Edition Bobbett1. Texts by Elizabeth F. Bobbett: 1.1.3. Correspondence, Letters to newspapers
1947 Elizabeth Bobbett: Letter to the Irish Times, 15.04.1947
The Tillage Drive
Sir. The greatest encouragement the farmers have got in the tillage drive is God's blessing of fine weather. Without it, all would be in vain. While the fullest use is being made of all available tractors and horses and machinery, and the sowing of spring wheat has started in East Wicklow, many farmers are held up in their tillage operations through lack of the usual machinery, as the "less fortunate" farmers have not all their own necessary equipment, viz. ploughs, zig-zag harrows or corn drills, and all their neighbours are working full time; so there are none to hire or lend. Even the best-equipped farms are short of extra horses; to work extra long hours you would need to change horses.
Many farmers have suffered such heavy losses during the snowstorm that they have not the hay or oats to feed an extra horse, and their own horses (if they have survived the snow storm) are too weak to do much work. Last but not least is lack of finance. Tractor sets will eventually be able to reach many farms where work is at present held up through lack of machinery and finance, but who will guarantee to pay the tractor man, and who will provide the seed?
What is our Department of Agriculture doing to get such farms cropped?
The longer the sowing is delayed, the greater is the risk of having a crop failure, a serious loss to both farmer and nation. I think it could be safely estimated that one out of every three farmers is at the moment held up from proceeding with the tillage drive while waiting either for tractor sets, or till his neighbour can lend a plough, harrow, or corn drill, etc. It must be remembered that farmers are trying to fit five months' of work into five weeks, and it is heartbreaking to farmers to be unable to proceed with the tilling when the weather is now good.
Appeals have been made through the Press for the fullest co-operation in helping the tillage drive, but so far, it has only been talk. Many parish committees have been formed to try and help; I happen to be secretary to our local committee. We asked to Government to grant extra bread ration for farmers and farm workers, and specially for tractor drivers, for the immediate weeks. The Minister for Industry and Commerce replied that they would grant extra bread ration for farmers and farm workers, and specially for tractor drivers, for the immediate weeks. The Minister for Industry and Commerce replied that they would grant extra rations for crews of tractors, and we were told to submit the names and full particulars of tractor owners. In due course, tractor owners got a form to fill up, and several of them have since told me they have received a notice saying they would not be entitled to extra bread ration.
How many city workers or civil servants are willing to work all night on a tractor without getting a meal, and what can he get only a cup of tea and bread? We are asked to keep tractors working every hour. This cannot be done unless an extra bread ration is given, so that food can be brought to the tractor men, who will be long distances away from farmhouses and many miles away from their homes.
Why not put the Army out to help? Send teams of Army horses, equipped with the necessary harness, and a harrow or plough to every parish, and send baled hay with them for the horses. Send the soldiers out to follow them, and let them bring their field kitchens with them. Even in some parishes the extra horses would be a great help.
As I write this letter I can look out my window, looking over a part of the parish of Barndarrig. I can see hundreds of acres of ploughed land, and not a horse working on it, all ready to be arrowed. The work is of national importance. Surely the Government can send the Army horses and men to help? The farmer and his staff can only tackle one field at a time. Yours, etc., Elizabeth F. Bobbett, General Secretary, Irish Farmers' Federation.