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ST. JOHN and RED CROSS

HOSPITAL
LIBRARY

This book ia the property of the

Joint Committee of the Order of

St. John of Jerusalem and the

British Red Cross Society

Hospital Library Department

+

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FARMING AND FOXHUNTING

{From the 'Seventies to ig^o)

FARMING
AND FOXHUNTING

BY

CHARLES W. WHATLEY

LONDON

VINTON & COMPANY, LIMITED

8 BREAM'S BUILDINGS, CHANCERY LANE, E.C.4

Printed in Great Britain by Butler & Tanner Ltd., Frome and London

PREFACE

NO one who writes his own biography can escape
the charge of egotism. To deny it is futile.

It has occurred to me on occasion during my
occupation in recording a few details and incidents
of my life, that after all it has been a very common
existence and in no way out of the ordinary general
farmer's life, and therefore why record it ? To be
truthful I could not deny myself the pleasure.

It will, I hope, interest a few readers, and at the
same time may I express a further hope that no one
will bear me ill-will if I have inadvertently misdrawn
their true intentions. My first thought was to
write a few facts and features of the Cricklade Vale
Hunt, adding to it a broadcast talk on Farming and
Foxhunting given a year or so ago, and to put the
profits of the book to the Red Gross Agricultural
Fund.

However, in taking counsel with my friend
Anthony Hurd, the idea has been expanded to
cover a wider field.

During the pleasant occupation I have found
in writing these few incidents of my life, help
and advice has been ever at hand from my wife.
My secretary, Mrs. Butlin, has shown endurance
beyond praise. I shall venture to hope my friends,

PREFACE

farmers and sportsmen will buy a copy and thereby
make a small contribution to a good cause.

Mr. Dennis Moss has been most helpful in pro-
ducing suitable illustrations.

I also owe something to my friend Richard
Stratton, who has been instrumental in correcting
a few indiscretions.

c. w. w.

VI

FOREWORD

ONCE again British agriculture comes into its
own. After the last war farmers were left to
their own devices, but to-day the nation realizes
that everything that can be grown at home is really
needed. Farmers are being cajoled and ordered
to produce more food from the land. They are
responding as they did in 191 7 and 191 8. So we
see the face of the country changing. Thousands
of fields, which a year ago were no better than an
exercise ground for cows living on imported feeding
stuffs, are now ploughed and cropped as they were
in our fathers' time.

Through the lean years, when opportunism and
ranching seemed to pay, some farmers managed
to keep the plough going, maintain a high standard
of farming and make a good living. All credit to
them. They tempered the traditions of good
husbandry with business acumen, recognizing that
whatever happens this country provides " The
finest market filled with consumers possessing a
taste for the best that money can buy."

Charles Whatley is one who has never been
afraid to take his own line. In this book he tells
how he has made his way. All is grist that comes
to his mill. Yet, wise in the art of living, he has

vii

FOREWORD

managed to fit in with his farming a full share of
public work and many days with the hounds.
His reminiscences need no embroidery from a
fellow Wiltshire farmer. I wish every farmer could
tell such a cheerful story.

The author is outspoken. One welcomes the
book for two reasons. First, it provides an account
of farming in peace and wartime and as such will
render a service to the Country. Secondly, Charles
Whatley, himself a Yeoman, gives the proceeds of
this book to farming's only wartime appeal — the
Red Cross Agriculture Fund. In his early days
Charles Whatley showed his patriotism as a soldier :
now having reached three-score and seven he shows
his patriotism by devoting any profits to the Fund.

ANTHONY HURD.
June, 1940.

Vlll

CONTENTS

CHAP.

I Family Origin .

II School and Early Days

III Wanborough Plain Days

IV A Trip to Australia, and Following Years

at Wanborough Plain

V The Great War Period

VI BURDEROP .

VII A Harvest Home

VIII BURDEROP ON THE AlR

IX Arable or Grass ?

X Present-day Farming

XI A Flying Visit to Scotland — ^August i, 1937

XII An Impression of German Farming — 1938

XIII Holidays ....

XIV Land Tenure .
XV Wiltshire County Council

XVI The National Farmers' Union

XVII Foxhunting

XVIII The New Regime

XIX Farming and Foxhunting — 1938

ix

page
I

6
13

22
40

47
54
59
68
81

95

98

105

112

119
127

134
151
169

ILLUSTRATIONS

FACING
PAGE

Father and Son ....... i

A Harvest Home-gathering ..... 54

Hampshire Down Sheep ..... 85

Lt.-Col. W, Fuller and the Author . . •145

Reading from left to right Mr. W. M. Goodenough,

Gapt. Kingscote, Mr. H. Nell, Lord Gadogan . 151

Invitation Meet at Popes' Seat, Girencester Park . 169

XI

Father and Son.

CHAPTER I

FAMILY ORIGIN

BORN in the year 1873 I cannot say whether
my forebears were of direct agricultural stock.
There appears to be little information handed down
as to the pedigree of Charles Whatley, the paternal
grandfather of the present generation of the family ;
he originated from somewhere in south-west Wilts —
it has been rumoured it was on Lord Bath's Estate —
but what occupation he or his people carried on,
history, so far as I have information, does not relate.

He appears to have migrated to Shaftesbury
and taken service as an apprentice to one Horder,
a wool-stapler. I have an idea he was not looked
upon as one of the world's workers ; it may be instinct
that prompted him to make the best of the going
whilst it was good, for he eventually married his
master's daughter, the result being a family of nine,
of which my father was one, Samuel Horder Whatley.

I very well remember my grandmother, the
daughter of Mr. Horder, the wool-stapler of
Shaftesbury — a fine old lady. She, I rather imagine,
was the source from which came my father's
strong characteristics and robust nature. My grand-
mother too must have been quickened by instinct in

I

FARMING AND FOXHUNTING

some way, for she selected a very useful member of
her large family to carry on the surname of "Horder."

Before I proceed to outline a few features of my
father's life, let me digress for a moment and clear
up the relationship of the present-day Horder
family and myself. The three Swindon brothers,
Edward, Arthur and Tom (the present Lord
Horder), are sons of my grandmother's brother.
He evidently was the younger son of the Shaftesbury
wool-stapler, thus the relationship between my
family and the Horder brothers is second cousins.

My father related that he left home at an early
age with a pound in his pocket. His early life
appears to have been spent in south Wilts as farm
manager. He numbered among his employers
Messrs. Self, Carpenter and Parham, all farmers of
some standing. I believe it was whilst he was
managing for Mr. Joseph Carpenter of Burcombe
that he married my mother, Elizabeth Fry, daughter
of the butcher in High Street, Wilton. Records
appear to relate that I was born at Burcombe on
the 2 1 St day of August, 1873, whilst barley cart was
in progress. I am not quite clear whether it was
from here that my father went into Hampshire, or
whether it was from Chaulk. I do know that
Messrs. Rawlence & Squarey, Land Agents of
Salisbury, sent him into Hampshire in the year
1876 to manage a series of farms for Lord Portal of
Laverstock. When he left this post in 1883, I
have an idea that he was managing about six to
eight farms. What is certain is that about this
date on the Portal Estate farm after farm came into

FAMILY ORIGIN

the Landlords' hands owing to troubles brewing
up in the farming world after the disastrous year
of 1879. Salaries in those days were not of the
high order, £200 per annum was somewhere about
the income that my father received for his labours,
plus a little he could turn over on his horse sales,
amounting to ;^50 a year according to his account.

I can seem to see him always in the saddle
tiring three horses a day, directing operations on
this series of farms. What a change has appeared
in the farmers' life to-day ! Most of this work
is now done from a motor-car.

It must have been in the early 'eighties that I
can well remember spending the day at Overton
station unpacking self-delivery reapers, purchased
from Brewer of Wilton, and sending them off one
by one to the various farms. This new venture
into the world of machinery was the talk and
excitement of the neighbourhood.

In 1883 the family came back into Wiltshire,
when my father started farming on his own account
at Badbury and, in spite of his acquired great
knowledge of arable land, started a small dairy in
conjunction with his arable crops. Here I think
we strike the root of his successful start. How
often do we see this beginning with a few cows
lead on to a larger life and a bigger income. Then,
again, is it not the old dairy cow which in a last
resource carries the declining family ? Much as
we may dislike the old varmint for demanding
so much labour and attention, she has at least
above all animals been a saving feature in farming

3

FARMING AND FOXHUNTING

pursuits during the last half-century. Even the
medical profession now admits that the dairy
cow must play a big part in the health of the
rising generation. We will take off our hats to
the dairy cow, and leave it at that.

Up to the time of his death in 1909 my father
led a very active life, and it must be admitted a
successful one as far as farmers' incomes were
common at the end of the nineteenth century. He
had a large family of eleven all fairly well schooled.
Perhaps some of it might have been better ; it
may, or may not, have given better results. To
leave us each a thousand pounds when the Great
Call came, was not a bad effort in those days.

It might be charged against him that he was to
some extent of a driving nature. Well, who is
not when Nature has furnished him with a forceful
character ? Strong men are generally impatient
with the weaker man's slower movements. I well
remember him on one occasion during harvest.
Three of us began building a rick, the only other man
present enquired where the other men were coming
from. " What," he replied, " more men why, I am
always as good as two men." He really was.

He would stand and take the sheaves in from
the man unloading and hand them to me, and, at
the same time, give me instruction how to make
the rick. There was never a sheaf put in a wrong
place, his argument being that once put a sheaf
in the right place, no further replacing should be
necessary. How true this is and yet how little
do farm men practise it. Unfortunately they

4

FAMILY ORIGIN

never count the loss of energy by indifferent observa-
tion— to their loss be it said.

My father was not a great sportsman : that is by
way of hunting and shooting. His only recreation
was coursing. Coursing parties at Badbury were
a feature in my early days.

There was generally a young horse to be ridden,
not always without fear and nerves. I remember
a certain gentleman, arriving with a young horse
not very well schooled over fences — in any case
he was not putting up a very good show — and
my father demanded, " Here, you get down and
let my son Charles get up, he will show you how
to do it," with son Charles shaking with fear and
trembling at the suggestion. However, it had to
be done. I think most horsemen will agree these
awkward jobs are best done with no spectators.

Now my mother was of a totally different
character. Her strength lay in her moral qualities.
She would have us all properly schooled, that is
according to the resources available for the purpose.
I sometimes hesitate to think what might have
happened to a family of eleven had she not insisted
on this side of life being carefully attended to.
After all, a mother's good influence in this direction
is worth more than father's cash.

I look back and picture my mother having a hard
life bringing up this large family. Was it any
wonder that her nerves were a little ragged in
later life ? One might well ask how did a nervous
system carry through such a programme with
credit and always a smile ?

5 B

CHAPTER II

SCHOOL AND EARLY DAYS

LIVING in modern times with all the attractions
that quick speed can give us, I sometimes fancy
we are very prone to think that school and learning
ends at the age of 15 or 16, instead of at three-score
years and ten. Having this thought in my mind
I will touch very lightly on early schooldays.
They were, after all, of a very normal and limited
character, and therefore will be of very little
interest except to a few.

Studies were started in Hampshire by attending
a day-school at the village of Overton, a distance
of three to four miles. For two years my eldest
sister and I took this journey daily in a pony and
tub. Occasionally I did the journey by myself
and this necessitated the pony being ridden, a
job which was not altogether to my liking, for the
old pony very well knew that she could pop me
off just when she liked, particularly on the way
out ; coming home nothing ever happened. Those
who ride horses will very well know why this is so.
I would explain it like this. When you ride a
horse away from his stable, he has his eye on you
and is watching your every movement. When

6

SCHOOL AND EARLY DAYS

he is coming home he has his eye, or perhaps his
thoughts, on the stable and seldom bothers much
about you. Well, these two years' schooling at
Overton brought to an end the family's migration
into Hampshire.

On getting back into Wiltshire the family finances
would seem to have been swallowed up in a hungry
farm. In any case there would appear to be very
little to spend on education and therefore no
alternative was forthcoming but the village school
at Chiseldon. There is nothing very derogatory in
this. One does at least get a good grounding in
the three " R's." Mr. Stanier, the schoolmaster,
was a fine old chap, and I look back to those years
in the 'eighties with pride and think that some of
us were fortunate to have a good foundation laid by
a man of such high character and good reputation.

Well, the time came when I must wind up
schooldays by finishing off with a couple of years at
Swindon High School in the days of Samuel Snell.
Sammy had the reputation of pushing on the smart
and forward boys, and for this I can very well
vouch. On reflection I can seem to see such boys
as Tom Horder, Williamson (later a pillar of the
Church), and then Potter major and Potter minor,
all destined for good posts in later life.

There were quite a few of us farmer boys, sons
of the soil, but as far as I can remember we were all
in the back row. When the old man took on a class
during a morning, I can see him now, putting a
question on the blackboard. " Here, Wiseman,"
(it may very well have been Whatley), " what's the

7

FARMING AND FOXHUNTING

answer ? Ah, not a bit of good," the old man
would say, " Horder, you can tell us," and a smile
of satisfaction came over the old man's face, when,
of course, the correct answer was forthcoming from
the Lord to be. And then there was another
renowned man at Snell's during my short stay —
E. B. Maton — who afterwards filled the farming
world with amazement at the beginning of this
century, but I cannot think that he derived much
farming information from Snell's school at Swindon.
I remember that he was there as a junior master
and left, I believe, after me, to start his farming
career. I have often wondered how he came to
do it, and can only conclude that he had a most
amazing faculty to pick out his farm managers —
men who knew more than he did himself. But
whatever it was, the fact remains that he was in
his day a most successful farmer by general consent.

By the early part of 1889 my schooling days came
to an end and the very important question was put,
" Are you going to be a farmer or have you an idea
of something else ? " As far as I can remember
the question did not long remain in doubt and a
farmer it was to be. Where is the farmer who has
sons (I was never so fortunate) who can resist the
temptation to have one around him when he leaves
school just to relieve the tension ? Has he not been
looking forward to it for years ? Is he not then
provided with some cheap labour at cost price,
besides someone to get up in the early mornings to
give the orders for the day ?

I well remember climbing up the step-ladder of

8

SCHOOL AND EARLY DAYS

the garden-wall in Hampshire at the age of 9 years
and giving the carter the order to carry on as he
was yesterday. One of my jobs on leaving school
was to take charge of the threshing tackle. I
rather liked the work of driving the engine, it
certainly did not require so much expenditure of
muscle as some jobs ; besides, it did excite the
mechanical faculties, and that was useful knowledge
to get even on a farm in those days.

Shall I ever forget that in February 1888 I was
taking a hand at lambing, or rather giving the
shepherd a hand ! It came on to snow pretty
early in the day and fell for hours, great drifts came
sweeping off the Downs and filled up the pen, and
what a time we had digging out the lambs, and what
a job we had to keep them alive. The old shepherd's
hut was wellnigh full by morning, and was I not
glad when morning came, for the wind howled
through the cracks of the old van with a vengeance.
What a winter ! The frost and snow held on until
late into March, and what trouble we had with
sore mouths in the lambs and bad teats with the
ewes. However, these troubles came to an end,
as they generally do, but they live green in the
memory.

I cannot think that the late Rev. Pitt, Rector of
Liddington, ever forgot the day (February 14),
for he was taken over to Chiseldon in a dung-
cart to conduct a marriage service. No other
vehicle could surmount the drifts of snow. I am
not just clear in my memory whether he did actually
pick up the weather-bound bride at Badbury on

9

FARMING AND FOXHUNTING

his way, a Miss Lucy Choules, but we can very
well imagine that he would be chivalrous enough to
do so.

It must have been Michaelmas 1892 that the
next move came in my early training. Arrange-
ments were made for me to take service with John
Lawrence, of Idstone ; a nice quiet man was John
Lawrence. I think the post was called improver
pupil. All the Lawrences were farmers of the old
school ; they and their father before them farmed
at Idstone for many years. It is interesting and
fitting to see that their nephew, Richard, is now
again in occupation.

There is no doubt that a good experience in
arable farming could be obtained at Idstone, and
I do not think I altogether neglected the opportunity.
The social side was sound and good and always
church on a Sunday morning. The Vicar of
Ashbury at the time was a bachelor and a new-
comer, I believe. In any case he formed a new
idea of bringing law and order into the church
during the hours of service by introducing a new
verger, whose duty it was to act when occasion
demanded. I remember one Sunday evening one
or two young men were not giving much attention
to the Vicar's deliberations, consequently he stopped
short and called upon the verger to put them out !
Dabney, the verger, walked up the aisle to carry out
his duty. However, there was nothing doing, the
young men definitely declined to go. Eventually
the order rang out, " Go back to your seat, Dabney,"
and the service proceeded.

10

SCHOOL AND EARLY DAYS

The Vicar was of rather a musical turn of mind
and gave much attention to training the choir, and
on occasion when they got into a tangle he would
pull them up and close the service.

I should not like to think that a few of my readers
may have gathered the opinion that I am quoting
fairy tales, but what I have related is perfectly
true, although for the credit of the Church perhaps
they should not have been recorded.

But let me proceed with the story of farming at
Idstone. The summer of 1893 ^^^ a real scorcher.
It began very early in the spring and sheep-keep
was at a premium. When the swedes and hay
were reaching the end John Lawrence said, " Well,
we must get round and try and find some feed for
the sheep couples." I seem to recollect that he
drove off in one direction whilst I was instructed
to ride in another. Finally, we were able to find
some useful water meadows in the neighbourhood
of Chilton. I forget the cost, but that did not
particularly matter. Keep we must have at any cost.
When we got home that night John Lawrence's
brother, William, had turned up to have a friendly
chat and talk over the difficulties of the times.
I seem to hear him greeting him something like
this : " Of course, John, you know the Biblical
story of old when there was famine in Judea and
how Ahab and Obadiah parted the country between
them, Ahab going one way and Obadiah another,
so that they may save at least half of the flocks."
We are told that history repeats itself : it certainly
had in this case.

II

FARMING AND FOXHUNTING

The hay-crop was particularly short. That year
one small hayrick was made in the lower meadows
for the cows the following winter, and that we
gathered together with hand-rakes, it was so short
and thin.

Harvest too was quickly gathered. One reason
being that the autumn manoeuvres were being held
on the surrounding Downs. Sir John French had
a great cavalry charge on the Ashdown slopes
which still lives in the memory of local people, who
will recall that parched-up summer when soldiers
were more in evidence than hayricks. When the
" Cease fire " sounded at 4 p.m., Goate Reservoir
and the nearest water were some way off for the
thirsty horses. Sir John gave us of his best that
day, as he did again on a later one in the South
African War.

12

CHAPTER III

WANBOROUGH PLAIN DAYS

AT Michaelmas 1893 my father took over
Wanborough Plain, a farm of some 450 acres
of mostly arable land. After the preceding dry
summer the ingoing valuation was a high one.
Prices for the fodder crops were pretty stiff, but
then we sold them off at a good price. The straw,
I know, was soon cleared at around £5 per ton, and
hay -£12 to £13 per ton. Many years later the
same situation presented itself when I came into
Burderop. It really cuts both ways, provided, of
course, one does not get into a tangle when signing
the farm agreement. But to-day any obligation
not to sell hay and straw is not tolerated, or ever
will be again I should imagine. All that really
matters is that one should give an obligation to keep
up a good head of stock.

The date I have mentioned, 1893, was the begin-
ning of twenty-six years of my life spent on Wan-
borough Plain. Years which brought many inci-
dents to me and gave much colour to the neigh-
bourhood. Colour was introduced by the coming,
soon after I arrived, of a strong racing contingent
headed by the great trainer W. T. Robinson,

13

FARMING AND FOXHUNTING

later in life to be known as the Napoleon of
the Turf.

Those who put their eye on this neighbourhood
to-day have no conception of its appearance in those
early days of which I speak. From a farming point
of view there may not be so great a change, although
this has undergone much variation and I very much
doubt whether the output of farm produce is any-
thing like as much to-day, but that is not to be laid
to the charge of those who now farm the land. It
is quite certain that, had the present-day tenants
continued to practise the old methods of farming,
their pockets would be now very nigh empty.

But let us get back to those early years. On my
arrival my neighbours were William Chandler at
North Farm, Job Kevil at the manor, Farmer
Kemble at Netlebed Farm — to-day known as
King Edward Place — all farmers following the
four-course system and hurdle flocks. Versed in
the same system, I could not do otherwise than fall
in, and so practised the same methods until I came
out twenty-six years later, 1919, and I am not
conscious of coming out with less than I went in.

Henry Jeans at Hill Manor followed Ferryman,
who I believe left the neighbourhood because he
did not feel happy at hill farming on the old lines.
Perhaps this particular farm did not lend itself to
the later nineteenth-century habits. It certainly
was, and is, a difficult job to get up and down the
hills to the Homestead with the home-grown arable
crops. Henry Jeans was wise in his generation to
adopt the round fence system and lay on the water.

14

WANBOROUGH PLAIN DAYS

I should put him amongst the lucky ones who got
away with a bit in his pocket.

Job Kevilj the hunting farmer, was a gentleman
in any crowd, but perhaps not quite fitted to push
even a thin income out of farming in those days.
He joined the great majority in 1894, and my wife's
people followed him into the Manor Farm.

I am not quite sure whether it was in 1895 or
'96 that Robinson bought up the Foxhill property,
but it really is not a very important point; it is
much more important to relate that from the time
of his arrival important changes would seem to
date.

W. T. Robinson in many ways was a great
character. Whilst he possessed a hasty temper, he
never lacked a generous spirit. Is his great character
not demonstrated by the amazing developments to
which the surrounding neighbourhood bears witness
to-day ? During his occupation the racing estab-
lishment at Foxhill expanded three-fold. King
Edward Place sprang into existence during his first
five years on the Plain, and when to-day I cast my
eye on this particular piece of his handiwork, I take
my hat off to his foresight. Planting those lovely
belts of flourishing trees was the work of a man with
an eye to the future, although he did not live to
see it.

I am quite sure the present owner, E. P. Barker,
appreciates the thousands spent in the day of what
I call " The Foxhill boom." I can only think it
was the income-bearing horses, such as Clorane,
Winkfields Pride, Black Arrow and other good

15

FARMING AND FOXHUNTING

winners, which attracted the wherewithal to warrant
the expenditure. I have an idea that there were
about three partners in this development scheme —
Robinson, Capt. Machell, and a man called Seaton ;
the latter died at Foxhill in the middle of these
operations — poor fellow, he never saw the develop-
ment as we see it.

Robinson, good fellow that he was, like most of
us had his failings, and one was a streak of jealousy
which would creep into his nature on occasion.
Like all energetic, forceful men, they never like to
be baulked in their enterprise.

When I took over the Manor Farm in 1905 he
and I crossed swords. The incident occurred over
the renting of Manor gallops. At the time I
believe he was paying the very nominal rent of
^2^ per annum and I thought the moment was
opportune to have a new arrangement. An extra
farmhouse I did not want ; the shooting rights I
could not afford ; a line of horse-boxes I could not
fill, and gallops I could not use. Therefore my plan
was to put all these superfluities to the land I
rented, up to let in one block at a figure in the
neighbourhood of ;^ 150 per annum, and since I had
taken the farm at about ^^^200 a year, I thought
that I might very well be able to find the balance of
the rent, that is if the bottom did not drop out of
farming altogether. Naturally, my friend Robinson
was not thinking along the same lines and hence
the difference of opinion which was brought to a
head by a real charge on horseback one morning
when we both met on the Downs. If we had been

16

WANBOROUGH PLAIN DAYS

armed with a couple of lances I hesitate to think
what might have happened. However, in the end
a settlement was reached and we were very good
friends afterwards.

In those days both he and I did a bit of hunting,
but he never quite liked to be a follower, as of
course we all have to be at times. I do not care
who the man is, he cannot always lead the van when
following the hounds.

Before I leave the racing fraternity of the Plain, I
must put in a few words relating to other celebrities
of King Edward Place. I rather think the first
occupier on its completion in igoi was Eugene
Leigh, who was trainer for an American named
Gardener. His staff was largely composed of black
men. Well, eventually Leigh and his staff went to
France, but unfortunately he was unable to pack
all the black blood strains in his baggage on leaving,
and even to-day a trace here and there shows up in
a good light.

This move ushered in my friend Metcalf. I saw a
good deal of Metcalf, a man with plenty of money
who spent it freely. During his time reconstruction
of buildings seemed to be in progress all the year
round. I remember meeting one morning the
foreman of this building programme and remarked :
" George, is it not about time that this building was
finished ? " and he replied, " No, sir, we don't
want to finish, we ain't got no other job to go to."

During the summer months most farmers' credit
at the bank runs low, and it was no exception in
those days. When this happened I made it my

17

FARMING AND FOXHUNTING

business to look up my friend Metcalf to make a
deal, either for a rick of hay, or perhaps a field of
wheat to which he had taken a fancy to purchase
the straw. One could always be certain of a cash
transaction cemented in a glass of champagne. A
good friend to a poor farmer was he.

What a memorable year was 191 1 ! A hot and
burning summer, about the middle of July the
Daily Mail offered a prize of £1,000 for the fastest
trip round the British Isles by air. Metcalf said
that we must have a look at this show. What
about a trip to Scotland by car just to see the 'planes
arrive and leave ? So off we went, and fortified with
a good dinner at King Edward Place, we arrived in
Oxford just on the stroke of twelve. Then on
again to Bedford, running through the town at
sunrise. Here we got the information that the
airmen had passed over some minutes earlier. How-
ever, nothing daunted, away we drove on the Great
North Road in hot pursuit. Up through York and
over the Border at Berwick, with no luck until we
arrived at Edinburgh about two o'clock the following
morning.

On nearing Edinburgh I remember leaning out of
the car and enquiring whether we had reached the
city, and the reply I got was, " This ain't Edinburgh,
this is Musselborough." Well, eventually we did
arrive in Edinburgh and managed to get into an
hotel in Princes Street worn out and hungry. The
bar was full of information about the fliers who,
incidentally, were leaving next morning at a very
early hour.

18

WANBOROUGH PLAIN DAYS

After a little careful thinking I came to the
conclusion that if we got to bed we stood a good
chance of missing even a glimpse of an aeroplane.
Consequently I got hold of one of the hotel staff
and made him promise to pull me out of bed when
the clock struck five. I could see that this would
be our only chance of seeing the air-pilots start off
for a point farther north, Stirling I believe. Luckily
the plan worked well. I went into Metcalf's room,
pulled off the bedclothes, and after many protests
got him out of bed. Off we went in a taxi up to
the flying-field. I can see now one of the pilots
lying in a rug on the ground trying to get a few
extra winks of sleep before making his hazardous
journey. After about an hour of waiting, wind and
light took a favourable turn and off went the brave
men, not without a certain amount of hesitation
about leaving the ground. Well, that is all we saw
of the celebrated flight around the British Isles.
So far as I remember a few minor mishaps did occur,
but I have no recollection of anything serious taking
place.

The three days' trip came to an end, and when I
arrived home my wife hardly recognized me, since
I had grown a three days' beard. So ended my
second visit to Scotland. But the incidents of the
year 191 1 were by no means over, for it was a hot
and scorching summer.

The following day was a Saturday, which called
for a good look round the farm to make arrange-
ments for the following week. In doing so my
attention was called to a field of beans which I

19

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.

20

WANBOROUGH PLAIN DAYS

My flock of 500 Hampshire Down ewes took a
daily walk of nearly three miles to get their fill of
water. Penning on some stubbles somewhere near
Chandlers Trees, they left the fold in the early
morning and strolled leisurely down through the
farm, feeding a bit here and there, to the brook at
Lyddington, resting for three hours and then
wandered back for the night. How well they
thrived on the treatment and what a crop of lambs
we had in the following year ! Let others find
fault with dry summers, but I like 'em. Stock prices
may feel a draught, but yields from your straw
are generally good.

21

CHAPTER IV

A TRIP TO AUSTRALIA AND FOLLOWING
YEARS AT WANBOROUGH PLAIN

IN 1898 the Wiltshire Yeomanry presented an
attraction. I say an attraction because in those
days no one ever thought about the possibility of a
war. We were very proud of our D Squadron with
Major Goddard as its leader. In November 1900,
the Wiltshire Yeomanry, as the premier regiment
of Yeomen in the country, were chosen to join a
contingent of soldiers representing every branch of
the British Army going to Australia, to take part
in the forthcoming great ceremony of federating the
Colonies.

A memorable visit this, and to the unsophisticated
a chance of a lifetime. Life on board a troopship
for some five or six weeks was not altogether a life
of luxury, but seeing life and the great experience,
justified any discomfort, and so far as I can remember
no one ever regretted this long and trying trip, or
was he ever the worse for it.

Major Goddard and Lieutenant Fuller were our
two officers. The Major, a man you would always
place in the world of diplomats — in his younger
days I rather think he was in the service of Her

22

A TRIP TO AUSTRALIA

Majesty Queen Victoria in some such capacity —
never possessed the air of a soldier, and with his
eyeglass he came in for a considerable amount of
ridicule from the rank and file of the regular Army.
But with all his mannerisms, he was one of Nature's
gentlemen, one who had learnt the true philosophy
of life whilst passing through it, and in the end made
a good finish. We don't all do this, do we ? He
was my landlord of the Manor Farm, Wanborough
Plain, for many years, and as such I had the greatest
admiration for him.

Lieutenant Fuller, who subsequently rose to the
rank of colonel, never lacked popularity at any time,
or has he since. Whether soldiering or foxhunting, he
has never ceased to show that charm of manner,
and hearty good-fellowship on every occasion. If
I can persuade my pen to carry on this yarn to
include a period of foxhunting, I may be able to
tell a tale or two relating to Colonel Fuller, but that is
another story. For the moment I must furnish a
few more details of this Australian trip.

On the way out, the Bay of Biscay came as a shock
to our nerves. The real bad sailors thought without
a doubt that their end was near. Who does not
when they are filled with the fear of sea-sickness
and seas run high ? However, these bad reactions
soon pass when you begin to realize that the ship
does not go under when washed by a few waves.
And passing through Gibraltar into the Mediter-
ranean you soon live again.

I rather like life on board ship. It is surprising
how time goes and what interests you have to keep

23

FARMING AND FOXHUNTING

you occupied. In our case we were called upon to
furnish " Guard " when our turn came round. It
does seem foolish to put a guard on any part of a
ship in mid-ocean, but there it is : military rules and
regulations must be carried on.

At Malta we had our first stop. Decked in full
dress, I rather think we made a good show when we
went ashore. Just imagine a thousand men repre-
senting every branch of the British Army passing
in review order. Why, the occasion was unique in
history. What impressed me most at Malta was
the armoury of the Knights of Malta. Here we
have evidence that throughout history Christendom
has ever been fighting the cause of the Jew and yet
he is to-day far from a settled home. But it was no
business of ours to settle the troubles of the Jews,
we were out to settle those of the Australians. As
a matter of fact we were not clear of our own by
any means.

Cheering and hand-waving was a part of the
show as we weighed anchor, and then down to a
dinner of hot pork and beans. I can seem to hear
the sudden silence as we neared the open sea out-
side the breakwater. Oh, was it not rough ! Next
stop Port Said, for coaling, and then on through
Suez. Going through Suez with land on both sides,
you rush about from port to starboard afraid you
might miss something ; it all seems so fascinating.

After Suez the next call was Colombo. Leave was
granted to those who wished to go ashore, and the
Yeomen were never behind when a new venture
was afoot. We had a few lively sparks in our party.

24

A TRIP TO AUSTRALIA

Rickshaws were hired for a real good lark, and no
opportunity was missed I can assure you. Lucas,
a resolute kind of character, had an idea the speed
was a bit slow and he took off his pith helmet, which
had a spike on it, and prodded the poor fellow who
was doing his best to give us a good ride on our way
to the post office to pick up letters.

From Colombo to Fremantle, the Port of Perth,
is a ten days' sail without seeing land. However,
the weather was good, and time quickly passes, even
at sea. At Perth we had a great reception. The
hospitality was good, excitement great and our
throats were sore when we eventually embarked
again at Fremantle to cross the great Australian
Bight to make a call at Adelaide. Here we found
the town sweltering in a heat of 107° in the shade,
which apparently is quite common during hot
months. No one was sorry to leave early the
following morning en route for Melbourne and
Sydney.

In looking up my notes on this trip I see that I
described Melbourne as a very fine city, and did it
possess a harbour equal to Sydney it would soon
develop into one of" the finest cities of the world.
Sydney was our real objective : here was to be the
ceremony of Federating the Australian Colonies.

We must have steamed up through the " Heads,"
the entrance to the harbour, about the middle of
December 1900, having been on board the old
Britannic for some four or five weeks. One ought,
of course, to be able to give some description of this
celebrated harbour, but I am afraid my memory

25

FARMING AND FOXHUNTING

cannot be stretched to give the fullest details, but
I think I am right in saying that the three miles
from the outer harbour, the " Heads," to the inner
quays for landing is one series of inlets and outlets,
all surrounded by lovely scenery. What, of course,
is the most important point about the harbour is that
it carries vessels of any size, right up to the embarka-
tion stages. Sydney is reputed to be the finest
harbour in the world.

Well, our outward journey had come to an end.
Disembarkation followed and a march through the
city brought us to our quarters in the permanent
Agricultural buildings, and very comfortably were
we housed for a month's stay in Sydney.

On January i, 1901, the great ceremony took
place. Our part was really a minor one, being that
of a spectacular unit, and it may be that the
Australian people thought us the major unit of the
show side of that spectacular ceremony. We
certainly did look smart when you consider there
was not absent any specimen or part of the British
Army. The colour scheme did make a good effect.
But whether we took a minor or major part in the
re-building of Australia's Constitution, the fact
remains this good work stands firm to-day. Lord
Hopetoun was the first Governor-General of the
Australian Commonwealth, so at least he and we
gave the Australian people a good start on what
appears to be a successful venture.

During our few weeks stay in Sydney the people
never slackened in their hospitable impulse. They
found us horses to ride and not without adventure,

26

A TRIP TO AUSTRALIA

of course. I seem to have a recollection that one
or two of our party were not quite the horsemen
they aspired to be. Suffice it to say that the
whalebone riding-horse of Australia is not of the
most amenable nature, and it may be that his
instinct suggested he was expected to play his part
in that great spectacle.

Of course what usually happens, as no doubt it did
in this case, the amateur proceeds to hang on with
his spurs and then you know what happens. But
with all our rough-and-tumble incidents, on the
whole the horses served us well. They indeed gave
us fun and frolic, particularly at the sports and
military tournament. At the latter we had a great
tug-of-war on horseback between the sailors of our
old ship the Britannic and the Army. Of course, the
sailors won — why, they could hold on to a horse's
tail, a leg, or even his ear. Those who have seen
this good fun know the sailor's tenacity for hanging
on.

On January 14 the great hospitality that the
people of Sydney had shown us by way of good
living, theatres and parties, came to an end, and
back to the old ship we marched and sailed away
for Newcastle, a place of call on the way to Brisbane,
where another great " do " was staged. Un-
fortunately the heat increased as we neared the
equator, and this was our undoing in our effort to
do justice to the hospitality of Brisbane.

All might have been well had the people of
Brisbane been acquainted with the tale told by the
late Lord Fisher. His Lordship, when serving as a

27

FARMING AND FOXHUNTING

junior officer, was invited to take the ratings of his
ship, which apparently was in port, to an entertain-
ment given by the Mayor of Liverpool. The
Mayor, wise in his generation, took the precaution
to limit the supply of beer, and as the evening was
drawing to a close Lord Fisher rose to thank the
Mayor for his hospitality in language something like
this : " Mr. Chairman, on behalf of the ship's
company I must thank you for this great entertain-
ment; the food has been excellent and as for the
beer, well — Jack, hand me up the beer to drink the
Mayor's health." Back came the reply from Jack :
" Beer ! Why, there ain't no beer, it's all gone."
The end of the tale, of course, is that more was soon
forthcoming, and the men marched back to their
ship having received the order, " Arm to arm,
quick march." It may be, of course, that no one
seemed to think it necessary to take these precautions
when dealing with the British Army in Australia.

What really happened to the Army in our case was
that the day was hot, the march long, the men
thirsty, and the beer good, but whatever the cause,
the end of the spread brought trouble. I am not
sure that even half the soldiers ever reached the
ship standing in harbour that night. I am not sure
that one or two ever did return to parade on this
trip. By a stroke of luck the Yeoman all answered
" Present " next morning when the roll was called,
and so came to an end our call at Brisbane.

January 22 brought us into Hobart to hear the
news that Queen Victoria was seriously ill, and the
next day information reached us that her long and

28

A TRIP TO AUSTRALIA

useful reign had come to an end. This unfortunate
news rather damped the programme fixed at Hobart.
Tasmania is a lovely island, the climate is so
temperate, and the vegetation was refreshing after
the drought of Australia. Fruit of all kinds simply
abounds in Hobart, and how much safer it proved
to be rather than the beer of Brisbane.

On our way across to New Zealand we called in
again at Melbourne. The Queen's death raised a
doubt as to whether we should continue the round
trip. However, fresh instructions must have arrived
on our reaching Melbourne, and then off we sailed
again for the Bluff, the most southern part of the
South Island. I note from my diary that we arrived
at the Bluff harbour on February 5 and left Auckland
on the 19th. During this fortnight we travelled the
whole of New Zealand, either by land or sea.

A good deal of travelling was done in the train,
and when this occurred, the old ship was sent on to
a fresh port and waited our arrival. By general
consent this was the most delightful part of the whole
round journey. We spent a night at most of the
large towns ; to mention a few, Dunedin, Christ-
church, Wellington and finally Auckland. The
hospitality was great and the enthusiasm of the
people really outrageous. I have an idea that the
welcome was so great that one or two of the regulars
made up their minds that life in New Zealand
compared to the Army was too good to leave.

You can quite imagine how quickly rumour of this
sort ran round the ship on leaving, but what makes
me think that there was a margin of truth in this

29

FARMING AND FOXHUNTING

one, is that when we were running out of harbour
a good old lady ran out of her cottage and waved a
Scotsman's bonnet. She was a proud woman that
day, she evidently had a soldier for keeps.

The journey back to Suez calls for very little
comment, except that I must mention our stokers
had been giving trouble for some weeks, in fact a
mutiny broke out one day in New Zealand and the
guard with fixed bayonets was called in to quell it.
This made the Captain short-handed in his crew,
with a consequent drop in speed. However,
volunteers from the Army were soon forthcoming,
anything for a change. I remember having a week
at this stoking of the old ship, but it was a real black
job.

We pulled in again at Melbourne, Adelaide and
Colombo, and arrived at the entrance to the Suez
Canal on March 30, and in passing through the old
ship got into trouble. A very rough wind sprang
up and we did hear that the steering was bad.
Whatever it was the old ship got stuck on a sand-
bank when passing through the Salt Lakes. All
sorts of dodges we tried to get her off, first tugs and
then disembarking the soldiers, and finally unloading
the coal-bunkers, but nothing would move her, and
there she stuck for at least a fortnight. This indeed
was a setback, particularly to some of us farmers
who were due back home for the spring and summer
work. However, four of us set to work making
enquiries about getting our discharge, and eventually
this arrived from the War Office, and on April 8 we
took passage on a P. & O. liner for Marseilles.

30

A TRIP TO AUSTRALIA

This took all the cash we could find, but that did not
matter, we would get as far as we could and trust to
luck.

On arrival at Marseilles we put up at a good
hotel and immediately cabled home for cash to pay
our fare and hotel expenses. The hotel manager
was quite decent about it, fed us well, and he was
eventually paid his bill.

Travelling across France for twenty-four hours in a
third-class railway compartment was not a very good
finish to the round trip, but a day in Paris to wind
up was better, and home the following day to find
ourselves looked upon as real travellers, as indeed
we were. The old ship Brittanic, I believe, arrived
at Southampton about the same time as we did in
London, but that did not matter, we had seen a
bit more of the world.

Whilst still in the Yeomanry I had the good luck
to be one of those chosen to attend the Coronation
of King Edward VII on August 9, 1902. I have
never seen such a collection of the Crowned Heads
of Europe, and never shall again ; neither will
London. Too many fell at the end of the Great
War, some never to rise again. Kings, Queens and
members of Royal Families do make a good show
after all, and surely life will lose something if we
clear it of all that is spectacular and picturesque.

On this occasion Kaiser William II was at the
top of his form, and I remember, too, seeing Lord
Kitchener well mounted and looking his best. Were
not these two giants a few years later the great leaders
of the opposing forces in the Great War, and I think

31

FARMING AND FOXHUNTING

it will be generally admitted that Kitchener laid
the foundation for our final victory. Will historians
give the former a clean bill when later they sum up
the troubles of Europe ? I hardly think so. I
often wonder what his mind reflects when he ponders
over his early handiwork, sitting safe in his castle
at Doom. Enough, it is not my work to write
politics, let's get back to the countryside where I
shall be more sure of my subject.

To get the first stripe in the life of a soldier is a
most exhilarating moment. You begin to feel that
you are a man of authority. I remember going out
to spend the evening at Stallpits Farm with James
Lawrence, brother of the one at Idstone, a man full
of good humour and one who loved a joke, saying,
" Charles, have you heard the story of the old lady
who had a son in the Army ? The good old soul
was proud of her serving son and particularly so
when he obtained his first stripe. On being asked
what rank he now held, she replied : ' Well, I am
not quite sure whether it's a Corporal or a General,
but I am sure it's a 'ral, and I am proud of it, he's
a good boy.' "

One or two more camps on Salisbury Plain
brought soldiering days to a close. Just about this
time Jordan's Farm, situated at the Wanborough
end of the Plain, was handed over to me from the
late Albert Deacon, which gave me another 250
acres of arable land to tackle. I could hardly expect
my father to carry too big a burden whilst I was
away soldiering. Consequently, with many regrets,
I retired on the rank of senior sergeant.

32

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

33

FARMING AND FOXHUNTING

not a bad investment at the time and they did earn
a good income during the subsequent years, but they
are not worth much to-day, although still at work,
and will do their share in the 1940 ploughing
programme I hope.

One summer I managed to work in another very
pleasant trip, and this time to Norway. It came
about by a pure accident, or at least I in my ignor-
ance thought so. My sister, during her spare hours
whilst running the house, started in on pedigree
poultry. This I presume qualified her to take a
pupil who happened to be a young lady. This lady
took her holidays about midsummer, her home was
in Hull and her father a captain on a boat doing
regular service to Norway, and when she reached
home she persuaded the Captain to invite me to
join his ship for a trip to Norway. A most enjoyable
holiday it proved to be, but I am afraid I never paid
the bill quite in the way that I was intended to.

My most successful year was 1907, when I
was in occupation of these upland farms. Getting
married should always be a very important step to
take in any man's life, and to me it was a master
step from every point of view. I cannot say more,
and I shall leave it at that, and be happy in doing so.
London and the Channel Islands was the first
arrangement for the honeymoon holiday. However,
one day when basking in the sunshine at Jersey, we
had time to take a look at the daily papers and
discovered the price of wheat was advancing to an
unusual degree. We therefore decided to extend
the holiday and spend a few days in Paris. Paris

34

A TRIP TO AUSTRALIA

is a poor place without cash, and to enable us to
reach home an appeal to the banker was made for
yet more funds. This I admit was rather an
extravagant start on which to begin married life,
but then one hopes to get married only once in a
lifetime, and so why not make a good job of it ?

In 1909 my father took a trip to Canada. I
remember on his return we were dealing with a
very troublesome harvest. This worried him much,
and the family's great loss came the following
November when he died at the age of sixty-seven.

However well started in life one may be, at the
death of a father, when the time comes to remove
the prop, a feeling of isolation creeps in for a time,
which is only natural, and in my case it was real
loss. My father and I had worked out together
many business schemes, and his good judgment had
warded off many a jar which might otherwise have
come my way had his foresight not barred the road.

I can remember the late Francis Walker, our
neighbour at Chiseldon, coming to me in Swin-
don Market and paying him this compliment :
" Charles," he said, " you have lost your father,
and I am truly sorry, but you have the satisfaction
of knowing that he was a man who brushed away
difficulties with a real vigour, as some of our warriors
did of old." That truth certainly filled me with
courage to carry on the management of the Badbury
Farm in conjunction with brother Walter, who had
luckily just finished a couple of years experience in
Canada. Walter unfortunately was not too strong
on his chest, and left in 191 1 to start his career in

35

FARMING AND FOXHUNTING

Australia. I have never seen him since. One thing
to his credit in his new country is that he has given
her (his country) a long family ; after all, a rising
population must be an asset to a country like
Australia. Not that he has done too badly in his
farming operations, for he certainly has got ahead
a bit during these last few years and is now farming
a thousand acres.

Farming at Badbury involved the starting of a
fifty-cow dairy, a new experience to me ; but there
was no avoiding the issue, it suited the farm and to
milking we must go.

During the next few years, indeed until the end of
hostilities, this old family farm was kept in being
as a home for the returning warriors. Norman
eventually took over the Badbury Farm. The
other fighting member of the family, Harry, who
before the War was farming in Canada and was
never very happy about a return to that hard and
inclement country, was eventually brought into the
scheme of farming at the Ogbourne end.

Horse-dealing is a fascinating occupation, and
happy is the man who can make it pay when farming
a useful track of land. I cannot say I ever felt
particularly happy at it, and it therefore follows
that I never made much money out of it. My
spasmodic deals occasionally never reached out into
a real business. A good hunter got sold now and
again, and perhaps a few polo ponies.

In those days we had a small club at Blunsdon.
It was not exactly a Hurlingham Ground, but it
gave us plenty of fun, and allowed us to train a

36

A TRIP TO AUSTRALIA

pony or two for sale. Among others, Harry
Deacon, Little Arkell (as we used to call him),
nephew of big Thomas of Kingsdown Brewery, were
members. On the occasion of the Wiltshire Yeo-
manry coming to Burderop Park, the Club were
invited to send a team to play a match in the meadow
which stands in front of my house to-day. This
game, a never-to-be-forgotten one for some of us, was
filled with incident — in fact more than incident,
for there was a real accident before the game was
over. On the Club side we had Harry Deacon,
Percy Woolcott, Little Arkell and myself. I am
afraid that I cannot name the full team of Wiltshire
Yeomanry. Lord Long and Lord Eric Thynne I
know were there. I sent on one pony by my man
and took the precaution to ride the other, a real
resolute fellow called " Satan," over to Marlborough
in the morning to have a look at the Wiltshire
County Show and then back across the Downs to
the polo match at Burderop.

Well, the game started. As you may imagine it
was not altogether an International match : most
decidedly a rough-and-tumble game. I was allotted
to play No. 4 (Back). Presently my chance to score
came, Satan and I got hold of the ball and down
the field we thundered, cleared and threw off the
first three of the opposing side, the last being Lord
Long, playing No. 3, whom I rode off and regained
the ball. Then appeared the Back, Lord Eric
Thynne, between me and goal. He rode as he
should to meet the ball, but by mischance his pony
turned round on my approach and I took him broad-

37 ^

FARMING AND FOXHUNTING

side on and rolled him over pony and all, and that
was the end of the last game of polo played at
Burderop. Luckily everybody escaped with a bad
shaking.

To finish the tale of Satan, the polo pony, he
eventually got sold to a club at Porlock ; the man
who bought him was a strong horseman. Satan
really was a fine pony, full of courage, but on occasion
got you into trouble unless you just knew him.

My friend Bill Withycombe invited me down to
Minehead one summer during the polo season, and
incidentally with an eye to business a game of polo
was fixed up at Porlock. In those days the much
more fashionable Dunster Lawn Club had not
started, but I presume it grew out of the one at
Porlock. By the by, I know of no finer site for a
game of polo than the Dunster Lawn. The game
itself is one that I place well to the fore in all sporting
events, and to play it on Dunster Lawns in that fine
setting is a real pleasure. It has been my good
fortune to get a few games on this famous ground.
But to return to the day at Porlock : the great Frank
Rich was present with an eye to picking up a good
pony or two. Satan was putting up a good show
and Frank thought he would like to give him a trial,
and thereupon got mounted to play the next chukka.
All went well until he too got hold of the ball when
playing back, and came down the field at a hard
gallop, struck a goal, rode on through the goal-posts
straight out of the field-gate and got half-way to
Minehead before he could pull him up. I am
afraid Satan never got the honour of being played

38

A TRIP TO AUSTRALIA

in the London clubs, but nevertheless he was a
fine pony.

Two years before the War the Swindon Polo Club
came into existence. It proved good fun and
brought a little business at times. Major Cecil
Wilson was the Organizing Secretary and Aubrey
Hastings the Captain. Two afternoons a week it
was a great social gathering for the neighbourhood.
Notable players turned up on occasions ; amongst
them I remember the present Lord Rosebery, Rattle
Barrett, Major Edwards, both of International fame,
General Hurndell and Maurice Kingscote, all out
to do a deal when opportunity presented itself, and
then came the War and no more polo. My readers
must not think that in those days the farms were
left to look after themselves : polo ponies were quite
handy during the summer on which to do one's
farming. My programme was to ride them round
the farm in the morning and then play them twice
a week in the afternoon. Well, if one earned a fiver
now and then the outlay was justified.

39

CHAPTER V

THE GREAT WAR PERIOD

OPTIMISM is a most soothing balm to fold round
your daily life when all seems to be going well.
For good health and true happiness no one can
afford to disregard its appeal, but it can produce
a frame of mind which is very misleading at
times.

The general public in the days preceding the War
— I must admit my mind subscribed to the same
school of thought — never could bring itself to believe
that a great war was imminent or even likely.
People quite erroneously were hoping that war like
duelling was going out of fashion and that the good
sense of mankind was gradually overcoming its bad
sense. How rudely was their optimism shaken in
the days of 1914 !

The impact of war brought changes in most
people's lives. The drastic changes came to those
whose accident of birth brought them into the grip
of military service. In my own case my occupation
and, to some extent, my age, gave colour to the
suggestion that I must carry on the farms and keep
business going until my two younger brothers, Harry
and Norman, returned from the war ; all that I

40

THE GREAT WAR PERIOD

can say is that mine was the easier task and certainly
the most agreeable.

Farming during the War years was not clear of
difficulties. The call to the Colours stripped us of
all our young men. Labour demands in every
direction forced up wages ; farm horses were required
for the Army ; tractors had not arrived and when
they did, towards the end of the War, it was several
years later before they became reliable as an
approved implement of the farm. To-day they have
arrived at a state of efficiency which puts them into
the category of real usefulness. Like self-binders
and threshing machines, they seem now to have
reached a more or less static stage of development,
and in this present effort they are playing a greater
part in our work of food production.

The Land Girls in those days did yeoman service
in filling the posts vacated by the young men called
to the fighting forces ; they drove tractors and horses.
I must pay tribute to two girls who did great service
by taking on the work of horsemen, driving teams
regularly for several years, and when hostilities
ceased both were happily married. Girls, too, were
employed on fodder-baling gangs, but I seem to
recollect that this proved to be rather a mistake
owing to lack of proper supervision, and eventually
they were replaced by prisoners of war.

Many of these men proved to be capital sub-
stitutes to fill the gaps caused by the great demand
for the Army. In order to have these men close
to their job I took empty cottages, one in Aldbourne
and one at Shepherd's Rest, and put six men in

41

FARMING AND FOXHUNTING

each under a Corporal guard. They were never
the least bit of bother or trouble, and I must say
they did me a great service, for by this means I
was able to keep two sets of threshing tackle running
full time.

What a consternation was caused in Aldbourne !
When the news got abroad of my intention to plant
prisoners of war in the village, the parson wrote me
a very sharp letter hinting that the morals of their
country village would be endangered by my out-
rageous proposal and would I not give it further con-
sideration ? But believe me, after the first excite-
ment had passed they were accepted as a part of the
working community of the village and never gave
the slightest trouble.

When taking stock of the labour situation to-day
in the midst of this second war, I see a great simi-
larity to those days of 19 14. The Army supplied
a certain amount of help, and I was fortunate to
obtain a family of Belgian refugees, four good
workers they turned out to be. My wife met them
at Swindon station and found them all with labels
round their necks, addressed, " Whatley, Wan-
borough Plain."

The Land Girls made their contribution, but I
must say our farm staff of men, those that were left,
continued to give their services with a loyalty which
was commendable, and I feel certain they will
extend that same loyalty throughout this present
struggle.

The great ploughing-up programme came in 191 7,
and when I look back I am fully persuaded the

42

THE GREAT WAR PERIOD

experience gained in those days has guided the
present County Organization to avoid some of the
mistakes and pitfalls of that year. I shall make no
attempt to enumerate them, but one knew they
existed. One assumes the Government did record
them, hence the advice given to County War Com-
mittees of 1939 to appoint local scheduling com-
mittees. These to my mind have proved so far to
be a sound proposition ; these men's local knowledge
has been invaluable in getting to work on the right
type of land to plough.

In 19 1 7 Mr. Lloyd George introduced the Corn
Production Bill, guaranteeing cereal prices and fixed
wages for a term of years. This was, of course, the
great draw to get farmers to put their backs into
the new venture, and a great venture it proved to be.

I can recollect a conversation I had with the late
Mr. Thomas Lavington, who was no believer in
promises. " Ah," he said, " place no confidence
in these Government offers, they will let you down
for a certainty." Unfortunately history proved his
words to be true ; none the less, he who would listen
to such an argument was no patriot in those days
of danger and stress, neither is he in these.

The County Agricultural War Committee of those
days was led by Mr. Arthur White, and an excellent
choice he was. No man gave more of his time ; his
tact and good judgment were never in question,
and he was rightly honoured with the O.B.E. at
the close of the War. In my opinion Arthur
Stratton made a good second in command, and his
knowledge lay perhaps in his great experience of

43

FARMING AND FOXHUNTING

machinery. He it was who eventually roped me
in as representing this northern side of the county
on the County War Committee. Dan Coombs was
another who did yeoman service in the south and
Ernest Pritchard for the west, to mention just a few.
On this Committee I remember first meeting
Richard Stratton, who has never looked back since
when called upon to give time and attention to
public work ; and there I must end. There were
others I know, but memory carries me no further.

Finally the War came to an end. Many farmers
thought the moment opportune to retire from busi-
ness. I believe it was for those whose life-span had
given them a good run. They certainly were getting
out when they could recover their full farm invest-
ments. A " New Order " for farming was hardly
likely to suit their style. I believe they were wise
to make room for the younger men, and there were
plenty coming out of the Army who must again be
absorbed into civil life.

It proved that these older men were wise in their
generation ; of course they had no intention of doing
it, but they did let in the younger generation to start
at top prices, which was their undoing for many
succeeding years.

Prices and wages fell away at an alarming rate ;
nothing would seem to stop the spiral spin down-
wards. The Corn Production Act was swept from
the Statute Book, and the farming community left
to stew in their own juice. I really believe that
those farmers who were fortunate enough to make
money during the years of the War lost it, and in

44

THE GREAT WAR PERIOD

some cases more during the ten years following the
last Great War. But then farmers were not the only
people who received these great shocks.

At the close of the War Jimmy White, the great
financier, appeared in our neighbourhood. Rumour
had it that he was a millionaire, and there is no
doubt he was. I believe he started life as a stone-
mason, and like most men of courage he seized the
opportunity during the War years to keep buying
anything that came along, whether it was cotton
mills, theatres, and, I presume, stocks and shares of
every description, and like all these men when they
acquire great wealth, they must have a racing stud
with a country estate. At the time Foxhill and
King Edward Place were both vacant. Robinson
had died towards the end of the War, and Metcalf
was killed in the front trenches of France during
1918.

All this property I believe Jimmy White bought
at a low figure, racing having dwindled to a very
low ebb during the War years, but it was rather
amazing how quickly it got going again.

During the summer of 19 19 I can remember
spending an afternoon with Harry Cottrill at Bath
Races — he, I believe, was a temporary tenant of
Foxhill at the time — -just to find out whether Jimmy
White had a keen appetite to buy the adjoining
farms to his racing property. Being well assured
that he was a man of wealth with keen desire to in-
vest in farming, I was very well satisfied with my
little journey to Bath.

During the following weeks negotiations were put

45

FARMING AND FOXHUNTING

in motion and finally a deal was brought about,
bringing to an end my twenty-six years on the Plains
of Wanborough, twenty-six years full of incident,
some pleasure and not altogether unprofitable.

Major Bland came on the scene as Estate Agent,
and I must put it on record, it was through no fault
of his that Jimmy White's farming career came to
such an early close. Jimmy White was a great
gambler, and like many of these men, their time is
short, but they do move at a great pace when they
get going, and pace tells in the end.

Rumours began to get about that all was not well
with his affairs in the world of finance, and when
the flock and herds of cattle left the farm we began
to realize his gambles were coming to an end.
Report has it that even then he might have recovered
had he exercised a little patience, but no, he pre-
ferred to call finis ; motoring down from Town late
on the last night to his well-appointed home at King
Edward Place, he went to bed, never to rise again.
Apparently a strong sleeping draught had done its
work, and so ended the career of Jimmy White.

46

CHAPTER VI

BURDEROP

AT Michaelmas, 19 19, following the War,
farming at Burderop commenced. The farm
had been in hand for many years. I rather think
the last tenant was a Mr. Pearce Brown. I just
remember the old gentleman. He got very deaf
in his declining years, retired to Baydon and came
down regularly to Swindon Market. One day
as he walked into the Corn Exchange, seeing an
old friend he shouted in a loud voice, " Keylock,
I am very sorry to hear that you have taken to
horse-racing." The whole crowd of people looked
up and had a good laugh at poor Keylock's ex-
pense, and then the old man seeing the consternation
he had raised muttered to himself, " Deaf people
talk loud, deaf people talk loud."

Well, Burderop, as I have already remarked,
had been in hand for many years. I remember
it first under the direction of Henry Kemble, who
in those days was also the occupier of Overtown,
a farm adjoining the Estate, and by the by in those
days he was Secretary to the Cricklade Hunt.
Henry Kemble was, I understand, unable at
that time so to organize the property to show an

47

FARMING AND FOXHUNTING

income. This fact, I believe, brought Mr. Ash-
ford on the scene about the year 1893. To him
very much credit is due in restoring the Estate to
a paying proposition. During his forty-five years
as Estate Agent, twenty-six of which he also man-
aged the home farm, the property has been re-
generated out of all recognition. It might be
argued that the return has been a minor one, but
those who think this must remember the recon-
struction of farm property to meet the need of
modern farming was most necessary, following the
declining return from arable land which set in
during the 'nineties. It was imperative to intro-
duce the product of milk if the farms were to
be a letable proposition. Had he not moved
along these lines there was no possibility of his
maintaining his rent roll. Mr. Ashford has the
satisfaction of knowing that when he gave up
farming Burderop he was able to hand over some
twenty thousand pounds to the credit side of
General Galley's banking account. I well recollect
my contribution to this amount, for I was called
upon to write a cheque for over £9,000 for the
valuation, including only hay, straw, tillage and
tenant's fixtures. It had never been my experience,
nor has it since, to make such a sudden raid upon
my banker. I am quite conscious that since that
date I have given him a shock or two, but bankers
soon survive when you make the slightest hint that
even banks must be keen competitors in business.
It took me many years before I felt quite confident
to deal with a new set of circumstances which

48

BURDEROP

presented themselves at Burderop. A i,ooo-acre
farm, 400 of which were heavy arable, and a dairy
of 100 cows, was a proposition which at least was
a little strange after such a long experience on
the light and sheep lands of Wanborough Plain.

Agricultural prices began falling like butter
before the sun, but what of course actually hap-
pened was one's trading account did not show signs
of bad management, but it was the horrible loss of
capital which struck terror into one, and I must
admit that my courage was never so severely shaken
as each Michaelmas, when accounts were cast, the
figures never seemed to plumb bottom.

I am not suggesting that my own case was
singular by any means. Those were very difficult
years which followed the War, and there is little
doubt this was happening throughout the farming
world. When those times of stress arrive, and
they do in most people's lives, one should take
stock of one's philosophy of life and if possible
slip in a compensating gear, or in other words one
must change the wave-length. I am not quite
sure that I was ready to do this sort of thing :
business had too much engrossed my life up to
this period.

Recreation under ordinary circumstances one
should never fail to carry on ; it does put a spring
into your life which is most invigorating and it
gives the mind relief from its toils and allows it
to regain a new balance. It is very important
to those who have business of any kind, large or
small, that this lesson should be well applied early

49

FARMING AND FOXHUNTING

in life. There are cases, of course, where this
medicine of recreation is not strong enough to
institute a break from the contact of business
and worries. To meet this state of affairs it is
imperative that one should take a look at another
side of life, in other words work away at some
new occupation which will eventually become a
real pleasure when one's ordinary business fails to
interest.

During this trying years I must say that my
landlord, General Galley, was ever ready to meet
these difficult times, and without fear of contra-
diction I place him as the most popular man in
Wiltshire in his day. I use the word " popular "
without hesitation, for no one can attain popularity
unless he is well supplied with Nature's gifts, and
these General Galley had in full measure. I
count myself honoured to a high degree when I
claim to have farmed his land, joined his shooting
parties, followed him over the Gricklade Vale and
supported him in his politics. In the world of
Freemasonry I accompanied him on many occa-
sions. He was a man who could always find
something in common with everyone he met, and
he radiated good humour under any circum-
stances. Shall I ever forget attending a funeral
of a mutual friend ! We were walking together
across a meadow adjoining the church, when he
suddenly said to me, " Gharley, there is more grass
here than we seem to have at Burderop." My
reply was, " Ah, General, it's better land here." —
" Nothing of the sort," he rang out, " it's better

50

BURDEROP

farmed." Of course he bowled me out first ball,
and there was nothing more to say.

He sat as Member for the Wroughton area of
the Wilts County Council for many years, and
I have little doubt that he used his influence to
obtain me a seat as Alderman of the Council on
the death of Stephen Butler in the year 1925.

In 1923 an opportunity occurred to extend the
business by taking over another 1,000-acre farm
at Ogbourne St. Andrew. The Olympia Com-
pany's short career of farming had come to an
end by the death of Lord Manton. My brother
Harry had been managing this farm on the Estate
of Lord Manton, and it seemed a good proposal
that we should take it over, seeing that the top end
practically joined Burderop, and thus linking up
the two farms, one heavy and the other light land.
The prevailing situation at the time did make it
appear a doubtful move, but time has proved it
was a sound proposition.

There is to my mind a tremendous advantage
in farming a variety of soils. You are able to
move livestock about to meet seasonal changes ;
more particularly does this apply to a flock of
hurdle sheep. If you are on light and dry land in
winter and then give the heavy land a turn in the
summer, you need never be unhappy in a rainy
period for the well-being of the livestock on your
land.

It was also in 1923 we began to think about
Tuberculin Tested milk. The thinking about the
job was an easy problem compared to the carrying

51

FARMING AND FOXHUNTING

it out. The first veterinary examination disclosed
a situation of over 50 per cent, reactors in a herd of
100 cows. However, in spite of misgivings and
advice not to take the step, the move was made by
estabhshing a new dairy for the reactors at some
off-lying buildings, and to this day I have never
regretted this violent step. To put it in moderate
language it had added several hundred pounds per
annum to the farm's income. Therefore there is
no reason to find fault with the initial move in

1923-
There is another method practised at Burderop

which may be of interest, and one perhaps which

will raise a certain amount of criticism. We

have given up rearing our own stock to refill the

dairies. In my particular case it certainly has

proved more profitable. I find that if your milking

equipment is on a large scale and land specially

suitable for milk, costs of production are lowered

by driving this equipment and the land to its utmost

capacity, and therefore, milk every cow you can

every day in the year. In my opinion there are

plenty of farms, light in character, not suitable for

milk or milking where young stock can be raised in

more healthy conditions to fill our dairies from time

to time. I can well imagine it a very profitable

business to raise T.T. stock on many of these upland

farms, for the future will bring a good demand for

this class of stock.

For some years it has been our practice to use

black poll Angus bulls in the herds. We find less

bother with the calving, and the calves meet a good

52

BURDEROP

demand to wean for fattening purposes, but I have
my doubts whether this cross does eventually
produce good fattening animals. In fact I have
decided to change over to the Hereford bull, which
I have good reason to believe will be a great im-
provement.

53 E

CHAPTER VII

A HARVEST HOME IN 1938

THE historic custom of having a harvest home
has been allowed to lapse of late years, perhaps
owing to the fact that farming has been under a
very heavy cloud ; this certainly is a matter of regret
and not only is it a matter of regret but rather a
short-sighted policy.

To-day we are straining every nerve to make
the country-side more attractive, and not only
attractive but to make those who have their occupa-
tion and business on the land, feel they are people
of real importance to the nation.

I am confident that this effort would be stimulated
if the practice of holding an annual harvest home
would again become popular. One knows, of
course, that it is not always easy or convenient to
arrange. Sometimes parties are too small, perhaps
the harvest too prolonged or even too disastrous,
but surely the difficulty of too small a number can
be overcome by the joining together of neighbours,
or the farmers in an agricultural village might
co-operate and run a show together. If such parties
were arranged, the county M.P. could be invited
to make an appearance, not to talk about politics,

54

A HARVEST HOME

but to talk about the land, crops and stock, and
the importance of the country-side as a unit in the
national picture.

To illustrate my point a little further, let me
make an attempt to picture such a gathering which
took place on my farm last week. The barn
building, holding about lOO, was cleaned up — this,
by the by, I rather expect in most cases is not
overdue — the electric light laid on, and the tables
nicely decorated with flowers, and newly threshed
wheat in sacks made most comfortable seats, and
incidentally stopped all the draught to the feet,
and finally the piano was moved up from the house,
which completed the setting for a jolly evening. I
had nearly forgotten the most important feature of
all, and that is the provision of the meal. This
was done by a local caterer, and consisted of English
cold meat, sweets and cheese, but not the beer ;
this was ordered as a separate item, which ensured
equal distribution.

The farmer, his family and guests and farm staff
dined together, and to complete a most enjoyable
evening, a pianist and songster was engaged to
entertain after the dinner.

The host naturally led off with a necessary speech
of welcome and recounted the difficulties of the
farmer, and said that of course his only wish was
that the seasons would let him run to a harvest
home every year.

The occasion was seized upon to bestow a word of
praise to the heads of departments, for in most cases
they were well deserved, and incidentally the oppor-

55

FARMING AND FOXHUNTING

tunity was taken to install a new foreman. But the
charm of the evening was reached when eventually
one got these pilot men on their feet : they knew
what to do. The excitement, the wit and humour
which passed was amazing. The chief engine-driver
was called upon for a song, and he advanced steadily
towards the piano and then turned and asked if
he was permitted to say a few words. " Well," he
said, " I should like to congratulate the new fore-
man on his appointment. I have worked with
him for many years, and I am quite certain the
governor is right in giving him the job. Jim — I
beg his pardon — Mr. Pressy, is a man who can do
a day's work and knows what a day's work is, and
I think we shall all get on with him the very best."
Much to the master's satisfaction, this speech was
received with great acclamation, bringing as it
did good feeling all round and an atmosphere of
unity.

Later on the new foreman was called upon to
respond, and naturally was a little nonplussed as
to how to tackle the new situation. However, he
got into his stride by saying, " I am a little nervous
in taking on the new post ; however, by the expres-
sions of goodwill I am encouraged to take on the
job. I am just a little shy with some of these head
dairymen and head shepherds. They know a bit
too much about their jobs for me to interfere on
their domains ; however, I feel quite sure that I
shall get their support, and as for the master, well,
I have worked for him a good many years, and I
think I shall know how to manage him. He men-

56

A HARVEST HOME

tioned early on that unless a good harvest was
assured there could be no harvest home. Well,
I shall see that we get a good harvest next year,
and we must all hope this will bring another jolly
evening."

Then followed the head shepherd, full of
anxiety to express his sentiments on the evening's
entertainment. He hadn't got very far before
someone chipped in to say, " Now then, Charley,
can't 'ee make a better speech than that ? Why
damn'ee, you goes up to that shepherds' supper
every year, 'avn't 'ee learned nothing up there ? "
Then the shepherd, being challenged, has another
go. " Well," he said, " it's all very well for you
engine-drivers to talk, but the governor tells me
this 'ere threshing business don't pay, but he did
tell me that he got a bit of profit out of sending a
few rams out to Germany."

The head dairyman rises to put in a spoke for
the dairy staff. " Now, sir, I would like to say a
word for my mate. He has given me no end of
help during the last year and I feel quite certain
I shall get it again this next winter. Now you chaps
that belongs to my staff at the dairy, the governor
tells me we shall get a smaller income from the
milk this year. Now what are we going to do
about it ? Well, we must all pull together and see
if we can't make the cows give a drop more
milk."

Finally a call is put in for a speech from a member
of the staff on an off-lying farm, and he expressed
himself in these actual words :

57

FARMING AND FOXHUNTING

" We hear a lot about Burderop,
Which is all very well and good ;
But I'm going to talk about our place.
Just as a good man should.
Over the hill by the Bourne,
We've a place called Ogbourne,
Where workers live long and tarry,
On a farm well-managed by Mr. Harry.
It's a winter resort for the sheep,
As we've always got plenty of keep.
Every man there for work has a thirst
For we've always the harvest in, first.
So if you're ever in trouble or doubt,
Send for Ogbourne and they'll get you out."

N. B.

Then " Auld Lang Syne " and " God save the
King," and we all woke up next morning and talked
over the enjoyable evening spent, with every inten-
tion of working for another next year.

58

CHAPTER VIII

BURDEROP ON THE AIR

FOUR of my men at Burderop were invited to
take part in a broadcast discussion on the farm-
workers' part in the present war. Mr. Anthony
Hurd took them to the microphone. With the
permission of the B.B.G. I am reproducing their
talk here.

Farming To-day

The Farm Worker's Part

Thursday, May 30th, 1940 : 6.15-6.30 p.m.

A. H. : Before this war is over the nation is
Hkely to want every bit of food that can be produced
at home. It is not so much a question of food
shortage or possible starvation as a matter of saving
shipping for the most urgent war needs. People
must be fed and the men who are doing that job
in our own fields at home are performing national
service of first importance.

This evening I've brought to the studio four
farm workers from my own county — Wiltshire —
and I'm going to ask them to tell you in their own

59

FARMING AND FOXHUNTING

words something about their jobs and the part
they are taking in the nation's war effort.

Now, Mr. Pressy, you know about the national
effort to plough another two million acres of grass-
land for cropping this season. Actually 2,034,000
acres have been ploughed and Wiltshire has done
its share well with 42,600 acres. How have you
and your fellow-workers been getting on with this
job.

J. P. : Well, Mr. Hurd, speaking from the farm-
worker's point of view we look upon it as a very
easy job for the officials in Whitehall to give an
order for 2,000,000 acres of fresh land to be broken
up, and it's all very well for the County War Com-
mittee to drive round the country-side and mark
off the fields to be ploughed. But after all it is
we farm workers who have to do the donkey work
in ploughing the land, sowing the seed, harvesting
the crop, and threshing the corn, all extra work for
our already depleted staff, but I can assure you we
shall put our backs into the work. Provided we
can have assistance during harvest, I believe we
shall do it all right.

We are not blind to the fact that we farm workers
have been placed in a reserved occupation during
wartime so that we can make a big effort to keep
the people from starving. Those of us who fought
in the last war know only too well that ours is a
better job than fighting in the trenches.

A. H. : Yes, I am glad to know that you are all
stout-hearted enough to face whatever is ahead.
Tell me, foreman, what is your opinion about

60

BURDEROP ON THE AIR

ploughing up a further acreage for next year and
an extra harvest in 1941 ? Do you think the farm
staff will be equal to dealing with still a bigger
harvest ?

J. P. : Well, I think that very much depends
upon what extra labour can be found to give us
assistance. If the fighting forces will leave us a
good foundation in our well-trained men we don't
mind working in a few untrained people if they
have got a will to work. Land girls and strong
schoolboys can be very useful during hay and corn
harvest. Why, back in my early days we used to
have quite a lot of women to work on the land
during the summer months and even in the winter
they would come out and cut the bonds when we
were threshing.

A. H. : Now is there any other direction, do you
think, where we might look for a bigger yield from
the land ?

J. P. : Yes ; previous to my present job, for many
years I was driving a threshing machine moving
about from farm to farm, and during that time I
came across some very low yields per acre. I
expect the same thing goes on to-day. What these
fields want is more put into them and then bigger
crops will be grown. I always found the best
yields on the farm where the farmer kept a flock
of sheep. And you know we landworkers know
when land is being properly farmed, and when it
isn't — and there's too much bad farming about
to-day. One day the war committees will have
to get after these slack farmers.

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FARMING AND FOXHUNTING

A. H. : Yes, I am sure you are right. Have you
been troubled with wire-worm this spring ?

J. P. : I can say " yes " to that question, although
we are not so bad as some, but I have noticed that
where we put the corn in after heavy rains, and
really planked the land down hard the crop has
come up well and strong. Our later sowings put
in under these conditions have been quite successful.

A. H. : Now, Mr. Durston, you are the head
dairyman over a big herd of cows. Tell us, will
you, how you think the milk of the country will
be affected by this ploughing up and shortage of
pasture ?

W. D. : I think, Mr. Hurd, that our cows should
give us as much milk in wartime as they did in
peace, but that has not proved to be the case in
the first six months of the War. This can be
attributed to the fact that our cake was inferior,
and not being able to get an adequate supply.
Our cows are out to grass now and yields are very
satisfactory, which will help to balance our winter
shortage. Of course, all these extra acres going
under the plough will make our grazing land
scarcer and also we shall not have as many hayricks
for the coming winter, but we hope to have more
good oat straw which will be a good substitute for
one feed of hay.

I shall hope to see the governor make more silage,
and if I can only get the same ration of cake as I
did last winter I don't see the milk supply falHng
off much.

A. H. : How are you off for staff at your dairy ?

62

BURDEROP ON THE AIR

W. D. : Well, sir, we might have been better,
but then we might have been worse. This drift
from the land has been caused by camp contractors
paying these high wages, but if the Government
would guarantee the farmers a fair price for their
produce it would enable them to pay a good
minimum wage to compete with this.

Of course, a good milking-machine helps to solve
this labour problem, as in our own case with an
eight-unit parlour type machine and washing-stalls
attached. Six men and myself milk no cows in
the winter. In the summer there are four men and
one girl, which speaks for itself. We farm chaps
don't mind a bit of hard work, and shall stick to
our guns, but it is a bit galling to us to see these
big wages paid to casual labourers, for I think
everyone will agree that the farming industry takes
one of the foremost positions on our Home Front.

I am very glad to see that the Government have
now taken this matter in hand and we hope we
shall now see wages put on a more equal basis.

A. H. : I quite agree with you. It is one of
these vicious things which does grow up in wartime.
We can all see now it is one of those matters which
should have been put right at the start. I am
afraid you and I can't settle it. Now tell us, have
you any land girls in your dairy ?

W. D. : Yes, I am training one and she is coming
along very well. I think this is the best time of
year to train these girls. They then have an
opportunity to get into their work before winter-
time when the work is not so pleasant and agreeable.

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FARMING AND FOXHUNTING

A. H. : Now, let's hear what the head carter
has to say. You, Mr. Marchant, are in charge of
the horses on this big farm in Wiltshire. I hope
you have kept them hard at work during the spring
sowing ?

W. M. : Yes, Mr. Hurd, we have been working
late many days this spring, sowing the corn, and I
expect we shall have to put in many overtime hours
during the hay and corn harvest. But horses are
like men, they get tired after working their usual
hours, and for that reason I am very pleased to see
the tractors doing a fair amount of this extra work.
We are particularly well equipped with machinery,
and we've been able to get on well with the job.
Of course a tractor don't get tired like the horses,
and what I say is, that it's a far easier job for a
man to ride on the seat of a tractor than it is to
walk behind a team of horses all day.

A. H. : I am sure it is, but then we can't do
without your horse teams.

W. M. : That's just as I see it, Mr. Hurd. We
have got so many jobs on the farm which only the
horses can do. There is waiting on the sheep and
cows in winter ; hauling the corn from the fields
in the summer is far better done by the horses ;
horse-hoeing, hay-turning and -raking can only be
done by the horse after all. But there is one job
I am pleased to see taken away from the horse
and that is hay-sweeping. That was a horse-killing
job, and I am glad to be rid of it. Then there is
another useful job for the horse in the winter,
hauling out the cow dung from the winter stalls.

64

BURDEROP ON THE AIR

The governor has bought one of these dung-
spreaders and I can see a good deal of saving in
labour by using one of these machines for spreading
the dung in the fields.

A. H. : Very well, carter, I can see you are one
of the most useful men on the farm, although you
perhaps have to walk when the others can ride.
I believe, too, you are very fond of your horses and
that's all to the good.

Now shepherd, I believe you are one of the
family of Swattons who for many generations have
been shepherds in Wiltshire. We should like you
to tell us how the war and the weather has affected
you during these last eight months.

C. S. : Yes, it is quite true my family for years
have all taken to sheep. My father before me, and
since he gave up work I have been in charge of
this Hampshire Down flock of sheep. He took
over in 1908 and since 1920 I have been head
shepherd.

A. H. : That's a good record. How did you
manage to get through this bad winter ?

G. S. : Well, we have had a pretty hard struggle.
Since Christmas I have never known such bad
weather for hurdle sheep, not since I have been
shepherding. On Christmas Day I looked round
and came to the conclusion we had more good
swedes than I had seen for years, forty acres of the
best it was, and then by Lady Day every one had
gone rotten, and there wasn't a sound swede left in
the field. The master said I must pitch the hurdles
over 'em and make up with a bit of extra hay.

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FARMING AND FOXHUNTING

The usual cake and corn ration had to be cut down
and that didn't help matters much. I can tell you
I was pleased to get away from those poverty-
stricken root fields, and get on to some early grass.
I told the master we were very lucky to get the
results we did after having to go through such a
trying time — the sheep as well as myself !

A. H. : This nice growing weather must have
gladdened your heart a bit I should think.

G. S. : Yes, since I have been able to give 'em
a bellyful they have done better, and we have
already had the first draw of fat lambs.

A. H. : That's good. Tell us, how is this
ploughing up programme going to affect your
hurdle flocks ?

G. S. : Well, I have been looking at a few of
these ploughed-up pastures and it looks to me that
the hurdle sheep will be wanted more than ever.
I can see the wire-worm busy in every direction
and I think to get rid of them you will have to get
in some green fodder crop, and then feed them off
with hurdle sheep. The treading by the sheep will
put paid to the wire-worms, and give us better corn
crops, which I think is what we want in wartime.

A. H. : Now I should like to ask the foreman a
question about these farm tractors. You can
remember the time, I expect, when the horses
were called upon to do all the work of the farms.
You will agree that the coming of the tractor has
taken away much of the hard work, both of the
horse and the man.

J. P. : That is perfectly true, a tractor on rubber

66

BURDEROP ON THE AIR

tyres is the most useful implement we have on the
farm to-day ; in fact no up-to-date farmer should
be without one. It saves time, it saves labour,
and I am sure it will do its share in helping us to
produce more food, but although tractors are a
very useful implement, as the carter has already
said, riding on a seat all day is quite an easy job.
Compare the tractor driver's job with many others.
Take our lorry drivers, they have been loading
straw to the railway station during the evenings,
and that takes a good deal of heavy labour, and I
must say they have been very willing workers and
have never grumbled when asked to do extra work.

I can assure you, Mr. Hurd, farm workers gener-
ally will pull their weight in winning this war. I
want to appeal to all my fellow-workers to put in
a bit of overtime now and through these summer
months. Root-hoeing for instance, is a thing that
must have attention at the right time. If not, the
roots get in a bad mess and they may have to be
ploughed up. Then all our labour is in vain.

A. H. : I'm glad you mentioned that. Even if
the working day is long, we've all — like the munition
workers, got to put the job first and, if necessary,
work unlimited overtime to make a really good job.

67

CHAPTER IX

ARABLE OR GRASS?

HAVING finished off an earlier chapter by a
dive into farming principles, I will make an
effort to set out a few facts and features on arable
farming on which experience has given me an
object lesson. I am well aware that what I shall
record will be already known to many of my con-
temporaries, but even they will, I am sure, agree
that it is not a bad principle to refresh one's memory
from time to time. Certainly a little reflection
keeps one from running off at a tangent in a hurry.

During the last half-century arable farming has
undergone many changes, the fact that arable acres
have continued to fall since the last war is strong
evidence that without careful management and
what I call a dovetailing principle, arable farming
has been a difficult proposition for many years. But
I do feel that, with the proviso I have mentioned,
there has never been the necessity for the radical
change which has possessed the minds of some
people.

We have certain gentleman writers who have
glorified the grass farmer to a pedestal of fame.
They would seem to infer that a farmer to get a

68

ARABLE OR GRASS?

living must lay his farm down to grass and either
have a flock of sheep with a dog, or he must have a
herd of cows with a milking bale, prepare ensilage
and make hay to turn out milk.

Assume for a moment that the farming com-
munity had followed this line of thought to its
fullest extent, a pretty mess the country would
have found itself in at the opening of this second
war. Farm equipment broken up, labour gone,
and what is more fatal than every other loss that
we can add to the list, arable farming sense relegated
to the melting-pot.

Was it right to revert to the days mentioned in
the Old Testament when Joseph's brethren fed
their flocks in Shechem, or shall we draw an earlier
analogy by referring to the days when Adam left
the Garden of Eden ? Why did he leave ? Was it
not that he took to romancing rather than culti-
vating his garden ? I am not suggesting that he
was ill-advised to be the first man (so it is recorded)
to introduce a little romance into life, but I do think
he might have made an effort to bring off" a
compromise.

During the last twenty-five years I recall men who
launched out into this direct opposite to cultivation
by laying whole farms down to grass. Where it
was done on a vast scale no doubt it has been
very successful, but one regrets that some men have
been swept from the scene of action by so doing.
I am not suggesting that this style of farming
presented no credit balance, as I say on a large scale
it may, but on a small scale the balance is so small

69 F

FARMING AND FOXHUNTING

that one's labour does not meet the demands of a
standard of Hving to which one had been accustomed.
I may have overdrawn the picture a httle, but surely
all is not lost because you farm a few acres of arable
land.

Let me draw a picture of another line of country
which is not altogether a direct negative, but one
which I would call a half-way system, or as I earlier
described it, the dovetailing principle.

My efforts have been directed along these lines
since coming out of a totally arable district. My
aim has been to keep increasing the income ; this
effort has naturally increased the outgoings, but I
have always found that on balance it has been a wise
policy to follow working along these lines. I am
quite willing to admit that without due care and
attention the law of " diminishing returns " springs
into existence, but these cases are few and far
between. I am convinced that we have too many
farmers who err on the side of low production. If
they thought more about bulk and talked less about
price, I rather think they would make a better show.

Let me describe what I mean when I use the
phrase " dovetailing." Naturally it embraces as
many branches of farming as can be usefully accom-
modated on your farm. Milk, sheep, corn, pigs
and poultry cover most of the products on an
ordinary farm. I do not cover so many. I have
never tackled poultry, probably to my cost. Each
one of these branches helps to make the other pay.
It may be that if you pick one out and treat it as
an economic unit you would find the balance on

70

ARABLE OR GRASS I*

the wrong side. Take one in particular, hurdle
sheep. I often tell my head shepherd that his
branch would show a direct loss was it not for the
few ram lambs we are able to turn out yearly, with
very little extra cost. Indeed it would be a still
greater loss if one could not grow the heavy corn
crops which follow the hurdle sheep.

No one will deny that it takes very little extra
labour to harvest a good crop than it does a bad
one. Then again, assuming you have been for-
tunate to harvest a good crop you possess this bulk
I have been talking about to carry a few extra
dairy cows, you have plenty of litter for the pigs and
stubble rakings for the poultry, and again oat straw
in abundance to supplement a short hay crop.

It would be foolish of me to make any suggestion
to include crops under glass because in most cases
it would be impractical, but I can say in my own
case I find the one helps the other. I propose to
say a little on crops under glass in a later chapter.

Believe me, I am not making a claim that during
the years following the Great War one was right
to cultivate every acre possible, but what I am
arguing is that arable farming in conjunction with
alternate husbandry in a limited form, is a much
safer proposition than going all out for grass.

Farming Systems

It was the practice in my early farming days I
know to work one's farm on either the three- or
the four-course system. Quite sound in principle

71

FARMING AND FOXHUNTING

whichever one you select, and even to-day we all
carry these ideas very much into practice. The
fact is, we are forced to if we wish to have a con-
tinuity of useful straw crops, but I have never
stuck rigidly to the system.

My father used to tell me to take a crop when
you can see one, and so one ought unless by doing
so you get into a bit of a tangle with your sheep-
fodder crops. To provide the latter in regular
rotation without let or hindrance, when perhaps
the weather besets you at every point, is one which
will often tax the best organizer, but nevertheless
I have always thought it worth while during my
farming career. Good roots I will have. Really
they are not too difficult to grow if one uses a little
care and judgment as to the cultivation, and perhaps
more so to the sowing period.

One important factor to success with hurdle sheep
is that it is imperative to possess a good shepherd,
and in this I believe I have been most fortunate.

The family of Swattons in north Wilts have the
sheep sense to a marked degree. For some thirty-
odd years, at least one member of the family has
been in charge of my hurdle flocks. Their good
judgment and faithful service has kept me true to
the Hampshire Down breed. William, the father
of my present shepherd Charles Swatton, was with
me in the old Wanborough Plain days.

I remember in those days paying the flock a visit
one wet morning, in fact there had been several
very wet mornings, and saying, " How are they
standing up to weather, shepherd ? " and getting

72

ARABLE OR GRASS. ^

an answer something like this : " They are all
right, sir, they will stand a wet day or two. Do
you remember coming to me last September and
telling I the turnips were going a bit too fast ?
Well, I knowed I wasn't giving 'em too much. You
must give 'em the victuals when they can eat it on
a clean plate, and that'll put a bit of flesh on their
backs to stand again bad weather." Of course he
was right and I was wrong. I have never forgotten
this wise and excellent counsel.

When I look into the future I sometimes doubt
whether the farming of to-morrow can continue
to travel just the same road. I rather think some
modification of our present management may creep
in, but just how this alteration will come I am
unable to offer any prophecy. Our pedigree flocks
will continue to fill their niche in the farming world
of to-morrow I am sure, if we agree on this. Then
I am also sure that we shall find masters and men
who will still aim at the top storey. To get it
you must have fresh food, produced from arable
land, which will involve a labour bill. To me there
would appear no way of escape from such a bill,
and I am not thinking we should be looking for
one. Men, masters, flocks and herds, yes and straw
crops in plenty will still take their place in any
" New Order " which may meet the farmer of
to-morrow.

Arable Cultivations

To my mind no other work on the farm needs
more careful watching than this. Patience is a

73

FARMING AND FOXHUNTING

virtue we are told, I would go further and say,
Patience is not only a virtue but a sheer necessity
in farming arable land, unless you are prepared to
be wasteful in your energy and resources.

My father was ever reminding me that you must
take from Nature all the help she can render. Do
not foil her good work by choking her efforts. If
you want the frost get ready for it before the frost
arrives. If you must have the sun, do not prepare
for the frost and then expect the sun to give you a
full measure of support.

I often think we are too apt to blame Nature for
our mistakes when all the time it is we who have
misbehaved ourselves and never given her a chance.
Having opened my mouth a little wide at this
point, I cannot escape further explanation. We all
know the old adage, get your stubble ploughing
done before Christmas, this gives the fallows a
good opportunity to get well pulverized by frost for
the Spring sowing. Any fool of course knows this ;
yes, that's quite true ; but suppose one has a very
dirty field which must have a good cleaning next
summer, it may be very tempting to plough it up
in the winter when you have time to spare. To
my mind this is where a little patience is most
necessary. Leave it alone until all possibility of
frost has gone and then plough. The chances are
it will come up sleek and wet with no possibility
of being pulverized by frost.

These are ideal conditions for cleaning, the wind
and sun will draw down between the furrows to
dry out all growth. Should one be fortunate to

74

ARABLE OR GRASS?

be able to create these conditions, then all that is
required is to turn the big chunks over at intervals,
and it follows that any couch grass present will be
squeezed to death by the forces of Nature.

Root Cultivations

In different counties there is, I know, a rule which
governs the date of sowing and one assumes, of
course, that there may be some good reason to get
an early start, but this early start has never fasci-
nated me. I do like the ground to get warm before
getting in the roots and kale (other than the man-
gold crop). Even the latter overtakes a late start,
and this late start often gives you another chance
of a late skim, and this late skim will inevitably
save you a hand hoe costing perhaps a pound
per acre.

Too often do we see farmers plant even mangolds
too early and then spend the summer trying to
clean them and never succeeding. You often hear a
farmer say, " I must get my mangolds and kale in
early and get them hoed out before haymaking."
How often do they do it ? Not once in ten years.
Would they not be better advised to get on with the
haymaking, weather permitting of course, and then
deal with the root hoeing perhaps half-way through ?
Surface weeds make very little growth until the land
begins to get a little warm, and your root crop, too,
shows a strong objection to these cold conditions.
Then why ask your soil to take care of the seed
whilst you are dealing with the surface weed ?

75

FARMING AND FOXHUNTING

Deal with the surface weed first and then put in
your seed.

Professor Wrightson, late of Downton College,
once said, "It is the first six months of the year
which give you the corn crop, and the second the
root crop." This observation of the Professor I
believe to be a very true one. But do not let me
mislead anyone by this statement. I am not sug-
gesting one must wait until June 2 1 before making
a start with the sowing — much depends upon what
you require the crop for. For cows to haul off
one must aim at a heavy crop and this objective
will not be attained by too late a sowing, but for
sheep feed one is very safe to delay until June is
well in, and not sow beyond mid-July or early August,
on a warm soil.

Another feature of this late sowing of roots is
that your crop keeps sound and fresh late on into
the autumn. The late swede will resist a winter
frost far better when it is full of growing juices than
it will when old and tough.

Haymaking

By close observation throughout my life I have
come to the conclusion that the man who is a bad
haymaker is finally left wondering why it is that
he does not make the progress he thinks he is
entitled to. As a rule he usually starts too late,
and then makes a bulk of old stuff with neither
milk nor feeding value in it, with the result that he
gets a poor milk yield, in fact his flocks and herds

76

ARABLE OR GRASS?

suffer loss of condition throughout the winter six
months by his inactivity during haymaking.

Where you find a man nippy and quick through-
out the haymaking period, taking advantage of
every hour of sunshine, you will invariably find
that he stores away some useful hay even in a
trying season.

I think Wiltshire men can claim to have speeded
up haymaking to a remarkable degree. Our friend
Mr. Arthur Hosier's idea of putting power behind
the hay sweep has done much to gather it quickly,
and how important this is. Putting your ricks in
the fields has become a general practice and saves
at least 25 per cent, of time which is so all-important.
One sees, of course, here and there the old style of
carrying the crop home, where it is safe and sound
for winter consumption, still living on and perhaps
rightly so in many cases. I sometimes wonder what
would be their saving supposing they provided
themselves with a rubber-tyred vehicle and hauled
it home during winter months. Perhaps not as
much as I imagine.

We see at our agricultural shows another new
style in the offing for dealing with a crop of hay
lying in the fields. I allude to the travelling
baler. Somehow or other this machinery does
not appeal to me. I cannot see it in common
practice, for the simple reason that it is too
expensive for the small man and too slow for
the bigger one.

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FARMING AND FOXHUNTING

Harvest

The self-binder has served us well for many years.
Those of us who can carry our minds back to the
nineteenth century when the old self-reaper did its
sloppy work, realize what a grand implement the
self-binder has been. Are we now to see it replaced
by the harvester-thresher ? Well, it may be (but
only to a minor degree) as I see it. The big corn
farmer cannot disregard the great value he scores
by this method of getting his crop to market.

We are led to believe, and I do not doubt it,
that if you discount all your fodder value as wasted
you still come home with a handsome pull over
the self-binder. Well, as I say, I do not disbelieve
these statements and there is little doubt but what
we shall see the idea gather momentum in years
to come. I believe the praises of the binder will
still be sung for many years on the farms of England,
and we need have no fear that one will be immedi-
ately packed off to the museum to save its type
from extinction.

I have made an earlier allusion to tractors. It
is really amazing when we come to reflect upon
it, what a radical change the internal combustion
engine has brought to the farming world. To-day
it bestows energy in every department of farm life,
it has lightened the load of man and beast to an
astounding degree. What need has any farmer to
fear the toils of the farm provided he can keep his
banker smiling ?

Mentioning the banker reminds me of another

78

ARABLE OR GRASS?

side of the farmer's life in which that much-abused
word " capital " is mixed up. Does history relate
— if it does I have never been able to find even
a trace of it — in any period since records have
been handed down, when the cry has not gone
up that So-and-so has been brought down by lack
of capital ? Of course it is only human for the
mind to prompt one to find a way out of a dilemma
which has overtaken the " misfit." No doubt he
finds it a balm to his soul. Who is prepared to
rob him of it ?

Have we not seen too the man who has had too
much capital ? Is it not very probably that he
too may be numbered amongst the " Misfits "
unless he be warned in time ? Of the two cases
I rather think there is more hope for the former,
i.e. the one who has too little capital. That self-
made capital which one has been able to get
together by one's own effort is worth double any
other.

During the propaganda period through which
we have just passed for a plough-out programme,
voices have been raised here and there on the
question of capital. " Where was the farmer to
find the cash to pay his way until harvest ? " was
a common question to put up to the authorities.
Whilst one is conscious that here and there it was
a vital query, I am satisfied that the authorities
were right to resist up to a point any suggestion
that the State should find credit beyond the -£2
per acre. I believe that this rattle round for a
better response from the land during wartime will

79

FARMING AND FOXHUNTING

do much to revitalize the industry. Too long have
some of these " misfits " encumbered the land. In
the real bad cases War Committees have no option
but to step in and call for a new tenancy, other
offenders get cultivation orders to summer till and
generally put their house in order. Who knows but
it may be this strong line of action may restore
a peace of mind which has been long absent from
some who struggle to obtain a very thin living
from the occupation of land.

80

CHAPTER X

PRESENT-DAY FARMING

AFTER some twenty years' occupation of a
holding, it would be surprising, in fact un-
progressive, did one not alter his methods of
management. It has been our annual practice to
have a valuation each year. In fact we make an
effort to do rather more than this, and have not
failed yet to draw a balance sheet at the close of
each farming year. It does give one an idea not
only of the collective effort, although that is the
most important one, but you take the opportunity
to examine each branch in detail just to see whether
there is any possibility of cutting down the expenses,
or if this is not possible to find some way to increase
the output of a particular branch.

A great effort is made to get all this into line
as quickly as possible after Michaelmas. It not
only satisfies your curiosity, but you are able to
get your plans well forward for the New Year.
Incidentally in my own case having done this, I
then feel free to put in a few days of sport during
the winter months. A clear conscience is a soothing
balm, is it not ?

My valuer said to me one day, " Your turnover

8i

FARMING AND FOXHUNTING

is certainly in a better condition since you have
got well settled in at Burderop," and my reply was
something like this, " Well, Mr. Valuer, after a
few years' experience you begin to know your farm,
its different fields, the stock it will carry, and know-
ledge of all these factors should give you a better
result, should it not ? "

It seems to me there is a growing practice amongst
farmers to-day to run their business more on depart-
mental lines. It certainly relieves you of much
anxiety if you can get one good man in charge of
a department and then have an organizing foreman
to link these different departments together. Of
course to follow out a system of this sort you must
be in a fair way of business. To use a slang term
it is not good business to have cats about unless
they catch mice.

Some years ago I overheard a certain man in
conversation with my father remark, " You must
not work your son too hard, Mr. Whatley, he isn't
built for hard work." I am rather afraid that
remark left an indelible stain upon my character,
and ever since I have schemed to avoid hard work.

It is somewhat snobbish to admit that a common
farmer employs a secretary, but I am sure those
who read my correspondence are delighted to think
that I do ; by doing so I can claim to save their
time and relieve them from nerve strain. What a
bother it is to read some people's letters. I often
fuss over a certain word for hours.

A great friend of mine called one day, tapped on
the door of the office and said, "I see you have

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PRESENT-DAY FARMING

your secretary and foreman present, but may I be
allowed to come into the Holy of Holies ? This,
I presume, is what one must call the nerve-centre
of this departmental business." Looking round the
office he followed on, " Ah, here we have the
telephone exchange, one line to the nurseries, one
to the foreman, yes and another to the house, I
see. What a lazy man you must be, Whatley.
Well, good-bye, I must not detain you. I shall
see you at Lotmead Gate to-morrow morning, I
hope. What time do the hounds meet ? By the
by, can you send a horse along for the huntsman
to ride ? I can't do it, I have one gone lame."

But to be serious, it is very helpful to be assured
at an early hour in the morning that the work is
going somewhat to plan, and whilst my friend was
very amusing over the system of telephones, one
does find a great relief in working things this way.
My friend was not able to see the whole bag of
tricks, for he little knew that the foreman too is
linked up with the main lines and therefore able
to carry on when I am out, and often I must admit
when I am in. One in my sitting-room and one
in the bedroom completes the list. You see,
laziness is no good unless it is on a grand scale.

Talking of this linking up business it is really
a very important one and if worked successfully
can be the means of a tremendous saving in time
and expense. For instance we are milking some
200 cows at three different dairies and in the old
days, three horses and milk-carts were kept in use
carting milk to the station, and incidentally were

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FARMING AND FOXHUNTING

a continual expense. All this has been eliminated
and we now haul the milk right to London in our
own lorries, daily, of course. This involves the
use of two lorries and two drivers. One would
do the job, but it is not a safe proposition because
one might very easily break down, therefore we
provide two and when one is on the road doing
the London journey, the other is available for the
farm and nursery work. I calculate this saving in
railway carriage to be a considerable one. I am
pretty certain you can afford a new one every
three years.

There is also another pull to the credit side of
the account by this new organization ; each day we
haul the milk out we bring back the feeding-stuffs
for animal consumption. In the old days what a
bother it was to find someone to take the milk to
the station when the milking was over, but we find
no difficulty in getting a driver to take the London
daily journey. During hay and harvest time I have
often heard this remark as the men were sitting
down taking their tea, " The milk lorry is back,
we shall have a bit more help soon."

It has often occurred to me when examining the
detailed figures of the balance sheet to give up the
bother and trouble of dealing with a neighbour's
threshing business. When I do give thought to
this question I cannot escape a new urge to carry
on for the very reason that it is a unit of the whole,
and therefore why discontinue it ? It certainly fills
up an odd moment for a lorry to haul coal, oil,
etc., and the men too come in for the summer

84

Hampshirk Down Sheep,

PRESENT-DAY FARMING

season's work on the farm, or probably at the
nurseries.

This question of keeping your staff employed
the full year round is solved to some extent by
using a parlour type of milking machine. You
certainly release three men to deal with work in
the fields during the summer months. It is often
claimed — perhaps with some truth — that your yield
of milk will suffer when you are forced to resort
to using machinery in the cow-byre, but when you
weigh it all up I believe one is well advised to
install it. In the case of sickness too you can often
produce a man who can untie a cow or perhaps
wash it, when he might be totally unqualified to
milk it.

Sheep

Hitherto pedigree Hampshire Down sheep have
been a very strong feature in our productive effort.
There is little doubt but that they have made a
good contribution to heavy crops of corn in past
years, in fact up to the outbreak of this present
war, but at the moment they appear to be a heavy
liability. One can very rightly argue it would be
a sound proposition to clear them off and take the
cash they should have left lying in the soil, but
taking the long view can we visualize the day when
our pedigree flocks and herds will be no more ?
I hardly think so.

Look back through the last century and note the
time and effort expended to build up these excellent
stocks, surely we are not going to lose our pride

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FARMING AND FOXHUNTING

of place in re-stocking the world with high-class
animals. Is it not claimed the world over that the
English climate and soil just fits the job of providing
the right size, breed and type of animal to suit all
temperate countries ? Must we not look a little
beyond this present war which has brought a
limitation to our practice in this direction ?

We do, of course, receive a few jars to our con-
fidence when we see good men like Mr. Roland
Dudley of Linkenholt and Major Bland of Aldbourne
proclaiming the wonderful results of chicken farming
in restoring fertility to the land. Well, it may be
we shall find room for both systems to take their
place in any new order which may appear in the
farming world of to-morrow.

The Hampshire Down breed is certainly holding
its own in the world of sheep. I must qualify this
by saying the pedigree flocks compared to many
breeds are holding their own. For folding the
arable land nothing else seems to fit the job ; as a
folding breed for your roots and other soiling crops
it is far preferable to the cross breeds which seem
to resent any kind of food except grass. It makes
a capital cross on almost any breed, has the early
maturing qualities, a good type of wool and cer-
tainly is not coarse in its conformation. That this
argument is sound is very well demonstrated by
the fact that the ram lamb sales at Salisbury and
other county fairs are well maintained.

I find that I have no difficulty in disposing of
all I can save each year, sometimes we may reach
to as many as sixty in a season. I am quite pre-

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PRESENT-DAY FARMING

pared to say that did we not have this ready market
for our ram lambs at a figure in the neighbourhood
of six guineas apiece, our Hampshire Down flocks
would show us a very different return.

Some of us diehards have got to admit the
disappearance of many hurdle folding flocks during
the last generation. I myself look with pleasure
to my half-bred flock of breeding ewes, they indeed
take their place and make a very useful contribu-
tion to the credit side of the balance sheet, and
certainly without much expense, but they cannot
fill the role of keeping the arable land in good heart
by regular folding, or is it that I just do not manage
them the right way ? I prefer to use them to
dispose of surplus crops or to keep certain crops
in check, such as the seeds in the autumn, to clean
up the pastures when the dairy cows go into winter
quarters and perhaps a few acres of rape and
turnips which must be cleared for a wheat break.
How well they take to mating when they get this
latter opportunity ; besides, it puts a bit of flesh
on their backs to stand the rigours of the higher
enclosures where they must finally winter.

Then just about the end of February they come
back to the better pastures in time to tune up for
lambing in the middle of March, or perhaps carry
on in the low pastures to keep the grass in check
until the arrival of the milking cow at grass time,
whose arrival may be delayed owing to a wet spring.

This year we had a most amusing time with this
flock of half-breds. As usual they were removed
from their bare winter quarters to feed pastures in

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FARMING AND FOXHUNTING

rotation, all worked out to arrive on a certain day
to commence lambing. By some mischance the
shepherd had miscalculated the day on which they
were due to start, consequently they were held back
in a certain field ; however, instinct must have
prompted them to make an effort to arrive on time ;
on two occasions the foreman reported that he was
obliged to send someone to put them back into
the half-way meadow. On the third morning, to
my amazement, I met them again on their way down,
just comfortably walking along. They were deter-
mined to get into the right field for lambing. They
were right and the shepherd was wrong, for lo and
behold the very next morning quite a few lambs
arrived.

Machinery

There is no escape from a situation of finding
yourself surrounded by obsolete machinery. Last
year I remember a conversation with a well-known
and up-to-date farmer at an agricultural show.
He remarked, " How happy one would be if one
could just give an order to transport all this modern
machinery home and send back all the obsolete stuff
one has about." How true that is, but then one
cannot just do it, the balance sheet resents such
treatment.

We have a set of steam-plough engines in very
good order, in fact they are still doing good work,
and we quite realize they are far from an economic
proposition. But there again they seem to take
their place in the general scheme when a busy time

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PRESENT-DAY FARMING

arrives after harvest — the drivers are able to inter-
change with the threshing-machine men. There
is one good feature about this kind of tackle, they
do not require much housing. Lying around they
don't even attract my neighbours, for I seldom get
asked to do a job these days. There is only one
thing to do, they must be retired gradually and
gracefully, such tackle is too expensive.

The steam-engine still provides the motive power
for our threshing-sets, the track-laying tractor is, I
know, considered to be ideal for moving threshing
machines and their gear about the country together
with a gang of men for hiring purposes, but again
you are up against an enormous expense when your
tractor requires a new track to run on. This makes
me hesitate to scrap the old steam-engine ; besides,
what would my banker say did I think it right to
ask for another £i,ooo overdraft to enable me to
bring about the change-over ?

Now do not let me create the impression that
tractors find no place in our scheme of things. I
rather like the Fordson on rubber tyres, she is so
quick and nippy and most efficient for sweeping
the hay ; ploughing, too, she will tackle with her
rubber tyres unless the ground is very weather-
sodden. When that day arrives, well is it not wise
to stand off altogether ?

Ensilage

What a burst of popularity seems to have over-
taken the making of ensilage ? Why, some of us

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FARMING AND FOXHUNTING

have never failed to fill a silo for the last twenty-
years, but during that time and particularly in a
nice dry summer, I have often wondered whether my
labour costs were ever returned in value of winter
produce, but here again it becomes a regular part
of the system. Why ? Because you make full time
with labour. For several weeks, from the middle of
June until the middle of July, it often fits in to fill the
silo during the morning and then make hay during
the afternoon.

Of late years we have made an effort to grow a
crop usually made up of a mixture of oats, beans and
vetches, plus one or two cwt. sulphate of ammonia,
but how difficult it is to provide a crop of equal
proportions to your sowing efforts, one which can be
comfortably dealt with by a binder. Weather
conditions would seem to affect the growth of each
product in a different way and you will often find
one will outgrow the other. When ideal conditions
do exist the job is easy compared to dealing with
your crops by mowing machine. Another point,
putting the sheaves through the silo cutter is a much
easier job than feeding loose material.

There is one good feature about ensilage making,
one never needs to be conscious of any break in
your summer operations of putting away winter
produce. Of late years we have somewhat reduced
our effort in making silage, that is we do not follow
the system to such an extent that we let other
operations get too much in arrears. One has to
consider the call from other branches of production.

Silage, I find, is of a fairly strong nature from a

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PRESENT-DAY FARMING

feeding point of view, therefore at feeding time I like
to water it down with wheat chaff or what some
people call blowings from the threshing machine,
and at the same time mix in one or perhaps two
pounds of sugar-beet pulp to each cow. This method
cuts out entirely one ration of hay ; besides, it makes
a variety of food and it does help the yield of milk.
The dry beet pulp mixes off well with the damp
silage.

Crops under Glass

When you come to think it out farmers spend a
good deal of their time in trying to defeat the
ravages of Nature. Frost, wind, rain and even
sunshine can do an immeasurable amount of harm
unless you can control them. When you get crops
under glass you have a much better chance of
exercising this control. When a frost is imminent
you put on a little more heat, when the sun shines
you can open a window and you can regulate the
water by the hose-pipe. This process if carefully
handled will invariably give you a good crop ; this
crop as a rule will generally find a good market.
Have we not in our very midst — when I say midst,
I mean this country — the finest market filled with
consumers possessing a taste for the best money
can buy ? When you fail to provide the goods, this
customer does not understand your argument when
you explain something about a frost or wind which
swept your crop away in the night, and therefore
you cannot supply his want. What he says is, I
must have it, cost what it will.

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FARMING AND FOXHUNTING

It is amazing what a taste for tomatoes has
grown up during recent years, the taste seems almost
insatiable, and now in wartime they are regarded
as a necessary food, one is well satisfied with every
effort to grow the crop.

On four and a quarter acres we shall hope to
gather during the season, of six months, something
approaching i6o tons with a staff of 25 men, women
and boys during the peak period. No very close
observation is necessary to conclude these few acres
are turning out their quota of food in wartime.

Since venturing into cropping under glass I am
agreeably surprised to find how it can be linked up
with general farming. Labour is a very important
factor and one which can be very expensive
unless carefully organized. The nurseries provide
work under cover when the weather does not
provide work in the fields. I also find one can
place a delicate man under the glass where he
continues to find employment which might otherwise
be discontinued. Interchanges can be instituted
during seasonal operations, at times one can just
save a crop by concentration of labour if only for a
few hours. Then, again, your farm can provide
the farmyard manure, straw, etc., and your trans-
port is forthcoming from your farm lorries to haul
a matter of 500 tons of coal. All these various
services can be charged up to the nursery account
which indeed makes quite a useful credit to the
farm balance sheet.

It was rather curious how the idea emanated to
enter the market-garden world, or rather growing

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PRESENT-DAY FARMING

crops under glass. A daughter was about to finish
her educational studies when the usual family dis-
cussion arose as to her future career. Well, why
not gardening to include culture of crops under
glass ? When this seemed to be the general opinion,
it followed that some training was necessary and in
the meantime a contractor was called in to give an
estimate to put up a single house, and when I
suggested that his estimate seemed on the high side
he replied, " But why not put up five, they will cost
so much less in proportion ? " Well, this set us
thinking and eventually we took the plunge. It
really was the only sensible thing to do, for you must
have a water system, a cottage and a packing shed.
So why build all this for one single house ?

One day I was having a look round just to see how
the building was going on and in chatting to the
men remarked to the foreman that I hoped he would
make a good job of this, our new venture, and he
replied, " Ah, sir, you needn't bother too much
about our work, we shall sure to be here again
soon." He was a knowledgeable man that foreman.

When one takes on these new ventures with a
clear absence of information it is most essential to
select someone with knowledge to run the show.
In my case it certainly was a happy choice when I
engaged my present nursery manager, E. Messenger,
to take charge. He certainly has the knowledge, is
a good organizer of men, and not only organizes,
but works with them and thereby despatches the
work which is so important.

Before I finish up these remarks on " Crops under

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FARMING AND FOXHUNTING

Glass " I must give a little heed to the question of
marketing the produce. When you are in a small
way retailing the goods to some extent can be a
very profitable business, but a few boxes of tomatoes
here and perhaps a few there, entails an incalculable
amount of time, labour, expense and bother. Since
launching out to a real effort and covering some four
acres with glass, this marketing business must be
reconsidered. Arrangements are well forward to
start a bi-weekly auction sale in the local town of
Swindon. This is an entirely new venture for us
and for Swindon. Whether it proves a success or
otherwise we shall at least have handed over our
troubles of sales, and more particularly the collection
of the cash to a well-known firm of auctioneers.

When one leads a busy life how helpful, indeed
how necessary it is to be surrounded by a good staff
of willing workers. I count myself particularly
fortunate in this way, no man could be served better.
My present farm and general manager, Jim Pressy,
relieves me of much detailed organization and thus
gives me time to exercise my energies in other
directions. It is no good clogging your life with
too much detail if you can get along easily without
it, neither can one, or at least I can't, consider the
idea of retiring from business, the fact is one cannot
afford to, either metaphorically or monetarily.
Those who do are at their wit's end to know how to
occupy their time, amusement soon tires, and then
where are they, just lonely and miserable.

94

CHAPTER XI

A FLYING VISIT TO SCOTLAND-
AUGUST I, 1937

TO a farmer this is perhaps the most interesting
time of year to pay a visit to Scotland. You
strike the country when practically all the crops are
in the fields, and in this year of Grace 1937, much
of the hay. The crops make a great show, a show
certainly equal to anything in the British Isles, and
in my opinion not excelled anywhere in the world.

I am sure as one proceeds north by rail via
Berwick and Edinburgh right away up the east
coast as far as Aberdeen, the land seems to lend
itself to heavy crops. To leave Edinburgh on a
summer evening and pass through that marvellous
country of Midlothian and over the Forth Bridge
and away north, seems to strike a note of romantic
thrill.

From the rail you get a much better view than
you do from a car, and as you near Dundee the
great Tay Bridge comes into sight, and someone
in the train will be telling you the tale that in 1879
on a Christmas night the bridge broke up and the
train fell in. Then again you get a view of the
golden grain crops running down to the water's edge,

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FARMING AND FOXHUNTING

with the blue sea beyond. Such a picture puts you
into a dream, and you wonder for one short moment
whether Hfe as an artist would not be preferable to
the strenuous life of a farmer.

But that vision quickly passes when you begin
to work out the method of the Scotsman's cropping,
which seems to be potatoes, wheat, swedes, oats
and then temporary pasture. Are not some of us
thinking of temporary pasture without roots ? The
Scotsman seems to have both and we must too.
It is no good getting too lazy, following the line of
least resistance.

I made some enquiries about grass-drying plants
and was told that there was only one in Scotland.
One would have thought that here was God's own
country particularly adapted for grass drying. Ah,
the Scot is a canny fellow, and he is waiting for
information from the south.

Some of you may begin to wonder why I have been
wandering about Scotland at this time of the year
when one should be home gathering the crops,
others will know that in that country the great sheep
sales are fairly frequent during August and Septem-
ber, and my primary object of going north was to
buy sheep.

There seems no doubt that the Half Bred lamb is
the one that comes south in the greatest numbers,
being perhaps the most suitable for a general pur-
pose ; where the keep is of mixed character and not
too poor in quality, he certainly is the best. The
Scotsman says that if you want them to live on air,
of course you must have the Cheviot or the Scotch

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A FLYING VISIT TO SCOTLAND

Black Face, but Half Breds must follow the plough ;
in other words, you must plough for the Half Bred
or he will suffer from sheep sickness, when perhaps
the others will come through.

Prices would seem to be about on a level with our
local fairs, and Marlborough in particular. Railway
carriage from just over the Border works out at about
2s. per head, whilst from Aberdeen and sales on a
line as far north will be 4>y.

97

CHAPTER XII

AN IMPRESSION OF GERMAN FARMING—

1938

AT the invitation of Count von Metternich, who
is himself farming about 2,000 acres, I spent a
very pleasant and agreeable week on this gentleman's
estate in Westphalia. To quote his own language to
a friend who was the medium of the invitation, " I
could easily give him the opportunity to look round
our organization . . . and I am sure that such
visits may tighten the mutual relations between our
two countries." In an invitation embodying such
friendly relations, one could well look forward to an
interesting time, and so it proved.

On my arrival by air liner at Hanover, the Count,
true to his appointment, met me with his motor-car.
Shall I ever forget that drive, and the day following,
to a Horse Show at Cologne ! What a driver and
what a pace ! I have never travelled so fast in a
car before ; but nothing happened, a few near
shaves of course, and one would expect to get them
when travelling at well over 100 kilometres an hour.
All I know is that I sat in the car and worked it out
to be between 80 and 90 miles an hour. However,
let me hasten to say that cars are not so numerous in

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GERMAN FARMING — IQSS

Germany as in England, therefore the risk is not so
great as one might imagine.

To get back to the farming story, the first impres-
sion on the journey from Hanover down into
WestphaHa is one of admiration. You think, what
crops ! and how well the land is farmed, not a spare
foot in field, forest or garden ; even the roadsides
are planted with apple- or pear-trees. The fields
were just heavy with standing crops, and reminded
me very much of a visit I paid to the Lothians
of Scotland in the late summer recently, just vital
crops for man and beast. No meadow hay for
the cows in winter, or very little, just a few odd
pastures for summer feeding. You would see clover,
wheat, barley (winter), sugar beet, rye, oats and
beans, also many fields of rape seed to supplement
the call for oil, following on in rotation much as I
have recorded them, and I must not forget the very
important potato crop.

I was particularly interested in the oat and bean
mixture, both of spring variety. This is a crop
grown on a 4 to 9 basis, and quite a common one,
more particularly for the milk cow. In order to
make myself quite clear, let me say the 4 to 9 basis
is for planting purposes, and is not quoted as a
correct balanced ration. It is my intention to give
this crop a trial. I rather think it will fill the gap
we have in our home-grown feeding-stuffs.

Another thing that strikes one, or it did me, who
is in the habit of seeing a few fallow fields on heavy
land, is the absence of them in Germany. It may
have been partial, of course, to that part of the

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FARMING AND FOXHUNTING

country in which we were motoring, but apparently
it is not very common anywhere, for I remarked to
my host, " Where is your summer fallow to ensure a
periodical cleaning for all this cropping ? " and he
promptly replied, " Oh, the summer fallow was
driven out when Hitler came in, the inter-cropping
with sugar beet and potatoes does not admit many
weeds."

On reflection it occurs to me what happy farmers
we should all be if we could get a Minister of
Agriculture appointed, who, with a magic wand,
could sweep away all weeds and rubbish from our
arable land. What it really amounts to, is that
under the Hitler regime, embracing as it does the
partial closing of the ports, if not entire closing,
against importations of goods which can be produced
in the country, every effort must be made to grow
heavy crops, and there would appear to be plenty
of men ready and willing to make that effort.

Hitler says the labourer must be paid a fair wage,
and the farmer guaranteed a living profit, and
certainly there would appear to be a sense of satisfac-
tion and mutual trust prevailing in the rural areas,
which most probably springs from this arrangement,
or perhaps I should say, order.

The farm wage, I gathered, was about three marks
per day. A mark in our English money would be
about IS. gd. This would put the wage bill on a
par with ours. The key men would get more, and
in many cases other privileges, such as a strip of
land and perhaps the use of the farmer's horses and
tools in the evening to gather in his crops.

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GERMAN FARMING — I938

Before I leave the question of crops I did obtain
one piece of information to the effect that Httle, if
any, importation of grain would be required that
year, and if they get a surplus it would be stored in
silos, and not exported as in other years of
plenty.

The universal greeting " Heil Hitler " instead of
*' How do you do," seems uncommonly strange to
one from a free and easy country like old England
who has, as my friend remarked, a lead of some three
centuries in the art of democratic Government.
However, the fact remains that in 1933 the country-
side of Germany was apparently on the verge of a
great social upheaval and by 1 938 a sense of satis-
faction seemed to prevail.

It is difficult to get away from the country's
politics, they are so fascinating, but then a display of
force generally is fascinating if a little disturbing.
Perhaps I shall be on firmer ground if I return to
the cows, these are practically all of the Friesian
breed and much good work is being done in grading
up the better milking strains. But when we took
a look at the sheep, which are mostly of the Hamp-
shire Down type, or what I saw there were, these
apparently were originally imported from England,
and are now showing signs of a lack of fresh blood.
Importation presented difficulties, for it is no easy
matter to get money out of the country for any
purpose. However, this I think is a short-sighted
policy which I believe they must find a way of
overcoming, and then our breed societies must get
busy and be ready for business.

lOI H

FARMING AND FOXHUNTING

In the meantime why should this factor be the
medium to put the wheel of negotiation in motion ?
In our dealings with Russia, of course, this difficulty
does not exist, they have the gold from the Ural
Mountains at their back.

A day at the Cologne Show gives one a good idea
of the horses. These are mostly of Percherons and
Suffolk type, and a good type they are. Government
inspection here again is doing good work in weeding
out all undesirables and only the best are allowed to
propagate. In the parade one saw many unique
features. Just fancy putting heavy horses into
sulkies and trotting them round the ring to show off
their good movements, and another, fastening ten
led horses into a line and dressing them by the crack
of the whip, and trotting them round the ring. I
thought, and later remarked to the Count, even the
horses in Germany keep step.

The poor pig was having a thin time. There are,
of course, many in the country, but not so many
just in the area of my visit. We in England do
understand, do we not, that the pig is a very ex-
pensive animal to have about when foods are dear.

I gathered in Germany he was waiting patiently
until Hitler had his four years to right the country,
which apparently is his objective, and then perhaps
the pig will again come into his own. In normal
times one can hardly imagine the country being
short in her pig population.

I saw one old lady wheeling home a barrow-load
of thistles, and when I enquired their destination, I
was told that they were for the pig. I thought to

102

GERMAN FARMING I938

myself, I would go on strike if I were the pig, but
then strikes are not allowed in Germany.

In a general survey, one cannot but notice the
absence of decay in any form : reconditioning of
buildings and cottages would seem to be in operation
wherever necessary. Money put back again into
the estate would appear to be insulated against tax.
What a practical idea ! Should we not welcome
such a programme for our country-side in England ?

I was particularly interested in the erection of
a new dairy ; this, I thought, embraced many good
features somewhat in advance of our own ideas.

I must admit being checkmated when asked to
examine the system of accounting recently adopted
for analysing the ebb and flow of farm progress.
However, I did come to the conclusion that this
principle was showing good results. We in Wiltshire,
of course, know similar societies are doing excellent
work.

Of course, the visit would be incomplete without
seeing the Labour camps. On arrival at head-
quarters of these camps, one sees a large map of
Germany hung on the wall, giving all the informa-
tion, and a tracing of the localities in which labour
is required for draining swampy land, and other
work of national importance. Parties proceed daily
into these areas, and there is no doubt in this way
useful work gets done. The farmer, too, can draw
on this labour should occasion arise, such as deal-
ing with crops, for which services he pays the
Government direct. Of course, this method does
not appeal to us as a nation, and what is more, one

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FARMING AND FOXHUNTING

cannot think it will ever become part of our social
life, but to a conscript people, and there are many in
Europe to-day, it is no great hardship. It really
means six months longer in the Army, for the life is
the same and the pay identical.

Finally I left the country with very mixed feel-
ings. One sees the great movement and progress
of the country-side, the completeness of the Germans'
great organizing powers, and for this the Nazi
regime is largely responsible. But one feels that,
behind it all, there is that over-riding dominating
force which must dumb the conscience and retard
the responsibility of the individual, and the objective
of which leaves a doubt and a fear in the minds of so
many.

104

CHAPTER XIII

HOLIDAYS

A FEW enjoyable trips abroad have come my
way during these later years. My wife and I
took a very interesting voyage down the Atlantic and
I seem to think we put in a month calling in and out
of places like Maderia, Portugal, and then as far as
the Canary Islands. This time of crossing the Bay of
Biscay the waves gave no trouble. How delightful
to travel by sea when weather conditions are good and
how miserable one can be when conditions are bad.
At the close of the Great War my brother Sam
paid us a visit from Canada. Canada in those days
was booming, the world was hungry, and this I
presume gave her the peak years in growing wheat.
What a fall she has sustained since. Well, in those
days everyone had a pound or two in his pocket, and
we both agreed it would be a mistake to put off the
day to pay a visit to the battlefields of France and
Belgium until circumstances had relieved us of
those few pounds. But it was a never-to-be-
forgotten and sorry sight ; any Englishman who still
retains a vision of that devastating picture must be
ever thankful that battlefields have been absent
from his country for centuries.

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FARMING AND FOXHUNTING

Before the days of the Pigs Marketing Board, when
bacon production in the county was certainly in
its infancy, Mr. Stratton, the Chairman of the
County AgricuUural Committee, thought it advisable
that his staff organizers should obtain more useful
information from Scandinavian countries on modern
methods of the pig and bacon industry.

The choice for this work fell to the lot of Mr.
Price, the Chief Organizer of the county. How-
ever, Messrs. Harris, of Calne, had a thought that
they would like to support this movement, and on
the condition that a farmer was selected by the
N.F.U. to be one of the party, they would be
prepared to contribute £^o towards the expenses of
the expedition. The County N.F.U. very kindly
offered me the job which I gladly accepted. This
proved to be a very instructive and interesting trip,
covering Denmark, Sweden and Germany. The
Danes have for years led the way in modern bacon
production and from them we obtained the latest
ideas of the housing and feeding of the pig. I was
amazed to find such a massed pig population very
free of infectious diseases ; this, of course, is from the
fact that the Dane has the pig sense to a marvellous
degree ; he certainly has the will and the knowledge
to keep the pig clean, comfortable and well fed.
When the pig enjoys these conditions he makes
a flourishing industry. Where else can you find
pigs housed in such numbers in such a small space ?

One sees there several centres where they are
accommodated in two storeys, the weaners on the
upper and the fatters on the ground floor. Luckily

1 06

HOLIDAYS

Mr. Price was armed with an introduction to the
Minister of Agriculture for Denmark which enabled
us when in Copenhagen to accept the honour of
meeting him. It was from him that we gathered
the information that Denmark was in a very bad
way with her agriculture at the close of the nine-
teenth century and that the bacon industry dated its
birth from those depressing times. We might well
ask ourselves the question, Does this not coincide
with the expansion of milk production in our own
country ? I am well assured that we farmers in
this country had the choice of seats in the English
market at a time when both countries were seeking
a solution to the troubles of a passing age.

What an exciting journey we had when passing
from Sweden to Germany ! You entrain at Malmo
in Sweden, get into your sleeping-bunks and wake
up and find yourself in Germany, or I should say
you could if you felt sleepy. You could very well
imagine the regular traveller doing this, but not so
those who were anxious to see and to experience
scenes of a lifetime. What really happens is that
the whole train is ferried over during the night and
the passengers have an opportunity to explore both
the train and the boat. You can either drink in the
bar of the boat or dine in the car of your train.

Berlin in the days of 1929 was a city of quiet
orderly enjoyment ; two days spent here were full of
pleasing interest and apparently no one was dream-
ing of Hitler's disturbing influence which was soon
to overtake the city.

When we had finished our business in Germany of

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FARMING AND FOXHUNTING

seeing the various pig farms, we took a few hours off
to see the sights of BerHn, and a few of us joined a
party of tourists on a jaunt round the city. The con-
ductor was a man who spoke several languages and
really was a witty fellow. As we passed through
the Brandenburg Gate he said, " Here we have the
Brandenburg Gate of Berlin through which the great
Blucher passed after winning the battle of Waterloo."
As an Englishman I thought surely this was a tall
story, so I pulled him up to ask a question. " Here,"
I said, " can you tell us who won the battle of
Waterloo — was it Blucher or was it Wellington ? "
and with a smile upon his face he replied, " Ah,
Monsieur, I must be diplomatic."

I little thought at the time we left Germany it
would fall to my lot to pay a return visit some years
later. Now I have already made some comments on
this trip to Germany in 1938, but in the light of
subsequent events I think I can add a little which
may be of interest.

In my early remarks I mentioned that I was
surprised to find a Hampshire Down sheep flock on
Count Metternich's estate in Westphalia, and this
flock was showing signs of deterioration. The
regeneration of it was a matter we could discuss
in common and I eventually prevailed upon him to
let me send him out some fresh blood, the outcome
of the arrangement being that I sent him out two
ram lambs from my own flock, and one from Major
Bland's.

Unfortunately, before we could exchange any
correspondence on the result, unfriendly relations

108

HOLIDAYS

crept in between our respective countries, and put
an end to any further arguments on the merits of
the Hampshire Down breed of sheep.

Adolf Hitler seemed to be more concerned about
the pure blood of his people rather than the pure
blood of his flocks and herds. Well, I am not so
sure, but my information leads me to think that the
people of Germany are more concerned about the
regeneration of their flocks and herds. I am sure
the people in the country-side are.

The Count and I — by the by he could speak the
English language fairly well — had many a political
talk on the merits and demerits of the Nazi regime.
He was convinced that Hitler was directing the
nation to a solution of their economic troubles. I
sometimes wonder whether he still thinks so, but at
that hour of the day his mind was impregnated with
the troubles of 1932-3 when the spiral spin down-
wards of all economic values had spun its last spin ;
those, he told me, were dark days for Germany,
and this finally induced him to join the party of the
National Socialists as a last hope.

We discoursed on the question of German colonies.
His words were these : " Their return was really of
little importance provided Germany could obtain
from overseas raw materials to maintain her
industries " ; and then again on the question of the
democratic constitution, " Well," he said, " they
had tried it, but for the German nation they found
it unworkable. The English undoubtedly have
made a great success of this form of Government but
then you must remember you as a nation are three

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FARMING AND FOXHUNTING

hundred years in advance of us." This declaration
I took to be a great compHment to my country.

During my week's stay with the Count and his
family I came across many others who were of the
opposite opinion — indeed were very doubtful of the
success of the Nazi regime.

I met a lady visitor staying in the house who, by
the by, could speak the English language even
better than I could myself, who disclosed the view
that there was a large volume of opinion amongst
the old ruling classes who were looking for an
explosion sooner or later. I remember too the
expression on the faces of the peasant classes. On
my arrival it was " Heil Hitler ! " with lightning
speed and a hearty voice, but when they began to
realize that I was not a member of the Gestapo,
what a different greeting I got when meeting them
in the fields or around the farm buildings, and finally
when I packed my bag I was besought to come
again.

To conclude the record of this pleasant visit I
must recount my experience on my way back.
When I motored up to Hanover to take the 'plane
for England my departure was not quite so pleasant.
What a ruthless examination I was subjected to !
Every rag in my bag was examined and then when
I had carefully re-packed I was tapped on the
shoulder and taken into a room for a personal
search, not exactly stripped, but every pocket and
corner of my clothes turned out.

What a contrast I found on arriving at Croydon !
There the Excise officer spotted my Masonic number

no

HOLIDAYS

on a small handbag and then said, " Anything to
declare ? " " No," I replied, and the whole thing
was over in a moment. Can we but believe it,
this small act of courtesy, trust and security, is a
clear demonstration of the principles for which we
are fighting Germany to-day, and may we win !
Indeed we must !

Ill

CHAPTER XIV

LAND TENURE

SINCE the opening of the twentieth century
landed proprietors have suffered a great deal of
regimentation or lack of freedom in handling their
estates — that is assuming they have carried on the
old method of letting their farms on a yearly tenancy.
Some of this regimentation has been helpful to the
tenants, but I am not sure that all the clauses of
the Act have given results commensurable with good
farming. The Game clauses, whereby a "sitting"
tenant may lay claim to damage done to growing
crops, have been helpful, but evidence still exists that
these have had little effect, if any, on the reduction
of game or rabbits.

No one wishes to restrict our national sports,
but some of these shooting syndicates might very
well curb their anxiety to show a heavy bag, and
take steps to lower their stock of game. If this
were done I feel certain many farmers would reap
a real benefit.

There is another side to this limitation of a land-
lord's right in dealing with his own property, and
one which I have always held to be of a very doubtful
benefit to the tenant. In many cases I am quite

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LAND TENURE

certain it does not add to the output of produce
from many a farm. I refer to that part of the Act
which allows a " sitting " tenant to claim a year's
rent or more from a landlord should he be disturbed
from his holding. This, in my opinion, leads to
indifferent farming in many instances. Take the
case of a man who gets into a farm, settles down
to a policy of least resistance, just looks with content-
ment on a programme which will bring in a fair
living and no more ; as for his obligation to the
land, hedges and ditches — well, he neglects them
and does not bother, sails along year by year, smiles
at his landlord as much as to say, " Well, you can't
turn me out. If you do I can hold out my hand
for a good-sized cheque, and your buildings too will
take another good chunk of cash to put them into
tenantable repair when I go out and the next man
comes in."

I honestly think this clause of the Act is far too
severe. Why should not a good landlord be able
to recover his own property from a rascal tenant
without giving away a premium to clear him from
his property ?

I know it is said that this enactment was intro-
duced to stay the hand of a harsh and aggressive
property owner who was lucky enough to have an
ambitious and progressive tenant, one who improved
the owner's property, and then having spent his
money well and freely was asked to leave in order
that the rent could be raised to fill the landlord's
pocket. That may have been a nineteenth-century
trick, certainly a reprehensible one, but is avarice

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FARMING AND FOXHUNTING

quite so naked in the twentieth ? I hardly think
so. If it were, surely there could be some satisfactory
machinery set up to correct such conduct without
relieving the landlord of so much of his freedom.

The present machinery whereby a landlord can
call to his aid a County Council Agricultural Com-
mittee and ask them to issue a certificate to say his
" sitting " tenant is not farming the land according
to the rules of good husbandry, is to some extent
clumsy, and it follows it is seldom used, therefore
ineffective.

I have often thought about the working of this
Act when cases have come to my notice where
obviously a little discipline exercised by the land-
lord would stir up a " sitting " tenant to a little
more energy in his farming. Indeed I have often
quoted my own case. I pay my landlord j(^i,ioo
per annum ; if he wished to disturb me it might
cost him even more than this amount if you add
to the figure a few odd buildings put up with the
landlord's consent ; it might easily be raised to a
matter of ^{^2,000, a costly business to dispose of a
family sitting on his doorstep. How quickly can I
dismiss a disquieting moment when I am reminded
by the Agent that a particular fence should be cut,
or a field of thistles attended to because they are
ripening unto harvest.

We might well ask : " Have any of us reached the
stage of perfection in our farming when we are
beyond a mild suggestion that our habits might be
cleaner and we should show more regard to meet
our farming obligations ? "

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LAND TENURE

I am one of those who look with pleasure and
approval at our English system of landlord and
tenant which, during the past century, or more,
has given such a good account of itself. This system
has certainly weakened to some extent since the
post Great War days, and I should be sorry to
see it receive another blow when this present war
comes to an end. One realizes of course that to
obtain the best return from the soil, landed property
should be in strong hands, and by strong hands I
mean in the possession of a man or a company
who can equip it with modern buildings, and most
important of all, be able to let it at a reasonable rent.

Unless this might prompt the socialist to say at
once, " Why not nationalize the land right away ? "
let me hasten to say that I have no sympathy
whatever with such a radical change. I do like
the personal touch of a landlord, and not only the
personal touch, but the keeping of our country units
together, preserving that contact of classes which is
the charm of rural life and one which we must do
our utmost to maintain. We might go further and
say at all costs we must hold on to it.

Perhaps someone might be tempted to ask, Why ?
Well, surely it must be a sound argument to keep
all sorts and conditions of men interested in the
country-side, to fill it with life and energy. Again,
if it is made worth while to keep capital in or to
invest it in landed property then we have a larger
volume of capital to run the great industry of
agriculture. What I am afraid is happening to-day
is that those who own land and let it out to some

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FARMING AND FOXHUNTING

farmer to make a living, are so pinched at every
point that they cannot maintain their property to
a state of efficiency v^hich will allow the poor tenant
to make even a living.

To me something seems to have gone wrong in
our twentieth-century statesmanship which has
brought this state of affairs about. Estate Duties
are all very well, but surely they should not be
imposed to such an extent which will eventually
destroy the fabric of the country-side. At the
moment of writing my mind travels back to my
visit to Germany where I saw reconditioning of
farm property going forward in real earnest. When
I asked for an explanation of the various schemes
in progress, I was informed that money spent on
country property did not fmd its way into the
National exchequer, and therefore the landlord got
busy on his property.

Let us just look at another object lesson where
we see this nationalization of the land in progress.
I quote Russia. There we see the State making a
very poor eflbrt to increase output by placing the
land in direct occupation of the peasant, and a poor
job he makes of it. I am not going to suggest that
by doing so in England we should suffer such an
upheaval as they have in Russia, but I am sure
that the less regimentation we receive from officials,
which would be the outcome of land nationalization,
the more happy conditions of country life shall we
enjoy.

I am not so sure that our neighbour France can
claim better agricultural conditions than we enjoy

ii6

LAND TENURE

in England, even though the country underwent
great changes in the ownership of land during the
French Revolution of the late eighteenth century.

Perhaps Ireland can claim improved conditions
for her farmer since she has shed her system of land-
lord and tenant, but then in Ireland the landlord
made the fatal mistake of not living on his estate,
and thus broke the contact of a sound system of
country life. That state of affairs has so far never
reached the country-side of old England, and let us
hope it never will.

Take another lesson from the pages of history.
No one can deny that the high-water mark of pro-
duction from the farming lands of England reached
the ceiling about the year 1875. Under what
system of farming did it reach this big output ?
Was it not the combined efforts of landlord, tenant
and employee ?

Of the three I am inclined to think that the
employee made the greatest contribution to the
effort ; he worked hard and lived hard on his poor
pay. The tenant may have lived plainly, but he
at least made a comfortable income, whilst the
landlord made a living out of his estate. He may
have been inclined to take his pleasures freely, but
he died comfortably because he was not conscious
that he had committed an offence to the society
which surrounded him. Who is to say that he
was a misguided individual ? I venture to say that
he was not. Had he not well equipped his property
to house the crops produced by his tenants, and these
crops in turn served a rising industrial population ?

117 I

FARMING AND FOXHUNTING

The evidence of this is still in existence, although
the old thatched barn we still see dotted about on
the landscape is fast decaying.

It is not in my thoughts that we must expect or
desire this state of affairs to return in just the old
form, but surely there is no rhyme or reason why the
country should not visualize a state of affairs which
would continue to give each unit of our country life
a reasonable opportunity to live his life in peace and
plenty.

The situation in which we find ourselves as a
nation to-day surely suggests we must look to a
system, modified perhaps, which will capitalize the
land, farm it for high production, and at the same
time maintain a happy and contented employee
population.

The present ploughing-up programme is again
discounting the landlord's position, for Dora is no
respecter of persons. Many of these pastures which
are being broken will lose their capital value to
some extent, but I have yet to find an owner who
is not filled with patriotism, and who is against
putting his land to the best national purpose.

When the day of reckoning comes, I seem to
visualize the landlord holding a very weak hand.
When he looks round his estate and finds his pasture
tenant muddling on in his effort to tackle a few
acres of arable land, he will be forced to the action
of again finding the grass seeds to save his land from
decay.

ii8

CHAPTER XV

WILTSHIRE COUNTY COUNCIL

SINCE the year 1924, when I received the honour
of being elected an Alderman of this provincial
parliament, there have naturally been some changes
on the front benches where sit the various Chairmen
of Committees. Amongst those who still retain their
seats — and one hopes they will for many years — are
Lord Bath (Chairman) and Mr. Withy (Vice-Chair-
man).

Since giving some reflection to this chapter I
am reminded of the celebrated Frenchman, Jules
Cambon, who in his book Diplomacy says, " Diplo-
macy and the Law are poles apart." When the
great Frenchman made use of this phrase he must
have had in mind gentlemen of like personalities
as our Chairman and Vice-Chairman. For if there
were ever men which answer this description, these
two surely do so.

Lord Bath uses his faculty as a diplomatist with
the voice of an artist, whilst Mr. Withy puts the Law
before us with an unerring decision which never
leaves us in doubt. What better combination can
we wish for to guide the destinies of the W^iltshire
County Council !

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FARMING AND FOXHUNTING

At the same time I recall an occasion when I
think the better judgment of the one was over-ruled
by the other. The occasion I have in mind was
during the discussion which took place over the
building of our new County Council offices. The
voting was a very near thing : the point at issue was
whether we should erect them at Devizes or Trow-
bridge, and, as is now well known, the lot fell to
Trowbridge, but I am not sure the voting would
have gone this way had Lord Bath expressed his
leaning for the Devizes site in language a little more
definite. At the time I had a feeling he had that
leaning, but then Lord Bath is born and bred into
an atmosphere of autocracy, and one must admire
his effort on all occasions to allow that atmosphere
to be penetrated by democratic opinion.

Mr. Withy, a very clever debater, was too pre-
ponderant in his arguments in favour of the Trow-
bridge site. To me his argument of the railway
serving the Swindon and Salisbury members in
particular was a weak one : even most of these men
come by car to-day ; also the suggestion that the
staff would be ruthlessly uprooted was really of
little importance when we take into consideration
the benefits to future generations who will be called
upon to serve the County, whether as members of
the Council or the staff. Surely radiating from the
centre must save time and expense, and perhaps more
important than all these facts is the one of invigorat-
ing air which is so natural to Devizes. Can the
same be said of Trowbridge, a low-lying district ?
I hardly think so. The question of transport does

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WILTSHIRE COUNTY COUNCIL

not enter into the argument, or it should not, for
to-day where business congregates there will the
eagles of transport be gathered in competition.

In support of my argument let me quote a pre-
cedent. Somerset, who have also built new offices,
moved from Weston-super-Mare to Taunton for the
very good reason to get into the centre of the county,
which I believe has proved a great success.

In the early stages of the debate I very well re-
collect the late Lord Radnor on one occasion
expressing himself very freely upon the question of
finding new quarters for the County Council. His
remarks were something like this : "I appeal to
the Council not to make a mistake a second time
in taking a decision on the site for new County
Council offices." One might almost infer from
these remarks and knowing also his influence upon
many members of the Council, that had his useful
life been given a longer span, it is more than prob-
able that Fate would have led us into pastures new.
After all, my arguments are mere speculation, and
future generations may come to the conclusion that
in the day of decision wise counsel did actually
prevail.

Having expressed my views somewhat freely on
this knotty question, let me hasten to say that when
sitting at the quarterly meetings of the Council I
have at times been amazed at the most orderly
manner in which they are conducted, and the
despatch of the business, to me, leaves nothing to
be desired. Our Chairman and Vice-Chairman,
working from opposite starting-points, meet well in

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FARMING AND FOXHUNTING

the middle and bring about this excellent result.
At the same time it must be remembered how much
of the spade work — in fact all — is done in the various
Committees, meeting monthly in many cases, making
proposals to administer the law in the county.

When I take a look at the County Council Year
Book I note on an average each member of the
Council sits on six Committees, but it does not
follow that he attends at Trowbridge six days a
month. The meetings are so arranged to fit in two
a day if possible, a morning meeting perhaps and
then another to follow in the afternoon.

What contribution I am able to make in the
deliberations is mostly to the Agricultural Committee
meetings, of which there are at least six. At the
same time my seat on the General Purposes Com-
mittee gives work of much interest and at times a
certain amount of amusement. Who would miss
the days when this Committee sits as a Court to
grant or withhold licences for Picture Palaces, or
perhaps a Dog Racing track ! To sit, watch and
hear the debate coming from both sides is of no
small interest or amusement at times. Eminent
councillors take the floor to address you with great
respect ; with a little imagination one might well
think he was sitting in the High Court. Lawyers
and witnesses innumerable attend with pomp and
ceremony. Not always have I thought our judg-
ment supreme when finally we have to decide for
or against the applicant of a licence.

Here, again, the Law is apt to bear a little heavily
at times, and the spirit of an Act of Parliament is

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WILTSHIRE COUNTY COUNCIL

sometimes overlooked. We are inclined to forget
that public opinion does not stand still. An Act
of Parliament does not pass into law unless public
opinion demands a change ; this is what I infer when
talking of the spirit of an Act. To sum it up, you
will never create good morals by coercion.

On Council days, when I look up from the lower
benches and cast an eye on the long row of different
Chairmen of Committees, I find two at least of very
long standing, that is other than the two I have
previously mentioned ; they are Miss Stephenson
and Mr. Warren. Miss Stephenson is Chairman of
Public Health and Housing, also Public Assistance
Committees, and as such she has always filled me
with admiration and confidence that she will guard,
without fear or favour, the interests of that great
welter of humanity who come within the orbit of
these committees.

Mr. Warren has served the Roads and Bridges
Committee as Chairman for many years. I cannot
recall any other man filling this post. I often think
what labour and time he must have expended in
the public interest and service by attending the
monthly meetings and touring the country-side for
inspection of roads and bridges — indeed the county
owes here a debt it can never repay.

One could without effort name many other
members of the Council who have done and are
doing real hard work in the public interest, but
space will not admit ; but I must mention one of the
permanent officials who has recently retired, Mr.
W. J. Bown. Mr. Withy, in paying a tribute to

123

FARMING AND FOXHUNTING

Mr. Bown's long term of faithful service, described
him as a man who possessed the strong virtue of
silence. Why ? I will give you the answer : because
he never prescribed until he was called in and then
was seldom found wanting.

As a farmer it was fitting that I should be given
work to do on practically all the Agricultural Com-
mittees. Of these I think the one which has
absorbed most of my time and thereby my interest
is the Small Holdings Committee. Before I became
a member of the Council I was invited to be a
co-opted member for the Northern Division, but
refused on the grounds that I was very doubtful of
the wisdom of putting men into small holdings on
the very promiscuous prospects of farming following
the Great War. But eventually my mind began to
revolve in a wider circle and then I soon began to
realize that some programme of this nature was a
social necessity if the farming community were to
keep step with the accepted principles of our Demo-
cratic National Constitution.

To-day under our National principles is there not
a clear path for the Board schoolboy to reach the
university and likewise a possibility of the Army
private to wield the field-marshal's baton ? If
these principles are sound, and I believe they are,
then the employee on the land must have his equal
chance to reach the heights of a landed proprietor,
provided he has the natural ability to do so.

Having these views in my mind it will be difficult
to dissuade me from taking every opportunity to
work for the Small Holders' welfare and to try to

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WILTSHIRE COUNTY COUNCIL

lessen his working hours, for I am sure he leads a
hard life. On the Agricultural Education Com-
mittee I am satisfied that we are working steadily
along similar lines by our scholarship system of
sending boys and girls to agricultural seats of learn-
ing. We who represent Agricultural Education note
with satisfaction a more earnest disposition on the
G.E.C. side to view learning more from the rural
aspect and a desire to create a feeling that country
work is healthy, dignified employment, a career of
real importance. This is indeed a hopeful sign.

In future we must endeavour to co-operate still
more by using our Joint Committee to exercise an
effort to bring together our somewhat different out-
look on life. Unfortunately, it becomes so easy to
pick up the habits of the town, but not so easy to
take an intelligent interest in the country-side where
there is really more life and interest if we can only
find it. Having found it we shall have attained real
enjoyment.

The other Agricultural Committees do not provide
questions of general interest except the Milk Com-
mittee. Here we have the authority which has done
much to improve the milk supply to the consuming
public and at the same time enabled the progressive
farmer to obtain a better income from milk produc-
tion.

Under Mr. R. Stratton as Chairman, with Dr.
Tangye and Mr. Price, the operating officials, this
somewhat new branch has done its work of re-
organizing the milk industry of the county with little
friction to all concerned. It is really amazing how

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this work has expanded. At the moment we are
well past the thousand mark of licences granted to
farms where Attested, T.T. or Accredited milk is
produced. The Milk Committee of the county can
claim to have well launched the Government's
scheme for the improvement of the country's milk.
Unfortunately the war has interfered with the
progress, but we are still active with a depleted
staff, and no doubt shall go full speed ahead again
when the war is over.

Before I close this chapter of County Council work,
more particularly from an agricultural point of view,
I cannot refrain from paying tribute to the hard
work and long service of the late Mr. Arthur White ;
he indeed was a pillar in the service of his county.

Mr. Pritchard followed him as Chairman of the
Agricultural Committee and bids fair to emulate the
example of his predecessor.

126

CHAPTER XVI

THE NATIONAL FARMERS' UNION

ONE could fill a volume of the deeds and misdeeds
of the Farmers' Union. I include misdeeds
because I am conscious that at times they, like our
County Council, have not always shown wisdom in
their decisions. I believe their prevailing weakness
is that they generally overstate their case on the
assumption no doubt that the louder you speak, the
more you are likely to be heard.

Since I have been one of those who has been on
the platform during its life in the county, I cannot
sever myself from this criticism. But with all its
faults and errors the truth remains that the N.F.U.
has accomplished a great work by bringing before
the public the needs and " rights of man " in the
farming world.

Before its institution there really did not exist
any nation wide organization which could focus
a united effort to reach the Government of the day,
coming direct from those whose business it is to
derive a livelihood from the land. Unfortunately,
like other organizations we find there are those who
are prepared to accept all the benefits an organiza-
tion can procure, but they are too selfish, too self-

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FARMING AND FOXHUNTING

seeking to throw in their lot and make an undeniable
appeal for the welfare of the whole industry and
incidentally their own. They harbour an idea that
they would like a world of their own in which to do
their business ; they little think that this is impossible
in a well-organized State where all must be served
with equal justice. No man can live unto himself
as no nation can live unto itself. This is as certain
as the sparks fly upwards, and every non-member of
the N.F.U. should give thought to this great truth.

The Wiltshire office-holders and officials arranged
a great drive throughout the county two years ago
and raised its membership to go per cent, of the
whole, and proud of ourselves were we by the effort,
but I am afraid that some have since dropped out
again through lack of interest. Let me remind these
unthinking people how much they would lose if the
N.F.U. closed its doors. First and foremost they
would lose that united power of criticism which is so
necessary in a democratically governed country, that
check to injustice which can so easily and quickly
be levelled on an industry unless carefully watched
by a proper elected authority. Then again, the
N.F.U. is able to keep the ordinary farmer well
posted on all matters where the law seeks to catch
him out and thereby he is saved much trouble and
probable expense.

Another and a very great benefit he enjoys is by
his Mutual Insurance Company where all profits
return to him in various forms. This is a great
money-saving proposition to the members of the
N.F.U. Let me give an instance where my own

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THE NATIONAL FARMERS' UNION

pocket was saved quite a considerable amount.
Recently my carter had the misfortune to let a team
of horses run away with a waggon-load of hay. It
was not his fault or neglect in any way. What
actually happened was that the waggon-shaft key
came out and the shaft fell on the poor horses' heels,
and away they bolted and ran into a motor-car,
turning it over into a ditch. Well, within a few
days the post brought a letter enquiring the name of
my Insurance Company ; if I was not covered by a
policy, a request to pay a bill of something like £30.
Knowing quite well that I was not insured against
anything of the kind I proceeded to write and inform
the owner of the car. However, before posting the
letter I began to think hard to find a way out of
paying such a heavy bill, when I suddenly thought
my Insurance Company would at least be the right
body to make a settlement. Consequently I tore
up the letter and started afresh, acknowledged the
letter and simply handed them the address of the
N.F.U. Farmers' Mutual Insurance Co., and at the
same time writing the company and politely asking
them to settle the matter on the best terms possible.
This indeed was a lucky move, for it was eventually
proved that in law a runaway horse is entitled to his
first run in the same way a dog is entitled to his
first bite, that is provided no evidence is forthcoming
of negligence on the behalf of the owner or care-
taker of the animal. Here you see how necessary
it is to put your interest into the hands of people
who are wiser than yourself.

We in Wiltshire post to our members, monthly,

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FARMING AND FOXHUNTING

our local " Record," — not much to boast about per-
haps, but where at least some of us make an effort
to put before members topical subjects.

Surely when all these advantages are totalled up
an objector cannot lay claim, or plead any excuse
to his inability to pay his membership subscription.
Are they — the subscriptions — not recognized to be
even lower than any Trade Union contributions ?
Let me quote them for Wiltshire : i^d. on acres
farmed, or alternately i^d. on the farm Assess-
ment B, with a minimum of 6s. per annum, a mere
flea-bite to even the small farmer. I must not
forget to mention there is an abatement on Downs
or rough grazings of the bigger farms.

The local branch secretaries have, I know, a very
arduous and thankless task to follow annually the
collection of these subscriptions. Success or other-
wise depends entirely on their personal efforts, the
quality of their appeal and the length of their
patience. What I think we ought to do is to take
our courage in both hands, raise the subscriptions
in the County of Wilts and pay our local secretaries
on a good percentage basis. I have always
advocated this move since occupying the County
Chair in 1935, but the cry is perpetually raised that
the farmers' financial position does not warrant such
a move. Well, of course, that day will never arrive,
and so we go on.

It would be invidious of me to mention personali-
ties in the governing body of our W^iltshire N.F.U.
They are many ; besides, I have already pulled them
to pieces in our monthly " Record." But I must

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THE NATIONAL FARMERS' UNION

mention our hard-working secretary, Mr. L. G.
Trumper. His office efficiency is incomparable, his
quiet manners are so in contrast to the loud speakers
on the floor ; what we should do without him I do
not know.

Talking of loud speakers I am reminded of an
amusing incident which took place at a N.F.U.
meeting in which I was taking part. A hot debate
had been going forward for some little time as it
often does when milk prices are to the fore ; from all
parts of the room members were getting up describ-
ing their losses in recent months, and their troubles
and worries in obtaining feeding-stuffs. There is no
doubt at all they had reasonable grounds for doing
so. However, when the end came I jumped to my
feet to pour a little oil on the troubled waters by
saying that Headquarters were doing their best to
remedy this state of affairs, and further, we must still
support loyally the N.F.U. for the good reason that
not only now, but when hostilities ceased, we might
very well require their help and protection to avoid
being left in chaos as at the end of the last war.
A bold fellow sprang up from the centre of the hall
and said, " Yes, and you must do something about
this income tax. We can't go on paying this seven
shillings in the pound."

Milk Marketing Board

Opinion varies as to the value to the farmer of
this national organization. I myself believe it to
be one of the finest bits of work done by the aid of

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FARMING AND FOXHUNTING

the N.F.U., and no doubt this same opinion is shared
by the majority of milk producers.

I remind those who think otherwise of their
position had not such a market for all comers been
instituted. Previous to the Board getting into opera-
tion chaos began to reign. The small man in
particular was fast being squeezed out of existence,
and now under the Milk Board he shares an equal
price with all and sundry. The Marketing Board
is more or less a leveller of prices, so that all can
share equally the demands coming from all markets,
whether it be liquid or every conceivable product
in which fresh milk is used. There are no favours
or perquisites under the Milk Board.

Agricultural County Wages Committee

Having been an employers' representative ever
since the Agricultural Wages have come to be con-
trolled, or as in its earliest stages, conciliated, my
experience has helped me to form the opinion that
on the whole they have worked successfully for the
good of the industry, and certainly have accom-
plished a better standard of living for the employee.
We have had our tussles at times, but goodwill and
good temper have directed our deliberations on all
occasions.

The employers' side have not always entertained
the thoughts of the independent members, but with
it all, I am satisfied no great damage has been done
to the industry in Wiltshire, thanks to our gallant
Chairman, Colonel Awdry, who we must say is most

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THE NATIONAL FARMERS' UNION

conscientious in his decisions, although we may at
times think him impervious to the employers' logic.
I have a vivid recollection of a very amusing
scene which occurred at a sub-Committee meeting,
one held to grant permits for employment at less than
the minimum wage. An employer turned up with
his employee, the latter, by the by, being somewhat
low in intellect — in fact this inability was the nature
of the claim. When we had them quietly seated,
the Chairman addressed the employer somewhat as

follows : " Now, Mr. , can you give us your

reasons for making this application ? " Back came
the reply, " Well, Mr. Chairman, this here chap
ain't much good ; he's one of them as is born in the
slow gear, and that you'll find in a minute. You
have a word with'en." The Chairman turning to
the boy said, " Now, my boy, speak up and tell
me how old you are." The boy with a grin on his
face replied, " Twenty-one, sir, last apple-picking
time." The employer chipped in, " There you are,
sir, I telled 'ee he was one of they as be born in the
slow gear." After this there appeared no way of
escape from an exemption to work for a lower wage.

133

CHAPTER XVII

FOXHUNTING

LORD LYON, who was British Ambassador in
Paris during the nineteenth century, is reported
to have said that there were two things which
disagreed with him : abstinence and exercise.

The good foxhunter takes the opposite view. He
will tell you that hard riding which gives violent
exercise is the mainspring of an enjoyable healthy
life, and as for abstinence, unless he gives due
attention to it, regulates his own food, his horseflesh
will cost him more, and again, in proportion as his
wine bill rises so will his courage sink. Most likely
His Lordship's training provided other means for
keeping fit. There are others in Paris, I believe.

It has been my good fortune throughout life to
enjoy a long innings of foxhunting. Sometimes I
think that perhaps I have had more than my share,
and then when I think again I come to the conclusion
that if less had come my way, no more would have
gone to the less fortunate. This thought reinstates
my peace of mind. It is surprising what little it
takes to clear your conscience when you have a
strong leaning in a certain direction. When you
want to do something, a way is generally found to

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FOXHUNTING

overcome a few obstacles should they get in the way.
I am perfectly sure by getting over these obstacles
to hunt and to get over the obstacles whilst hunting,
has kept me fit and active.

Throughout my life my wife never ceases to
remind me that her new chances in life are extremely
small whilst I keep hunting the fox.

Before I make my effort to relate a few incidents
that have come my way during my hunting ex-
perience, I should like to make a reference to the
foundation days of the V.W.H., the pack which has
absorbed most of my interest, and to make some
allusion to the succeeding Masters who have directed
its destiny.

I have been reading again Lord Bathurst's book
on the history of the V.W.H. A well-appointed
book this, and one that is full of information on
many of the surrounding packs of hounds. One
gathers from it that the Old Berks is the parent
body of not only the V.W.H., from which it was
formed in 1838, but many of the present border
Hunts as we find them to-day. Let me put it in
Lord Bathurst's words : " It is now 102 years ago
that the V.W.H. country was carved out of the Old
Berks country," and in another passage he refers to
this carving process to form some of the adjoining
Hunts.

What rather amazes me is that in these early days
of which he makes mention foxhunting was not
altogether the most enjoyable pastime. Here are
his words : " Foxes were few and far between, the
country was mostly open fields between large wood-

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FARMING AND FOXHUNTING

land or forests, vv^ith big boundary fences of neigh-
bouring properties, probably with few gates, so that
unless big fences could be negotiated it meant
good-bye to hounds for that day. The distances
to Meets were enormous and in consequence there
were very few days each week that anyone could
hunt unless he was prepared to ride twenty miles
out and perhaps a much longer distance home
again." This story rather suggests to me that if
to-day we had to undertake these long journeys,
together with a probability of not finding a fox,
hunting would very soon go out of fashion in this
the twentieth century.

The point I should like to make here is that one
often hears a reference to the good old days of
foxhunting with no barb-wire, hedges cut and laid,
and ditches dug out to keep the land dry and
rideable. When will they return, they ask ? I am
not quite sure that these days ever existed, or if they
did could they have had a long innings ? Those of
us who have never hunted without the knowledge
of barb-wire, the bane of the foxhunter, have never
faced the rigours of these early days, if we had I
rather fancy we should not be looking for their
return with any degree of pleasure. I cannot make
myself believe that these good old days of which
we hear so much were ever half so enjoyable as
the ones we get to-day. This not only applies to
foxhunting.

But to return to the medieval history of the V. W.H.
It is very interesting to read the start of our Cricklade
pack. Mr. C. A. R. Hoare hunted the whole of

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FOXHUNTING

the two Vales from 1879-86. In this latter year he
appears to have found other amusements besides
hunting the hounds, which apparently brought him
into disrepute amongst the leading members of the
Hunt.

I cannot believe this occurrence is singular to the
V.W.H. But it must be a coincidence that good
taste should have been outraged twice in so short a
period in the history of this famous Hunt. When-
ever these times of crisis arrive they must be a
disturbing factor and cause sides to be taken. In
this case it appears that most of the subscribing
members were against the Master. The farming
community were out almost to a man for him.
They had good reason to be so. He undoubtedly
had treated them well, bought from them his corn
and hay, took the sporting rights of Webbs Wood,
Red Lodge and other covers, gave great shooting
parties and appears to have spent money lavishly
in their entertainment.

Mrs. Galley tells a good story of Mr. Hoare,
apparently the General was invited to a shooting-
party at Red Lodge on a certain day and when
asked what sort of a day's sport he got said, " Well,
I spent most of the day hiding round trees for they
were a lively party, one man was armed with a new
gun and declared he was out to shoot anything
alive." When invited on a second occasion he
declared he had a previous engagement, but by
some lucky chance he ran into the party on their
return from the shoot ; when lo ! and behold !
they were holding up one of the guests in a cart,

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FARMING AND FOXHUNTING

covered in blood and bandages. So much for Mr.
Hoare's shooting-parties.

Lord Bathurst mentions one Meet of the hounds
in particular at South Cerney during the dispute
when flags were displayed and notices posted saying,
" Stick to Hoare for He's a jolly good fellow."
However, it was evident that this was a most
irregular way to run a Hunt, which of all sporting
fraternities must be forbearing in every direction.
The end being that the full country of the V.W.H.
was divided in 1886. Charley Hoare (as he was
popularly called) came over to Cricklade and built
new kennels, which served for many years until the
present move was made to Marston Maisey in 1934.

One feature of this change deserves to be recorded,
as I see it. Had the whole country remained under
one mastership we people living in the south-west,
north-west of Swindon, including Burderop, Hay
Lane, Wootton Bassett, would never have got any
hunting unless by going long distances.

Apparently Charley Hoare hunted his pack but
three days a week, when at Cirencester, therefore
assuming that no division had ever taken place, a
large area of country must have suffered a lack of
sport.

Reg Hewer tells a very good tale of the Vale
hounds in 1885. The Meet was fixed for Crouch
at 1 1 a.m., and a fox broke away immediately and
ran straight for Buscot, where the Old Berks were to
meet at 12 o'clock after the Hunt Ball. Col.
Campbell — the host-to-be of the Old Berks — ran out
thinking his invited guests had arrived and said,

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FOXHUNTING

" Come in you good fellows and take some refresh-
ment." Apparently the Vale members did justice
to the Hunt breakfast much to the disgust of the
Old Berks people who arrived on the scene just a bit
late to meet the full force of a good Hunt breakfast.

I am told that in the day of Charley Hoare the
ladies were even more brave and bold than they
are to-day. A certain lady (Miss Sumner), who,
by the by, eventually became Mrs. C. B. Fry, wife
of the great cricketer, who apparently was hunting
in the V.W.H. country, was on a visit to a famous
Cheshire Pack, and telegraphed down to the Master
for his celebrated grey to enable her to have a ride
at a popular Meet. Well, the day and the horse
duly arrived for this particular fixture. A fox equal
to the occasion was quickly found in the surrounding
shrubbery and away galloped the field down the
drive, not so the celebrated lady, who turned the grey
for the iron park railing and then, over a wide
brook beyond, and got away with hounds without a
follower. Well, we can't always keep pace with
the ladies, can we ?

In 1888 Mr. Butt Miller took over the Cricklade
pack and remained as its Master for twenty-two
years. My recollections of him are not very vivid,
but when you take a look at the length of his
Mastership we must place him well in the list of
popular and approved Masters. He showed capital
sport, although few would name him amongst the
" bruisers " to hounds, this may be a very good
reason why he stood up to his job and carried the
horn so many years. One feature of his riding lives

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FARMING AND FOXHUNTING

in my mind, one never saw him in a boisterous hurry,
he never raced at any fence. His usual practice
was to trot up and jump it slowly or even walk up
and lurch over. I believe his art in hunting the fox
was considered even above the average, in any case
he was instrumental in building up a fine pack of
hounds.

Towards the end of his Mastership rumours began
to circulate that he was slowing up in his effort to
show sport ; it may have been in response to these
rumours or not, but the fact remains that Joe Willis
came on the scene as professional huntsman in the
year 1908. Joe turned out to be a good huntsman,
which was proved by his long service with the pack.
I well remember when he joined us a state of nerves
occasionally possessed him. Butt Miller kept an
eagle eye upon him and Joe in return kept one eye
on the hounds, but the other was always on the
Master. This naturally distracted him from showing
his best art until he got settled down to his job, and
then he continued to show good sport for many
years under his two Masters.

Butt Miller had quite a pleasing personality, but
I rather suspect he entertained a vein of sarcasm.
There is a very good tale abroad which lends itself
to this characteristic. A visitor from Town appeared
one day, one, I should imagine, who was a little
lacking in the correct technique of hunting for he
had been riding hard all day, and on occasion had
over-ridden hounds. Towards the end, having
enjoyed himself, he decided to thank the Master for
showing such good sport, and rode up to him and

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FOXHUNTING

expressed himself in these words, " Very many
thanks, Master, for the excellent day. I am afraid
I must now leave to get my train at Swindon," and
Butt replied in a few words, " I hope you will
catch it."

There are other very good stories about Mr. Butt
Miller. Before he got well settled into his work,
two farmers were discussing the new Master. One
said to the other, " I haven't seen him yet, have
you ? " The other replied that he had, and having
been asked what he thought of him he remarked,
" Well, if his ears were a bit bigger, I guess he could
fairly fly."

I believe there was an occasion when a tall, thin
man repeatedly came out hunting with an un-
manageable horse and each time with yet stronger
tackle ; at last Butt said to him, " All you want is
an anchor."

It must have been a sorry day for Cricklade when
on April 30, 19 10, Mr. Miller's term of Mastership
came to an end. He must have spent a large
portion of his income in the town, seeing that his
well-appointed house stood on its border. Not
before or since has just this style been kept up. But
whatever tears were shed by Cricklade people on
April 30, on the going of Mr. Butt Miller, smiles
returned on the following day. May i, when Col.
Fuller entered upon his twenty-one years' active and
thorough work as a Master of hounds to the Crick-
lade pack. Col. Fuller, being of a modest nature,
preferred not to keep up a large establishment in
the town, and selected a small cottage and humble

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FARMING AND FOXHUNTING

Staff to administer to his wants. Nevertheless,
throughout his Mastership he never failed to open
his purse to the needy, or give a cheery smile to all
and sundry. His charm of manner was evident for
all to see, but it was not everyone who knew about
the hay-ricks he bought and his horses never
consumed, or perhaps a bank balance here and
there that he was able to adjust. How does one
get to know of these quiet deeds of help ? No
doubt Col. Fuller himself has forgotten them, but
there remains a warm feeling in the heart of the
recipient and this warm feeling finds a way out on
occasion.

Whilst I have taken this opportunity to mention
Col. Fuller's generosity, which he exercised on many
occasions, this sense of generosity is by no means
absent from the main body of hunting people.
Foxhunting creates a friendly feeling, good humour
and good-fellowship which no other sport seems to
bring about in the life of , country people, anyway,
not to the same extent. One knows, of course, that
cases of bad manners and a certain amount of
damage do occur here and there, more often than
not it is the invader who is the culprit. I have a
thought in my mind that this kind of thing might
very well be checked by a reminder by the secretary
that his day's sport not only involves an obligation
to the Hunt, but careful consideration to the farmer
who is his host in chief.

This type of hunting man never sees the local
papers, giving an occasional warning about damage
to crops, etc., therefore it might be advisable that

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FOXHUNTING

some printed matter should reach him by some
means.

My experience tells me that much of the real
damage comes from the hiring stable. Before I
leave this question of damage let us join issue on a
few points. The major damage I would say is to
the fences, for they do get knocked about a bit on
occasion by the indifferent horse and more often
than not by the bad horseman, and gates are left
open, causing cattle to stray. A gate-shutter follow-
ing the Hunt does much to check this trouble, but
unfortunately he is powerless to repair a broken
fence. This, one hopes, will receive some attention
next day from the Area Manager. The question of
damage to fields and field-crops is undoubtedly
more of an eyesore than any real harm, but with
due care and attention, particularly in the late
spring, we can place this complaint in the minor
list. Growing roots of course must be avoided at
all costs and, whilst making my complaints against
hunting people, there is a vice I would like to
mention, one that you so often see. Why does the
unthinking sportsmah immediately loose his horse
for a strong gallop after passing through a gateway
when hounds are not running ? How often you
see damage done in this way, cutting up turf to no
purpose, all that sort of thing should be done on
some fallow field.

There is yet another misdeed which is rather
too often practised I am afraid, again it is done from
the want of thought, that is when hounds are
passing through a village or perhaps a farmyard, a

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FARMING AND FOXHUNTING

friendly greeting should be quick upon the lips of all
hunting people, whether man or woman — I am not
sure the latter are not the worst offenders — I pre-
sume they find the scandal of the Hunt too engros-
sing, and thus miss the opportunity to greet their
country hosts ; hosts indeed they are for every
hour you spend in the hunting field, and the hunting
person should be ever mindful of it.

When you come to analyse the people who hunt
you can put them into three classes. There are
those who really enjoy it, they know every fence
and usually how to tackle it, they watch every turn
of the hounds and their work on the line. They
can sometimes anticipate a turn, and thereby save
their horse a bit, they mark out well ahead how they
are going to get out of a field before they get into
it ; these are the ones who have the will to get there,
and generally do by hook or by crook.

Then you have another class who come out for a
little exercise and a friendly chat, jog round the
roads and pick up hounds again at a point just to
hear a few features and remarks of a good hunt,
this enables them to say, " Yes, I was out that good
day from so and so."

Then again you have what I call the friendly
class, the stragglers who wind their way slowly up
from the rear, putting the finishing touch to a
weakened fence. I call them friendly, they really
are. How often have they caught a loose horse,
and of course they are last through an open gate
and their duty is to shut it, and one has a pious
hope that they do.

144

Lt.-Col. W. Fuller and the Author.

FOXHUNTING

Well, I must now hark back a bit and get to the
tale of Col. Fuller's early days with the V.W.H.
He and I seem to have had contact throughout
life at many points, soldiering, foxhunting and in
later years, public work. I have a clear recol-
lection of a day he spent with us in these early days,
before he took over, just to see the country and, I
presume, to let us see whether we should like him,
or it may be to let us see he could fill the post and
act with energy. On that day I was able to com-
pete for a while, and for a while only, for when we
came to a brook with a stile and stepping-stones
on either side, I found I no longer could and he
passed out of sight. But there came a day when I
think the boot was on the other leg. I have an
idea this day we found a fox in Water Eaton cover
and ran across the Vale near Kempsford. Half-way
through the ride hounds had a check and no one
seemed near to put them right. In my haste I
made a very thoughtless remark by saying, " Has
anyone seen the Master ? " and a voice rang out
from the next field. " Here I am, where you ought
to be." However, an explanation was soon forth-
coming by his saying, " My fault, Charley, I ought
to have been up."

His second season was a good one, it followed a
dry summer and I remember the going was really
fine.

These three seasons before the Great War I
believe will be recorded amongst his best. Joe
Willis tells me that in 19 lo 62|- brace of foxes was
the record, although following the War sport

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FARMING AND FOXHUNTING

again became good, but I fear the war period made
many changes, faces were absent and money short
for some Uttle time in those post-war years. Whilst
the war was in progress hunting kept going through-
out— old Ted Brown and Tom Freer Meade were
acting Masters, and they and Joe Willis carried on
making a good effort to keep down the foxes. I
remember going out a few days during the first
winter, but eventually all our riding-horses were
either commandeered or bought up, and then it
was impossible. I, for one, had to stop.

It is rather amazing how you lose your nerve
when absent from the hunting field for long. I
found myself quite useless to follow hounds until
I was able to regain a little confidence by judicious
riding and what I call a nursing of the nerve. It
only shows how necessary it is never to slacken off,
if you do, you must call " finis," and I am not
particularly anxious to do this just yet.

I have very little knowledge of how the finances
were found to keep going during those war years.
Col. Fuller and others I have no doubt were generous
donors, but I do know that Lord Banbury generously
contributed J^ioo per annum during these years,
and what perhaps is even more generous, continued
his subscription right up to the date of his death in

1936.

After the war period I became a member of the
Hunt Committee, of which Lord Banbury continued
to be Chairman ; although active, hunting he
rather avoided during his latter years.

He really was a most efficient Chairman, but like

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FOXHUNTING

all men of forceful nature liked his point of view to
carry the day if possible, and when other opinions
crept into the discussions the Committee were
often treated to some amusement. I rather think
the first tussle was over building some further
accommodation at the Kennels, when Capt. Col-
ville came in as Joint Master. A new cottage was
required for his stud groom. Well, His Lordship
thought this a great extravagance, but eventually
it passed the Committee and a sub-Committee was
appointed to carry the project into execution.
By and by settling day came, and we found the
amount expended had gone beyond the maximum
allotted — it generally does — but in this case I
believe there was an oak fence put around the
garden ordered by the new-comer, Capt. Colville.
His Lordship's remarks were something like this :
" You know, gentlemen, I was never in favour of
this new outlay and now the Committee are faced
with all these extras, what are we to do about it ?
The only right and proper course is for our sub-
Committee, who luckily are all wealthy men, to
pay for these extras. You know who they are,
General Calley, Captain Dennis and the farmer
Charles Whatley."

Unfortunately this was not the end of the cottage
trouble. A few years later, when Col. Fuller's term
of office came to an end and Capt. Kingscote came
on the scene, this addition was not required and
then the Chairman thought we ought to dispose of
it. However, other views were before the Com-
mittee. Some thought the cottage a very good

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FARMING AND FOXHUNTING

investment and further at some future date might
again be required, therefore why sell it ?

His Lordship proceeded to put the point before
his Committee and then looked round the room,
counted the votes and said, " There you are, the
cottage must be sold." Someone ventured to say
that they did not think he was right. " What," he
said, " put your hands up again," and another count
was obtained. " Right," he said, " the cottage
must be sold," and began entering it in the minutes.
This I could not stand, knowing it to be contrary
to the majority of the Committee, and immediately
jumped to my feet and said, " My Lord, I challenge
the voting." — " What," he replied. " Can't I
count ? Please put up your hands again," and
when they were carefully counted the voting
showed a majority against selling the cottage.
The scene was really most amusing.

On another occasion we were discussing the ad-
visability of calling a general Hunt meeting. Mr.
Robert Horton, quite innocently and with the sole
object of helping things on, made a comment on
the Duke of Beaufort's Annual Meeting. There
was a pause for a moment and then His Lordship
pushed back his chair and exclaimed, " Mr. Horton,
I haven't been fifty years in the House of Commons
unless I know how to conduct a public meeting."

You can imagine how we all flattened out, and as
far as I can remember this incident brought the
meeting to an end. However, the General Meeting
came off". His Lordship took the Chair, made his
own statement, and never another word was

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FOXHUNTING

Spoken by anyone present, and away we slunk to
chase the fox. But with all his imperial make-up,
the Committee were very much indebted to his
directing influence. He had certainly guided them
through many a difficult period and indeed we had
much to thank him for.

When we were in the throes of selecting a suc-
cessor to Col. Fuller I recollect one morning several
members of the Committee going down to Warne-
ford Place to discuss with him the suggestion of
inviting Capt. Kingscote to fill the post. He was
most anxious for us to make a good choice and
would go thoroughly into every detail. Finally
he said, " Stay and have lunch, gentlemen, and let
us have another talk about it."

To find his successor as Chairman of the Hunt
Committee much anxious thought was required.
We had several members who undoubtedly could
prefer their claim as such, and some of us had an
idea the voting might go very close, and voting by
show of hands might very well make a mess of
things. Therefore I advised our Secretary, Mr.
John Thornton, to have ready slips of voting paper,
and warned him that he as Secretary would be
expected to open the meeting and as soon as he had
done so I would jump up and propose that we
should make a decision by paper vote. The whole
Hunt I am sure agreed that on that day we made an
excellent choice by electing Mr. W. M. Goodenough
to fill this most important post.

Before I proceed to give an account of the doings
of our new regime, I must refer back again to the

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FARMING AND FOXHUNTING

old days. Towards the end of Col. Fuller's Master-
ship his health was none too good and in order to
reduce the strain he invited Commander Codrington
to accept the position of Joint Master. A very
gallant fellow to hounds was he. Being a heavy
man circumstances compelled him to select horses
with plenty of bone, real weight carriers, this type
if you push 'em along a bit too fast are apt to
get you into trouble if you are not careful, but I
must say that he stood up well to a few knocks and
bumps, his big frame encased the heart of a lion,
to this all will pay tribute.

When this partnership broke up Capt. Colville
came along to take a share in the responsibility of
keeping us out of mischief. He filled the post quite
successfully and thus enabled Col. Fuller to ease off
on certain days, but like all these joint affairs they
are very good up to a point, but to join a Master
who has run a country successfully for so many
years, is a very difficult task. I am sure I should
not like the office. I call it a painful process to
learn the art of foxhunting, but how else can you
do it?

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CHAPTER XVm

THE NEW REGIME

MR. W. M. GOODENOUGH as Chairman,
and Capt. Kingscote as Master, I think is
very well described as the Olympians working their
art in double harness, the one directed the Hunt
finances to expand sufficiently to build new kennels
at Marston Maisey, and the other built up his art
of hunting the fox to a very high degree during
his five seasons.

Speaking of Hunt finances I very much doubt
whether the V.W.H. would have ever ventured on
the ambitious programme of building new kennels
had it not been for the very generous offer of Capt.
Sydney Dennis to provide the land free of any
expense. This, indeed, was a handsome gift to the
Hunt, and one which will be handed down to
posterity for many years to come let us hope.

When very careful reflection is given to those
difficult days at the end of Capt. Kingscote's
Mastership, I very much doubt whether ambition
would not have prompted him to make a bid for
the Shires at some early date. How well we know
do we not, that art is ever seeking new fields to
conquer ?

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FARMING AND FOXHUNTING

Capt. Kingscote possessed the true instincts of a
Master of Hounds. He never missed an oppor-
tunity to entertain the farmers. He could always
strike the right note when opportunity presented
itself. At the Wire Ball he and Mrs. Kingscote
played their parts well. I take off my hat to
Mrs. Kingscote, for no one knew the technique of
foxhunting better than she. The Wire Ball even-
ing was the moment to play host and hostess to
the farmers, who usually turned up in good numbers.
Were they not the most important part of the
Hunt ? Right royally did she and Capt. Kingscote
do their entertainment at this annual function. I
think I am expressing the opinion of the farmers
when I say that expressions of regret were many
when they in their turn passed on.

These extraordinary men like Capt. Kingscote
we do meet now and then. They seem to possess
what I call for want of a better expression, " the
Nelsonic touch," the ladies just cannot resist them.
I remember one day we were hunting at Bassett
Down and he said to me, " You go along the
bottom Charley and see that the fox does not
break away below, and I will put hounds in on
the top." Well, in carrying out my orders I ran
into the lady of the house, Mrs. Arnold Foster,
whom I found was not too pleased to see hounds,
she was afraid that they would damage her flower
borders, and I found that I was quite unable to
assure her that they would not. Thereupon the
Master appeared and I proceeded to introduce him.
He, of course, taking in the situation at a glance,

152

THE NEW REGIME

took off his cap gracefully with a smile and immedi-
ately the scene changed. " Oh, I am so glad to
meet you Captain Kingscote," said Mrs. Arnold
Foster. " Are you having a good season ? I do
hope so, I really am pleased to see you. I have
been hoping that I should get this opportunity of
meeting you. Now will you come in to tea, later ? "
— " Yes, I shall be delighted," said Capt. Kingscote.
" May I bring Mrs. Kingscote with me." — " Oh,
do." There you are. I was perfectly useless, but
he carried all before him, he could and he would.
How are you to explain it ?

In February 1936 the Hunt Committee were
again seeking a new Master and they found, as
most Hunts to-day do, that the task was a very
difficult one. The cost and responsibility of run-
ning a pack of hounds is a continually rising one.
Consequently prospective Masters are not so easy
to find, and taking a look into the future un-
fortunately there appears no escape from a con-
tinuation of this state of affairs.

The day has gone, I am afraid, when we can
expect to hold two Masters for a period of forty-
three years — Mr. Butt Miller and Col. Fuller,
1 888- 1 93 1 — since this good record we seem forced
by circumstances to take a line of short periods,
and if we can only continue on this basis, we, like
other Hunts, must consider ourselves fortunate.

All realize that foxhunting of the future is in the
lap of the Gods, but I have an idea that it will
not fade away as a game of the past generation,
traditions of sport, love of the chase, and this great

153

FARMING AND FOXHUNTING

spectacle of the country-side will not pass in a night
as some seem to think. We house in England all
the great sporting artists of the world and these
men will attract the cash from quarters where it
is assembled when the war is over, and with that
comforting thought we must leave it.

To continue my tale of February 1936, the
Committee received several offers to take over the
hounds and eventually invited Lord Gadogan, in
conjunction with Mr. H. Nell, to hunt the hounds.
This proved quite a useful combination. His
Lordship, on resigning from the army, was anxious
to try his hand at the game, and I must say liberally
subscribed to all functions in connection with
hunting and thus played his part well.

Mr. Nell very kindly put his great knowledge of
hounds and the general technique of the chase at
the disposal of all concerned. The combination
was completed by these two gentlemen engaging
Gilbert, a professional huntsman. The latter I
always thought gave a good account of himself
when in charge of the pack. Unfortunately he
was out of the saddle for a few odd periods and
then things did not go so well. But on the whole
this arrangement worked all right and so we carried
on for two seasons.

When this short period was over the Gommittee
were still able to hear of others who were prepared
to take the country over. This time the choice fell
on Mr. D. E. G. Price, who had been hunting the
Black and Tans in Ireland. Previous to this I fancy
he hunted a pack of hounds in the North of England.

154

THE NEW REGIME

This most useful experience, his reputation and his
kennel huntsman, Charley Hoare, who he brought
with him, added to his own natural ability to carry
the horn — except one day when he dropped it —
has served us well during his first season. A good
horseman with plenty of courage, and several
memorable days we must put in to Mr. Price's
credit.

His policy of introducing Black and Tan hounds,
which he brought with him from Ireland, were of
great interest and some speculation amongst various
members of the Hunt. Some thought them quite
an acquisition to the scenting power of the pack,
another opinion one heard expressed was that they
possessed too much of this power of scent, the
result being that on a good scenting day one was
never quite sure what they were hunting. That
thought may have arisen from lack of hound
knowledge and therefore may be quite erroneous.
But I rather think general opinion would sum them
up by saying they may have their qualifications
and some good ones, but whatever good points
they possess, they have not come to stay in the
English packs. One thing I am certain about
them is that they cannot be so easily picked out
a field or two ahead when you are riding to catch
them, and that makes me think ill of them, but
then I may be wrong.

This hunting phase of some fifty years would not
be complete unless I introduced a few outstanding
characters who have hunted with the V.W.H.
during these many years of my pleasant contact

155

FARMING AND FOXHUNTING

with the Cricklade Pack. During the time many
lasting friends have I made ; I am quite sure never
an enemy, and to my good fortune it must be
attributed, I have broken very few bones.

Amongst my earHest recollections I seem to see
the face of Jethro Coleing, he was one of our hunting
farmers and many years did he hunt. A long,
heavy man, it always amazed me how he could
nearly always see the end of a long run, and on an
average put in three days a week. I remember
riding one of his horses in a Point-to-Point, but
either I or the horse was too slow. I never could
ride big horses, they never seemed to respond to
my movements, consequently I did not win him
the race. This reminds me of another hunting
farmer, Andrew Chillingworth, who, by the by, had
great success in winning Points-to-Points with an
old favourite called " Prime Dutch," ridden by his
son Charles. I should not like to say how many
races this good horse won, but it must have been
many.

The sons of these two farmers are hunting to-day,
bred in them it must be ; may they still ride on
and serve the Hunt as their fathers did. Then in
the list of a few farmers who have turned an honest
pound by selling a horse now and again we must
place Jack Dibble and Victor Arkell, both good
horsemen ; the latter won more of our farmers'
races than perhaps any other.

Victor certainly had an eye that could pick out
a winner when he went to market.

On the other side of our country we have George

156

THE NEW REGIME

White, who perhaps has seen more foxhunting than
most men in the Vale of White Horse. His son
John I place well in the list of finished horsemen,
he has such a beautiful seat and setting.

Reg. Hewer, who tells us the tale of the Charley
Hoare days, no doubt thinks of many others when
he reflects on his long life in the hunting field. I
have often heard him sing the praises of Dudgrove in
the old days of his father. What a sporting centre
for game of all description it must have been in
the days of profitable farming !

Amongst the heavy-weights no one would deny
Nipper Sutton a good place in his best days.
Well up and well over one usually found him when
hounds were running.

For many years Cecil and Mrs. Wilson were keen
followers of the Vale Hunt. No two people ever
kept such close contact in the hunting field, they
were both bold and brave, and the Major loved a
foxchase up to the very end, but their following of
hounds had a technique of its own. One often
saw them turn from the wake of the Hunt and
take off to what appeared to be the opposite direc-
tion. This has been described as " skirting." As
we all know, this type of hunting followed to its
ultimate conclusion can leave you wondering what
to do next, and you finally decide you must jog
oflf home. On the other hand you may, if lucky,
have a wonderful time on your own. This, I feel,
describes the riding to hounds of these lovable
people.

A friend of all in the Hunt was Dr. Powell, of

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FARMING AND FOXHUNTING

Highworth, a real good fellow to hounds all his
long life, a real handyman was he, one who lost
many a ride by having to stop to bind up a broken
limb. A kind friend he was to me on a certain
day in the Water Eaton Vale when I broke a collar-
bone over some iron railings going up into Hanning-
ton out of the Vale. He possessed a keen sense of
humour and just loved to pull your leg. You were
never quite sure whether he was serious or not,
even his wife often misplaced his intentions. What
a laugh he created one afternoon at Can Court —
I am very much afraid at Mrs. Powell's expense.
One hopes she will not mind the tale being repeated.
It was a bitter cold afternoon and we were all
standing about getting a fox out of " Titcombe's
Drain." Mrs. Powell said, " Well, I am going
inside by Mrs. Titcombe's fire and get a warm up
with a drink," and thereupon handed her horse
over to the doctor. However, it was not long before
a few more of us thought the idea a good one and
proceeded to join her, including the gallant doctor.
When we got inside, Mrs. Powell exclaimed, " Oh,
Jim, what have you done with the horses ? " —
" Turned them loose," says Jim. — " Well, how are
we to get home then ? " — " Walk," says he, *' it's
capital good exercise."

On another occasion we were all standing in the
road waiting developments of a draw. Mrs. Powell
got very impatient and said, " Oh, where are we
going, Jim ? " and the reply from the doctor was,
" We aren't going anywhere, we are just standing
still."

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THE NEW REGIME

George Higham was another man who displayed
great skill in crossing a country ; his experience and
knowledge of hunting was great, all of which he
gave freely for the good of the sport.

Another pillar of the Hunt one cannot leave out is
John Faulkener ; he must have served on the Hunt
Committee more years than many, or even any. He
still lives to dream of the good old days and no
doubt takes a stroll out to the garage to have a
look at his old Ford car, a friend of long standing.

The great Hooper Deacon, who served as Hunt
Secretary a term of years too long to calculate,
followed into office by John Thornton, who always
keeps a smiling face even though he lost heavily
when the great Russian Empire fell in 191 7, so it
is reported.

A face we all miss is Col. Lawrence of Kempsford ;
a charming man is he, and although he seems to
have retired from hunting, sweet reflections on the
past, we hope, still bear him company. And here
I must end my few comments on the gentlemen in
pink. No, there is one more, last but not least,
General Stephens, Hunt Secretary for several years.
In fact he it was who carried the Hunt to a successful
close of its long life at Cricklade.

Could I venture, I wonder ? the danger is great,
I know, but I will risk just two of the ladies. Mrs.
Galley of Burderop Park gave chase to the fox in
the days of Charley Hoare and still leads the van
of the ladies under the Mastership of Mr. Price.
Can any mere man beat this record ? Only a few,
I think.

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FARMING AND FOXHUNTING

The other I have in mind is Mrs. Wendy Jones,
who came amongst us in the days of Col. Fuller
and still wipes the eyes of the younger generation
when a good fence presents itself

A Few Memorable Hunts

How many are my regrets for not keeping a hunt-
ing diary. I know men who do and it may be in
the near future we may get a full disclosure of the
valiant deeds in the Vale of White Horse. Major
Charles Briant does, I know, but then he will never
record how well he leads the van when opportunity
presents itself.

It has never been my lot to participate in many
of the great runs, or so it seems to me. There are
days one gets on occasion which need no recording :
they live in the memory. These are the days when
your experience — or is it your cunning — which has
put you in for a favourable turn when hounds are
running, and then you just lead for a few brief
moments. No fences seem too big or ditches too
wide, but alas this is a fleeting moment and you
quickly find that a better man than yourself takes
the front rank, or is it that he too has taken a
favourable turn ? Well, it may be either, but my
point is : these are the moments which bring a sense
of satisfaction when the day is done. On the other
hand how unhappy and disagreeable is the man
when he gets home in the evening and reflects on
the day's sport. " Ah," he thinks to himself, " had
I taken that stiff fence I should have been better

1 60

THE NEW REGIME

placed to enjoy that real good hunt." — " He who
hesitates is lost," counts for much when you are out
for a ride.

It just occurs to me that I have not proceeded far
in recording memorable runs of the V.W.H. Well,
let my mind carry me back to several in Col. Fuller's
time. One in particular I can see starting from
somewhere in the Hay Lane district, most probably
Saltrop, and hounds giving us a good ride across
Chaddington Vale, leaving Wootton Bassett on the
left and running into Great Wood.

On another day I remember arriving at Basset
Down a few minutes late on a horse, which I had
earlier taken two hours' farming previous to a hard
canter to the Meet, and when I arrived, the horse
I had sent on was not to be found, and to my amaze-
ment hounds got on to a fox in a few moments and
left cover at the far end of Bynoll, and then what
a good ride we were in for, out towards Wootton
Bassett, and then a sharp turn up the Chaddington
Vale nearly to Swindon and back again to pull up
on my farm hack to watch hounds stream by, entering
Bynoll at the spot they had left it. That farm hack,
whose name was " Bones," was a real good one, all
blood, no bone and as thin as a hurdle ; finally we
buried him with full honours a few years later.

It is too often said no good fun emanates from
Burderop. I can recall a real good run taking place
late in an afternoon about March time. Joe Willis
was in charge of the pack and we got a fox away
from the bottom end, taking a line over the railway,
leaving Badbury and Medbourne on the right,

i6i

FARMING AND FOXHUNTING

Straight for Wanborough Church, where he thought
to enter an earth ; being foiled he turned left, passed
Lower Wanborough and right away to Acorn Bridge
on his way to Warneford Place. How many were
up ? A few farmers and Joe Willis as far as I re-
member, for I believe it was Cheltenham Gold Cup
Day.

I have distinct recollections of a fast and reckless
ride in Capt. Kingscote's days. Hounds met at
Cricklade and proceeded to Keylocks Drain. When
I arrived I found myself behind 1 50 people waiting
in a narrow road to hear the view-hollo. No chance
here, I thought, to see either a fox or a hound. I
pulled my good horse " Wideawake," round in the
opposite direction ; he was one of the finest timber
jumpers I have ever ridden. We shot round a
back lane and over a couple of gates, and found
hounds were just in front of us. Then all out for a
few miles, to end up by jumping into a pond, an
unfortunate finish to a good ride of not more than
thirty minutes, probably less, but it was worth it.
Good fortune — or was it Joe Willis ? — directed me
to Capt. Oxley, whose butler produced the whiskey.
Poor old " Wideawake " was a bit lame for a few
days, but he soon got over it. Report has it that
this was the day of the season ; well, it may very
well be a true report, but I only saw half of it, but
what I saw was good : I make no complaints.

One gets a deal of fun and quite good hunting,
for the going is good around Eastleach, the Crick-
lade border on the north side of the country. Fred
Honour would seem to farm most of the land in that

162

THE NEW REGIME

area. Nash's Gorse is a cover of good repute for a
fox. When you get away you soon come in contact
with the stone walls. Has anyone seen a bad fall
over a wall ? Of course there must be some spills
when facing these formidable obstacles, but I cannot
recall ever seeing one. The lesson one learns here
is. Never be too anxious to ride at the spot where
the main body have weakened the fence : if you do,
trouble will be your lot sooner or later. Your
horse will make his best effort when he is quietly
taking a fence on his own and not fussed by the
crowd. I once heard a man say that those who
ride at post and rails will come to grief sooner or
later. I cannot subscribe to this theory. Pro-
vided they are not too formidable and you ride
carefully I believe you are safer by taking the rails.
You are pretty certain to find the going is better
and the landing sound. My motto is, If you cannot
steer, well, don't come out hunting. Most of the
accidents one sees are invariably to he or she who
is an indifferent pilot.

Real good fun is sure to follow a Meet at Lotmead
Gate. Capt. Kingscote was the first Master to
hunt this side of the country regularly ; whenever
you go ther'C a fox seems to spring from nowhere,
and a good run is assured.

Two good days came from this Meet last season ;
the first we took a fox well into the Old Berks
country to finish at Wanborough ; finally a great
gallop back to Swindon to pull up at the Lawn.
But the great day followed a few weeks later when
our second fox of the day took us just short of

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FARMING AND FOXHUNTING

Kingston Lisle. What a day ! I have made an
effort to put it into rhyme :

T'was at Lotmead Gate
They met their fate ;

Vale warriors old,

And women bold,
So soon to leave the plate.

Oh, David Price-less Master
Not you to lose your plaster,

Your heart was good

Your horse just stood.
You must be mounted faster.

To Ding Dong Farmer Bell,
That long and heavy Swell,

The Wanbro' Brook,

Is a cosy nook.
He knows so well.

Bad luck to Charlie Briant,
Whom we left to save the Giant,

The lion bold,

From water cold.
Oh, Charles, you are reliant.

Of the lass who rides a grey.
There really is little to say.

She thinks it fun

To water a run.
Was it — three times that day?

Let's tell the truth.
Of a damsel Ruth,

She entered the flood

And drew the blood
Of " Excusable " by " Youth."
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THE NEW REGIME

The end of the day
Brought Barker to bay,

Up White Horse nook

He scrambled to look,
For the tireless grey.

Let's drink to the few,
When rein they drew.

At Kingston Lisle,

To rest awhile.
Historic hunts to chew.

P.S. Apologize to Farmer Cook,

Whose cows their meads forsook,

You hunting fellow

In pink and yellow.
Or in a Court you'll look. '

From those up we can name the Master, Col.
Fitzgerald, Major Bond, E. K. Nesbit (who I
remember was making enquiries on the miles to
Kemble), Capt. Dalgety, Sydney Maundrell and a
few others. Charley Hoare, the first Whip, I can
see stone cold, or rather his horse was making an
effort to walk to the finish.

Another capital run came from the same Meet,
again this year of Grace 1939. Barker leading the
way from Lotmead to Swindon. I have already
mentioned that good sport started in this area by
the coming of Capt. Kingscote, but no one will
deny that the credit of these lively days is almost
entirely due to the amount of energy and time put
in by two farmer friends to the Hunt, Billy Gibbs
and Percy Godwin. They have opened up this
good country and made it rideable, and to them I

165 M

FARMING AND FOXHUNTING

pay tribute. Col. Lawrence, late of Chiseldon
Camp, also rendered valuable assistance on the
New Cover side. The romance of hunting is in
his blood, he just could not help doing it ; and then
last but not least, in fact a host in himself, has been
Edgar Prescot Barker of King Edward Place. He
being Field Master in the Old Berks country has
considerably eased the situation. What a difference
it makes when a man like this brings an influence
which is irresistible where hunting is concerned !
Many a good ride have I had in company with my
friend " Gar " Barker, but at times he is far too
fast and furious for me to bear company.

Riding in Point-to-Point is a fascinating game,
but only a few riders have a long innings. My
courage never rose to this pitch except in a few
years preceding the great War. I have a few
nice cups to adorn my sideboard, one I notice
given by the Officers i8th (Q^.M.O.) Hussars in

1913-
I shall never forget one race which I took part in

about the year 1900. We were all lined up in a

field just off the Marston Road and told to ride to

a flag waving on the hill between the " Black

Horse," Wanborough and Little Hinton. The

first obstacle was the Marston Brook, and very

luckily for me I was drawn on the extreme right,

the remainder of the field either got in or were

turned out by refusing horses going down the line.

When I got clear I took a look back and there was

not one coming, and I thought to myself I shall

surely win this race now, but no, Good Luck refused

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THE NEW REGIME

my company a few fields firom the finish, for I got
laid out over a new cut and laid fence in the Wan-
borough Bottom. I was conscious that my good
steed was tiring and this just finished her off. I
have an idea that the race was won by Ernest Retter
of Overtown. Well, he deserved it; he was a
struggling farmer like myself Unfortunately he
had but a short innings at the business, for he died
a comparatively young man.

A few years back it became my lot to take part
in a talk on Farming and Foxhunting at Broad-
casting House. It was during Anthony Kurd's
run, " Farming to-day." He approached me with
an idea of giving a little talk on something of interest
about Christmas time, and we finally agreed on
the subject " Farming and Foxhunting." ^ He, while
not opposed to hunting, indeed far from it, took the
line that hunting people were not over careful m
avoiding damage, etc. etc., and then our talk
broadened out to say that some hunts were not
pulling their w^eight in subscribing to the R.A.B.I.
Being an honorary Secretary to this most excellent
Institution for bringing reHef to broken-down
farmers, I was anxious to awaken a htde more
energy into the work of those responsible for the
collection of annual subscriptions and Hunt caps.
Our efforts in this direction, whilst they may or
may not have borne fruit, certainly raised a cer-
tain amount of protest in some quarters. I under-
stand that the matter was brought to the notice of
Sir John Reith, the Director of the B.B.C., who put
the matter in order, since they are very particular

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FARMING AND FOXHUNTING

at the B.B.C., and cut out anything which may
give possible offence. I had worked into the talk
something about celebrated men who had joined
in the sport of foxhunting in years gone by,
and mentioned one in particular, the Duke of
Wellington, who was a real sportsman, for
did he not conclude peace terms with the French
after the Napoleonic Wars which had never been
broken ?

What might have happened at Versailles Peace
Treaty had Mr. Lloyd George been a foxhunter,
we never can tell, can we ? This little interlude, of
course, was eliminated. For you must not take
liberties at Broadcasting House.

1 68

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CHAPTER XIX

FARMING AND FOXHUNTING— 193B

N this final chapter I want to set out my ideas
about the true relationship of farming and fox-
hunting. I cannot do better than quote the
broadcast talk which I had with Mr. Anthony
Hurd.

A. H. : Well, I hope you have all had a good
Christmas. Those of us who live in the country or
in many of our provincial towns were reminded of
foxhunting on Boxing Day, and to-night I think we
are still sufficiently full of Christmas not to want to
discuss the weather, or foodstuffs, or quotas, so Mr.
Charles Whatley and I are going to have a Utde
discussion about farming and foxhunting. Mr.
WhaUey is a well-known farmer in my part of the
country, and he hunts regularly— or as regularly as
business allows— with the V.W.H. (Cricklade). ^

Whadey, you have been both farming and hunting
for many years ?

C. W. W. : Yes, it must be something like forty-
five years— nearly half a century. Perhaps you
think it about time I gave up both.

A. H. : No, no, I would not say that. I am

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FARMING AND FOXHUNTING

sure you would find an idle life boring and certainly
not very profitable.

C. W. W. : YeSj I believe you are right. Both
occupations are very interesting, provided of course
you have an iron frame and good health. A farmer
has every opportunity to furnish himself with a good
constitution, and, if he can't plough in his troubles,
he has at least a good opportunity to hunt them
away, and I might add at little cost.

A. H. : Yes, the hunting farmer is generally a
cheerful sort of fellow, but most of us can't afford
the time or money to hunt to-day. Now apart from
keeping the farmer fit, what benefits would you
say come to farming from foxhunting ?

C. W. W. : Well, foxhunting and farming fit
in very well together. Foxhunting does bring many
benefits to the farmer, direct and indirect. Some-
times I think the benefits are overlooked, but that,
of course, is only natural. The non-hunting man
does not sum up the situation. If he did he would
be amazed at his good luck in farming in an area
where hunting is a tradition of long standing.

A. H. : That is a bold statement to make. Why
do you say that this hunting game is so good for the
farmer ? There are plenty of poultry farmers and
some others who say that they would rather be
without foxes and without foxhunting.

C. W. W. : Well, I must take up your chal-
lenge. First think of the picturesque and the social
side of foxhunting. No one can be insensible to
that fascinating picture of a village or lawn Meet.
Here you get congregated the high and the low,

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FARMING AND FOXHUNTING — I938

the rich and the poor, yes, and even the man on
the dole. How often have I seen these men spending
an hour of real enjoyment following the hounds on
a bicycle or on foot. Then take a Boxing Day
Meet. Our late Master, Col. W. Fuller, in real
good humour used to describe it as a great Christ-
mas party, and he was not far wrong. The roads
are blocked with motor-cars, cyclists and people on
foot in countless numbers, all full of life and excite-
ment, and if they can only catch a glimpse of a fox,
they go home and talk about it for months, and
this just keeps them from brooding over the failings
of the politicians to put the world right. Grand,
isn't it?

I have just been reading the life of Parnell, and
it can't be disputed that the troubles of Ireland have
been due to nothing more or less than the fact that
the Irish landlord did not live in the country. Is
this not an object lesson for us ? I say, discourage
hunting and our village life would be the poorer,
and rural population become yet more scanty. The
privilege of foxhunting has prevailed for about two
centuries. Is it not amazing how the last phase of
the Feudal System has lived through so many
changes ? Surely it has been nourished by the real
good-fellowship which exists between the farmer
and the hunting man, and it will be a sorry day
should the rural areas lose that bond of friendship.

A. H. : Yes. This old country of ours seems to
stand up against these international shocks better
than most. Is it not partly that our standard of
life is good and our people have healthy amusement ?

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FARMING AND FOXHUNTING

We have hunting, racing, football, cricket and sport
of every description and to suit all tastes. This
sport makes life worth living, and must act as a
safety-valve. It is said, I know, that the country
spends too much of its resources on sport. That's
as it may be.

C. W. W. : I have not much in common with
people who hold that view. I say, take the cash
and let the credit go. I know you are quite a
reader, Hurd. You surely can recall why the great
Duke of Wellington was so successful in the Penin-
sula. Was it not because he kept a pack of hounds
in Spain just to amuse the troops during the off
days ?

Then just look at the many social activities these
hunting people share with us farmers. To mention
a few : hunt balls, wire dances, support for local
agricultural shows. Again, who would miss the
annual Point-to-Point races ? They cost nothing
except to the man who is lucky enough to own a
motor-car. But no farmer ever pays anything that
day. No, he gets everything free and in most cases
a free lunch.

A. H. : Yes, that is a courteous repayment of
the hospitality that the farmer freely gives to hunt
over his land. If foxhunting is to go on, and it
would be a bad day for the country if it were
stopped, there must be the spirit of give-and-take
between farmers and the Hunt. I have no griev-
ance against the Hunt in my part of the country,
but you do hear of cases of rank bad manners, and
quite unnecessary damage is done to farm property,

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FARMING AND FOXHUNTING I938

fences broken, young wheat ridden over, gates left
open so that stock stray and so on. It's ignorance
I know, and not maHce. Tou get more people out
hunting to-day who donH know much about the country.
They seem to forget their manners and that they
are the farmers' guests. It might be all to the good
if the M.F.H. made an example occasionally, and
sent one or two flagrant offenders home. Correct
manners are just as important as correct dress in
the hunting field.

C. W. W. : I agree that there's got to be a
spirit of give-and-take. There is in most Hunts.
You know how at N.F.U. dinners the members will
drink heartily to the toast of foxhunting. You
know you have joined in singing " He's a jolly good
fellow " when the Master of the local Hunt rises
to respond. I have very vivid recollections of a
certain Master of Hounds who couldn't make a
speech, ordering a dozen port to the table, just to
oil the throats of the company. Yes, it's no good
being a poor man if you have any ambition to hunt
a pack of hounds, or even to hunt at all. Does it
not cause money to be spent on horses, corn, hay,
straw, servants of every description ? Local trades-
men, such as the blacksmith and the saddler, come
in for a large share of the business, in fact the whole
country-side shares in the distribution of wealth
made most likely in our great cities. Take for
instance the country around Exmoor and the New
Forest. Why, the farmer could not live on the
land if it were not for the invasion of the hunting
man with his cash, womenfolk and horses. In

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FARMING AND FOXHUNTING

these poverty-stricken areas the farmer Hves on the
fat of the hunter. Have you any idea of the cash
expenditure it takes to run a pack of hounds for a
season ?

A. H. : No, I can't say that I've ever thought
much about it.

C. W. W. : Well, to make a start. To run a
pack of hounds with horses and servants complete
for one day's hunting a week during the season
costs -£1,2^0 per annum. In England and Wales
we have about 150 packs of fox- and staghounds.
To run these packs during the hunting season
means an outlay of about half a million pounds.
Add to this the expenditure of the countless numbers
who hunt, we get a total calculated expenditure of
about 1 2 millions per annum, not all of which finds
its way to the pocket of the farmer, I know, but I
estimate he gets the lion's share of it.

Now here's another little incident where a farmer
benefits when he is in contact with the hounds.
Some few weeks ago I happened to be out cubbing,
and riding up to a friend I said, " Good morning,

Mr. , how are you ? " He turned round and

replied, " Good morning, old boy. I am all the
better for seeing you. How have you summered ?
Here, have you got any old oats ? " — " Yes, just
threshed out 50 quarters of old grey winter." —
*' Right you are, send 'em up when you like." I
am convinced that many of our young farmers
to-day do not take advantage of the business pos-
sibilities of foxhunting. They should always be
on the look-out to buy a good promising young

FARMING AND FOXHUNTING — I938

hunter. I stress the word " good," because many-
are apt to buy something cheap and hope for the
best. This invariably leads to disappointment and
perhaps loss. They ought to buy, or breed, some-
thing of good quality, break it with care, ride it
with courage, and then a good profit is assured.
Remember that the standard of hunting, like every
other standard to-day, is on the up grade, and the
successful man is the one who can find the goods.

A. H. : Well, you have painted a rosy picture of
the benefits of foxhunting. What about the damages
done by some of these large fashionable packs ?
These are hard times for farmers, you know.

C. W. W. : Well, take damage done to fences
first ; most Hunts are paying out a bonus of 2s. 6d.
per chain to the farmer who is willing to get on
with his hedge cutting. This disposes of any little
difficulty about fences. The question of poultry
losses is, I am afraid, a little more serious. The
poultry side of farming has increased very much of
late years, and bills which are sent into the Hunts
for losses keep mounting up and up. I know the
Cricklade country pay out about ^^450 a year in
poultry claims. Let's assume this is an average
payment for all the various Hunts in the country.
If this is correct we have the good round sum of
£67,500 paid out annually to the poultry farmer.
I know all Masters of hounds are very anxious about
this increased destruction by the foxes. I am hope-
ful myself that, in time, as the poultry farmer
reconditions his equipment, he will adopt the
modern principle of fox-proof housing. I honestly

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FARMING AND FOXHUNTING

believe this will prove an economic remedy in the
end. Now it is very curious how the population
of foxes has increased since the development of the
poultry industry. Another case of Nature correcting
the balance. Is not that so ?

A. H. : No, if that's a fact, I would rather say
that the Hunts are not doing their job as efficiently
as they were. Talking about poultry claims, there
are a good many of us who never put in a claim for
poultry losses. I haven't calculated just how many
birds I lose by foxes in the course of the year, but
I know that some years ago I had to put up a 6-ft.
wire round my hen houses to stop their daylight
raids and give the hens a quiet time. I remember
the M.F.H. was rather taken aback when I told
him that I had just given the Hunt a handsome
subscription of :£^40. What would you say to the
man who wrote me this letter the other day ? He
says : "I would like you to call attention to the
damage done by foxes in this country. I am a
lover of hunting and have often ridden to hounds
when farming was a different proposition than it
is to-day. I agree that rabbits do unspeakable
damage to crops, but when war is raging and our
food supplies are limited we can then fall back on
rabbits, but would you care to eat Mr. Reynard ?
He has a strong scent when alive and I think the
flavour would be rather gamey. Foxes, like every-
thing else, are all very well in their place. There
are far too many in this district. They should all
be confined to enclosures and one let out a few days
before the Hunt comes over the district, and a

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FARMING AND FOXHUNTING I938

forfeit should be imposed on the Hunt if they failed
to catch the fox. It is not only what foxes kill, but
they do so much harm in frightening the rest of the
poultry. Rabbits should be their menu. I am
unhappily fixed in my land as to be between two
Hunts, and not either will accept claims for damages
or pay up." There are others who are much less
tolerant and who seem to cherish a bitter resentment
against the local Hunt.

G. W. W. : Yes, I know there are people like
your correspondent who are very bitter against Mr.
Reynard and often make suggestions for his exter-
mination, but as in the case of your correspon-
dent these suggestions are often more romantic
than practical. I wonder if they have ever looked
at this question from another angle. You know it's
not very difficult to establish a good argument that
foxhunting is a great assistance to the poultry farmer
and not a menace.

A. H. : Oh, how do you make that out ? I
begin to think you are romancing a bit now.

G. W. W. : No, not at all. Listen for a moment.
Some few days ago I was looking up the Meets in
The Times, and in doing so I made a calculation of
the advertised packs. I find 131 packs of fox-
hounds destroying foxes. Give each pack a kill
of 100 for the season and I think you will find a
total of 13,100 accounted for. Just imagine for a
moment the damage another 13,000 foxes could
inflict upon the poultry keeper if foxhunting were
not kept going in full swing. Steel traps are horrible
things, and illegal, and poisoning is also against the

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FARMING AND FOXHUNTING

law, and now we come back to my earlier suggestion
that the best remedy is a modern type of fox-proof
house.

A. H. : Well, what about damage to growing
crops ?

C. W. W. : This again is exaggerated. I am
very definitely of the opinion that there are few
farmers who can honestly claim they cut a ton of
hay or grow a sack of corn less, owing to the visitation
from the Hunt.

A. H. : I think you are right. Foxhunting does
not really conflict with good farming — that is if the
Hunt behave themselves as they should. When
there is trouble it is, as I said before, generally due
to lack of manners and consideration for the farmers'
property. Most of us are glad enough to see
hounds on our land, they are our guests and we
don't grudge hunting people their fun. At heart
I know hunting men are good fellows and will do
all they can to help farmers. I remember you and
some others made a special appeal for the Royal
Agricultural Benevolent Institution a year or two
ago. You had a good response from hunting people,
didn't you ?

C. W. W. : They came out most generously and
without much effort I got contributions of ^(^50 down
to ■£^. I am glad you mentioned the R. A.B.I.
because that is one way the hunting man can return
the hospitality extended by the farmer to the man
who hunts. Some of the packs are not very generous
in their response. Have you ever taken a look at
the R.A.B.I. year book?

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FARMING AND FOXHUNTING — I938

A. H. : No, I can't say I have. What do you
find there ?

G. W. W. : Well, I find there that some Hunts
are quite liberal in their subscriptions and some are
very thin in their efforts, but there is a good deal
of money that comes firom the hunting man which
does not find its way through the Hunt collections.

A. H. : Yes, perhaps you are right. What do
you suggest ?

C. W. W. : Well, Hurd, I hesitate to make any
suggestions. This is really a matter the M.F.H.
Association should handle. However, I notice the
Wylye Valley Hunt are proposing a 5 per cent,
increase in subscription, and the amount to be sent
to the Institution. They, at least, should be con-
gratulated upon making this move ; perhaps they
wouldn't mind my suggesting they should embody
in this condition a minimum of a guinea. I hope
the example set by the Wylye Valley will be taken
up by the M.F.H. Association and the principle
adopted as a national one.

A. H. : Yes and more farmers themselves ought
to subscribe to the Institution funds. It's not only
a personal insurance against bad luck but it gives a
helping hand to those who have fallen by the way.
What you have said may set hunting people thinking.
We have all got to realize that new relationships
have grown up in country life since before the war.
Often the big landowner or the Squire of the village
has disappeared, and if he is still there, his influence
is not what it was. Farmers are more their own
masters now, whether they are big men or small. I

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FARMING AND FOXHUNTING

think very few would really like to see hunting
abolished, but some of them are not in the mood to
subordinate the interests of farming to the interests
of foxhunting. In this world whether you are
farming or whatever you're doing, there must be a
good deal of give-and-take. With goodwill on both
sides, hunting and farming can get along well
enough together.

C. W. W. : You and I agree. We are I know
both anxious that foxhunting and farming shall
continue in an atmosphere of peace and goodwill,
and that the happy relations which have always
existed between the farmer and the foxhunter will
go on for many years to come.

Well, as it is Christmas time :

" Here's to the Pink, Black and Blue,
The farmers and poultry keepers too,
And Listeners, to all of you."

1 80

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J„^i