ed somebody to teach us how to
handle oxen and to burn a fallow, I went to see Sloot, and bargained
with him for a week's work. On getting all that was needed for my
neighbors and myself the sled was heaped up; we walked, Sloot driving.
It was near midnight when we reached home, but Ailie and the family got
up to see the oxen by candle-light.

Sept. 11--Sunday though it was, Sloot, taking the boys to clear the way,
had to go to the stacks near the swamp for hay to feed the oxen. It was
a work of necessity. They came back in the afternoon with a small load,
for the track was rough.

Sept. 12--Sloot and all hands were up at sunrise to set fire to the
brushpiles. The day was cool with a breeze that helped the fires.
Burning the logs was next taken in hand, and being green and thick they
were slow to burn.

Sept. 13--The weather was again favorable for our work of burning the
logs but, despite a strong wind, they burned slowly and we had to keep
poking and turning them to get a hot blaze. The smoke and heat were like
to overcome me, but Sloot went ahead. He was born in the bush and all
its work is second nature to him. Washed in the pond and got to bed
late.

Sept. 14--Auld and Sloot, Allan helping, worked all night with the
logheaps, which I found this morning much reduced in size. The
logging-chains and the oxen today came into play, the partly consumed
logs being hauled to form fresh piles. By dark there was quite a
clearance.

Sept. 15--Light white frost this morning. Helping neighbors. Sun came
out on our starting to burn at Auld's but the wind blew a gale, and we
had a splendid burn.

Sept. 16--Pouring rain and glad of it, for all of us except Sloot are
dead-tired. He says the rain will wash the charred logs and make them
easier to handle.

Sept. 17--Spent the day hauling the biggest of the partly burned logs to
make a fence across the clearing. The smaller stuff we heaped up and set
on fire. Allan handles the oxen very well considering. Wanted Sloot to
stay another week, but he could not. He is a civil fellow and not
greedy. Ailie sent a queer present to his wife. Before Mrs Simmins left
she explained and showed how to secure and dry dandelion roots to make
coffee. In lifting potatoes, when a dandelion root is seen, it is pulled
carefully, or, if scarce among potatoes, dug up carefully in the fall so
as to get the entire root. The roots are washed, dried in the sun and
stored away. As wanted for use, a root