1921.] 



Agriculture Behind the Lines. 



803 



fore for harvesting operations presented great difficulties, and it 

 was not until the 13th August that it was possible to re-collect 

 sufficient personnel to form two of these companies. 



Then again the difficulties of actual harvesting were almost 

 insuperable. Many rich areas were so overlooked by the enemy 

 that in many cases the work of harvesting could only be done 

 under cover of darkness. Even where the work could be done 

 by day the workers were frequently shelled. Gas, too, was 

 largely used by the enemy, with the result that the use of horses 

 became almost impossible until the affected area had been cleared 

 and the noxious fumes dissipated. 



Again, while the corn was young, trenches had been dug, with 

 their belts of protective wire, the whole of which disappeared 

 from view when the corn came to maturity. These naturally 

 proved tiresome obstacles when the cutting of the crop revealed 

 their presence. 



The operations were full of incident. On the forward slopes of 

 the Mont-des-Cats — that landmark so well-known to the British 

 troops in France — harvesting was in full progress one night when 

 a heavy hostile barrage was opened on the scene of the opera- 

 tions. The N.C.Os. in charge quickly grasped the situation and, 

 regardless of danger, unhitched all the teams from the machines. 

 Men and horses were taken through the barrage to cover on the 

 other slopes of the hill until the shelling stopped, when work 

 was resumed and the harvesting completed. 



In many localities the corn crop extended right up to and in 

 advance of the front line trenches, and even in these cases, in 

 order to save as much as possible, parties of men from units 

 holding the front line voluntarily went out and with any imple- 

 ment that came to hand, severed the ears of corn and sent them 

 in sandbags to selected dumps on the returning ration wagons. 

 No fewer than 150 bags of threshed wheat were saved by this 

 method alone on one Corps front. 



One more incident may be recalled. A small area of corn 

 near the front line had to be cleared. The night was pitch dark, 

 and the ground was unfamiliar to the reapers. It was under 

 such observation by the enemy by day that the result of one 

 night's work would readily be apparent to the enemy on the next 

 day and they would naturally take steps to prevent any further 

 harvesting. It was essential, therefore, that the crop should be 

 cut and removed at one cutting. All work had to be done by 

 hand and every sheaf of corn as it was cut had to be carried to 

 waiting wagons, on which it was taken to the back areas to be 



