How do the farmers try to discredit what is happening in Animal Farm?

Although the farmers of the surrounding farms were
"thoroughly frightened by the rebellion on Animal Farm," they tried to put up a brave
front. Jones complained about the injustice of the animals taking over his property, but
the other farmers "pretended to laugh" about the idea of animals successfully running a
farm. They claimed the rebellion would be over shortly, and that the animals were
feuding among themselves and starving to death. After a time, when they saw that the
farm was flourishing, they talked about the "terrible wickedness" going on
there--cannibalism, torture and rape. The whole rebellion was "against the laws of
Nature."