Farming in England

Manawatu Times, Volume 66, Issue 1, 2 January 1941, Page 5

Farming in England

Some idea of the difficulties the English farmer is suffering during wartime is given in a letter received recently from Air. W. Jenkins, who was a few years ago a chairman of directors of the Norsewood Co-operative Dairy Co., and is now back in England farming. He writes: “Now the war has come and with it will come an enormous change in English farming. There is practically no silage made, but this season will see almost 50 per cent, of farmers trying it out. In fact, they are fast becoming silage-minded. Alany aro almost worried to death as they cannot get sufficient supplies of imported foodstuff concentrates, and there is nothing to take its place. When one realises that the animal population of farming England is well above what her farm land can provide for, you can get an idea of the worrying time many are having. Pigs and Poultry. “But the pig or poultry specialist is having a particularly disastrous time, and it is ruination to many. In some cases all the pigs except a few sows have been sold, and tho market for weaner pigs at present is ruinous. But after the harvest, things will alter. Using the Plough. “The farmer is having to plough up old grassland and is asked to provide as much as possible for his own needs, and it will indeed be a revolution in farming. There were seven million pounds’ worth stock foodstuffs imported the year before tho war! Trade .interests have encouraged the farmer to use, and use still more, of the imported article, and it plays a big part in England’s trade. The very severe winter ou top of all the other disturbances was a sore trial, frozen water systems, carting water to stock and breaking ice on streams and ponds, but the winter was soon forgotten in the rush of work ‘digging for victory',’ for first and foremost we must win win this war. Some day I will write and tell .you all about our farm( which has been ‘run out,’ but we are going to try and make it fertile agayr. We may be successful and we may not be, but we are having a j oll y godd try.”