"Just then a great blue-bottle
settled on my nose."
I hope you won't do what I did last time. It was a day very different from this. It was very hot. I saw an animal in the ring that I did not care the least about, and just then a great blue-bottle settled on my nose. The consequence was that I bought the worst animal at a very high price.
Stock Sale at the Duffryn, Newport,
October 7th, 1909.
[A LIMIT EVEN TO SCIENCE.]
In regard to scientific agriculture, I am not sure whether we are not rather overdoing things; but there is no doubt that, notwithstanding all the science we have, we have never succeeded in making a cow have more than one calf in a year, or a sheep more than two lambs. That goes to prove that there is a limit even to science in agriculture, and it reminds me of the saying, "You may pitchfork Nature out of existence, but she is sure to come back to you."
Bassaleg Show,
October 11th, 1910.
[AN EYE FOR A GOOD PAIR OF HORSES.]
Some men have an eye for one thing and some for another, but I think if I have a weakness it is to fancy that I have an eye for a good pair of horses, and for a straight line. When I see a line I can judge if it has been ploughed straight, and then I can judge whether the ploughman has had too much. Of course, that sort of thing never happens at a ploughing match, but still it is as well to be on the look-out.