Edition Bobbett1. Texts by Elizabeth F. Bobbett: 1.1.3. Correspondence, Letters to newspapers
1946 Elizabeth Bobbett: Letter to the Irish Independent, 27.09.1946
Our Readers Are Writing. Farmers are grateful
Sir. We wish to express our thanks to the Government, the County Councils and various public bodies and business firms who have come forward to help in the great National Drive to save the harvest. In particular we express our grateful appreciation to all the men and women who have volunteered to help in the fields, and in trying to provide food and transport for the workers.
We know that such work in the fields by persons who are not used to it is very tiring and many will have sore hands and aching backs, but nevertheless all will be happy in knowing that they have done a noble work in trying to provide food for the coming year. It will give many an insight to the magnificent work done by the farmers since 1939 to feed the nation.
While much reaping and drawing in of corn has been completed in County Dublin, it is one of the earliest counties, so it will be several weeks yet till the harvest is threshed in other counties even with fine weather and extra help. We regret to remind the public that it is not only the grain harvest that is in danger, the potatoes are getting black very quickly, and we hope that the splendid volunteer service now so well organised will be kept on till the potatoes are safe.
From reports to hand, we are aware that grain is bushelling very low and has a high moisture content, and we fear that owing to absence of sunshine and abnormal rainfall there is likely to be an acute shortage of wheat suitable for seed next spring.
I have been asked by several of our members to appeal to farmers who are fortunate to have good spring wheat suitable for seed to harvest it as best they can, and not to thresh it now, but to keep it to thresh in the spring, as they hold it will be difficult to get seed next spring that will germinate well, and it is only wheat that is matured in the straw and sown soon after threshing that will be suitable for seed at all. If it keeps fresh in the ricks until spring, even if the bushelling is low, if sown soon after threshing it will germinate all right.
May God bless all those who have come forward so willingly to help us in our immense task. Their cheerful presence in the fields has acted like a tonic on many a weary worker. Elizabeth F. Bobbett, General Secretary, Irish Farmers' Federation, Wicklow.