d with long rows of nondescripts, scraping the
adhesive clay off the shoes of the people leaving the show.

I had a pocket of my hops on exhibition entered in the Worcester
class, and had great difficulty in getting near it. I found the shed
at last, deserted and surrounded by water, with a pool below the
benches on which the hops were staged. My pocket was sold straight
from the show-yard, and when my factor sent in the account, 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 premises, about ten
days previously; hops, at that time, were worth about 1s. a pound, so
that the increased value more than balanced all expenses.

A story is told of Tennyson at the Royal Counties show at Guildford.
Accompanied by a lady and child he was walking round the exhibits,
closely followed by an ardent admirer, anxious to catch any nights of
fancy that might fall from his lips. Time passed, and the poet showed
no signs of inspiration until the party approached a refreshment tent;
then, to the lady he said, to the astonishment of the follower, "Just
look after this child a minute while I go and get a glass of beer!" I
cannot vouch for the truth of this story, but I tell the tale as 'twas
told to me.

It is surprising how long farm implements will last if kept in the dry
and repaired when necessary. I remember a waggon at Alton in the
seventies, which bore the name of the original owner and the date
1795; it was still in use. When I decided to give up farming, or
rather, when farming had given up me, I disposed of my stock and
implements by the usual auction sale. The attraction of a pedigree
herd of Jerseys, and a useful lot of horses and implements, brought a
large company together, and Aldington was a lively place that day. I
was talking to my son-in-law some time afterwards, and spoke with
amusement about the price an old iron Cambridge roller had made, not
in the least knowing who was the purchaser, until he said, "And _I was
the mug_ who bought it!" I believe, however, that a year or two later
it fully maintained its price when valued to the next owner, and
probably to-day it must be worth at least three times the money. I can
trace its history for a period of fifty-three years, and I don't think
it was new at the beginning.

CHAPTER XII.

FARM SPECIALISTS.

"And who that knew him could forget
The busy wrinkles round his eyes."