Country Life
Tins harvest' turns out to be one that will take some beating. Large acreages of corn stand in stooks when normally the grain would have been safe. The waste goes on and yet nearly a month ago it seemed that the weather might be beaten and a harvest stolen between spells of rain. A friend whose harvest has proved a disaster tells me that while he cut and carried one field he lost another simply through showers that laid his corn, preventing the use of the tractor binder and involving manual work that just couldn't be done in the time available. He came down from his farm to see me the other day and remarked that it was now certain that the corn would have to be ploughed in. It dare not be left to be eaten by his stock, for the animals would need the vet if this happened. So often we hear talk of ploughing back profit. This time it seems that losses will be ploughed in too. It is small consola- tion that the land is being enriched after so much labour ploughing and sowing. Farmers have a sound reason for complaining and this is the season for complaint with a vengeance.