414 AGRICULTURE.

It will be right to mention, here, as a caution to shepherds, and arable-land sheep- farmers, an alarming incident, which oc- curred to a valuable flock of sheep, some years ago, on these hills..

A field of thin chalky loam, had been sown, the preceding summer, with the seeds of weld(reseda luteola, or dyersweed), and with a small portion of turnep and rape seeds, by way of giving some sheep food, the ensuing spring, and which had been eaten off, in the beginning of April(agree- ably to a practice then not uncommon on the hills of Surrey) leaving the weld to stand on for a crop, without further care.

But the soil having been made fine and full of condition, for the crop, and the seeds of the“redweed,” or poppy(with which the ground was infected) being thereby set in action, so as to injure the crop of weld, —three hundred and fifty prime fatting wedders were turned upon it, to eat out the young herbage of the poppies; which was then(the beginning of May) ina tall gross- growing state; rising In tufts, six or eight inches high. 5

The shepherd, not being aware of the danger, left his flock, for a short time; and, on returning, found the whole struggling on the ground! many of them foaming at the mouth: all of them much swoln. Be- ing a faithful shepherd, and doating on his

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