conveyances at the inns in the town on market-days2 there was the eclipse of shops--for other than necessities--such as a little fish shop1 opposite the corner at the cross roads2 a corner where much business was formerly transacted in the open street1 and where ,i myself have sold by sample some thousands of sacks of wheat4 ,a tempting little shop it used to be1 displaying shining ,severn salmon2 and it was here that the farmers1 after the market1 obtained the supplies commanded by the missus at home4 ,and there was the abandonment of the ,corn ,market proper1 for the class of farmers who survived hated to transact their business indoors4 ,the attendance of millers and dealers1 except of those who had cargoes of foreign corn at ,gloucester or ,bristol to dispose of1 became irregular4 ,sales of farm stock and implements took place in every village on farms which had passed from father to son for generations1 coupled with the sacrifice of valuable implements and machinery for want of buyers4 ,there followed the stage when landowners who could find no tenants1 and had heavily mortgaged estates1 essayed to make the best of them by laying away the arable land to pasture1 undertaking the management themselves with1 perhaps1 an old broken-down tenant as bailiff4 ,the politicians and the general public did not apprehend the danger of the situation1 in spite of innumerable warnings1 until the ,german submarines were sending our foreign food supplies to the bottom of the sea2 and now that the immediate danger of starvation has passed1 they appear already to have lapsed again into an attitude of apathy4 ,we hear the blessed word reconstruction on every side1 but the only official propositions for the permanent establishment of agricultural prosperity that ,i have heard are utterly inadequate4 ,it is ridiculous to suppose that a few thousand acres of special crops1 like tobacco1 for instance1 only possible in favoured spots1 can in any way compensate for the loss of millions of acres of arable land under rotations of corn and green crops4 ,under present conditions nothing is more certain than the abandonment of arable land as such2 and it is folly to talk of novel systems of transport for a dwindling output1 or of building labourers' cottages at an unjustifiable cost1 which are never likely to be wanted by a dying industry4 ,among my experiences of abnormal weather1 ,i have a note of a remarkable summer flood on ,july #ba1 #ahge1 when my hay was lying in the meadows beside the brooks1 and had to be removed to higher ground in pouring rain to prevent its disappearance with the current4 ,on the following day1 ,july #bb1 the highest flood since #ahde occurred at ,evesham4 ,october #ad1 #ahgg1 was memorable for the most terrific south-west gale that happened in all the years ,i passed at ,aldington2 thirteen trees1 mostly old apple trees and elms1 were blown down1 including the splendid veteran ,chate boy pear tree at ,blackminster1 an exceedingly sad and irreparable loss4 ,the gale blew hardest in special tracks1 the course of which could be followed by the destruction of trees and branches in distinct lanes1 cut through woods and plantations4 ,the winter of #ahhj-ahha was very severe1 the mean temperature of ,january1 #ahha1 being #bg4h degrees ,f41 the coldest ,january since #ahbj4 ,ten years later1 #ahij-ahia1 another very prolonged winter occurred3 the frost began on the #fth of ,december1 and1 with scarcely a break1 continued till well into ,february4 ,the feature of this frost was the fine settled weather1 and the warmth of the midday sun in the brilliant air1 when skaters could sit on the river banks and enjoy their rest and lunch in its rays4 ,i took my elder daughter back to school at ,richmond at the end of ,january1 and in ,london we saw the ,thames choked by huge hummocks of ice1 on which people were crossing the river4 ,an ox was roasted whole on the ,avon at ,evesham1 and1 when the frost broke up1 the ice on our millpond was #ag inches thick4 ,another great frost happened in #ahid-ahie1 beginning late in ,december1 and lasting till the end of ,february1 with a single intervening week of thaw2 and in ,march the ground1 in places1 was too hard to plough4 ,it was the only time that ,i was completely at a loss to find work for my men2 all the carting was finished in the early days of the frost1 and all the thrashing possible followed2 ploughing and all working of the land1 or draining1 were impracticable4 ,the men1 seeing that there would be no employment for them until the frost broke up1 told me that if they might get what wood they could from fallen trees in the brook1 and if ,i would lend them horses and carts to get it home1 they would be glad to work in that way for themselves for a time4 ,just as they had cleared both brooks from end to end of the farm which occupied them about ten days1 the thaw came and ,i was able to find them plenty to do4 ,we suffered very little from droughts at ,aldington1 the land was naturally so retentive of moisture1 but #ahic was a dry year1 not easily forgotten2 no rain fell from early in ,march to ,july #ac2 the hay crop was the lightest in remembrance1 and straw was so short and scarce that the hay-ricks of the following year1 #ahid1 had to go unthatched until the harvest of that year provided the necessary straw4 ,the spring of #ahie was remarkable for a plague of the caterpillars of the winter-moth1 due to the destruction of insect-eating birds by the great frost2 the caterpillars devoured the young leaves of the plum-trees1 so that whole orchards were completely stripped4 ,the balance between insectivorous birds and caterpillar life was destroyed for a time1 and the caterpillars conquered the plum-trees4 ,in #aiag1 during the persistent north-east blasts of ,february1 ,march1 and part of ,april1 the destruction of birds was terrible2 all the tit tribe suffered greatly1 and the charming little golden-crested wren1 which here in the ,forest was quite common1 has scarcely been seen since4 ,caterpillars again were a plague in my apple trees that spring1 but were not really destructive1 and in the autumn the apples escaped their usual punishment from the birds and wasps4 ,tits are often very troublesome2 they peck holes in the fruit1 apparently in search of the larvae of the codlin moth1 leaving an opening for wasps and flies4 ,i find the berries of the laurel1 which is a species of cherry1 very attractive to blackbirds1 and as long as there are any left they seem to prefer them to the apples4 ,in #ahie cuckoos came to the rescue of my young plum orchard2 there were dozens of them at work on the nine acres at once1 and they must have cleared away an immense number of the grubs4 ,the most remarkable season we have had since ,i left ,aldington was the great drought of #aiaa4 ,there was no rain here worth mention from ,june #bb1 the ,coronation of ,king ,george ,v41 until ,august #cj1 and the pastures on this thin land were burnt up4 ,on ,august #cj we had some friends for tennis1 and we had not been playing long before a mighty cloud-burst occurred2 the rain fell in torrents4 ,it didn't stop to rain1 it tumbled down1 as my men used to say1 and in about half an hour the lawn was a sheet of water1 the ground being so hard1 that it could not soak away4 ,it was all over in an hour1 and a neighbour with a rain-gauge registered #j4ff of an inch of rain1 equal to #ff tons on an acre1 or #ccj tons on my five acres4 ,one of my ambitions has always been to see a ,will-o'-the-wisp1 and ,i am still hoping2 but that hot summer1 had ,i known it at the time1 they were quite common within an easy walk of my house in the ,new ,forest4 ,there was some correspondence on the subject in ,the ,observer1 and the following is extracted from one of the letters3 ,as none of your correspondents seem to be aware of a comparatively recent instance1 ,i write to say that there were enough indubitable ,will-o'-the-wisps to convince the most incredulous during the extremely hot weather of ,july1 #aiaa4 ,from ,july #ah to #bb ,i was at ,thorney ,hill in the ,new ,forest1 some seven miles behind ,christchurch4 ,owing to the abnormal drought the bogs and bog-streams at the foot of the hill westward were all but dry2 a dense mist1 however1 sometimes rose from them at night4 ,on ,july #ai1 and the three following nights1 the ,will-o'-the-wisps were in great form over the bog4 ,they were like small balls of bluish fire1 which projected themselves with hops and jerks across the most inaccessible parts of the bog1 starting always1 so far as could be told1 from where a little stagnant moisture still remained4 ,they moved with an erratic velocity1 so to speak1 appearing and reappearing at distances of several hundred yards4 ,there wasn't the slightest doubt of their authenticity4 ,the inhabitants of ,thorney ,hill1 ,i believe1 regarded these appearances with alarm1 as being1 though not exactly novelties1 harbingers of much misfortune4 ,but the drought was quite bad enough1 without having the ,jack-o'-lanterns to accentuate it6 ,this instance was the more remarkable as ,i have never succeeded in finding anyone1 even among people who are constantly on duty in the ,forest1 who could testify to having seen a ,will-o'-the-wisp4 ,waterspouts are1 ,i believe1 more frequently seen at sea than on land1 but ,i have an account from my brother1 ,mr4 ,f4,e4 ,savory1 of one he saw many years ago in ,wiltshire4 ,he writes3 ,when ,i was at ,manningford ,bruce in #ahgc or #ahgd1 ,i saw a dense black cloud travelling towards the southeast1 the lower part of which became pointed like a funnel in shape1 waving about as it descended until1 ,i suppose1 the attraction of the earth overcame the cohesion of the cloud's vapour1 and it discharged itself4 ,i could see it looking lighter and lighter1 from the middle outwards1 until it was entirely dispersed4 ,i heard that the water fell on the side of the ,down near ,collingbourne1 about five miles off1 and washed some of the soil away1 but ,i did not see that4 ,the weather was stormy1 but ,i do not remember the time of year or any other particulars4 ,it would seem that a waterspout is caused by a whirlwind entering a cloud and gathering vapour together by its rotary action into such a heavy mass that it descends in the funnel shape described4 ,we are all familiar with the small whirlwinds that travel across a road in summer1 carrying the dust round and round with them2 these are called whirly-curlies in ,worcestershire1 and are regarded as a sign of fine weather4 ,i have sometimes seen quite a strong one crossing rows of hay just ready to carry1 cutting a clean track through each row1 and leaving the ground bare where it passed4 ,the hay is often carried to a great height1 and sometimes dropped in an adjoining field4 ,on a bright morning in summer one often sees1 a little distance away1 a tremulous or flickering movement in the air1 not far from the ground1 which ,tennyson refers to in ,in ,memoriam1 as1 ,the landscape winking thro' the heat2 and again in ,the ,princess3 ,all the rich to come ,reels1 as the golden ,autumn woodland reels ,athwart the smoke of burning weeds4 ,i am told that this appearance is due to layers of air of different degrees of refracting power1 in motion1 relative to one another4 ,air at different temperatures will refract light differently4 ,in ,hampshire this phenomenon is known by the pretty name of the summer dance4 ,since ,i came to the ,forest ,i have seen two very curious and1 ,i think1 unusual natural appearances4 ,as ,i was cycling one rather dull afternoon from ,wimborne to ,ringwood1 ,i noticed a colourless rainbow1 or perhaps ,i should say1 mist-bow1 for there was no rain1 and the sun was partially obscured4 ,the sun was about south-west1 and the bow was north-east2 it was merely a series of well-defined but colourless segments of circles1 close to each other but shaded so as to make them distinguishable1 arranged exactly like a rainbow but without a trace of colour beyond a grey uniformity4 ,it was on my left for several miles1 perhaps half of the total distance of nine miles between the two towns4 ,cycling another day between ,lyndhurst and ,burley1 ,i reached the east entrance of ,burley ,lodge1 which is on higher ground than the farm spread out to the right in the valley4 ,the whole valley was filled with thick white mist1 as level as a lake1 so that nothing could be seen of the fields4 ,the setting sun was low down at the further extremity of the valley1 and the surface of the mist-lake reflected its rays in a rosy sheen1 with a track of brighter light in the middle1 stretching from the far end of the lake in a broad path almost to where ,i was standing2 just as we see the track of sunlight or moonlight1 sometimes1 on the sea1 from the shore4 ,this phenomenon is not uncommon when one is looking down from the top of a hill in the sunshine1 upon a valley full of mist1 but ,i have never seen it before from comparatively low ground1 as on this occasion4 ,my summers at ,aldington were nearly always too busy to allow me to take a holiday1 except for a very few days1 but when the urgent work of the year was over1 the harvest completed1 and the hops and the fruit picked1 we always had a clear month away from home1 about the middle of ,october to the middle of ,november2 and1 as we found the autumn much less advanced in the south than in the midlands1 we often spent the time on the south coast or in the ,isle of ,wight1 and we were nearly always favoured by fine weather4 ,on one of these occasions1 when we were exploring the whole island on bicycles1 ,i never once found it necessary to carry a waterproof cape1 though in the course of this visit we rode over #fjj miles4 ,illustration3 ,,note4 ,,the ,,changing ,,course ,,of ,,streams4 ,,chapter ,,xxi4 ,,birds3 ,,peacocks--,a ,,white ,,pheasant--,,rooks' ,,arithmetic4 ,hail to thee1 blithe spirit6 ,bird thou never wert1 ,that from heaven or near it1 ,pourest thy full heart4 --,,shelley3 ,to a ,skylark4 ,we read of the peacocks which ,solomon's navy of ,tarshish brought once in three years with other rare and precious commodities to contribute to the splendour of his court2 and doubtless their magnificence added a distinct feature even where so much that was beautiful was to be seen2 but1 to show itself off to the best advantage1 one cannot imagine a better place for a peacock than a grey old ,english home1 round whose mellow stone walls time is lingering lovingly4 ,the touch of brilliant life beside the appeal of the venerable past adds perfection to the picture4 ,i have always had an immense admiration for peacocks1 and soon after ,i came to ,aldington ,i bought a pair4 ,the cock we named ,gabriel ,junks1 after the famous bird in one of ,scrutator's books2 he was a grand presence1 and loved to display the huge fan of his gorgeously-eyed tail1 quivering his rattling quills in all the glory of its greens and blues1 and cinnamon-coloured wing feathers1 on the little piece of lawn under the chestnut trees in front of the ,manor4 ,he learned to come to the window every morning at breakfast-time for a piece of bread-and-butter1 and if the window was closed he would rap impatiently upon it with his beak4 ,he roosted in the orchard just across the road on the trunk of an ancient leaning apple-tree4 ,one night ,bell heard a terrible fluttering1 and looking out saw a fox making off with the peacock2 he shouted and the fox dropped the peacock and bolted4 ,gabriel was not hurt1 but sadly ruffled inwardly and outwardly1 though1 next day1 he was quite happy and apparently unconscious of his narrow escape4 ,but alas6 some months later ,reynard paid another visit1 and poor ,gabriel was never seen again4 ,some years after we bought another pair1 not nearly so tame as the first1 and sometimes flying on to the cottage roofs and scraping holes in the thatch in which to bask in the sun4 ,the villagers complained that the birds sat under their black currant bushes1 and devoured the currants as fast as they ripened6 ,we could not keep them within bounds1 and later sold them to ,st4 ,john's ,college1 ,oxford1 where we saw them soon afterwards in good plumage1 and exactly in keeping with their beautiful surroundings4 ,one of my neighbours appeared to find these birds a special infliction1 and complained of the invasion of his premises by them paycocks4 ,the word pea is always rendered pay in ,worcestershire1 and1 like tay for tea1 is probably the old correct pronunciation4 ,i lately saw a notice on some tumble-down premises near ,southampton1 ,pay and bane stiks for sale4 ,another notice1 not too happily composed1 is to be seen at a ,forest village2 after the owner's name1 ,carpenter1 builder and undertaker--repairs neatly executed4 ,the neighbour referred to was exercised in his mind as to my position in various unwelcome parochial offices1 but ,i was completely mystified when he told me that he had read in history of a ,king ,alfred1 but had never heard of a ,king ,arthur4 ,i did not grasp the force of his remark1 possibly because ,king ,arthur was a familiar character to me1 until ,i was nearly at my own door1 when it dawned upon me to my intense enjoyment4 ,if the reader fails1 like me1 to see the point1 let him turn to the title-page of this book1 and read the name of the writer4 ,the only real objection to peacocks1 under ordinary conditions1 is the discordance of their cries1 especially in thundery weather1 when they scream in answer to every thunder-clap4 ,cock pheasants1 relatives of the peacock1 crow loudly at any unusual noise2 and ,i have known them expostulate at the report of a gun2 they took flight1 after running to a safe distance1 and their crow appeared to be in the nature of a challenge or defiance1 just as a barn-door cock will exult if you give him the idea that he has driven you away4 ,when the vessel which carried the coffin of ,queen ,victoria was crossing the ,solent1 in #aija1 some very heavy salutes were fired from the battleships1 and1 the day being still and the air clear1 the detonations carried to an immense distance4 ,they were distinctly heard at ,moreton-in-the-,marsh1 only fourteen miles from ,aldington and a distance of nearly one hundred miles from the guns1 in a direct line4 ,the reports were so loud at ,woodstock1 near ,oxford1 that the pheasants began crowing in the ,blenheim preserves4 ,at ,alton there were some extensive woods and coppices on the farm1 which were favourite breeding-places for pheasants1 being dry and sunny4 ,some months before ,october #a1 when pheasant shooting begins1 a white pheasant was seen1 and although he disappeared for a time1 he fell eventually to the gun of the tenant4 ,he was a beautiful bird1 and was considered worth stuffing as a rarity4 ,albinism is not uncommon in the blackbird2 ,i have seen two partial instances lately2 one was constantly visible in my garden and meadows1 with head nearly all white1 and the other ,i saw in the public garden at ,bournemouth1 with the peculiarity still more developed4 ,a white martin1 or swallow1 came into the house of a friend near ,aldington1 and was regarded as an unfavourable omen4 ,melanism1 the opposite of albinism1 is rarer1 and the only instance ,i have seen was that of a black bullfinch at ,aldington2 it had evidently been mobbed as a stranger by other birds of its kind1 as it was injured and nearly dead when captured4 ,i had the specimen stuffed as a curiosity1 though ,i am not fond of stuffed birds4 ,it is said that hemp-seed1 if given in undue quantities to cage bullfinches1 will produce the black colour1 even upon a bird of quite natural plumage originally1 and a case of the kind is mentioned by ,gilbert ,white4 ,aldington1 with its quiet apple orchards and the island and shrubberies below my garden1 was a happy refuge for birds of all kinds1 and the old pollard-willow heads a favourite nesting-place4 ,worcestershire people have some very curious names for birds1 and some of these are also heard in ,hampshire and ,dorset4 ,the green woodpecker is the stock-eagle1 ekal1 or hickle1 both in ,worcestershire and ,hampshire1 and the word survives too in ,hickle ,brook in the ,forest1 and in ,hickle ,street1 a part of ,buckle ,street in ,worcestershire4 ,as a boy ,i once marked a green woodpecker into one of the round holes we see quite newly cut by the bird in an oak2 getting a butterfly net ,i clapped it over the hole1 caught the bird1 took it home and placed it in a wicker cage4 ,then1 returning to the tree with a chisel and mallet1 ,i cut a hole about a foot below the entrance to the nest1 only to find young birds instead of the eggs for which ,i had hoped4 ,i went home to see how my captive was getting on2 she was gone1 and her method of escape was plain1 one or two of the wicker bars being neatly cut through4 ,i had forgotten the power of stocking of a stock-eagle1 for that is the meaning of the prefix in the name4 ,the laughing cry of the green woodpecker1 or yaffle1 as the bird is by onomatopoeia called in some parts1 is regarded as a sign of rain4 ,i doubt whether it should be always so interpreted1 for ,i know it is sometimes a sign of distress or call for help1 having heard it from one in full flight from a pursuing hawk4 ,other curious local names of birds in ,worcestershire are ,blue ,isaac for hedge sparrow1 mumruffin for long-tailed tit1 maggot for magpie1 and the heron is always called bittern 7really quite a distinct bird74 ,there are innumerable rhymes as to the signification of numbers where magpies are concerned1 but the most complete ,i have heard runs thus3 ,one's joy1 two's grief1 ,three's marriage1 four's death1 ,five's heaven1 six is hell1 ,seven's the devil his own sel'4 ,other rhymes make one an unlucky number1 and there are many people in ,worcestershire who never see a solitary magpie without touching their hats to avert the omen1 and convert it to one of good-luck2 as a man once said to me1 ,it is as well not to lose a chance4 ,the kingfisher1 ,i suppose the most beautiful of ,british birds1 was1 with all my brooks1 a common bird at ,aldington4 ,its steady flight1 following the course of a stream1 and its brilliant colouring make it very conspicuous1 its turquoise blue varying to dark green1 and its orange breast flashing in the sun4 ,i found a nest in a water-rat's old hole1 with six very transparent white eggs1 deriving a rosy tint from the yolk1 almost visible1 within the shell4 ,the hole had an entrance above the bank1 descended vertically1 turned at a right angle where the nest1 merely a layer of small fish-bones1 was placed1 and ended horizontally on the side of the bank4 ,i once saw six young kingfishers sitting side by side on a dead branch1 close together1 evidently just out of the nest4 ,and ,i was fortunate in seeing a kingfisher dart upon the water1 hover for an instant like a hawk-moth over honeysuckle1 and1 having caught a small gudgeon1 fly away with it in its beak4 ,they1 like the martin1 always perch on leafless wood1 so that the leaves shall not impede their flight when pouncing upon a fish1 and no doubt this is the reason they sometimes perch on the top joint of the rod of a hidden fisherman4 ,the nuthatch1 called here the mud-dauber1 from its habit of narrowing the hole of a starling's old nest1 with mud1 for its own use as a nesting-place1 is a more common bird in the ,forest than in ,worcestershire4 ,it is a provident bird1 firmly wedging hazel nuts in the autumn into crevices of the ,scots-fir1 for a winter store1 ,bewick mentions that it uses these crevices as vices1 to hold the nut securely1 while it cracks it2 but he does not recognize the fact that they have been stored long previously4 ,i have seen a great number of nuts so stored and quite sound4 ,bewick1 by the way1 who wrote his ,history of ,british ,birds in #agig1 presents in one of his inimitable tailpiece wood-cuts a prevision of the aeroplane4 ,the picture shows the airman seated in a winged car1 guiding with reins thirteen harnessed herons as the motive power1 and mounting upwards1 apparently very near the moon4 ,if he can see the modern interpretation of his dream he must be pleasantly surprised4 ,bewick's woodcock is one of the most beautiful portraits in the book3 the accurate detail of the feather markings of the wings and back and the softer tone of the breast are as nearly perfection as possible4 ,a woodcock visited ,aldington in one of the very severe winters but managed to elude all pursuers4 ,it has been said1 and also contradicted1 that the woodcock when rising from the ground uses its long bill as a lever to assist its starting1 just as an oarsman pushes off from the bank with a boat-hook or oar2 ,i myself have seen one rising from a bare and marshy place1 and the position of its bill certainly gave me the impression that the idea was well founded4 ,the woodcock often breeds in the south of ,england1 but is usually a migrating bird1 arriving during the first moon in ,november2 it is not difficult to shoot when it first rises1 but when steam is really up and it is zig-zagging between the branches of an oak1 it takes a good shot to make sure of it4 ,i shall never forget the first woodcock ,i shot as a boy2 it was a thick misty day in ,november1 ,i fired1 and though ,i felt certain ,i had not missed1 the smoke hung and the air was too thick to see1 and1 after a long search1 ,i left the wood and was going home when our old spaniel1 ,flush1 turned his head to examine something in a deep cart rut4 ,following the direction of his eyes1 ,i saw my woodcock2 it must have flown #ajj yards or more after ,i fired4 ,i was still more pleased with the last shot ,i fired in our old ,surrey covers at a woodcock going like an express train--and faster1 for they are said to fly at the rate of #aej miles an hour--with all his tricks1 through thick branches in the adjoining cover1 where he fell at least #fe yards from where ,i stood4 ,a friend of mine had the good-fortune to see an old woodcock1 which had evidently bred in his woods1 flying1 followed by five or six young ones2 he said it was one of the prettiest bits of natural history he had ever seen4 ,if a woodcock had a partridge's breast ,he'd be the best bird that ever was dressed2 ,if a partridge had a woodcock's thigh ,he'd be the best bird that ever did fly4 is a very old description1 and fairly divides the honours between the two birds4 ,the hawfinch is very easily recognized by its distinct and beautiful colouring2 it is a shy bird1 and though it bred regularly at ,aldington1 we rarely saw it4 ,it is commoner here1 and is sometimes very destructive1 its powerful beak making havoc with the marrowfats2 but1 though ,i am partial to green peas of this description1 ,i would sooner suffer some damage than have the hawfinches shot4 ,in #aiah the cuckoos were exceedingly numerous here1 and round my house they were calling all day long4 ,owing to the terrible winter and early spring months of the previous year1 so many of the insectivorous birds had been destroyed1 that the caterpillars had escaped1 and were more numerous than ever in the following spring4 ,the oaks in places were completely stripped of their foliage by the larvae of ,tortrix viridana1 almost as soon as the leaves were out4 ,the cuckoos discovered them1 but were not in sufficient numbers to keep them down1 and it was midsummer before the trees recovered4 ,i have referred to the damage in my plum orchard at ,aldington from the attack of the larvae of the winter-moth2 the damage is not confined to the actual year of its occurrence1 the crop suffers the following year owing to the previous defoliation of the tree1 which is weakened and is unable to mature healthy fruit buds4 ,at ,aldington1 in a hot summer1 the cuckoos used to call nearly all night1 and ,i have heard them when it was quite dark4 ,for some years1 until #aiah1 goldfinches were quite common in ,hampshire and ,dorsetshire4 ,i have seen a flock of over forty together4 ,i had seven nests on my premises here one summer2 they go on breeding very late1 and ,i have found their nests with young birds half-fledged while summer-pruning apple trees in ,august4 ,they come into my garden close to the windows in ,may1 after the ripening seeds of the myosotis 7forget-me-not7 in the spring-bedding4 ,i never remember seeing a goldfinch at ,aldington1 which should show that the thistles were well under control1 for the seed is a great attraction4 ,one often hears the practice of allowing thistles to run to seed condemned as criminal1 for everybody knows that each thistle-down1 carried by the wind1 contains a seed1 and that the attachment of a light structure of plumes is one of ,nature's methods of ensuring dissemination4 ,but1 in ,worcestershire1 it is always asserted that thistle seed will not germinate--,i am referring to ,cnicus arvensis--and it is said that a prize of #ej offered for a seedling thistle remains unclaimed to this day4 ,i failed1 myself1 in trying to obtain young plants from seeds sown in a flower-pot1 and ,i have never seen a seedling in all the thousands of miles ,i must have walked over young cornfields when my men were hoeing4 ,i have heard an interesting story about rooks which were causing a farmer much damage in a field newly sown with peas4 ,he erected a small shelter of hurdles1 from which to shoot them1 and for a time the shelter was sufficient to scare them1 until they got used to it2 but1 when he entered it with his gun1 they would not come near4 ,thinking to deceive their sentinel1 watching from a tree1 he took a companion to the shelter1 who remained for a time and then left1 but still no rooks came near4 ,the farmer then took two companions1 and presently sent them both away4 ,the arithmetic was too much for the rooks1 and the scheme succeeded4 ,he concluded that their powers of enumeration were limited to counting two1 and that three was beyond them4 ,nightingales are scarce in the ,forest2 they do not like the solitude of the great woods1 apparently preferring to inhabit roadsides and places where people and traffic are constantly passing4 ,they are specially abundant at the foot of the ,cotswolds1 and it is a treat to cycle steadily along the road between ,broadway and ,weston ,subedge on a summer evening1 where you no sooner lose the liquid notes of one1 than you enter the territory of another1 so continuous is the song for miles together4 ,in severe winters wood-pigeons did much damage at ,aldington to young clover a few inches high2 they roosted in the island adjoining my garden4 ,when they first descended they alighted in the wide-spreading branches of the leafless black poplars1 where they could see all round1 and reconnoitre the position2 then1 if all was quiet1 in about ten minutes they took to the shelter of the fir trees for the night with much fluttering and beating of wings against the thick branches4 ,they devour the acorns in the ,forest very greedily in the autumn1 and ,i have seen one with crop so full that on my approach it could only with difficulty fly away to a short distance4 ,i found it near a small pond where1 apparently1 it had been drinking1 and the acorns had expanded to an inconvenient extent4 ,the golden-crested wren was a common bird here before the severe winter of #aiaf-aiag1 but it has since become comparatively rare2 it is the smallest of ,british birds1 and could often be seen in the hedges exploring every twig and crevice for insects1 and it was a great pleasure to watch the nimble movements of such a sweet little fairy4 ,its first cousin1 the fire-crest1 which is almost its exact counterpart1 except for the flame-coloured crest1 is much rarer2 and ,i only remember seeing one specimen1 to which with great circumspection ,i managed to approach quite closely1 in the wood near my house4 ,one morning1 at ,aldington1 the gardener came in to say there was a hawk in the greenhouse near the rickyard2 we found a pane of glass broken1 where it had unintentionally entered in pursuit of a sparrow2 the hawk was uninjured1 and flew away quite unconcernedly on the opening of the door4 ,another hawk1 here in ,burley1 was found dead near my drawing-room bow-window4 ,it had dashed itself against a pane of thick plate-glass while in pursuit of a starling1 ,i think2 seeing the light through the bow1 it had not recognized the glass1 and must have collided with it in the act of swooping4 ,i have several times seen hawks descend like a flash from a tree1 and select an unlucky starling from a flock2 one blow on the head settled the victim before ,i could reach the spot1 but sometimes the hawk had to leave its prize behind it4 ,i was watching a number of young chicks feeding outside the coops containing the mother hens1 when there suddenly arose a great disturbance1 and a hawk1 which had pounced upon a chick1 was seen flying away with it in its talons4 ,its flight was impeded by the weight of the chicken1 and we gave chase shouting4 ,flying very low it carried its prey to the further side of the meadow1 but1 seeing that it could not get quickly through the trees there1 it dropped the chicken and escaped2 we picked up the poor frightened infant1 which was not injured1 and restored it to a perturbed but joyful mother4 ,as yaller as a kite's claw1 is a simile one hears in the country1 and it is common to both ,hampshire and ,worcestershire4 ,i never saw the wheatear in ,worcestershire1 but here ,i notice several pairs on the moors in summer4 ,they were once very plentiful on the ,sussex ,downs and seaside cliffs1 and as a boy walking from my first school at ,rottingdean to visit my people at ,brighton1 from ,saturday to ,sunday night1 ,i have passed hundreds of traps consisting of rectangular holes cut in the turf1 having horsehair nooses inside1 set by the shepherds who took thousands of wheatears to the poulterers' shops in the town4 ,they were then considered a great delicacy4 ,other professional bird-catchers operated with large clap-nets1 and a string attached in the hands of the catcher some distance away4 ,when they were after larks a revolving mirror1 flashing in the sun1 was considered very attractive2 ,i suppose the birds approached from motives of curiosity4#c ,many thousands were caught for the ,london and ,brighton markets for lark pies and puddings1 a wicked bathos1 when we remember ,wordsworth's lines3 ,there is madness about thee1 and joy divine ,in that song of thine4 ,one severe winter an immense flock of golden plovers haunted my land and neighbouring farms for some weeks1 but they were exceedingly shy1 and being perfect strangers1 they were difficult to identify1 until ,i brought one down by a very long shot1 and we could see what a beautiful bird it was4 ,we could always tell when really severe winter weather was coming1 by the flocks of wild geese that passed overhead in ,v-shaped formation4 ,they were said to be leaving the mouth of the ,humber and the ,east ,coast for the warmer shores of the ,bristol ,channel1 evidently quite aware that the latter1 within the influence of the ,gulf ,stream1 were more desirable as winter-quarters4 ,evesham is in the direct line between the two places1 and we often heard them calling at night as they passed4 ,in the early spring when the severe weather was-over they returned by the same route4 ,,chapter ,,xxii4 ,,pets3 ,,susie--,,cocky--,,trump--,,chips--,,we ndy--,,taffy4 ,the heart is hard in nature and unfit ,for human fellowship1 as being void ,of sympathy1 and therefore dead alike ,to love and friendship both1 that is not pleased ,with sight of animals enjoying life1 ,nor feels their happiness augment his own4 --,,cowper4 ,there are many stories of the affection of the domestic goose for man1 and ,i knew of one which was very fond of a friend of mine4 ,the goose followed him like a dog1 and would come with him on to the lawn where we were playing tennis1 and sitting close beside him on a garden seat with great dignity would apparently watch the game with interest4 ,my friend was fond of unusual pets2 he had a tame hedgehog1 for whom he made a most comfortable house with living-room downstairs and sleeping apartment on the first floor4 ,his pet's name was ,jacob1 suggested ,i think by the ladder which night and morning he used for ascending to or descending from his bedroom4 ,hedgehogs have a bad character as robbers of partridges' nests1 and in our old parish accounts1 under the name of urchins1 we find entries of payments for their destruction at the rate of #d;d4 apiece4 ,my younger daughter had a tame duck1 ,susie by name1 who gravely waddled behind her round the garden4 ,in summer at tea-time ,susie would much enjoy the company under the wych-elm on the lawn1 and took her dish of tea out of the saucer in the antique and orthodox manner4 ,another amusing pet was a jackdaw who had an outdoor residence1 though often allowed to be loose4 ,he acquired an exact imitation of my old gardener's chronic cough1 and enjoyed the exhibition of his achievement when the old man was working near the cage1 somewhat to the man's annoyance4 ,he was full of mischief1 and was not allowed in the house2 but he once got in at my study window1 picked out every sheet of notepaper from my stationery case1 and scattered them in all directions4 ,a still more accomplished mimic1 a lemon-crested cockatoo1 reproduced the voices of little hungry pigs4 ,he lived indoors on a stand over a tray1 with a chain round one leg1 and was very clever at mounting and descending by the combined use of beak and claws1 without complicating himself with his chain4 ,he got loose one day1 and ascended one of the chestnut trees1 and a volunteer went up after him by a ladder4 ,cocky resented his interference1 flew at him and bit his finger to the bone4 ,his beak was a very powerful weapon1 and1 until ,i made him a new tray with a zinc-covered ledge1 he demolished any unprotected wood or even furniture within reach4 ,this spring we had a blackbird's nest in some ivy near the house1 and many times each day the cock bird came to watch over his household1 and discourse sweet music from a neighbouring tree4 ,a pair of jays however appeared1 and seemed too much interested in the nest for the parents' comfort1 approaching so near one morning that first the cock blackbird1 and then the hen attacked them2 and though they returned again during the day1 evidently bent on mischief1 the courageous parents eventually drove them from the field1 and they were seen no more4 ,owing to the cutting of great fir woods in the ,forest for timber supplies for the war1 jays have become much more common here than formerly1 and seem to have migrated from their former haunts and taken to the beeches and oaks in the undisturbed woods4 ,birds as a rule are not well represented in books1 though the drawing is more correct than the colouring4 ,examine ,randolph ,caldecott's ,sing a ,song for ,sixpence for a really clever sketch of the four and twenty blackbirds1 every one a characteristic likeness1 and a different attitude2 and look at his rookery in ,bracebridge ,hall1 where1 in three sketches he shows some equally exact rooks4 ,i always walked when on my farming rounds1 for one of the first lessons ,i learned at ,alton was that for that purpose one walk is better than three rides4 ,my predecessor being a hunting man and fond of horses1 generally rode1 but for careful observation1 especially in the matter of plant diseases1 one wants to potter about with a magnifying glass sometimes1 and of course in entomology and ornithology there is no room for a horse4 ,one of the remarks made by my men about me on my arrival was1 ,his mother larned him to walk1 with quite a note of admiration to emphasize it4 ,it is really remarkable how farmers and country people scorn the idea of walking either for pleasure or business1 if a lift can be had4 ,i was at ,cheltenham with a brother1 and finding we had done our business in good time1 we decided to walk to the next station--,cleeve--instead of waiting for the train at ,cheltenham4 ,we asked a native the way1 who replied with great contempt1 ,cleeve station8 ,oh1 ,i wouldn't walk to ,cleeve to save tuppence6 ,one of our ventures in the way of pets was a well-bred poodle2 he was very amiable1 handsome1 and clever1 but exceedingly mischievous4 ,he thought it great fun to pull up neatly written and carefully disposed garden labels and carry them away to the lawn1 for which1 though a nuisance1 he was forgiven2 but his next achievement was a more serious matter4 ,finding his way about the village he would take advantage of an open door to explore the cottage larders and when a chance offered1 would make off with half a pound of butter or a cherished piece of meat and bring his plunder to my house in triumph4 ,he was succeeded by ,trump1 a ,dandie ,dinmont1 a very charming dog with a delightful disposition1 and perfectly honest until my elder daughter acquired a fox terrier1 ,chips1 well-bred but highly nervous4 ,chips was a born sportsman and most useful so long as he confined his activities to rats and was busy when the thrashing-machine was at work1 but when he took to corrupting ,trump's morals he required watching4 ,trump would be lying quietly in the house or garden as good as possible1 when the insinuating tempter would find him1 whisper a few words in his ear1 and off they went together4 ,it was plainly an invitation1 and later a dead duckling or chicken would show where they had spent their time4 ,trump became as bad as ,chips and had to be given away4 ,chips was very sensitive to discordant sounds1 he must have had a musical ear2 his chief aversion was the sound of a gong1 the beater for which was too hard and1 unless very carefully manipulated1 produced a jangle4 ,my hall was paved with hexagonal stone sections called quarries1 which appeared to intensify the discordance4 ,chips felt it keenly1 and would stand quite rigid for some minutes until the last reverberation and its effect had passed off4 ,he was uncertain in temper and disliked some of the villagers4 ,an old man complained that he had been bitten1 and told me with great feeling1 ,folks say that if ever the dog goes mad1 ,i shall go mad too4 ,i had much difficulty in appeasing him and assuring him that there was no truth in the statement4 ,how shall ,i do justice to the infinite variety of ,wendy1 the dainty little ,chinese princess who now rules my household8 ,there are people who cannot see in an old ,worcester tea-cup and saucer the eighteenth-century beauty1 fastidiously sipping1 what she called in the same language as the ,aldington cottager of to-day1 her dish of tay4 ,there are people who regard with indifference an ancient chair1 except as an object to be sat upon1 and who fail to realize its historical charm1 or even the credit due to the maker of a piece of furniture that has survived two hundred and fifty spring cleanings4 ,and there are people who can see nothing in the ,pekingese1 nothing of the distinction and the claims of long descent1 nothing of the possibilities of transmigration1 or of present ever-changing and human moods4 ,such are the people who suppose that the dulness of the country1 and the attraction of the shams and inanities of the picture palace induced the starving agricultural labourer willingly to exchange the blue vault of heaven for the leaden pall of ,london fogs1 cool green pastures for the scorching pavement1 and the fragrant shelter of the hedgerow blossoms for the stifling slum and the crowded factory4 ,there is nothing of the democrat about ,wendy2 watch her elevate an already tip-tilted nose at displeasing food1 or a tainted dish1 and notice her look of abject contempt for the giver as she turns away in disgust4 ,no lover of the ,pekingese should be without a charming little book ,some ,pekingese ,pets by ,m4,n4 ,daniel1 with delightful sketches by the author1 in which we are told that1 ,until the year1 #ahfj1 so far as is known1 no ',foreign ,devil' had ever seen one of these ,imperial ,lion ,dogs4 ,in that year1 however1 the sacking of the ,imperial ,palace at ,pekin took place1 and amongst the treasures looted and brought to ,england were five little ,lion or ,sun ,dogs4 ,the author also says3 ,it is certain that the same type of ,lion ,dog as our ,western ,pekingese must have existed in ,china for at least a thousand years3 that they were regarded as sacred or semi-sacred is proved by the ,idols and ,kylons 7many of them known to be at least a thousand years old7 representing the same type of ,lion ,dog4 ,i have an old ,nankin blue teapot1 the lid of which is surmounted by one of these ,kylons4 ,i can only describe ,wendy's moods and characteristics by giving a bare catalogue3 she is mirthful1 hopeful1 playful1 despairing1 bored1 defiant1 roguish1 cunning1 penitent1 sensitive1 aggressive1 offended1 reproachful1 angry1 pleased1 trustful1 loving1 disobedient1 determined1 puzzled1 faithful1 naughty1 dignified1 impudent1 proud1 luxurious1 fearless1 disappointed1 docile1 fierce1 independent1 mischievous2 and she often illustrates the rhyme3 ,the dog will come when he's called1 ,and the cat will stay away1 ,but the ,pekingese will do as he please ,whatever you do or say4 ,wendy is cat-like in some of her habits1 prefers fish to meat1 sleeps all day in wet weather but is lively towards night1 is very particular about her toilet and washes her face with moistened paws passed over her ears4 ,she is very sensitive to the weather1 loves the sun1 lying stretched at full length on the hot gravel so that she can enjoy the comforting warmth to her little body4 ,she is wretched in a thunderstorm1 shivering and taking refuge beneath a table or sofa2 then she comes to me for sympathy1 and lies on my knee1 covered with a rug or a newspaper1 but after a bad storm she is not herself for many hours4 ,anyone who does not know her may think the moods ,i have detailed an impossible category1 but there is not one which we have not personally witnessed again and again1 and no one can see her loving caresses of my wife without being assured of the soul that animates her mind and body4 ,wendy is never allowed to sit in damp clothes1 or even with feet wet with rain or dew1 and looks very reproachful if not attended to at once with a rough towel on coming indoors4 ,why don't you dry me8 is exactly the expression her looks convey4 ,she has a lined basket1 on four short legs to keep her from draughts when sleeping1 but she is often uneasy alone at night1 evidently seeing things1 and1 in ,worcestershire language1 finding it unked1 so she is now always allowed a night-light4 ,it is said that the dog's habit of turning round several times before settling to sleep is a survival from remote ages when they made themselves a comfortable bed by smoothing down the grass around them1 but ,i am quite sure that ,wendy does the same thing to get her coat unruffled1 and in the best condition to protect her from draughts4 ,she likes to lie curled up into a circle1 so that her hind paws may come under her chin for warmth1 and support her head1 as her neck is so short that without a pillow of some sort she could not rest in comfort2 as an alternative1 she will sometimes arrange the rug in her sleeping basket to act in the same way4 ,we had various cobs and ponies from time to time2 quite a good pony could be bought at six months old for about #ab1 and one of the best we had was ,taffy1 from a drove of ,welsh4 ,returning from ,evesham ,station with my man we passed a labourer with something in a hamper on his shoulder that rattled1 just as we reached the ,aldington turning2 ,taffy started1 swerved across the road in the narrowest part1 and jumped through the hedge1 taking cart and all2 we found ourselves in a wheat-field1 but were not overturned1 and reached a gate in safety none the worse4 ,on an old ,may ,day 7,may #ab7 ,i was at ,bretforton ,manor playing tennis and shooting rooks4 ,about #aj4cj p4m4 the cart and ,taffy were brought round2 ,i had all my things in and was about to mount when1 the pony fidgeting to be off1 my friend's groom caught at the rein1 but he had omitted to buckle it on one side of the bit4 ,in an instant pony and trap had disappeared1 and the man was lying in the drive with a broken leg4 ,we had to carry him home on a door1 and then went in search of the pony1 expecting every moment to find it and the trap in a ditch2 about half a mile from ,aldington we met my own man who had come in search of my remains4 ,he told us that the pony and trap were quite safe and uninjured4 ,the clever animal had trotted the whole distance1 over two miles1 with the reins dragging behind him1 taken the turning from the highroad1 and again at my gate1 and pulled up in front of the house1 where someone passing saw him and brought my man out to the rescue4 ,,chapter ,,xxiii4 ,,butterflies--,,moths--,,wasps4 ,how like a rainbow1 sparkling as a dewdrop1 ,glittering as gold1 and lively as a swallow1 ,each left his grave-shroud and in rapture winged him ,up to the heavens4 --,,anon4 ,i have always been fascinated by the beauty of butterflies and moths1 and ,i think ,i began collecting when ,i was about eleven1 as ,i remember having a net when ,i was at school at ,rottingdean4 ,my first exciting capture was a small tortoiseshell1 and ,i was much disappointed when ,i discovered that it was quite a common insect4 ,in #aiag some nettles here were black with the larv of this species1 but ,i think they must have been nearly all visited by the ichneumons1 which pierce the skin1 laying their eggs in the living body of the larva1 as the butterflies were not specially common later4 ,i was1 however1 fortunate in identifying a specimen of the curious variety figured in ,newman's ,british ,butterflies1 variety #b1 from one in ,mr4 ,bond's collection2 it has a dark band crossing the middle of the upper wings1 but1 though interesting1 it is not so handsome as the type4 ,i did not catch this specimen1 as ,i do not like killing butterflies now1 but ,i had ample leisure to observe it quite closely on the haulm of potatoes4 ,it was decidedly smaller than the type4 ,the old garden at ,aldington in the repose of a ,june evening was a place of fragrant joy from honeysuckle on poles and arches1 and just as the light was fading the huge privet hawk-moths1 with quivering wings and extended probosces1 used to sip the honey from the long blossoms4 ,i could catch them in a net1 but these specimens were nearly all damaged from their energetic flight among the flowers1 and perfect ones are easy to rear from the larv1 feeding in autumn on privet in the hedges4 ,later in the summer the ,ghost ,swift appeared about twilight1 the white colour of the male making it very conspicuous4 ,twilight at ,aldington is called owl light1 and moths of all kinds are bob-owlets1 from their uneven flight when trying to evade the owls in pursuit4 ,we often see these birds hawking at nightfall in my meadows round the edge of the ,forest after moths4 ,the martagon lily flourished in the ,aldington garden1 and when they were blooming the overpowering scent was particularly attractive to moths of the ,plusia genus1 including the ,burnished ,brass1 the ,golden ,y1 and the ,beautiful ,golden ,y1 all exhibiting very distinctive markings of burnished gold2 and other ,noctu in great variety4 ,the latter are best taken by sugaring--painting patches of mixed beer and sugar on a series of tree trunks1 and making several rounds at twilight with a lantern and a cyanide bottle4 ,we had a sugaring range of about seventy pollard withies by the brook side1 and being well sheltered1 it was such a favourite place for moths1 that it was often difficult to select from each patch1 swarming with sixty or seventy specimens1 those really worth taking4 ,at sugaring moths are found in a locality where they are never seen at other times1 and rarities occur quite unexpectedly4 ,i took some specimens of ,cymatophora ocularis 7figure of #hj74 ,newman says3 ,it is always esteemed a rarity1 and mentions ,worcester as a locality4 ,mamestra abjecta was quite a common catch1 of which ,newman writes3 ,it seems to be very local1 and so imperfectly known that the recorded habitats must be received with great doubt2 it is certainly abundant on the banks of the ,thames1 near ,gravesend1 and also on the ,irish coast1 near ,waterford4 ,the marks of sugaring remain on tree trunks for many years4 ,i lately saw the faint remains on about sixty trees in ,set ,thorns plantation1 in the ,forest1 which a friend and ,i painted on nearly forty years ago4 ,this friend was fortunate in capturing the black variety of the ,white ,admiral1 in which the white markings are entirely absent on the upper side2 and1 thirty years later1 his son took another near ,burley4 ,the son also caught a ,camberwell ,beauty on one of his sugared patches in the day-time4 ,i believe this to be the only recorded instance of the occurrence of this rare and beautiful insect in the ,forest4 ,the ,hornet ,clearwing 7,sesia ,apiformis7 is a very interesting moth1 and it was common at ,aldington2 the larva feeds on the wood of the black poplar4 ,the colouring of the moth so resembles the hornet1 that at first sight it is easily mistaken for the latter4 ,it is an excellent example of mimicry1 whereby a harmless insect acquires the distinctive appearance of a harmful one1 and so secures immunity from the attacks of its natural enemies4 ,the larva of the ,death's ,head was not uncommon at ,aldington and ,badsey on potatoes2 ,i had a standing offer of threepence each for any that the village children could bring me4 ,these large caterpillars require very careful handling1 and ,i fear the children were not gentle enough with them1 as ,i only had one perfect specimen moth from all the larvae they brought4 ,one of my hop-pickers captured and presented me with a very fine specimen of the ,convolvulus ,hawk-moth at ,aldington2 they were generally comparatively common that year 7#aija7 and a collector took no less than seventeen in a few days in the public garden at ,bournemouth4 ,the ,clouded ,yellow butterfly1 whose appearance is very capricious1 occurred one summer in ,worcestershire in considerable numbers2 it is strong on the wing and could easily reach the ,midlands in fine weather from the south of ,england1 where it is more often seen4 ,those ,i saw were flying high over clover fields1 apparently in a hurry to get further north-west4 ,the ,marbled ,white is a somewhat local butterfly2 there was a spot along the ,terrace on ,cleeve ,hill1 near ,north ,littleton and ,cleeve ,prior1 where1 at the proper time1 this insect was plentiful1 but ,i never saw it anywhere else in the neighbourhood4 ,one of the entomological prizes of the ,new ,forest is the ,purple ,emperor2 it is impossible to do justice to the wonderful sheen of its powerful wings4 ,it inhabits the tops of lofty oaks1 but does not disdain to come down for a drink of water1 sometimes from a muddy pool1 or even to feast on dead vermin which the keepers have destroyed4 ,the ,comma1 so called from the ,c-mark on the under side of the hind wings1 is fairly plentiful in ,worcestershire and ,herefordshire in the hop-districts1 for the hop is its food plant2 but it is curious that1 with the abundance of hops in ,kent1 ,sussex1 and ,hants1 it is quite a rare insect in the south of ,england4 ,the ragged edge of its hind wings is probably an arrangement to baffle birds in pursuit1 offering more difficulty to securing a sure hold than is afforded by the even margin of the hind wings of most butterflies4 ,in some years wasps were exceedingly troublesome at ,aldington1 and fruit picking became a hazardous business4 ,one of my men ploughed up a nest in an open field1 and was badly stung1 though the horses1 being further from the nest when turned up1 escaped4 ,it is quite necessary to destroy any nests on or near land where fruit is grown1 as the insects increase in numbers at a surprising rate1 and they travel great distances after food for the grubs4 ,i had an instructive walk over the fruit farm of my son-in-law1 ,mr4 ,c4,s4 ,martin1 of ,dunnington ,heath1 near ,alcester1 with his cousin1 ,mr4 ,william ,martin1 who is extraordinarily clever at locating the nests4 ,he quickly recognizes a line of flight in which numbers of wasps can be seen going backwards and forwards1 in a well-defined cross-country track1 follows it up and locates the nest a long distance from where he first perceived the line4 ,in this way during our walk he found a dozen or more nests4 ,in the evening1 when the inmates were at home1 they were treated with a strong solution of cyanide of potassium to destroy the winged insects2 and the next day the nests were dug out and the grubs destroyed1 which otherwise would become perfect wasps4 ,lately it has become a custom to pay a half-penny each for all queen wasps in the spring1 but ,mr4 ,c4,s4 ,martin1 who had many years' experience on the fruit plantations of the ,toddington ,orchard ,company1 extending to about #gjj acres1 as well as on his own plantations at ,dunnington1 writes to me as follows on the subject3 ,to catch the queens in the spring is to my mind a waste of time1 and ,i discontinued paying for their capture1 as the number visible in the spring appeared to bear no relation to the resulting summer nests4 ,in the first place1 the number of queens in spring is always greatly in excess of the numbers of nests1 and to attempt to catch all the queens is a hopeless job4 ,as a rule1 ,i don't think one per cent1 ever gets as far as a nest unless the weather conditions are very favourable4 ,heavy rain1 when the broods begin1 may easily wipe out #ii per cent41 and only those on a dry bank will survive4 ,to pay a halfpenny per queen may be equivalent to the payment of four and twopence per nest6 ,referring to the payment of school-children for the destruction of white butterflies he writes3 ,the white butterfly is extraordinarily prolific1 and to catch a few in the garden is a complete waste of time4 ,again1 weather conditions are largely responsible for the occurrence of a bad attack1 and the only possible time to reduce the plague is in the caterpillar stage1 with hellebore powder1 or one of the proprietary remedies1 applied to the young plants4 ,scientists recommend the catching of queen wasps1 and also butterflies1 but ,i regard this as a case where science is not strictly practical4 ,there is1 of course1 the danger1 too1 that children will not recognize the difference between the female of the ,orange ,tip butterfly1 which is practically colourless1 and the cabbage whites1 and it would be worse than a crime to destroy so joyous and welcome a creature1 whose advent is one of the pleasantest signs that summer is nigh at hand4 ,i have watched these fairy sprites dancing along the hedge sides at ,aldington year by year1 and in ,may they were extraordinarily abundant here1 happily coursing round and round my meadow1 and chasing each other in the sunshine4 ,the ,orange ,tip is quite innocent of designs upon the homely cabbage1 the food-plant of the caterpillar being ,cardamine pratensis 7the cuckoo flower71 which ,shakespeare speaks of so prettily in the lines3 ,when daisies pied and violets blue1 ,and lady-smocks all silver-white4 ,possibly ,hood was thinking of the ,orange ,tip when he wrote the lines that seem so well suited to them3 ,these be the pretty genii of the flowers ,daintily fed with honey and pure dew4 ,a story is told of an undergraduate who united the hind wings of a butterfly to the body and fore wings of one of a different species1 and1 thinking to puzzle ,professor ,westwood1 then the entomological authority at ,oxford1 asked if the ,professor could tell him what kind of a bug it was4 ,yes1 was the immediate reply--a humbug6 ,one of my schoolfellows1 a boy about eleven1 at ,rottingdean school1 and quite a novice at butterfly collecting1 met a professional naturalist on the ,warren at ,folkestone1 who inquired what he had taken4 ,only a few whites1 said the boy4 ,the man looked at them and1 eventually1 they negotiated an exchange1 the boy accepting three or four others for an equal number of the whites4 ,on reaching home he found that he had parted with specimens of the rare ,bath ,white1 ,pieris daplidice1 for some quite common butterflies4 ,the ,bath ,white is not recognized as a ,british species1 ,newman supposing the specimens taken in this country to have been blown over or migrated from the northern coast of ,france1 as they have been rarely met with away from the shores of ,kent and ,sussex4 ,it is surprising to find so many people who seem unable to exercise their powers of observation to the extent of noticing the butterflies they daily pass in the garden1 or along the roads4 ,one would expect that the marvellous colouring of even our common butterflies would arrest attention1 and that interest in the names and life-history would follow4 ,in ,june in the ,forest the rather alarming stag-beetle is to be seen on the wing on a warm evening2 though really harmless1 its size and habit of buzzing round frightens people who are not acquainted with its ways4 ,they are called locally1 pinch-bucks1 as their horns resemble the antlers of a buck1 and they can nip quite hard by pressing them together4 ,i once saw a fight between a stag-beetle and a toad1 it had evidently been proceeding for some time as both combatants were exhausted1 but neither had gained any special advantage4 ,,chapter ,,xxiv4 ,,cycling--,,pageants ,,of ,,the ,,roads--,,roadside ,,creatures--,,harmonious ,,building--,,collecting ,,old ,,furniture ,,and ,,china4 ,i may soberly confess that sometimes1 walking abroad after my studies1 ,i have been almost mad with pleasure--the effect of nature upon my soul having been inexpressibly ravishing and beyond what ,i can convey to you4 --,,john ,,inglesant4 ,i suppose that the bicycle has given1 and gives1 as much pleasure to fairly active people as any machine ever invented4 ,i must have been one of the first cyclists in ,england1 as my experience dates from the days when bicycles were first imported from ,france4 ,the high bicycle appeared later1 but the earlier machines were about the height of the present safety1 with light wooden wheels and iron tyres4 ,the safety1 with pneumatic tyres1 did not arrive till nearly thirty years later1 and it was the latter invention that brought about the popularity of cycling4 ,the difference between cycling and walking has been stated thus3 ,when a man walks a mile he takes on an average #b1bfc steps1 lifting the weight of his body with each step4 ,when he rides a bicycle of the average gear he covers a mile with the equivalent of #fbg steps1 bears no burden1 and covers the same distance in less than one third of the time4 ,people constantly tell me that cycling is all very well for getting from place to place1 but otherwise they don't care about it1 which ,i can only account for by supposing that they find it a labour more or less irksome1 or that they have never developed their perceptive faculties1 and have no real sympathy with the life of woods and fields or the spirit of the ancient farms and villages4 ,cycling to me is a very easy and pleasant exercise1 but it is far more than that2 it is like passing through an endless picture-gallery filled with masterpieces of form and colour4 ,the roads of ,england not only present these delights to the physical sense1 but they stir the imagination with historic visions from the earliest times4 ,there are the ancient camps1 now silent and deserted1 which become at the bidding of fancy peopled with the unkempt and savage ,british1 and later with their well-disciplined and well-equipped ,roman conquerers3 archers and men in armour appear2 pilgrims' processions such as we read of in ,chaucer2 knights and ladies on their stately steeds4 ,there are the ghosts of royal progresses1 kings and queens1 and wonderful pageantry gorgeous in array2 decorously ambling cardinals and abbots with their trains of servitors2 hawking parties with hawks and attendants2 soldiers after ,sedgemoor in pursuit of ,monmouth's ill-fated followers2 ,george ,,iv4 and his gay courtiers on the ,brighton road2 beaux and beauties in their well-appointed carriages bound for ,tunbridge ,wells1 ,cheltenham1 or ,bath2 splendid teams with crowded coaches1 and great covered waggons laden with merchandise2 the highwayman at dusk in quest of belated travellers1 and companies of farmers and cattle-dealers riding home from market together for safety4 ,i often see a vision here in the ancient ,forest tracks of a gang of wild and armed smugglers1 and among them still more savage-looking foreign sailors4 ,they have two or three ,forest trucks1 made especially to fit the ruts in the little-used tracks1 laden with casks of spirits and drawn by rough ,forest ponies4 ,i can hear the shouts of the drivers as they urge them forward1 and ,i can see the steaming sides of the ponies in the misty moonlight of a winter night4 ,the spirits were landed at ,poole or ,christchurch1 and they are on their way to ,burley where1 under the old house ,i bought with my land1 there is still the cellar1 then cleverly concealed1 where the casks were stored in safety from the watchful eyes of the ,excise2 a quaint old place built of the local rock4 ,there is one vision of the roads in the ,forest which nobody who saw it can ever forget3 the companies of infantry1 the serious officers1 the ruddy-faced men1 and the then untried guns of the glorious ,seventh ,division1 on their route marches1 with fife and drum to cheer the way with the now classic strains of ,it's a long1 long way to ,tipperary4 ,there are spots where ,i met them in the autumn of #aiad that ,i never pass without feeling that for all time these places are sacred to the memory of heroes4 ,besides the fancied pageantry of the roads there are the natural objects of the woods1 the lanes1 and the fields2 the blossoming hawthorn and the wild roses trailing from the hedges1 the hares and rabbits1 the birds1 the butterflies1 and the flowers2 sturdy teams with the time-honoured ploughs and harrows1 the sowing of the seed1 the young gleaming corn1 the scented hayfields or the golden harvest2 every man at his honourable labour1 happy children dashing out of school2 noble timber1 hazel coppices1 grey old villages2 cattle in the pastures1 or enjoying the cool waters of shallow pools or brooks2 sheep in the field or the fold1 the shepherd and his dog2 apple blossom1 or the ripe and ruddy fruit1 bowery hop-gardens1 mellow old cottages1 country-folk going to market1 fat beasts1 cows and calves1 carriers' carts full of gossips4 ,pictures1 real pictures1 everywhere1 endless in variety4 ,steady6 go steady past these woods2 see the blue haze of wild hyacinths1 the cool carpet of primroses4 ,look at the cowslips yellowing that meadow2 do you see the heron standing patiently in the marsh8 ,look overhead1 watch the hovering hawk2 hark6 there is the nightingale4 ,stop a moment at the bridge2 can you see the speckled beauties with their heads upstream8 ,thank ,god for the blue1 blue sky6 thank ,god for the glory of the sun1 for the lights and shadows beneath the trees6 ,thank ,god for the live air1 the growth1 the life of plant and tree1 the fragrance and the beauty6 ,thank ,god for rural ,england6 ,one can tell the most ancient1 apart from the scientifically made ,roman roads1 by the way they were worn down from the original level1 especially on hillsides1 by the constant and heavy traffic4 ,every passing wheel abraded a portion of the surface1 and the next rain carried the dbris down the hill1 forming in time a deep depression1 between banks at the sides1 often many feet deep1 and giving the impression of the track having been purposely dug out to lessen the gradient4 ,in places where the road became impassable from long use and wet1 deviations on either side were made1 so that ten or a dozen disused tracks can be seen side by side1 often extending laterally quite a long distance from the existing road in unenclosed surroundings4 ,a great charm of the bicycle is its noiselessness which1 with its speed1 affords peeps of wild creatures under natural conditions4 ,cycling on the ,cotswolds ,i came upon two hares at a boxing match2 they were so absorbed that ,i was able to get quite close1 and it was amusing to watch them standing upright on their hind legs1 and sparring with their little fists like professionals4 ,i have often seen the pursuit of a rabbit by a persistent stoat2 the rabbit has little chance of escape1 as the stoat can follow it underground as well as over2 finally the rabbit appears to be paralyzed with fright1 lies down and makes no further effort4 ,weasels1 which probably make up for depredations of game by their destruction of rats1 often cross the road1 and sometimes whole families may be seen playing by the roadside4 ,i was shooting in ,surrey when ,i once had an excellent view of an ermine--the stoat in its winter dress4 ,i did not recognize it until it was out of sight1 but ,i should not have shot it in any case1 for the ermine is a very rare occurrence in the south of ,england4 ,i believe that further north it is not unusual1 as is natural where the light colour would protect it from observation in snow1 but as far south as ,surrey this would be a danger1 and ,i should scarcely have noticed it in the thick undergrowth had it been normal in colour4 ,we had a squirrel's nest1 or drey1 as it is called1 near my house last year1 and the squirrels have been about my lawn and the ,forest trees ever since4 ,it was charming1 in the summer1 to watch them nibbling the fleshy galls produced on the young oaks by a gall-fly 7,cynips74 ,they chattered to each other all the time1 holding the galls between their fore feet1 fragments dropping to the ground beneath the trees4 ,squirrels are fond of animal food1 and ,i wondered1 as there was so much apparent waste1 whether they were not really searching for the grubs in the galls4 ,of late years squirrels have been scarce here2 they were formerly abundant1 but their numbers were much reduced by an epidemic4 ,they seem to be increasing again1 possibly the felling of so many ,scots-firs has driven them from their former haunts into adjoining oak and beech woods1 such as those which almost surround my land4 ,during lunch in a meadow by the roadside1 on a cycling ride1 we found a snake with a toad almost down its throat2 the snake disgorged the toad and escaped1 but before we had finished lunch it returned and repeated the process4 ,this time ,i carried the toad1 none the worse for the adventure1 some distance away1 where ,i hope it was safe4 ,hedgehogs are said to eat toads1 frogs1 beetles1 and snakes1 as well as the eggs of game1 to which ,i have already referred 7p4 #bfd72 it is curious that the old name urchin has been superseded in some places by hedgehog1 but still survives in the sea-urchin1 and is also used for a troublesome boy4 ,it is very interesting1 when cycling1 to notice the changes in passing from one geological formation to another1 and in railway travelling1 with a geological map1 one can quickly observe the transition2 the cuttings give an immediate clue1 and the contours of the surface and the agriculture are further guides4 ,the alteration in the flora is particularly marked in passing from the ,bagshot ,sands1 for instance1 to the ,chalk1 or from the ,lias ,clay to the ,lias ,limestone or the ,oolite2 the lime-loving plants appear on the ,chalk and ,limestone1 and disappear on the ,sands and ,clays4 ,the sunken appearance of the old roads is one of the best proofs of their antiquity1 and one is inclined to wonder at their windings1 but in following the tracks across the ,forest moors one gets an insight into the way roads originated4 ,the ancients simply adopted the line of least resistance by avoiding hills1 boggy places1 and the deep parts of streams1 choosing the shallow fordable spots for crossing4 ,the winding road is1 of course1 much more interesting and beautiful than the later straight roads of the ,romans1 though no doubt many of the former were improved by the invaders for their more important traffic4 ,it is to be regretted that the formal lines of telegraph and telephone poles and wires have vulgarized so many of our beautiful roads1 and destroyed their retired and venerable expression2 more especially as in many places these were erected against the will of the inhabitants1 and under the mistaken idea that the farmer's business is retail1 and that he is prepared to deal in and deliver small quantities of goods daily1 receiving urgent orders and enquiries by telephone4 ,the villages in the ,vale of ,evesham and the ,cotswolds afford an excellent illustration of building in harmony with surroundings1 and the suitability of making use of local materials4 ,thus1 in the ,vale we find mellow old brick1 has limestone1 half timber and thatch2 while on the ,cotswolds1 oolite freestone and stone slates of the same freestone seem the only suitable material4 ,where the ugly pink bricks and blue slates have of late years been introduced1 they appear out of place and contemptible4 ,there is an immense charm about these old villages of hill and vale1 and it is curious to think that ,aldington was an established community with1 probably1 as many inhabitants as at the present day1 when ,london and ,westminster were divided by green fields4 ,a story is told of the time before the line to ,oxford from ,wolverhampton and ,worcester was built1 when persons visiting ,oxford from the ,vale of ,evesham had to travel by road4 ,an old yeoman family1 having decided upon the ,church as the vocation for one of the sons1 sent him1 in the year #ahah1 on an old pony1 under the protection of an ancient retainer for his matriculation examination4 ,on their return1 in reply to the question1 ,well1 did you get the young master through8 ,oh1 yes1 he said1 and we could have got the old pony passed too1 if we'd only had enough money6 ,partly as an excuse for a bicycle ride ,i used often to visit distant villages where auction sales at farm-houses were proceeding1 and sometimes ,i came home with old china and other treasures4 ,wherever there are old villages with manor houses and long occupied rich land1 wealth formerly accumulated and evidenced itself in well-designed and well-made furniture1 upon which time has had comparatively little destructive effect4 ,as old fashions were superseded1 as oak gave way to walnut1 and walnut to ,spanish mahogany1 the out-of-date furniture found its way to the smaller farm-houses and cottages1 in which it descended from generation to generation4 ,now that the cottages have been ransacked by dealers and collectors1 the treasures have not only been absorbed by wealthy townspeople1 but are finding their way with those of impoverished landowners and occupiers to the millionaire mansions on the other side of the ,atlantic4 ,there is no limit to the temptation to collect when once the fascination of such old things has made itself felt--furniture1 china1 earthenware1 glass1 paintings1 brass and pewter become an obsession4 ,if ,i had only filled my barns with ,jacobean and ,stuart oak and walnut1 ,william and ,mary1 and ,queen ,ann marquetry1 and ,chippendale1 ,sheraton and ,hepplewhite mahogany1 instead of wheat for an unsympathetic ,british public1 and at the end of my time at ,aldington offered a few of the least interesting specimens for sale by auction1 ,i might still have carried away a houseful of treasures which would have cost me less than nothing4 ,an old friend of mine1 who had been collecting for many years1 and in comparison with whom ,i was a novice1 though my enthusiasm long preceded the fashion of the last twenty-five years1 told me that he once discovered a warehouse in a ,cotswold village crammed with ,chippendale1 and that the owner1 having no sale for it1 was glad to exchange a waggon-load for the same quantity of hay and straw chaff4 ,among the more interesting articles which my cycling excursions and previous pilgrimages on foot produced1 ,i have a charming blue and white carnation pattern1 ,worcester china cider mug with the crescent mark4 ,these mugs are said to have been specially made for the ,shakespeare ,jubilee of #agfi at ,stratford-on-,avon when ,garrick was present4 ,the date corresponds with the time when the mark was in use1 and establishes the age of the mug as #aej years4 ,the china in my old neighbourhood was naturally ,worcester1 ,bristol and ,salopian1 of which ,i have many specimens--of the ,worcester more especially--ranging from the earliest days of unmarked pieces through the ,dr4 ,wall period1 ,barr1 ,flight and ,barr1 down to the later ,chamberlain4 ,an old pair of bellows is a favourite of mine2 it is made of pear-tree wood1 decorated with an incised pattern of thistles and foliage1 referring possibly to the ,union of ,england and ,scotland in #agjg1 or as a ,jacobite emblem of a few years later4 ,the carving is surrounded by the motto3 ,,with ,,mee ,,my ,,frend ,,may ,,still ,,be ,,free ,,yet ,,vse ,,mee ,,not ,,till ,,cold ,,yov ,,bee4 ,these old bellows show unmistakable signs of their more than #bjj years of honourable service1 and they have literally breathed their last though still surviving2 but it would be sacrilege to renew the leather1 and might disturb the ghosts of generations of old ladies who blew the dying embers into a ruddy glow when awaiting1 in the twilight of a winter's evening1 their good-men's return from the field or the chase4 ,one of my greatest finds was a pair of ,chippendale chairs at a sale at ,mickleton at the foot of the ,cotswolds2 they belong to the early part of the ,chippendale period1 before the ,chinese style was abandoned4 ,that influence appears in incised fretted designs on the legs1 and the frieze below the seats4 ,the seats are covered with the original tapestry1 adding much to the interest1 and the backs present examples of the most spirited carving of the maker4 ,at the sale1 when ,i went to have a second look1 ,i found two dealers sitting on them and chatting quite casually2 the intention was evidently to prevent possible purchasers from noticing them1 and more especially to hide the tapestry coverings4 ,the value of the chairs immediately rose in my estimation1 and ,i increased the limit which ,i had given to a bidder on my behalf1 so that ,i made sure of buying them4 ,the old chairs looked very shabby when they came out into the light of day1 and they fell to my representative's bid amid roars of laughter from the rustic crowd4 ,what a price for them two old cheers6 they never heard talk of such a job6 ,it would surprise them to know that ,i have been offered five times what they then cost4 ,my wife has had to do with many parochial committees from time to time1 and ,i have often trembled for my ,chippendale chairs when these meetings1 accompanied by tea1 have been held at my house1 for it is not everybody who regards them with the reverence due to their external beauty and true inwardness1 or who recognizes in them the ,tea-cup times of hood and hoop1 ,or while the patch was worn4 ,a very successful afternoon was one ,i spent at a sale at ,north ,littleton4 ,i remember the beautiful spring day1 and the old weather-worn grey house in an orchard of immense pear-trees covered with sheets of snowy blossom4 ,i secured a ,jacobean elm chest with well-carved panels1 a ,jacobean oak chest of drawers on a curious stand1 a complete tea set of ,staffordshire ware1 including twelve cups and saucers1 teapot1 and other pieces1 with ,chinese decoration2 four ,nankin blue handleless tea-cups1 a ,delft plate1 and a ,battersea enamel patch-box4 ,my bill was a very moderate one1 but the executor who had the matter of the sale in hand was well pleased that these old family relics had passed into the possession of someone who would value them1 and not to careless and indifferent neighbours1 and was more than satisfied with the amount realized4 ,next morning1 as a token of his satisfaction1 he brought me a charming old brass ,dutch tobacco box1 with an oil painting inside the lid1 of a smoker enjoying a pipe4 ,i have seen some amusing incidents at sales of household goods in remote places2 incredulous smiles as to the possibility of the usefulness of anything in the shape of a bath generally greeted the appearance of such an article1 and on one of these occasions an ancient1 with great gravity1 and as an apology for its existence1 remarked that it was ,a very good thing for an invalid6 ,i am reminded thereby of an old-fashioned hunting man in ,surrey1 who was astonished to hear from a friend of mine that he enjoyed a cold bath every morning4 ,he didn't think1 he said1 that cold water was at all a good thing--next to the skin6 ,,chapter ,,xxv4 ,,dialect--,,local ,,phraseology ,,in ,,shakespeare--,,names--,,stupid ,,places4 ,our echoes roll from soul to soul4 --,the ,princess4 ,compulsory education has eliminated many of the old words and phrases formerly in general use in ,worcestershire1 and is still striving to substitute a more genteel1 but not always more correct1 and a much less picturesque1 form of speech4 ,when ,i first went to ,aldington ,i found it difficult to understand the dialect1 but ,i soon got accustomed to it1 and used it myself in speaking to the villagers4 ,farrar used to tell us at school1 in one of the resounding phrases of which he was rather fond1 that ,all phonetic corruption is due to muscular effeminacy1 which accounts for some of the words in use1 but does not alter the fact that many so-called corrupt words are more correct than the modern accepted form4 ,it is difficult to convey the peculiar intonation of the ,worcestershire villager's voice1 and the ipsissima verba ,i have given in my anecdotes lose a good deal in reading by anyone unacquainted with their method4 ,each sentence is uttered in a rising scale with a drop on the last few words1 forming1 as a whole1 a not unmusical rhythmical drawl4 ,as instances of muscular effeminacy1 two fields of mine1 where flax was formerly grown1 went by the name of ,pax grounds2 the words rivet and vine1 were rendered ribet and bine4 ,march1 a boundary1 became ,marsh1 so that ,moreton-on-the-,march became1 most unjustly1 ,moreton-in-the-,marsh4 ,do out1 was dout2 pound1 was pun2 starved1 starred4 ,the ,saxon plural is still in use3 housen for houses1 flen for fleas2 and ,i noticed1 with pleasure1 that a school inspector did not correct the children for using the ancient form4 ,gilbert ,white1 who died in #agic1 writes in the section of his book devoted to the ,antiquities of ,selborne1 that ,within the author's memory the ,saxon plurals1 housen and peason1 were in common use4 ,so that ,selborne more than a hundred years ago had1 in that particular at any rate1 advanced to a stage of dialect which in ,worcestershire is still not fully established4 ,certain words beginning with h seem a difficulty2 a y is sometimes prefixed1 and the h omitted4 ,thus height becomes yacth1 as nearly as ,i can spell it1 and herring is yerring4 ,n is an ill-treated letter sometimes1 when it begins a word2 nettles are always ettles1 but when not wanted1 and two consecutive words run easier1 it is added1 as in osier nait for osier ait4 ,the word charm1 from the ,anglo-,saxon cyrm1 is used both in ,worcestershire and ,hampshire for a continuous noise1 such as the cawing of nesting rooks1 or the hum of swarming bees4 ,similarly1 a witch's incantation--probably in monotone--is a charm1 and then comes to mean the object given by a witch to an applicant4 ,charming and bewitching thus both proclaim their origins1 but have now acquired a totally different signification4 ,there are an immense number of curious words and phrases in everyday use1 and they were collected by ,mr4 ,a4 ,porson1 ,m4,a41 who published a very interesting list with explanatory notes in #ahge1 under the title of ,notes of ,quaint ,words and ,sayings in the ,dialect of ,south ,worcestershire4 ,i append a list of the local archaic words and phrases which can also be found in ,shakespeare's ,plays4 ,this list was compiled by me some years ago1 and appeared in the ,notes and ,queries column of the ,evesham ,journal2 ,i think all are still to be heard in ,evesham and the villages in that corner of ,worcestershire4 ,,ship--sheep2 cf4 ,shipton1 ,shipston1 etc42 ,two ,gentlemen of ,verona1 ,act ,i41 ,scene #a2 ,comedy of ,errors1 ,act ,,iv41 ,scene #a4 ,,falsing--the present participle of the verb to false2 ,comedy of ,errors1 ,act ,,ii41 ,scene #b2 ,cymbeline1 ,act ,,ii41 ,scene #c4 ,,fall--verb active2 ,comedy of ,errors1 ,act ,,ii41 ,scene #b2 ,midsummer ,night's ,dream1 ,act ,v41 ,scene #a4 ,,customers--companions2 ,comedy of ,errors1 ,act ,,iv41 ,scene #d4 ,,knots--flower beds2 ,love's ,labour's ,lost1 ,act ,i41 ,scene #a2 ,richard ,,ii41 ,act ,,iii41 ,scene #d4 ,,talent--for talon2 cf4 tenant for tenon2 ,love's ,labour's ,lost1 ,act ,,iv41 ,scene #b4 ,,metheglin--mead1 a drink made from honey2 ,love's ,labour's ,lost1 ,act ,v41 ,scene #b2 ,merry ,wives1 ,act ,v41 ,scene #e4 ,,handkercher--handkerchief2 ,king ,john1 ,act ,,iv41 ,scene #a2 ,king ,henry ,v41 ,act ,,iii41 ,scene #b4 ,,nor ,,never ,,shall--two negatives strengthening each other2 ,king ,john1 ,act ,,iv41 ,scene #a1 and ,act ,v41 ,scene #g4 ,,contrary--stress on the penultimate syllable2 cf4 matrimony1 secretary1 ,january1 etc42 ,king ,john1 ,act ,,iv41 ,scene #b4 ,to ,,resolve--to dissolve2 ,king ,john1 ,act ,v41 ,scene #d2 ,hamlet1 ,act ,i41 ,scene #b4 ,,strond--strand2 cf4 hommer--hammer1 opples--apples1 etc42 #a ,king ,henry ,,iv41 ,act ,i41 ,scene #a4 ,,apple ,,john--,john ,apple 7872 #a ,king ,henry ,,iv41 ,act ,,iii41 ,scene #c2 #b ,king ,henry ,,iv41 ,act ,,ii41 ,scene #d4 ,,gull--young cuckoo2 #a ,king ,henry ,,iv41 ,act ,v41 ,scene #a4 ,,to ,,buckle--to bend2 #b ,king ,henry ,,iv41 ,act ,i41 ,scene #a4 ,,nice--weak2 cf4 naish--weak2 #b ,king ,henry ,,iv41 ,act ,i41 ,scene #a4 ,,old--extreme1 very good2 #b ,king ,henry ,,iv41 ,act ,,ii41 ,scene #d4 ,,peascod-,,time--peapicking time2 #b ,king ,henry ,,iv41 ,act ,,ii41 ,scene #d4 ,,was ,,like--had nearly2 ,king ,henry ,v41 ,act ,i41 ,scene #a4 ,,scambling--scrambling2 ,king ,henry ,v41 ,act ,i41 ,scene #a4 ,,marches--boundaries2 cf4 ,moreton-in-the-,marsh1 i4e41 ,march2 ,king ,henry ,v41 ,act ,i41 ,scene #b4 ,,swilled--washed2 ,king ,henry ,v41 ,act ,,iii41 ,scene #a4 ,to ,,dress--to decorate with evergreens1 etc42 ,taming of the ,shrew1 ,act ,,iii41 ,scene #a4 ,,yellows--jaundice2 ,taming of the ,shrew1 ,act ,,iii41 ,scene #b4 ,,drink--ale2 ,drink is still used for ale as distinguished from cider2 ,midsummer ,night's ,dream1 ,act ,,ii41 ,scene #a4 ,,barm--yeast2 ,midsummer ,night's ,dream1 ,act ,,ii41 ,scene #a4 ,,loffe--laugh2 ,midsummer ,night's ,dream1 ,act ,,ii41 ,scene #a4 ,,leathern--7bats72 cf4 leatherun bats1 as distinguished from bats--beetles2 ,midsummer ,night's ,dream1 ,act ,,ii41 ,scene #c4 ,,eaning ,,time--lambing time2 ,merchant of ,venice1 ,act ,i41 ,scene #c4 ,,spet--spit2 cf4 set--sit1 sperit--spirit1 etc42 ,merchant of ,venice1 ,act ,i41 ,scene #c4 ,,fill-,,horse--shaft horse2 cf4 filler and thiller2 ,merchant of ,venice1 ,act ,,ii41 ,scene #b4 ,,proud ,,on--proud of2 ,much ,ado1 ,act ,,iv41 ,scene #a ,,odds--difference2 cf4 wide odds2 ,as you ,like ,it1 ,act ,i41 ,scene #b4 ,,come ,,your ,,ways--come on2 ,as ,you ,like ,it1 ,act ,i41 ,scene #b4 ,,to ,,sauce--to be impertinent2 ,as ,you ,like ,it1 ,act ,,iii41 ,scene #e4 ,,the ,,motion--the usual form2 ,winter's ,tale1 ,act ,,iv41 ,scene #b4 ,,inchmeal--bit by bit2 ,tempest1 ,act ,,ii41 ,scene #b4 ,,filberds--filberts2 ,tempest1 ,act ,,ii41 ,scene #b4 ,,to ,,lade--to bale 7liquid72 #c ,king ,henry ,,vi41 ,act ,,iii41 ,scene #c4 ,,to ,,lap--to wrap2 ,king ,richard ,,iii41 ,act ,,ii41 ,scene #a2 ,macbeth1 ,act ,i41 ,scene #b4 ,,bitter ,,sweeting--an apple of poor quality grown from a kernel2 cf4 bitter sweet--the same2 ,romeo and ,juliet1 ,act ,,ii41 ,scene #d4 ,,varsal ,,world--universal world2 ,romeo and ,juliet1 ,act ,,ii41 ,scene #d4 ,,mammet--a puppet2 cf4 mommet--scarecrow2 ,romeo and ,juliet1 ,act ,,iii41 ,scene #e4 ,,to ,,grunt--to grumble2 ,hamlet1 ,act ,,iii41 ,scene #a4 ,,to ,,fust--to become mouldy2 ,hamlet1 ,act ,,iv41 ,scene #e4 ,,dout--do out2 cf4 don--do on2 ,hamlet1 ,act ,,iv41 ,scene #g4 ,,magot ,,pies--,magpies2 ,macbeth1 ,act ,,iii41 ,scene #d4 ,,set ,,down--write down2 ,macbeth1 ,act ,v41 ,scene #a4 ,,to ,,pun--to pound2 ,troilus and ,cressida1 ,act ,,ii41 ,scene #a4 ,,native--place of origin2 cf4 natif2 ,coriolanus1 ,act ,,iii41 ,scene #a4 ,,sleek--bald2 cf4 slick2 ,julius ,csar1 ,act ,i41 ,scene #b4 ,,warn--summon2 cf4 backwarn--tell a person not to come2 ,julius ,csar1 ,act ,v41 ,scene #a4 ,,breese--gadfly2 ,antony and ,cleopatra1 ,act ,,iii41 ,scene #h4 ,,woo',t--wilt thou2 ,antony and ,cleopatra1 ,act ,,iv41 ,scene #ac4 ,,urchin--hedgehog2 ,titus ,andronicus1 ,act ,,ii41 ,scene #c4 ,,meshed--mashed 7a term used in brewing72 ,titus ,andronicus1 ,act ,,iii41 ,scene #b4 ,all the above words and phrases the writer has frequently heard used in the neighbourhood in the senses indicated1 but to make the list more complete the following are added on the authority of ,mr4 ,a4 ,porson1 in the pamphlet referred to3 ,,collied--black2 ,midsummer ,nights ,dream1 ,act ,i41 ,scene #a4 ,,limmel--limb from limb2 cf4 inchmeal--bit by bit2 ,cymbeline1 ,act ,,ii41 ,scene #d4 ,,to ,,mammock--to tear to pieces2 ,coriolanus1 ,act ,i41 ,scene #c4 ,,to ,,moil--to dirty2 ,taming of the ,shrew1 ,act ,,iv41 ,scene #a4 ,,sallet--salad2 #b ,king ,henry ,,vi41 ,act ,,iv41 ,scene #aj4 ,,utis--great noise2 #b ,king ,henry ,,iv41 ,act ,,ii41 ,scene #d4 ,place-names everywhere are a most interesting study2 as a rule1 people do not recognize that every place-name has a meaning or reference to some outstanding peculiarity or characteristic of the place1 and that much history can be gathered from interpretation4 ,in cycling1 it is one of the many interests to unravel these derivations2 merely as an instance1 ,i may mention that in ,dorset and ,wilts the name of ,winterbourne1 with a prefix or suffix1 often occurs2 of course1 bourne means a stream1 but until one knows that a winterbourne is a stream that appears in winter only1 and does not exist in summer1 the name carries no special signification4 ,one hears some curious personal names in the ,worcestershire villages2 scriptural names are quite common1 and seem very suitable for the older labourers engaged upon their honourable employment on the land4 ,we had a maid named ,vashti1 and she was quite shy about mentioning it at her first interview with my wife4 ,in all country neighbourhoods there is a special place with the unenviable reputation of stupidity2 such was ,yabberton 7,ebrington1 on the ,cotswolds71 and ,vashti was somewhat reluctant to admit that it was her natif1 as a birthplace is called in the district4 ,among the traditions of ,yabberton it is related that the farmers1 being anxious to prolong the summer1 erected hurdles to wall in the cuckoo1 and that they manured the church tower1 expecting it to sprout into an imposing steeple6 ,there is a place in ,surrey1 ,send1 with a similar reputation1 where the inhabitants had to visit a pond before they could tell that rain was falling6 ,but perhaps the best story of the kind is told in the ,new ,forest1 where the ,isle of ,wight is regarded as the acme of stupidity4 ,when the ,isle of ,wight people first began to walk erect1 instead of on all fours1 they are said to have waggled their arms and hands helplessly before them1 saying1 ,and what be we to do with these-um8 ,classical names are very uncommon among villagers1 but in my old ,surrey parish there was one which was the cause of much speculation4 ,the name was ,hercules2 it originated in a disagreement between the parents1 before the child was christened4 ,the mother wanted his name to be ,john1 but the father insisted1 that as an older son was ,noah1 the only possible name for the new baby was ,hark 7,ark74 ,they had a lengthy argument1 and there was no definite understanding before reaching the church4 ,the mother1 when asked to name this child1 being flustered1 hesitated1 but finally stammered out1 ,hark1 please4 ,the vicar was puzzled1 and repeated the question with the same result2 a third attempt was equally unsuccessful1 and the vicar1 in despair1 falling back upon his classical knowledge1 christened the child ,hercules4 ,a few days later the vicar called at the cottage1 and the mother explained the matter1 relating how indignant she was with her husband1 and how on the way home1 ,hark1 ,i says to him1 ain't the name of a ,christian1 it's the name of a barge6 ,,chapter ,,xxvi4 ,,is ,,aldington 7,,former ,,site7 ,,the ,,roman ,,antona8 ,imperious ,caesar1 dead and turn'd to clay1 ,might stop a hole to keep the wind away3 ,o1 that that earth1 which kept the world in awe ,should patch a wall to expel the winter's flaw6 --,hamlet4 ,one of my fields--about five acres--called ,blackbanks from its extraordinarily black soil1 over a yard deep in places1 and the more remarkable because the soil of the surrounding fields is stiff yellowish clay1 showed other indications of long and very ancient habitation4 ,among the relics found was a stone quern1 measuring about #ba inches by #ab by #g-c_/d1 and having1 on each of two opposite sides1 a basin-shaped depression about #f inches in diameter at the top1 and #b-c_/d inches in depth2 also a small stone ring1 #a-a_/d inches in diameter1 and #c_/hths in thickness1 with a hole in the centre #a_/d inch across2 the edges are rounded1 and it is similar to those ,i have seen in museums1 called spindle whorls4 ,the quern and the ring ,i imagine to be ,british4 ,this field and the fields adjacent on the north side of the stream formed1 ,i think1 primarily a ,british settlement and area of cultivation1 afterwards appropriated by the ,romans in the earliest days of the ,roman occupation of ,britain1 and inhabited by them as a military station until they left the country4 ,among other relics found in ,blackbanks and in the fields to the north1 called ,blackminster1 between ,blackbanks and the present line of the ,great ,western ,railway1 aggregating about a hundred acres1 there were found large quantities of fragments of pottery of several kinds1 including black1 grey1 and red1 and among the latter the smoothly glazed ,samian4 ,many pieces are ornamented with patterns1 some very primitive1 others geometrical2 others are in texture like ,wedgwood basalt ware1 and similar in colour and decoration4 ,the ,samian is mostly plain1 but a few pieces have patterns and representations of human figures4 ,the fields1 but especially ,blackbanks1 contained quantities of bones1 the horns of sheep or goats1 pieces of stags1 horns1 iron spear and arrow-heads1 horses' molar teeth1 and flint pebbles worn flat on one side by the passage of innumerable feet for many years4 ,a millstone showing marks of rotation on the surface1 a bronze clasp or brooch with fragments of enamel inlay1 the ornamental bronze handle of an important key1 a glass lacrymatory 7tear-bottle71 numerous coins--referred to below--and other objects in bronze and iron1 were also found4 ,only centuries of habitation and cultivation could have changed the three feet of surface soil in ,blackbanks from a stiff unworkable clay to a black friable garden mould1 and it is probable that the ,british occupation had lasted for a very long period before the ,romans took possession4 ,the settlement must have been a place of importance1 because it was approached from the north by a track1 still existing though practically disused1 probably ,british1 from a ford over the ,avon1 near the present ,fish and ,anchor ,inn4 ,this track passes to the west of ,south ,littleton1 on through the middle of the ,blackminster land1 and immediately to the east of ,blackbanks1 joining what ,i believe to be the ,ryknield ,street at the bridge over the stream on the ,south ,littleton road4 ,near the present ,royal ,oak ,inn it formerly crossed the present ,evesham-,bretforton road1 and became what is still called ,salter ,street4 ,it appears to have given access to two more sites on which ,roman coins and relics are found--,foxhill about #i-a_/b acres1 and ,blackground about #d acres--and passing east of the present ,badsey church1 proceeded through ,wickhamford1 and by a well-defined track to ,hinton-on-the-,green1 and on to ,tewkesbury and ,gloucester4 ,the occurrence of the name ,salter ,street gives a clue to one of the original uses of the road1 at any rate in ,roman times1 for salt was an absolute necessity in those days1 as may be gathered from a passage in ,the ,natural ,history of ,selborne1 written in #aggh3 ,three or four centuries ago1 before there were any enclosures1 sown grasses1 field turnips1 or field carrots1 or hay1 all the cattle which had grown fat in summer1 and were not killed for winter use1 were turned out soon after ,michaelmas to shift as they could through the dead months2 so that no fresh meat could be had in winter or spring4 ,hence the vast stores of salted flesh found in the larder of the elder ,spencer in the days of ,edward ,,ii41 even so late in the spring as the #crd of ,may4 ,a note adds that the store consisted of ,six hundred bacons1 eighty carcasses of beef and six hundred muttons4 ,it is not difficult to trace the route over which the salt was carried from ,droitwich4 ,starting thence the track can be approximately identified by the names of places in which the root1 sal 7salt71 occurs1 and we find ,sale ,way1 ,salding1 ,sale ,green1 and1 further south1 ,salford4 ,crossing the ,worcester-,alcelster road at ,radford1 and proceeding through ,rouse ,lench and ,church ,lench1 we reach ,harvington1 from whence the track takes us across the low-lying meadows to the ferry and ford over the ,avon1 near the ,fish and ,anchor ,inn mentioned above4 ,in recent times it has been assumed that the road from ,bidford to ,weston ,subedge1 known as ,buckle ,street1 is identical with ,ryknield ,street1 but ,i should prefer to call ,buckle ,street a branch of the latter only1 for the purpose of joining ,ryknield ,street and the ,foss ,way near ,burton-on-the-,water4 ,i consider the real course of ,ryknield ,street to be as described in ,leland's ,itinerary 7inserted by ,hearne71 ,edition ,,iii41 #agfh1 in which he quotes1 from ,r4 ,gale's ,essay concerning the ,four ,great ,roman ,ways1 that from ,bitford on the southern edge of ,warwickshire it 7,ryknield ,street7 runs into ,worcestershire1 and taking its course thro' ,south ,littleton goes on a little to the east of ,evesham1 and then by ,hinton and west of ,sedgebarrow into ,gloucestershire1 near ,aston-under-,hill1 and so by ,bekford1 ,ashchurch1 and a little east of ,tewksbury1 thro' ,norton to ,gloucester4 ,such a course for ,ryknield ,street would make it the connection between the north1 running through the ,roman ,alauna 7,alcester7 to ,glevum 7,gloucester74 ,it must be remembered that there was1 in ,roman times1 nothing at ,evesham to take the road there1 for ,evesham did not exist as a town until long after the ,romans left4 ,leland says that there was noe towene at ,eovesham before the foundation of the ,abbey1 which took place about ,a4,d4 #gja1 about #bej years later1 and there was no road from ,alcester to ,gloucester except the one we are following4 ,another important road passed the northern extremity of ,blackminster and crossed the road just referred to so that the ,blackminster area was situated at the junction4 ,this was the old road from ,worcester1 passing the present site of ,evesham a mile or more to the north1 crossing the ,avon at ,twyford1 and the ,ryknield ,street at ,blackminster1 and going onwards through ,chipping ,campden towards ,london4 ,the following passage in the ,annals of ,tacitus1 ,book ,,xii41 chapter xxxi41 ,ille 7,ostorius7 444 detrahere arma suspectis1 cinctosque castris ,antonam et ,sabrinam fluvios cohibere parat1 which refers to the fortification of the ,antona and ,severn rivers by the ,roman general ,p4 ,ostorius ,scapula1 has been the subject of various readings and controversy about the word ,antona1 no river of that name having been identified4 ,the reading given above may not be good ,latin1 but the names of the rivers are quite plain4 ,another reading substitutes ,avonam for ,antonam2 but probably ,tacitus avoided the use of the word ,avon because it was then a ,celtic term for rivers in general1 and confusion would arise between the ,avon which joins the ,severn at ,tewkesbury and the ,avon a little further south which runs into the ,severn estuary at ,bristol4 ,to make his meaning quite clear he did exactly what we do now in speaking of the ,stratford ,avon 7i4e41 river7 and the ,bristol ,avon7i4e41 river7 when he prefixed ,antonam 7et ,sabrinam7 to the word fluvios4 ,if1 therefore1 we can find a place of importance with the name of ,antona1 or a name that may fairly represent it1 having regard to subsequent corruptions1 existing also in ,roman times on or near the ,avon branch of the ,severn1 we shall be justified in assuming that this particular ,avon was the river he had in his mind4 ,such a place is the area ,i have described as full of traces of long ,roman and pre-,roman occupation1 situated at the junction of two ancient roads1 very important from the military point of view1 and within a mile of the ,avon4 ,on the supposition that ,antona and ,aldington may be identical1 the present site of the latter is perhaps a quarter of a mile from the ,roman area which ,i have described1 but the original ,aldington ,mill1 traces of the foundations of which are still to be seen1 was actually on the ,roman area4 ,a better position for it was found later1 away from the difficulties of approach caused by floods1 and it was moved to the site occupied by the present mill just below the ,manor ,house1 probably in ,anglo-,saxon times4 ,although the name of the village became1 in ,anglo-,saxon1 ,aldington1 or something similar1 the old name of ,anton or ,aunton was evidently in common local use1 as appears in the following list of names which the present village has borne at different times4 ,it is specially interesting to notice that the more elaborate ,aldington and its variants appear in the more scholarly records1 such as those of ,evesham ,abbey and ,domesday ,survey1 written by people not living in the village2 while the parish churchwardens #aebg-aega1 the will of ,richard ,yardley #aeca1 the village constable #agae1 and the villagers at the present day1 all living in the place itself1 carry on the old tradition in the names they use which approximate very closely to the ,roman ,antona1 and are indeed identical in their manuscripts1 if the ,latin terminal a is omitted4 ,date ,aldintone1 ,charter of the ,kings ,kenred and ,offa1 possessions of ,evesham ,abbey #gji ,aldingtone ,aldintun ,domesday ,survey circ4 #ajhf ,aldintona ,aldringtona1 ,an ,adjudication2 ,evesham ,abbey #aagf ,aldetone1 ,institutes of ,abbot ,randulf1 died #abbi ,awnton1 ,will of ,richard ,yardley of ,awnton #aeca ,aunton1 ,churchwardens accounts #aebg to #aega ,anton1 ,old ,,ms4 ,a ,bill for ye ,constable #agae ,alne or ,auln1 ,villagers present day ,as parallels of the local persistence of old names1 the neighbouring village of ,wickhamford 7present-day name7 is still called ,wicwon by the villagers1 the same name under which it appears in the ,charter of the ,abbey possessions in #gji4 ,and the ,celtic ,london still persists in spite of the ,roman attempt to confer upon it the grander name of ,augusta4 ,the disappearance of anything in the shape of foundations of former buildings is accounted for by the fact that the whole area was quarried many years ago for the building stone and limestone beneath1 and any surface stone would have been removed at the same time4 ,one of the fields still bears the name of the ,quar ,ground1 and the remains of lime-kilns can be found in several places4 ,it is right to add that ,blackbanks as the site of ,antona was suggested to me many years ago by the late ,canon ,winnington ,ingram1 ,rector of ,harvington2 in discussing the matter1 however1 we got no further than the bare suggestion derived from the appearance of long habitation and the occurrence of ,roman coins and pottery in ,blackbanks only1 and without reference to the much larger area of ,blackminster4 ,canon ,winnington ,ingram was not familiar with the place1 and ,i had not apprehended the importance of the track from the ,fish and ,anchor as a salt way starting from ,droitwich1 nor was ,i aware of ,salter ,street1 its continuation after passing ,blackbanks4 ,neither had ,i distinguished between ,buckle ,street as the junction between ,ryknield ,street and the ,foss ,way1 and ,ryknield ,street itself as the direct road from the north through ,birmingham1 ,alcester1 ,bidford1 ,antona787 ,hinton1 and ,gloucester4 ,virgil1 in his first ,georgic1 refers to the possible future discovery of ,roman remains1 and ,dryden translates the passage thus3 ,then after lapse of time1 the lab'ring swains1 ,who turn the turfs of these unhappy plains1 ,shall rusty piles from the plough'd furrows take1 ,and over empty helmets pass the rake4 ,such is almost prophetic of my ,roman site to-day2 little did ,virgil imagine that his lines would apply so nearly in ,britain two thousand years later4 ,a ,,list ,,of ,,the ,,coins ,,found ,,and ,,names ,,of ,,the ,,emperors ,,to ,,whose ,,reigns ,,they ,,belong1 ,,with ,,short ,,notes ,,on ,,the ,,leading ,,incidents ,,in ,,connection ,,with ,,britain ,,which ,,occurred ,,in ,,their ,,reigns3 #a4 ,a ,denarius1 #hh ,b4,c4 #b4 ,a ,denarius1 #hh ,b4,c4 plated4 ,as consular denarii passed out of circulation soon after ,a4,d4 #gj1 these two coins suggest that the site was under ,roman influence by that date at the latest4 #c4 ,claudius1 ,emperor 7,a4,d4 #da-ed74 #d4 ,nerva1 ,emperor 7#if-ih74 #e4 ,antoninus ,pius1 ,emperor 7#ach-afa74 #f4 ,marcus ,aurelius1 ,emperor 7#afa-ahj74 #g4 ,severus ,alexander1 ,emperor 7#bbb-bce74 #h4 ,the ,thirty ,tyrants 7#baa-bhd74 ,several coins of this period1 badly defaced4 #i4 ,etruscilla1 wife of ,traianus ,decius 7#bdi-bea74 #aj4 ,gallienus1 ,emperor 7#bec-bfh74 #aa4 ,postumus1 ,gallic ,emperor 7#beh-bfh7 #ab4 ,claudius ,gothicus1 ,emperor 7#bfh-bgj7 #ac4 ,tetricus1 ,gallic ,emperor 7#bgj-bgc74 #ad4 ,tacitus1 ,emperor 7#bge-bgf7 #ae4 ,diocletianus1 ,emperor 7#bhd-cje74 #af4 ,carausius1 ,emperor in ,britain 7#bhf-bid74 #ag4 ,allectus1 ,emperor in ,britain 7#bid-bif74 #ah4 ,theodora1 second wife of ,constantius ,i4 7,chlorus1 ,csar1 #bic-cje2 ,augustus1 #cje-f74 #ai4 ,licinius1 ,emperor 7#cjg-cbd74 #bj4 ,constantinus ,emperor 7#cjf-ccg72 7,constantine the ,great74 #ba4 ,coin with head of ,constantinopolis 7,city ,deity77circ4 #ccj74 #bb4 ,constantinus ,,ii41 ,emperor 7#ccg-cdj74 #bc4 ,constantius ,,ii41 ,emperor 7#ccg-cfa74 #bd4 ,gratianus1 ,emperor 7#cfg-chc74 ,,british ,,coin4 #be4 ,antedrigus1 ,british ,prince 7circ4 #ej74 ,the figures in brackets in the following notes refer to the coins as numbered in the above list3 7#c7 ,the ,claudian invasion of ,britain was begun in ,a4,d4 #dc by an army under the command of ,aulus ,plautius ,silvanus4 ,he led his army from the coast of ,kent1 where he probably landed1 to the ,thames1 and waited for ,claudius himself1 in whose presence the advance to ,camulodunum 7,colchester7 was made during the latter part of #dc4 ,claudius apparently left ,rome in ,july1 and was absent for six months1 but his stay in ,britain is said to have lasted only sixteen days4 ,in the pacification which occupied the next three years there are two points of interest to notice4 ,the first is a series of minor campaigns conducted by ,vespasian--,emperor #fi-gi--who subdued the ,isle of ,wight and penetrated from ,hampshire1 perhaps1 to the ,mendip ,hills4 ,the second is the submission of ,prasutagus1 the ,british philo-,roman prince of the ,iceni4 ,it is conjectured that his policy led a certain number of patriots under a rival prince1 ,antedrigus1 to migrate towards the unoccupied west4 ,a coin 7#be7 of ,antedrigus1 with an extremely barbarous head in profile on the obverse and a horse on the reverse1 was found on the ,roman area at ,aldington4 ,the types of this coin are ultimately derived from those on the gold staters struck by ,philip of ,makedon1 father of ,alexander the ,great4 ,the original had a young male head 78 of ,apollo7 on obverse and a two-horse chariot as reverse type4 ,the influence came to ,britain from ,gaul1 where the coins of ,makedon may have arrived by the valleys of ,danube and ,rhine2 but it is not improbable that the types reached ,gaul through ,massilia 7,marseilles74 ,in #dg ,plautius was succeeded by ,p4 ,ostorius ,scapula1 who pressed westwards and fought a great battle with the nationalist army of ,caratacus in #ea4 ,camulodunum became a colonia in #ej1 and the military organization of ,britain then began to take shape by the establishment of four legionary headquarters--,isca ,silurum 7,caerleon-on-,usk71 ,viroconium 7,wroxeter71 ,deva 7,chester7 and ,lindum 7,lincoln74 ,this disposition1 which faced north and west1 came near to breaking down in #fa1 when the east rose under ,boudicca 7,boadicea71 queen of the ,iceni1 partly in protest against the usury of ,seneca1 the philosopher and tutor of ,nero4 7#d7 ,it was in the year #ig1 during the principate of ,nerva1 that ,tacitus the historian was consul4 ,by this time the ,i,xth ,hispana legion had been transferred from ,lindum to ,eburacum 7,york74 7#e7 ,under ,antoninus ,pius a revolt of the ,brigantes 7between ,humber and ,mersey7 was put down by ,a4 ,lollius ,urbicus in ,a4,d4 #adj4 ,lollius also completed the northern defences1 begun by ,hadrian1 with a new wall further north between the ,firth and the ,clyde4 7#f7 ,while ,marcus ,aurelius was emperor1 according to a tradition preserved by ,bede1 the ,british ,church came into close connection with ,rome and received what he calls a mission--more probably a band of fugitives from persecution4 ,though the tale is doubtful in details1 it is evidence to show that ,christianity was strong in the island by this time4 7#i7 ,decius1 husband of ,etruscilla1 was responsible for the great persecution of ,christians in #bej-ea2 the occasion was the #a1jjjth anniversary of ,rome's foundation4 7#aj7 ,gallienus1 son of ,valerian1 was entrusted with the west on his father's accession in #bec and defended the ,rhine frontier until he was left sole ,emperor in #beh1 when ,valerian was captured by ,shapur of ,persia4 ,various usurpations compelled ,gallienus to enter ,italy1 and he left the ,rhine defences in charge of a general--,m4 ,cassianius ,latinius ,postumus4 7#aa7 ,postumus at once had to face a great invasion of ,franks4 ,he gained some successes and was therefore proclaimed emperor by the armies of ,gaul and ,britain4 ,before long dissensions broke out in the ,gallic empire and several commanders rose and fell in rapid succession4 ,it is conceivable that some of these are represented in the coins found in ,blackbanks1 but these specimens are too badly weathered for certain identification to be possible4 7#ab7 ,on ,march #d1 #bfh1 ,gallienus was assassinated4 ,his successor was ,m4 ,aurelius ,claudius1 afterwards surnamed ,gothicus1 a skilful general who did the empire great service by his victories over invaders from ,switzerland and the ,tyrol by the shores of the ,lago di ,garda1 and over the ,goths at ,naissus 7,nish74 7#ac7 ,tetricus is of interest only because his surrender to ,aurelian in #bgc marks the collapse of the ,gallic empire4 7#ae-ah7 ,diocletian became ,augustus in #bhd1 and co-opted ,maximian as his colleague two years later4 ,about the same time ,carausius1 commander of the ,channel fleet1 crossed to ,britain and had himself proclaimed independent emperor4 ,in #bij he was acknowledged as third colleague by the ,augusti1 but no place was found for him when in #bic the government of the ,roman world was divided between ,diocletian1 ,maximian1 and two newly chosen ,csars--,galerius and ,flavius ,valerius ,constantius1 later called ,chlorus4 ,by this arrangement the recovery of ,britain from ,allectus--who had murdered ,carausius about #bid--;fell to ,constantius1 and he accomplished this by a sudden attack in #bif4 ,constantius was twice married4 ,his first wife1 ,helena1 bore him a son1 ,constantine the ,great2 his second was a step-daughter of ,maximian1 named ,theodora1 to whom coin #ah belongs4 ,britain was now divided into four ,diocletian provinces1 to which a fifth--,valentia--was later added when the country north of ,hadrian's wall was re-occupied4 ,the only other event of ,diocletian's reign to be noticed is the persecution of ,christians in which1 according to tradition1 ,st4 ,alban lost his life at ,verulam about #cjc4 7#ai-bj7 ,on ,may #a1 #cje1 ,diocletian and ,maximian abdicated4 ,constantius and ,galerius now became ,augusti4 ,trouble arose over the two vacant ,csarships4 ,it was the aim of ,galerius to exclude ,constantine1 but the latter escaped to his father's camp at ,york1 a few weeks before ,constantius died on ,july #be1 #cjf1 after a victory over the ,picts and ,scots4 ,constantine was in power under various titles in ,gaul and ,britain for five years until1 in #caa1 when ,galerius died1 he began his march on ,rome1 during which he is said to have had his vision of the cross with the words ,greek3 en tout nika4 ,in #cad the bishops of ,york1 ,london1 and some other uncertain ,british see attended the ,council of ,arles which sat to deal with the ,donatist schism4 ,the ,british ,church was also represented at the ,council of ,nica1 called by ,constantine in #cbe to consider the ,arian heresy1 when the ,nicene ,creed in its original form was authorized2 the ,british vote was orthodox4 ,it was ,constantine who in #cba first made ,sunday a holiday1 but whether ,christianity or ,mithraism prompted him to this is doubtful4 7#bb-bc7 ,when ,constantine the ,great died in #ccg the empire was divided between his sons4 ,constantius ,,ii4 received the east2 ,constans1 ,africa1 ,italy1 and the ,danuvian region2 ,constantine ,,ii41 ,gaul and ,spain4 ,in #cdj ,constantine ,,ii4 attacked ,constans and was killed4 ,constans then ruled the united west2 it seems that ,constans and ,constantius ,,ii4 visited ,britain in #cdc4 ,constans was assassinated in #cej2 this left ,constantius ,,ii4 alone4 ,his policy of toleration towards the ,arians led to a great ,church ,council in #cei4 ,the eastern bishops met at ,seleucia1 the western at ,ariminum1 where ,britain was represented4 ,by a certain amount of coercion ,constantius forced his views on the ,western ,council4 ,at this time the prosperity of ,britain was great and corn was exported in large quantities4 7#bd7 ,in #cfg ,valentinian ,i4 made his son ,gratian1 ,augustus4 ,gratian was later married to ,constantia1 daughter of ,constantius ,,ii4 ,roman power was now asserted once more against the ,picts and ,scots1 and also against the ,saxon raiders by ,theodosius1 whose son became ,augustus in #cgi4 ,gratian himself was occupied on the ,continent4 ,in #chc ,magnus ,maximus was proclaimed emperor in ,britain1 and ,gratian was murdered on ,august #be4 ,the coins were not a hoard2 they were found all over the ,roman area ,i have described1 but especially in ,blackbanks1 and they became visible generally when the surface was fallow and had broken down into fine mould from the action of the weather4 ,their scattered occurrence1 and the period they cover1 suggest continuous habitation throughout the most important part of the ,roman occupation of ,britain1 and1 with their related history1 they occupy a distinguished place in a record of the harvest of ,grain and ,chaff from an ,english ,manor4 ,,notes #a3 ,celebrated breeders of the respective sorts4 #b3 ,fig4 #a shows the flattened ,s formed by the stream4 ,fig4 #b shows the short circuit formed later at ,a and the island ,b ,when the old bed of the stream round ,b gets filled up1 the island ,b disappears1 and its area and that part of the old bed formerly on the west side of the stream is transferred to the east side4 #c3 ,mr4 ,h4,a4 ,evans sends me a very interesting note on this subject4 ,he refers me to ,shakespeare1 ,henry ,,viii41 ,,iii41 ,,ii41 #bhb1 where ,surrey1 alluding to ,wolsey1 says3 ,if we live thus tamely1 ,to be thus jaded by a piece of scarlet1 ,farewell nobility2 let his grace go forward1 ,and dare us with his cap like larks4 ,the verb dare here used is quite a distinct word from dare to venture to do4 ,it means to daze or render helpless with the sight of something4 ,to dare larks is to fascinate or daze them in order to catch them4 ,the dare is made of small bits of looking-glass fastened on scarlet cloth4 ,shakespeare's use of the word in the passage quoted is evidently an allusion to the scarlet biretta of the cardinal4 ,in ,hogarth's ,distressed ,poet a dare is suspended above the chimney-piece4 ,,index ,,akermast1 #aig4 4 ,albinism1 #bee4 ,alcoholiday1 #agg4 ,aldington1 #a2 band1 #abb2 chapel1 #e2 concerts1 #abc2 constable1 #h2 derivation1 #a2 farm1 #c2 hosiery factory1 #g2 manor1 #b2 prepares to resist ,jacobites1 #g2 variants1 #e1 #h1 #bih1 #bii2 village1 #c4 ,allsebrook1 ,rev4 ,w4,c41 #e4 ,alresford fair1 #di4 ,antona1 #bid1 #big1 #bih4 ,apples1 #ajc1 #afi1 #agj1 #aga4 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quoted1 #ahb1 #aif1 #bbe4 ,blacksmith1 #aea1 #aeb4 ,blue distance1 #bcg1 #bch4 ,boer ,war1 #ff4 ,boys at farm work1 #ci1 #fi4 ,brandram1 ,mr41 #ib4 ,bredon ,hill1 #bcg4 ,breese1 #aef4 ,brigg1 #bda4 ,brooks1 changing course1 #bci1 #bda2 diagram of1 #beb4 ,buckle ,street1 #aff1 #bif4 ,buggilde ,street1 #aeg4 ,bull1 #ed4 ,bullfinch1 #ahe1 #ahf4 ,buller1 ,c4,f41 #aac4 ,butterflies1 #bgc1 #bgd1 #bge1 #bgf4 ,caldecott1 ,randolph1 #aia1 #bbe1 #bcf1 #bfe4 ,caravoglia1 ,signor1 #abc4 ,carter boys1 #ci4 ,caterpillars1 #ahd1 #bdh1 #bei4 ,cattle1 #aec1 #aed1 #aeg4 ,chamberlain1 ,mr4 ,arthur1 #hh4 ,chap-money1 #abg1 #abi1 #baf4 ,charles ,,ii41 #g1 #aij1 #bbg4 ,charley1 silly1 #ic4 ,chawns1 #baa4 ,cherries1 #ahe4 ,china1 old1 #bhe1 #bhf1 #bhg4 ,chinese slavery1 #hh4 ,chippendale furniture1 #ie1 #afe1 #bhe4 ,chipping ,campden1 #ah1 #abi4 ,christ ,church1 ,oxford1 #ij1 #ih4 ,christmas1 #ba1 #gi1 #ie4 ,church music1 #ajb1 #ajc4 ,churning1 #aed4 ,cider1 #agd-agg2 apples1 #agf2 lead poisoning1 #agh4 ,cirencester ,college1 #adg1 #adh4 ,climate1 effects on animals1 #ace1 #acf4 ,cloud-burst1 #bdi4 ,coal-club1 #fc1 #fd4 ,cockatoo1 #bfe4 ,coffers1 antique1 #aic4 ,coins1 ,roman1 #cjj4 ,coleridge quoted1 #bcd4 ,collins1 ,mr4 ,thomas1 #ij4 ,colour1 discordant1 #ie4 ,competition1 ,american1 #ei1 #bjh4 ,compton1 ,lady ,alwyne1 #ib4 ,confirmation1 #ajc4 ,constable1 ,john1 painter1 #aic4 ,co-rider1 #cj4 ,coroner's jury1 #fd1 #fe4 ,cotswolds1 #b1 #ai1 #bi4 ,cottagers1 see ,labourers2 married couples1 #gb4 ,council1 ,county1 election1 #fe4 ,councils1 parish1 etc41 #ajj4 ,courtene1 ,sir ,peter1 #e4 ,cowper quoted1 #ajf1 #bfd4 ,crabbing1 #acj4 ,cream separator1 #hb4 ,cricket1 #aai1 #abj2 ,eton and ,harrow match1 #bcd1 #bce4 ,cromwell1 #bbg4 ,cronje1 #ff4 ,cruikshank1 ,george1 #acc1 #bjg4 ,cuckoo1 #ahd1 #bdi1 #bei4 ,curmudgeon1 village1 #ii4 ,cycling1 #bgh2 geology1 #bhb2 pageants of the roads1 #bgi2 pictures1 real1 #bhj2 roadside creatures1 #bha1 #bhb4 ,dairy1 #aec1 #aed1 #aee4 ,damsons1 #ahb4 ,dandie ,dinmont1 #bff4 ,daniel1 ,m4,n41 on ,pekingese1 #bfh4 ,daniel1 ,s41 #aje4 ,d',aumale1 ,duc1 #bjc4 ,dealers1 artificial fertilizers1 #adi1 #aej2 cattle1 #abg1 #acd1 #ace2 horse1 #abf1 #abg2 pig1 #acj2 sheep1 #abg1 #abh1 #abi2 wool1 #ade1 #adf4 ,dewponds1 #bdb4 ,dialect1 #aeh1 #bhh-bia4 ,disease1 human and plant1 analogy1 #bbd4 ,dorset labourer1 a1 #ga1 #gb4 ,draining1 #bab1 #bac4 ,duck1 pet1 #bfd4 ,edgehill1 ,battle of1 #f1 #g4 ,education1 compulsory1 #eh1 #aaf1 #aag1 #aah4 ,eggs1 disqualified1 #aba2 hens'1 #afd1 #afe1 #aff4 ,elephant1 ,african1 #aae1 #aaf4 ,elevator1 #hb4 ,elms1 #ahg1 #ahh4 ,emperors1 ,roman1 #cjj-cje4 ,ermine1 #bha4 ,evans1 ,mr4 ,herbert ,a1 #bfc4 ,evesham1 ,abbey1 #a1 #d2 agricultural depression1 #bde1 #bdf2 ,vale of1 #b2 water supply1 #bdc1 #bdd4 ,fairs1 #cg1 #di1 #acj1 #bbg1 #bbh4 ,fairy rings1 #dg4 ,farmers ,newstyle and ,oldstyle1 #bag1 #bah1 #bai4 ,farrar1 ,dean1 #aaa1 #aab1 #aac1 #aad1 #bhh4 ,fields1 derivation1 #bjg2 large and small1 #hc4 ,finance1 #eh1 #fh4 ,fishing1 #ce1 #cf4 ,flail1 #hj4 ,floods1 #bda1 #bdb4 ,flower show1 village1 #aba4 ,foley1 ,lady ,emily1 #ia4 ,football1 #abj4 ,forks1 steel1 #he1 #hf4 ,foxes1 #bja1 #bed4 ,fox terrier1 ,chips1 #bff4 ,fruit markets1 #agb4 ,furniture1 antique1 #bhd2 ,chippendale1 #bhe1 #bhf2 faked1 #ig4 ,gainsborough1 market cart1 #aic4 ,gardener1 an old1 #ec4 ,ghosts1 #fg1 #ic4 ,gipsies1 #di1 #bjj1 #bbh4 ,gladstone quoted1 on ancient church1 #hi4 ,gleaning1 #baa4 ,gloving1 #gg4 ,goldfinch1 #bfj4 ,gold1 hoarded1 #eh4 ,goose1 pet1 #bfd4 ,grace1 ,dr4 ,w4,g41 #aai4 ,grafter1 a1 #ada1 #adb4 ,gray's ,elegy quoted1 #bc1 #df1 #aih4 ,gryphea incurva1 #bac4 ,hag-ridden1 #dg4 ,hardy1 ,mr4 ,thomas1 #gg4 ,harrow ,school1 #aaa2 chapel1 #aac2 fourth form room1 #aad2 cricket match at ,lords1 #bcd1 #bce4 ,harvest1 #cc1 #bdd4 ,hawfinch1 #bei4 ,hawks1 #bjb4 ,hay-making1 #fi4 ,hazel1 #bjb4 ,hedges1 overgrown1 #bje2 pleaching1 #ei4 ,heredity1 #aag1 #aah4 ,herrick1 reference to ,gospel ,oak1 #aie4 ,history of 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