AGRICULTURAL COMMITTEES 115 



watched him fell with an axe a tree as thick as 

 a stout farmer, and split it into roughly hewn 

 posts. He even repairs the roof of the cottage 

 he rents, as I am afraid many a labourer has 

 to do if he wishes to sleep in a dry bed. 



I remember one day in war-time pointing 

 out to him some uncultivated fields on the 

 Weald clay overrun with rabbits. I asked him 

 if he thought a certain field worth cultivating. 

 "Why not?" he answered quickly. " There 

 is no bad land, if you treat it properly, and 

 that land used to grow five quarters of wheat 

 an acre." 



I have heard of there being no bad beer — 

 except one summer when a farmer was mean 

 enough to water his harvest beer — but never 

 before have I heard there is no bad land. Yet 

 allowing for poetical licence there is a good 

 deal in what my friend said. Astonishing 

 results have been achieved, not only by the 

 Belgians in reclaiming the sand, but also by 

 Dr. Edwards at Methwold in reclaiming heath- 

 land ; and no one, perhaps, would have dreamed 

 what could have been done on the chalk Downs 

 until Mr. Passmore waved his magic wand. 



Yet there is no opportunity, as things stand 

 at present, for the skilled worker I have de- 

 scribed above to exercise his wide experience, 

 knowledge, and skill beyond the few acres over 

 which he drives his plough. 



I am fully aware of the defects in the training 



