the middle passage between the rows of stantions was scraped, swept and dressed with lime to absorb moisture and keep dirt and odour down. Finally the cows were groomed. By this time it was 10 o'clock in the morning. This barn was very efficiently managed, and these boys knew how to work, for in many cases I have seen farmers just finishing cleaning out their barn at 11.30. At nights, silage and grain was fed before milking, and hay fed after. It is not until one has seen for oneself the work involved in barn-feeding that one really appreciates one's good fortune in being able to pasture cattle for twelve months of the year. Farmers here do not observe a break for morning or afternoon tea, but the three meals that are served are hearty and substantial ones. It is merely a habit of consuming sufficient at one meal to carry you through to the next. At first I really did miss my cups of tea, but have now become accustomed to three meals a day with coffee to follow. Because three meals a day is usual practice, the habit of making cups of tea for casual visitors does not exist. Most housewives are staggered by the fact that women in New Zealand can find sufficient time to serve morning and afternoon tea—and supper—in addition to the three main meals.

JOINING A LODGE The Wilmots are quite a large family, consisting of five boys and a girl. Two of the boys work on the farm, two of them are still going to school, and the remaining brother and the girl are attending colleges. They derive the utmost pleasure from working on their farm and discussing farming topics at night, when most young fellows would want to be heading off to some livelier source of entertainment. They also rejected television sets, on the grounds that they distracted you from your work too much. All the members of the family, however, did take a very keen interest in an organization called ‘Grange’ and all participated in the activities of their local branch of ‘Grange’. It is an organization chiefly concerned with the interests of rural people, and is operated along the lines of a ‘lodge’ or secret society. Its major purpose is to promote better family life by providing programmes which include topics on agriculture and education, and some form of musical or social entertainment for those so inclined. During my stay so far I have been invited to speak or show films at many of their meetings, but due to the nature of this organization I was excluded from the formal section of their meetings. This meant that often I would have to sit outside the door for a half to three-quarters of an hour, go in and give my talk, and then sit outside again for another half-hour before the meeting finished and supper was served. As this situation was not entirely satisfactory as far as I was concerned, and as I possess the inquisitiveness common to most members of the human race, I decided it would be much more convenient to become a member of ‘Grange’ myself. During my visit with the Wilmots I joined ‘Grange’ and no longer have to sit outside the door, but can go in and participate in normal activities of any ‘Grange’ meeting in the States. At the same time I have found these activities instructive, and thoroughly worthwhile.

THE TEMPERAMENTAL LITTLE MINK One of my most interesting experiences so far was when I had the opportunity of paying a short visit to a mink farm. This particular industry has now been operating for some 25 to 30 years in the States, and in the State of Connecticut there are three such farms. This particular farm that I visited was one of the larger ones, having about 2,000 animals. The farming of mink is not at all an easy occupation and requires very highly specialized knowledge to be operated successfully, but when such success can be obtained it becomes one of the highest paying forms of farming. The mink themselves are exceedingly temperamental animals and must be handled with great care at all times. They resemble in appearance a small type of fox, not much bigger than the average sized domesticated cat. In the United States, small farmers usually raise a variety of crops, including feed for their dairy and beef cattle. (U.S.I.S. Photograph)