Rural time travel

[gradus]

Near Framlingham today I drove past a rural scene out of the 1940's or even 1840's, a harvested wheat field full of regularly spaced stooks, there were hundreds, as though the sail reaper had just finished and the men had just stacked the wheat. A most arresting and extraordinary sight, one that I have only ever seen in old photographs or film.

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

Near Framlingham today I drove past a rural scene out of the 1940's or even 1840's, a harvested wheat field full of regularly spaced stooks, there were hundreds, as though the sail reaper had just finished and the men had just stacked the wheat. A most arresting and extraordinary sight, one that I have only ever seen in old photographs or film.

My earliest memory is one of my mother and her friend sitting on a stook on a Suffolk farm in 1951. I was just 18 months old. It’s very unusual to see them now, but it must have been a wonderful sight.

[oddoneout]

Might have something to do with this?

http://www.ntsga.org.uk/thatching/forsalewanted.htm

[Frances_iom]

The same thing happens on the IoM near the Cregneash open air museum where a small amount of wheat? or barley? is grown and harvested in the traditional manner to provide the long straw needed for 'English' thatching - modern combine harvesters break the straw - possibly an older variety of crop is grown as I think modern crop varieties produce a shorter straw.

[oddoneout]

The same thing happens on the IoM near the Cregneash open air museum where a small amount of wheat? or barley? is grown and harvested in the traditional manner to provide the long straw needed for 'English' thatching - modern combine harvesters break the straw - possibly an older variety of crop is grown as I think modern crop varieties produce a shorter straw.

For modern industrial agricultural purposes straw is undesirable waste. Better that the plants put as much energy as possible into the desired product - the grain. Not so long ago the straw was an important part of the crop for animal feed and bedding, and thatching purposes, hence longstraw varieties. They don't lend themselves well to mechanical harvesting at speed, especially if poor weather has lodged(flattened) the stems so they can't be picked up by the combine, and as you say are prone to damage. Oat and barley straw is soft so wouldn't generally be used for thatching house roofs except in the north of the uk where wheat didn't grow well enough or at all. Rye would also be grown in such areas and has longstraw as anyone who has allowed green manure rye to grow to maturity will know!

[Quarky]

......Looking at the future here in Hertfordshire......The field of wheat I have overlooked from my window for the past 20 years has been replaced by Maize corn. I don't blame the farmer, he has had problems with the field. He planted it about two months ago, and it's already nearly two times man high. It whispers and and rustles in the breeze....

[oddoneout]

......Looking at the future here in Hertfordshire......The field of wheat I have overlooked from my window for the past 20 years has been replaced by Maize corn. I don't blame the farmer, he has had problems with the field. He planted it about two months ago, and it's already nearly two times man high. It whispers and and rustles in the breeze....

Makes good silage or, for some diversifying growers, a tourist attraction - maize maze.

[Serial_Apologist]

Makes good silage or, for some diversifying growers, a tourist attraction - maize maze.

Amaizeing!

(No more corn from me).

[Andrew]

Happy days! We love Framingham and frequently stop off there on the way to Dunwich, which is just a GREAT place! We love Suffolk in general & Framingham's near the top of our favourites!

[oddoneout]

Happy days! We love Framingham and frequently stop off there on the way to Dunwich, which is just a GREAT place! We love Suffolk in general & Framingham's near the top of our favourites!

Framlingham even? Bit easier to get to...

[Serial_Apologist]

Framlingham even? Bit easier to get to...

Less easy though for framing 'em.

[LMcD]

Happy days! We love Framingham and frequently stop off there on the way to Dunwich, which is just a GREAT place! We love Suffolk in general & Framingham's near the top of our favourites!

Dunwich isn't what it used to be, you know.

[oddoneout]

Dunwich isn't what it used to be, you know.

Yes I hear it's gone badly downhill.

[LMcD]

Yes I hear it's gone badly downhill.

Or slipped out of memory, you might say! There was a mixture of merriment and confusion in the south of London some years ago, caused by a local review of a book apparently called 'Men of Dulwich'.

[Serial_Apologist]

Or slipped out of memory, you might say! There was a mixture of merriment and confusion in the south of London some years ago, caused by a local review of a book apparently called 'Men of Dulwich'.

Since moving here, I've been made an honorary member of this illustrious group by popular decree.

By the way, friends of mine moved from the outer 'burbs of Essex to Framlingham 3 years ago, and they would heartily back up what Andrew says about the place.