A TRIP TO AUSTRALIA 



Two years later my father-in-law gave up the 

 Manor Farm, thus linking up my holding from 

 Chandlers Trees to Wanborough, which gave full 

 employment for the next fifteen years. 



This stretch of land, some 1,200 acres, lying as it 

 did half-way between two villages, did not lend itself 

 to a full complement of farm labour. Cottages on 

 the farm were few. To meet this shortage during 

 the summer season, it was necessary to find some 

 attraction by way of employment during the winter 

 months. 



I have never thought a threshing machine pro- 

 prietor made a fortune out of the job and, since I 

 have been one for many years, my books do not 

 prove to me that I am wrong in coming to this 

 conclusion. But when living on Wanborough Plain 

 I must admit this winter business did fit in very well 

 and gave me most years a plentiful supply of labour 

 to deal with seasonal work. 



Furnishing a threshing machine with six men and 

 a van to live in is a solution to finding labour on these 

 out-lying farms. There is no secret about it for I 

 copied the principle from the late Arthur Stratton. 

 I am always proud to think that I had one feature 

 of business in common with such a progressive man. 

 Speaking of Arthur Stratton, he was the mainspring 

 at a later date (19 17) to my owning steam-tackle. 

 He it was who organized the Government programme 

 for three new sets to come into Wiltshire during the 

 Great War. As far as I can remember he had two 

 and I had the other, and ;^3,300 apiece was the 

 outlay, paid for on an instalment system. This was 



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