Crooked Ploughing A small tractor-plough stood in the field and
its' owner was at the hedge talking to a passer-by. I looked at the ploughing he had done. From the conversation it was evident he was proud of himself. It was the first time he had used the implement. In the beginning he had staggered a bit as it almost ran away from him, but now he had the hang of it, he said. As far as I could see he had the way of working the thing, but he had a very poor eye. The furrows were more crooked than a dog's hind leg. The man looking over the hedge remarked on the bends in the ploughing, but the " ploughman" was not daunted. It would all come right once the field was harrowed, he said. After all, he was there to plough and not to. make it look pretty. Crooked ploughing or straight, it was all one when the crop was up. I was glad I was not involved in the discussion. A picture that does not hang squarely offends my eye, and I can generally remedy the fault, but the appearance of this field was beyond me, unless I offered to straighten the next furrow. The owner of the field did not suffer when he looked at his work, as I did. I felt it unlikely that he would welcome an offer to right his mistakes, so I walked on and kept my shoes clean.
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