158 THE VALE OF PEWSEY 



the wheat a shining red gold and the barley almost 

 dead white. In the Thames Valley it was evident 

 that many men would before August be through with 

 the cheapest harvest on record, for probably the straw 

 had never been so light and upstanding since the 

 introduction of the binder. Unfortunately the roots 

 did not match the corn, and the pastures looked so 

 burnt that one doubted whether they could recover 

 very rapidly even with rain ; hence the prospects of 

 winter keep seemed low indeed. 



Our journey had again its starting-point in Wiltshire, 

 but this year we took the road from Warminster north- 

 eastward over a shoulder of the great chalk massif of 

 Salisbury Plain, and very white and blinding did the 

 down lie in the sun-glare and the drought. In some 

 ways the chalk country bears up well against a 

 drought ; crops keep growing in an unexpected fashion, 

 as though the porous chalk rock acted as a sponge 

 always slowly raising water from the great stores 

 below; but in 1911 the early spring had been too dry 

 and the crops had never got a hold ; moreover, even 

 on the heights, where one usually counts on cooler airs 

 and night mists to maintain the vegetation, the sun 

 had scorched the grass to the roots. Men were being 

 hard put to it to find any keep for their sheep, as the 

 current prices showed only too clearly, for a drop of at 

 least I os. a head was reported from the early fairs. 

 Over the whole South of England, indeed, the fall was 

 accentuated rather than relieved throughout August, 

 until towards the end of the month, on the borders of 

 Romney Marsh, prime lambs, as nearly fat as might be 

 in such a season, were being sold at 143. each and 

 ordinary lambs for wintering from 73. 6d. down to as 

 low as is. apiece. At that time the apprehensions of 

 the Wiltshire sheep farmer were acute, for there 



