Book contents
- The British Home Front and the First World War
- The British Home Front and the First World War
- Copyright page
- Contents
- Figures
- Tables and Charts
- Contributors
- Acknowledgements
- A Note on the Illustrations
- Introduction
- 1 The United Kingdom in 1914
- Part I Government
- Part II Resources
- 7 Iron and Steel
- 8 Timber
- 9 Fishing
- 10 Agriculture
- 11 Coal
- 12 War Finance
- Part III People
- Part IV Production
- Part V Social Impacts
- Conclusion
- Index
10 - Agriculture
from Part II - Resources
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 23 February 2023
- The British Home Front and the First World War
- The British Home Front and the First World War
- Copyright page
- Contents
- Figures
- Tables and Charts
- Contributors
- Acknowledgements
- A Note on the Illustrations
- Introduction
- 1 The United Kingdom in 1914
- Part I Government
- Part II Resources
- 7 Iron and Steel
- 8 Timber
- 9 Fishing
- 10 Agriculture
- 11 Coal
- 12 War Finance
- Part III People
- Part IV Production
- Part V Social Impacts
- Conclusion
- Index
Summary
In 1915 J. Albert Frost wondered whether his book The Shire Horse in Peace and War was timely. He told how ‘the War horse of the olden days became the Old English Cart Horse’.1 Shire mares and geldings hauled heavy guns in France but, he apologetically concluded, ‘What is the good of talking about such a peaceful occupation as that of agriculture while the nation is fighting for its very existence’.2 Horsemen, stockmen and ploughmen with knowledge of animal power, tillage methods, soils, climate, seeds and traditional customs were still connected to immemorial cultures. A lifetime spent interviewing the old rural community in East Anglia and analysing their use of farm tools and domestic equipment, led George Ewart Evans to conclude that the ‘last carriers’ of abundant lore were born in the years 1885–95.3
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- The British Home Front and the First World War , pp. 202 - 220Publisher: Cambridge University PressPrint publication year: 2023