Near my home, the farmer has been growing Turnips (or some such) as a winter crop for sheep. Recently, he has introduced a flock to the field, carefully fencing a small section off which was harvested by the sheep before widening the area a little more. This sheep was taking a moment’s pause in it’s toil of eating to enjoy what little heat there is in the winter sun. Whether these sheep are for the slaughter-man or are pregnant ewes I can’t say, but I’d have thought fattening was the likely purpose. They do look a pitiful sight, the field is now very muddy and the weather has been wet and miserable – I wouldn’t be surprised to see a few go down with footrot.
—–Stephen—-
Stephen G Hipperson 
“Swedes” as they’re called in Tess of the d’Urburvilles, perhaps. As cold as it is in this “polar vortex”, it’s nice to see the sun and feel it fall on me (lending light, not warmth, but still improving my mood). I check my partner’s feet for frostbite, not footrot, when he comes back from his mail carrier route. 😉
I’m afraid I don’t know the book you mention – although swedes are different to turnips, both being root crops that we put in our stews. I think these are turnips, from general colouration.
Postman is not something I would want to be on such cold days – of course the post always has to get through but I hope his customers are a little more tolerant if their post is a little late.
(As our weather often follows yours, I’m expecting a cold spell in the not too distant future, so I’m doing a gentle ‘getting in the provisions’ as far as dried and tinned stuff is concerned – oh, and I must get a new snow shovel!)
Ideal conditions for foot rot unfortunately.
Indeed