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We are watching the crops
like a cat watches a mouse, the fear of their getting frozen is very present
with us; they are looking well, but harvest being so late makes frost so
much more to be feared. It would be such a disappointment to lose it all,
but I am sorry to say it will not be fit to cut for nearly a fortnight, if
then. The garden has done uncommonly well, considering how late it was put
in; we have more vegetables than we can get through just now, for everything
comes on almost at the same time. The vegetable marrows are as good as ever;
we are eating them up fast, because the frost will probably spoil a good
many; we have given a lot away as well. Tomatoes will do nothing, the spring
was much too late; last year they got frozen when still quite green.
The flowers are looking very
pretty; there is a bright little border in front of the door and a large
round bed just in front of the bow window; it makes a nice bit of colour and
smells so sweet, it has a border of mignonette right round, and pinks,
scarlet flax, godelias, lupin, and dwarf sweet peas; we have also a long row
of sunflowers to make a sort of shelter from the wind.
I have begun cutting a
neighbour's crop; the binder is working well, but I have had a lot of
trouble with the twine, it kept breaking, and that sort of thing is very
trying to one's temper. I shall hope to finish this lot of cutting in
another couple of days, and then I shall get on with my own crop. It is
looking well, I could not wish to see it looking better, and I think that it
will yield about 30 bushels to the acre; the oats ought to yield between 50
and 60. Of course one cannot be sure, as we have to cut our crops nearly
green this year. We are all in mortal fear of frost. We have had two slight
frosts already, but they have done no harm so far.
We shall have a fearful rush
this fall to get stubble ploughed, the harvest being so late. I have 50
acres on my own place to plough, and 40 on land that I have rented, so I
shall have to bustle as soon as threshing is over.
I ran short of lumber the
other day for the stable, so I went and got some more at the new town,
"Asquith." It is a nice little place, there are several stores already, a
very good hotel, also best of all two elevators up, that I trust we shall be
able to team our wheat to this year. If we could, it would be a great saving
of time. I left home at 7 a.m. and got back at 7 p.m., rather a difference
to the Saskatoon trips.
We are having most
extraordinary weather now. I began to cut my crop, did half a day's cutting,
and then I was stopped by the rain, began again two days later and had to
wear a fur coat, it was so cold, and to-day for another change we have had a
snowstorm. We are trembling for fear of the wheat getting frozen. |
