FARMING AND FOXHUNTING 



found must be cut at once, unless I was to lose a 

 portion of the crop. Consequently a binder was 

 started right away in the heat of the day. This I 

 found was a fatal move as the beans " britted " out 

 owing to being over-ripe, and this quite frightened 

 me. I said to my head carter, Goddard, " This 

 won't do. You must stop at once and we must 

 have a fresh programme. What about getting a 

 few hours' rest and getting to work when the sun 

 goes down ? " To this he was quite agreeable. 

 Eventually we fixed up to start two binders at nine 

 o'clock on a Saturday night with lanterns fixed on 

 the forepart of the machines, and worked on through 

 the night. I was to provide ajar of beer and leave 

 them to the job. However, about three o'clock the 

 next morning, feeling a little restless in bed, I got up 

 and paid them a visit, and to my satisfaction the work 

 was going well and I left them to finish the job, 

 which they did about eight o'clock on the Sunday 

 morning. A field of twenty-four acres cut during 

 one night with two binders was not very bad going, 

 was it ? Unfortunately the news soon spread, and 

 our Wanborough parson accused me of desecrating 

 the Sabbath Day. Well, we may have, but then 

 we had saved the beans. 



Those who remember that summer will recall the 

 good and early harvest finished before Marlborough 

 Fair, August 22nd. Unfortunately, gathering the 

 harvest was a minor trouble to providing keep and 

 water for the sheep. Roots were practically a 

 failure and, to obtain a spring feed, rye was drilled 

 over the fading crop. 



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