0:00:02 > 0:00:04The Great British countryside...
0:00:06 > 0:00:08..setting for one of the most pivotal battles
0:00:08 > 0:00:11of the Second World War.
0:00:14 > 0:00:17Churchill called it, "the front line of freedom."
0:00:19 > 0:00:21It was a battle fought by the farmers of Britain.
0:00:25 > 0:00:26Timber!
0:00:30 > 0:00:33With the Nazis attacking British shipping,
0:00:33 > 0:00:37attempting to cut-off food imports, it fell to the farmers to save
0:00:37 > 0:00:38the country from starvation.
0:00:39 > 0:00:42They were tasked with doubling the amount of food grown
0:00:42 > 0:00:44in Britain's fields.
0:00:45 > 0:00:49If they failed, the nation could be starved into surrender.
0:00:52 > 0:00:55Now historian Ruth Goodman
0:00:55 > 0:00:59and archaeologists Alex Langlands and Peter Ginn
0:00:59 > 0:01:00are turning back the clock...
0:01:02 > 0:01:04..working Manor Farm in Hampshire
0:01:04 > 0:01:07as it would have been in the Second World War.
0:01:08 > 0:01:13Not a glamorous business, this reserve occupation of farming.
0:01:13 > 0:01:15SHE YELLS
0:01:15 > 0:01:16Coming up...
0:01:16 > 0:01:20the team face the conditions of 1941,
0:01:20 > 0:01:25when continental Europe had been virtually engulfed by the Nazis.
0:01:25 > 0:01:28Britain stood isolated against Germany, with no prospect
0:01:28 > 0:01:30of victory in sight.
0:01:31 > 0:01:35The demands on the nation's farmers had never been so urgent.
0:01:36 > 0:01:39If things go wrong with this machine, you can do more damage
0:01:39 > 0:01:41than by hand milking.
0:01:41 > 0:01:43The third year of the war saw government intervention
0:01:43 > 0:01:45stepped up.
0:01:45 > 0:01:47Farmers felt the burden of constant surveillance.
0:01:47 > 0:01:51They're like the iron fist in the velvet glove.
0:01:52 > 0:01:55From here on in, there's no tolerance for failure...
0:01:56 > 0:01:58..on the Wartime Farm.
0:02:13 > 0:02:16Ruth's foraging for wood.
0:02:16 > 0:02:18With fuel in short supply,
0:02:18 > 0:02:21this was a crucial job in the early months of the year.
0:02:22 > 0:02:26Actually, finding woodland out like this during the war...
0:02:27 > 0:02:31..full of dead wood, would be rather a windfall.
0:02:31 > 0:02:34Nowadays, nobody touches all this fallen stick,
0:02:34 > 0:02:37they haven't got any use for it, but during the war,
0:02:37 > 0:02:40everybody was desperately trying to heat their homes any way they could.
0:02:40 > 0:02:45With coal rationed and other fuels under ration, as well,
0:02:45 > 0:02:47any extra little bit of stick you could gather,
0:02:47 > 0:02:49made a huge difference.
0:02:51 > 0:02:53Even when they're finished burning,
0:02:53 > 0:02:55they're still a really useful resource.
0:02:55 > 0:02:59The ash that's left after it's burned contains a really large
0:02:59 > 0:03:02concentration of potassium,
0:03:02 > 0:03:04which makes a fantastic fertiliser.
0:03:04 > 0:03:07So, as soon as I've finished burning the wood, I shall be collecting
0:03:07 > 0:03:10all the ash from underneath the pot and spreading it on the garden.
0:03:10 > 0:03:16Fantastic. Free fertiliser. Right, that's that bundle.
0:03:17 > 0:03:19There we go.
0:03:22 > 0:03:24Oh, what a beautiful day.
0:03:28 > 0:03:30For wartime farmers, day-to-day life
0:03:30 > 0:03:33wasn't just about their own survival.
0:03:33 > 0:03:37The nation's ability to feed itself rested on their shoulders
0:03:37 > 0:03:42and, in 1941, the pressure of officialdom was suddenly increased.
0:03:44 > 0:03:46Just before the outbreak of war,
0:03:46 > 0:03:48the government had passed an emergency law,
0:03:48 > 0:03:51taking control of every aspect of farming.
0:03:52 > 0:03:53To administer it,
0:03:53 > 0:03:57every county had a War Agricultural Executive Committee.
0:03:57 > 0:04:02Known as the War Ag, they would dictate the way the land was farmed.
0:04:04 > 0:04:06Now, with Britain isolated and the nation's food supply
0:04:06 > 0:04:10in more peril than ever, the gloves came off.
0:04:12 > 0:04:14Look lively, Ruth.
0:04:14 > 0:04:17Historian Brian Short has studied the War Ags
0:04:17 > 0:04:20and the powers they had.
0:04:22 > 0:04:26- The man from the ministry is here. - Oh!- Hello. Good to see you.
0:04:26 > 0:04:29- Hello.- Good to see you.
0:04:29 > 0:04:32- Hello.- Have you come to keep an eye on us?
0:04:32 > 0:04:34I have, I have.
0:04:34 > 0:04:35In the battle to feed Britain,
0:04:35 > 0:04:38it was crucial to know exactly how much food
0:04:38 > 0:04:42was being produced. So, in 1941, the government
0:04:42 > 0:04:44launched the National Farm Survey -
0:04:44 > 0:04:47the most thorough survey of British farming ever undertaken.
0:04:47 > 0:04:50And it had a sting in the tail.
0:04:50 > 0:04:53One of the most contentious questions of all
0:04:53 > 0:04:56was, "How good was your farming?"
0:04:56 > 0:04:57- OK?- Right!
0:04:57 > 0:05:00This graded you
0:05:00 > 0:05:03as an A, B or C farmer.
0:05:03 > 0:05:05And if you're grade C, watch out.
0:05:08 > 0:05:12C-rated farmers could face the ultimate sanction,
0:05:12 > 0:05:13by order of the War Ag.
0:05:13 > 0:05:16They might well come in, take over part of the farm.
0:05:16 > 0:05:18Without agreement, they could force it?
0:05:18 > 0:05:20Oh, absolutely, no agreement necessary.
0:05:20 > 0:05:23Or they could actually ask the farmer
0:05:23 > 0:05:25to leave his farm altogether.
0:05:25 > 0:05:28They could take over the farmhouse, as well.
0:05:28 > 0:05:31And the farmer just didn't have a leg to stand on.
0:05:31 > 0:05:35I mean, he was there for the purposes of winning the war.
0:05:35 > 0:05:38Something like 2,700 farmers
0:05:38 > 0:05:42are going to be turned off their farms during this war.
0:05:42 > 0:05:47And something like 10,000 farms are going to be affected by bits
0:05:47 > 0:05:50of their farms being taken over by the War Ags.
0:05:54 > 0:05:57To avoid this fate, it was crucial for farmers to impress
0:05:57 > 0:05:58the War Ag inspector.
0:05:58 > 0:06:02We have a field ploughed and we're just desperate to put a crop in.
0:06:02 > 0:06:04Is there anything you'd suggest?
0:06:04 > 0:06:07Well, one of the things that I think would be really good,
0:06:07 > 0:06:12that is needed a great deal, I know, is flax, during this war.
0:06:12 > 0:06:15So, that's for textile production?
0:06:15 > 0:06:16It's for textiles, yes.
0:06:18 > 0:06:20Flax was grown for its fibres,
0:06:20 > 0:06:24which were used to make fabric, such as parachute webbing.
0:06:24 > 0:06:27But Britain's farmers had little experience of growing it.
0:06:27 > 0:06:30Before the war, flax had been imported,
0:06:30 > 0:06:32often from Russia.
0:06:32 > 0:06:34With these supplies cut off,
0:06:34 > 0:06:37British farmers were expected to make up the shortfall.
0:06:39 > 0:06:43You'd be doing the nation a real favour by putting flax in this area.
0:06:43 > 0:06:46If we were to grow flax, we might get a little bit closer
0:06:46 > 0:06:48to that precious A grade?
0:06:48 > 0:06:52Yes, you would please the Ministry.
0:06:52 > 0:06:53We should show you the rest of the farm.
0:06:53 > 0:06:55That would be a very good idea, indeed.
0:06:55 > 0:06:59Well, it's just down A lane, we can give you A cup of tea.
0:06:59 > 0:07:01No, no tea, please.
0:07:01 > 0:07:03I'm above corruption.
0:07:03 > 0:07:05- OK.- Henry, come on!
0:07:08 > 0:07:12When it came to the farmyard, the War Ag's number one priority
0:07:12 > 0:07:13was milk production.
0:07:15 > 0:07:17For a population fed on rations,
0:07:17 > 0:07:24milk was a vital source of fat, protein, calcium and vitamin C.
0:07:24 > 0:07:27It was known as nature's most complete food.
0:07:27 > 0:07:31Manor Farm's dairy herd are expecting calves in a few weeks.
0:07:31 > 0:07:35Once they're born, the cows will start producing milk.
0:07:35 > 0:07:37- Come and have a look. After you. - Thank you.
0:07:40 > 0:07:42So, it's only a small milking parlour,
0:07:42 > 0:07:44but we have got a milking machine.
0:07:44 > 0:07:46Very good.
0:07:46 > 0:07:51So, with our cows about to calf, you'd be looking for us
0:07:51 > 0:07:53to get the maximum amount of milk out of their mothers?
0:07:53 > 0:07:56Yes, absolutely. It's very important.
0:07:56 > 0:07:59The War Ags liked to portray themselves as the farmer's friend.
0:07:59 > 0:08:03But it's kind of like the iron fist in the velvet glove.
0:08:05 > 0:08:08It might be a nice suit, but he's a hard man.
0:08:09 > 0:08:11Right, we'd better crack on then!
0:08:13 > 0:08:17Brian will return in a few weeks to allocate the team an A, B
0:08:17 > 0:08:19or C grade.
0:08:21 > 0:08:24Before then, they must get the milking parlour up and running,
0:08:24 > 0:08:26and sow the flax.
0:08:27 > 0:08:31Alex wants to harness up-to-date technology to get the crop
0:08:31 > 0:08:32into the field.
0:08:33 > 0:08:36So far, the team have been using a Fordson,
0:08:36 > 0:08:40the most popular tractor of the war.
0:08:40 > 0:08:44But Fordsons are notoriously hard to start.
0:08:46 > 0:08:49There were other machines being developed in the '40s.
0:08:53 > 0:08:55Alex has come to meet Rolly Phillips,
0:08:55 > 0:08:57an expert in early tractors,
0:08:57 > 0:09:00- who's got hold of an alternative. - Hello, Rolly.- Morning, Alex.
0:09:00 > 0:09:02- How are you, doing OK? - Yes, very well.
0:09:02 > 0:09:05I'm looking forward to seeing what the Field Marshall can do.
0:09:05 > 0:09:07Yes. Far easier to start,
0:09:07 > 0:09:10the Field Marshall than the Fordson, that you love so much,
0:09:10 > 0:09:13but your shoulder doesn't.
0:09:13 > 0:09:16The Field Marshall was more economical to run
0:09:16 > 0:09:20and more powerful than some earlier tractors.
0:09:20 > 0:09:23But best of all, there was a short cut to starting it.
0:09:23 > 0:09:27The other way they used to start this is with a shotgun cartridge.
0:09:27 > 0:09:30Right, OK. Show me, then. Show me how this works.
0:09:30 > 0:09:33So, I can get rid of this handle, then. I have no need for it.
0:09:33 > 0:09:36I could actually throw this in the river?
0:09:36 > 0:09:39I wouldn't be too happy if you do throw it in the river.
0:09:40 > 0:09:43There's no shot in the cartridge, but there is black powder
0:09:43 > 0:09:46to cause an explosion that will start the engine.
0:09:46 > 0:09:48Ah, I see.
0:09:48 > 0:09:52- Tap it off. - And there's your firing pin there.
0:09:52 > 0:09:54- But we're not going to use that yet. - OK.
0:09:54 > 0:09:56In here, we need to put a wick.
0:09:56 > 0:09:59So, the wick is very similar to blotting paper.
0:09:59 > 0:10:01You need to roll it up.
0:10:02 > 0:10:06- Blotting paper doesn't burn rapidly, it just smoulders.- Right, OK.
0:10:06 > 0:10:09This is effectively providing the ignition for the fuel,
0:10:09 > 0:10:14- whilst this provides the momentum. - The push of the actual piston down.
0:10:17 > 0:10:20As you can see, it's not burning very fast.
0:10:20 > 0:10:22That goes into the hole at the front.
0:10:24 > 0:10:28And all you've got to do now is with the hammer, hit the firing pin.
0:10:28 > 0:10:30- OK.- All down to you.
0:10:30 > 0:10:31All down to me.
0:10:32 > 0:10:36- So, basically, this is my ignition key.- Correct, yes.
0:10:36 > 0:10:37OK. Here we go, then.
0:10:43 > 0:10:45Have we got another cartridge we can use?
0:10:45 > 0:10:47THEY LAUGH
0:10:47 > 0:10:50You said this starts first time.
0:10:50 > 0:10:53- It does other times, but this time it doesn't.- OK.
0:10:55 > 0:10:57Right, OK. Here we go.
0:10:58 > 0:11:01ENGINE CHUGS
0:11:01 > 0:11:03Marvellous! That's brilliant!
0:11:03 > 0:11:05- Save my shoulder. - It definitely will.
0:11:05 > 0:11:08- I'm going to take you for a spin. - The motor is good.
0:11:12 > 0:11:17The new tractor should make sowing the flax much more straightforward.
0:11:19 > 0:11:22But meeting the War Ag's other requirement - milk production -
0:11:22 > 0:11:24is proving more of a challenge.
0:11:25 > 0:11:27So, this is Sarah, is it?
0:11:27 > 0:11:29Yeah, this is the one who's been giving us the problems.
0:11:31 > 0:11:34Peter and stockwoman Debbie Underwood are keeping
0:11:34 > 0:11:35a close eye on the cows.
0:11:35 > 0:11:37Look at the end of that teat.
0:11:37 > 0:11:39You see she's missing the bottom half of it?
0:11:39 > 0:11:42What we think has happened is one of the other cows have trodden
0:11:42 > 0:11:45on the teat and, literally, just cut through the end of it,
0:11:45 > 0:11:48which is extremely painful. You can see it's not very nice, at all.
0:11:48 > 0:11:51- Yeah.- And we've got a problem with the other teat, as well.
0:11:51 > 0:11:54Can you see the tip's gone black? She's got an infection in there.
0:11:56 > 0:11:58Despite the best modern medical care,
0:11:58 > 0:12:00Sarah's injury will not heal.
0:12:00 > 0:12:03The only option is to keep her comfortable
0:12:03 > 0:12:05and wait for her calf to be born.
0:12:06 > 0:12:08Obviously, she's going to have to be culled,
0:12:08 > 0:12:10because we can't use her for milking any more.
0:12:10 > 0:12:12But I suppose it's a fact of life.
0:12:12 > 0:12:15- It is.- If you've got livestock, you've got dead stock, haven't you?
0:12:15 > 0:12:18It's a very true saying, that one. Very, very true.
0:12:19 > 0:12:22- But nice, big baby in there somewhere.- Mmm.
0:12:23 > 0:12:27With the nation in desperate need of milk, losing a good dairy cow
0:12:27 > 0:12:30would have been a disaster for any wartime farmer.
0:12:32 > 0:12:35The team's remaining cows will now have to provide enough milk
0:12:35 > 0:12:38to meet the War Ag's expectations.
0:12:40 > 0:12:43But their level of production will be dependent on the quality
0:12:43 > 0:12:46and quantity of food they eat.
0:12:48 > 0:12:50This should be interesting, Peter,
0:12:50 > 0:12:53I'm looking forward to seeing what's happened here.
0:12:53 > 0:12:55Well, it's a complete experiment, isn't it?
0:12:56 > 0:13:01Feed for dairy cows was in very short supply. Before the war,
0:13:01 > 0:13:05they ate imported feed and also grazed on fields.
0:13:05 > 0:13:09But with imports cut off and fields being ploughed up to grow
0:13:09 > 0:13:13crops for humans, farmers had to find alternatives.
0:13:13 > 0:13:17The government urged them to make silage and a few months ago,
0:13:17 > 0:13:19Alex and Peter did just that.
0:13:20 > 0:13:23The moment's come to see if their efforts have paid off.
0:13:23 > 0:13:26Peter and I are both very, very nervous about this
0:13:26 > 0:13:29because we've never made silage before.
0:13:29 > 0:13:32And, in fact, actually, during the war, many farmers
0:13:32 > 0:13:35had never even entertained the idea of making silage.
0:13:36 > 0:13:40Silage is a method of preserving green crops at their most
0:13:40 > 0:13:43nutritious - a bit like pickling.
0:13:43 > 0:13:44It's usually made with grass,
0:13:44 > 0:13:47but wartime farmers had to be imaginative.
0:13:48 > 0:13:51It's going to be interesting because this isn't your traditional silage.
0:13:51 > 0:13:54This isn't just straight grass.
0:13:54 > 0:13:59This is a real cocktail of nettles, grasses...
0:13:59 > 0:14:02In a wartime situation, if this hadn't worked
0:14:02 > 0:14:05and we'd put all our eggs in one basket so to speak,
0:14:05 > 0:14:10it could spell disaster for a farm trying to rear a dairy herd,
0:14:10 > 0:14:12to bring a dairy herd on.
0:14:12 > 0:14:15The boys made the container, or silo,
0:14:15 > 0:14:18from scraps of metal found on the farm.
0:14:18 > 0:14:24Alex, someone during construction, and it may well have been me,
0:14:24 > 0:14:28has actually put that nut facing in.
0:14:28 > 0:14:30Oh, no!
0:14:30 > 0:14:34We've managed to lock ourselves out of our own silo here, look.
0:14:35 > 0:14:37Hopefully, the silage will hold.
0:14:37 > 0:14:42If the silage can just hold the nut tight enough on the other side.
0:14:42 > 0:14:45This doesn't bode well, Peter, really, does it?
0:14:45 > 0:14:48- It's coming.- Oh, it is?
0:14:48 > 0:14:50Brilliant. Well done, Peter.
0:14:50 > 0:14:53Right. OK.
0:14:54 > 0:14:56There was plenty of information to help farmers spot
0:14:56 > 0:14:58silage problems early.
0:14:58 > 0:15:00See, this is the test here, Peter.
0:15:00 > 0:15:03It's called Silage, How To Make And Feed It. OK?
0:15:03 > 0:15:07On the back of this, we've got a fault correction table.
0:15:07 > 0:15:10I'm not saying we've got a fault yet, but
0:15:10 > 0:15:14it says here, "Evil smelling silage throughout."
0:15:14 > 0:15:16Do you know what an evil smell is?
0:15:16 > 0:15:19I'm all too familiar with an evil smell, Alex.
0:15:19 > 0:15:22Give it a sniff. Tell me if you think it's evil.
0:15:23 > 0:15:27No, I would not say that was evil.
0:15:27 > 0:15:29I would say that smells of grass.
0:15:30 > 0:15:31I think it's good. We'll see.
0:15:31 > 0:15:34To be honest, if the cows tuck into it with great relish,
0:15:34 > 0:15:37then we'll know actually it's not done so badly.
0:15:46 > 0:15:50- You've got the tools?- I've got the tools, you've got the barrel.
0:15:53 > 0:15:57- Grub's up, girls.- Oh, what is this? - What is that? Go on, have it.
0:15:57 > 0:15:59Experimental silage.
0:15:59 > 0:16:02- She's interested.- She is.
0:16:03 > 0:16:07This bodes well, right? Let's get it in the trough. Oh!
0:16:07 > 0:16:09There we go. Look at that, Peter.
0:16:09 > 0:16:12- Look at that!- Wonder silage.
0:16:12 > 0:16:14There it goes.
0:16:14 > 0:16:17- You can't have it all, you two. - There's more than two cows here.
0:16:17 > 0:16:19Eh!
0:16:19 > 0:16:21There's plenty to go around.
0:16:21 > 0:16:22That's it, Peter, you get it in there.
0:16:24 > 0:16:27That's a no-nonsense bit of troughing, that is, isn't it?
0:16:27 > 0:16:30Look at that. Save some room for later, darling.
0:16:32 > 0:16:37I think we could very proudly go back to the War Ag and say,
0:16:37 > 0:16:43- "We did our job, we tried silage and we've made it work."- Yep.
0:16:43 > 0:16:47Go spread the word. Brilliant.
0:16:55 > 0:16:59Farmers hoping to impress the War Ag made sure they kept up
0:16:59 > 0:17:01with the latest government advice.
0:17:03 > 0:17:06A popular way of doing so was to watch government films.
0:17:07 > 0:17:10I think, dig in. Yeah. Grab some sandwiches.
0:17:10 > 0:17:14And one such production is showing at the village hall.
0:17:14 > 0:17:17Mobile cinemas were sent up and down the country,
0:17:17 > 0:17:21screening films that showcased how farming was helping the fight.
0:17:25 > 0:17:30Spring Offensive was made in 1940 by the Ministry of Information.
0:17:30 > 0:17:31'The English countryside.
0:17:34 > 0:17:37'It's most important crop, English countrymen.
0:17:38 > 0:17:42'What will war mean to the countrymen?
0:17:42 > 0:17:44'What will war mean for the land?'
0:17:48 > 0:17:52Historian John Martin specialises in farming on the Home Front.
0:17:52 > 0:17:55The Ministry for Information was set up,
0:17:55 > 0:17:58what, at the beginning of the war to inform people?
0:17:58 > 0:18:02To instruct people to stress the success of the wartime
0:18:02 > 0:18:06food production campaign and also really to raise people's morale.
0:18:06 > 0:18:11'..not only farms well, he pulls his weight in all sorts of ways.
0:18:11 > 0:18:13'Well, Mother, here's the new visitor.'
0:18:13 > 0:18:17The main character in Spring Offensive is a member of the War Ag.
0:18:17 > 0:18:21'Well, John, what can you give me? Say 20 acres?
0:18:21 > 0:18:23'Yes, 20, and five or six in another field,
0:18:23 > 0:18:26- 'which I might be able to break up later on.- That's an easy start.'
0:18:26 > 0:18:30It gives them a human face.
0:18:30 > 0:18:32'You'll get the government grant for £64.
0:18:32 > 0:18:37'I'll give you 64 quid to mind your own business and clear off!'
0:18:40 > 0:18:44The plot stressed the importance of co-operating with the War Ag...
0:18:45 > 0:18:47..and the consequences of defying them.
0:18:47 > 0:18:53'There's one that beats me, that's hopeless, and that's Grove Farm.'
0:19:01 > 0:19:05- Good use of music.- Hmm.- Ominous.
0:19:05 > 0:19:08'The only way is to take the farm over.'
0:19:08 > 0:19:09Oh.
0:19:11 > 0:19:13More than 2,000 films were produced
0:19:13 > 0:19:17under the guidance of the Ministry of Information during the war.
0:19:19 > 0:19:22And there we have it, harvesting.
0:19:22 > 0:19:24It's telling us that they've turned that farm around.
0:19:26 > 0:19:29The crucial element, really, in a film like this is, actually,
0:19:29 > 0:19:31it's all about the mind-set
0:19:31 > 0:19:35and keeping everyone positive and moving in the same direction.
0:19:35 > 0:19:38In that sense, though, it achieved the objective -
0:19:38 > 0:19:41ensuring that everyone's committed to the war effort.
0:19:41 > 0:19:44It's certainly done that for me, it's raised my morale.
0:19:44 > 0:19:47But at the same time, it's stressed to me I've got to get out there
0:19:47 > 0:19:50and get the kind of yields that these people are.
0:19:50 > 0:19:54'In September, 1939, you asked the countryside
0:19:54 > 0:19:57'to provide you with a safe refuge for your children
0:19:57 > 0:20:00'and security against famine.
0:20:00 > 0:20:03'And both these things it has given you.
0:20:04 > 0:20:08'Now the countryside asks you to do something in return.
0:20:09 > 0:20:15'When peace comes, don't forget the land and its people again.'
0:20:26 > 0:20:30Well, hopefully we won't get a bad grade for our farm.
0:20:30 > 0:20:34Yeah, well, we've seen how it's supposed to be done.
0:20:51 > 0:20:52Back on the farm,
0:20:52 > 0:20:55the team must get ready for the upcoming War Ag inspection.
0:20:58 > 0:21:02They have the Field Marshall tractor lined up for sowing the flax.
0:21:04 > 0:21:08And for milking, they'll also be using a new piece of kit.
0:21:12 > 0:21:14Here you go, Peter.
0:21:14 > 0:21:16OK. This is what runs the milking machine, is it?
0:21:16 > 0:21:20Yes, it is, Peter. It's another engine.
0:21:20 > 0:21:24- I can see a crank handle.- Yes, and it's got your name on it, Peter.
0:21:35 > 0:21:37It's a fairly simple piece of kit, this.
0:21:37 > 0:21:41What we do is we create a vacuum that runs up through a rubber pipe
0:21:41 > 0:21:44up the back and then goes into the milking parlour here,
0:21:44 > 0:21:47OK, and then across the top.
0:21:47 > 0:21:50And off of that pipe, you can then tap in
0:21:50 > 0:21:53however many milking machines you may need.
0:21:54 > 0:21:57The demands of wartime production increased the use
0:21:57 > 0:21:59of milking machines.
0:21:59 > 0:22:03Before the conflict, only one in five farmers were using them.
0:22:03 > 0:22:07But the wartime shortage of manpower meant labour-saving devices
0:22:07 > 0:22:08were essential.
0:22:08 > 0:22:13And by 1945, over half of Britain's cows were being milked by machine.
0:22:18 > 0:22:21The farm's cows still haven't calved,
0:22:21 > 0:22:23so the machine can't be used yet.
0:22:25 > 0:22:28But there's some sad news about Sarah, the cow who was ill.
0:22:31 > 0:22:35You always knew that Sarah was going to have to be put down,
0:22:35 > 0:22:37but you were hoping to get a calf from her, weren't you?
0:22:37 > 0:22:38Yes, that's right.
0:22:38 > 0:22:42Even though we knew her injury was what you would call terminal,
0:22:42 > 0:22:46what we were hoping for is that at least we could rescue the calf.
0:22:46 > 0:22:48Tragically, we came in one morning
0:22:48 > 0:22:51and found that the calf had been stillborn.
0:22:51 > 0:22:53Which is, you know, very sad.
0:22:53 > 0:22:55She was a very good milker, wasn't she?
0:22:55 > 0:22:59Well, last year she was averaging about 50 pints of milk a day.
0:22:59 > 0:23:01- Wow.- And she was only a little girl.
0:23:01 > 0:23:04So, that was a lot of milk for her, that really was.
0:23:04 > 0:23:07But there still is a herd, we still have cows on this farm.
0:23:07 > 0:23:10Yeah. Our other cows are looking really good.
0:23:10 > 0:23:13So, hopefully, within a very short time,
0:23:13 > 0:23:16we should have at least a few calves on the grounds.
0:23:16 > 0:23:18And we'll be able to start milking again.
0:23:19 > 0:23:23The War Ag would look unfavourably on any farmer who lost
0:23:23 > 0:23:25heir livestock like this.
0:23:26 > 0:23:30And farmers who consistently failed to meet government expectations
0:23:30 > 0:23:34could face the ultimate penalty,
0:23:34 > 0:23:36as local farmer John Curtis witnessed.
0:23:39 > 0:23:42John I've been reading some of the newspapers here
0:23:42 > 0:23:44from the 1940s.
0:23:44 > 0:23:49There's a case of a farmer here in Hampshire
0:23:49 > 0:23:52- shot in an 18-hour farm siege.- Yes.
0:23:52 > 0:23:55He was our neighbour during the war.
0:23:55 > 0:23:58This is a chap called George Ray Walden.
0:23:58 > 0:23:59Yes. Commonly known as Ray.
0:23:59 > 0:24:02- Did you know him personally? - Yes, I did,
0:24:02 > 0:24:04although I was quite young at the time.
0:24:04 > 0:24:07- My father used to do his harvesting for him.- Right.
0:24:07 > 0:24:12I was a little bit afraid of Ray. He was very formidable, really.
0:24:12 > 0:24:16As I understand it from these articles, what happened is
0:24:16 > 0:24:20Ray Walden was required to plough up roughly half of his farm...
0:24:20 > 0:24:21That is correct.
0:24:21 > 0:24:26..as part of the war effort to grow more wheat, but he refused to do so.
0:24:26 > 0:24:28Some of the land he couldn't have ploughed up anyway
0:24:28 > 0:24:32- because it was too wet and damp. - Right.- But they still said
0:24:32 > 0:24:35he had to plough it up. But then that was the War Ag at the time.
0:24:35 > 0:24:39The War Ag tried to evict Ray Walden, but he holed himself up
0:24:39 > 0:24:43in his farmhouse with a shotgun and fired at police, wounding two.
0:24:43 > 0:24:46And things sort of spiralled out of control.
0:24:46 > 0:24:50And it ended up with an 18-hour siege of his house.
0:24:50 > 0:24:53- He ended up actually getting shot by a police officer.- Yes.
0:24:53 > 0:24:57And then, of course, eventually he was taken to hospital
0:24:57 > 0:24:59and it was there that he died.
0:24:59 > 0:25:04This must have then sent shock waves through the farming community.
0:25:04 > 0:25:08Oh, it did. It was in all the press and the farmers' union papers.
0:25:08 > 0:25:11The magazines that came out, the story was there.
0:25:11 > 0:25:14Mostly they were condemning it,
0:25:14 > 0:25:16because it shouldn't ever have happened.
0:25:16 > 0:25:18You think it shouldn't have happened?
0:25:18 > 0:25:20I don't think it should at all.
0:25:20 > 0:25:25I mean, when I read this story, it does fill me with sadness.
0:25:25 > 0:25:27But at the same time, there's part of me that thinks
0:25:27 > 0:25:29there was a kind of greater good here.
0:25:29 > 0:25:33Really, if we were going to avoid starvation
0:25:33 > 0:25:34on these islands,
0:25:34 > 0:25:38we had to do this, we had to sort of plough up.
0:25:38 > 0:25:42- Well, yes, but it still needn't have gone that far.- Yeah.
0:25:45 > 0:25:47Really, it's been very interesting.
0:25:47 > 0:25:50It's made me think a lot more about the War Ag and what they were doing.
0:26:14 > 0:26:16Throughout 1941,
0:26:16 > 0:26:20imports declined, making every day items increasingly scarce.
0:26:22 > 0:26:26One shortage in particular caused problems for housewives -
0:26:26 > 0:26:28soap.
0:26:28 > 0:26:29Soap became scarce
0:26:29 > 0:26:33because pretty much the major ingredient of soap is fat.
0:26:33 > 0:26:36Any sort of fat, but particularly the edible fats.
0:26:36 > 0:26:40And Britain with all the business going on with U-boats
0:26:40 > 0:26:44out in the Atlantic was really, really short of edible fats.
0:26:44 > 0:26:46So, any soap you could save
0:26:46 > 0:26:48meant there was more fat for people to eat.
0:26:48 > 0:26:53The fat shortage became so severe that in 1942, soap would be
0:26:53 > 0:26:57rationed. But even a year earlier, it was hard to come by.
0:26:57 > 0:27:00There were some thrifty ways to make it go further.
0:27:00 > 0:27:04This is a tip I got from a newspaper of the 1940s.
0:27:04 > 0:27:07Basically, you use a flannel and then all those little bits of soap
0:27:07 > 0:27:11that are getting too small to be useful, all the sort of chippy bits
0:27:11 > 0:27:13or the little, tiny, soft slivers
0:27:13 > 0:27:16left at the end of a bar, you bung them all into your flannel.
0:27:17 > 0:27:23And you just squeeze it up and pop it in some hot water.
0:27:23 > 0:27:26And, basically, the soap melts enough to all sort of gel together
0:27:26 > 0:27:31and become a sort of multicoloured, made out of many bits, solid bar.
0:27:32 > 0:27:34You see there? Even in those few seconds there,
0:27:34 > 0:27:36if I give it a good squeeze,
0:27:36 > 0:27:38you'll see it's reformed.
0:27:38 > 0:27:40There we are, look.
0:27:41 > 0:27:44It's all sort of moulded into one lump.
0:27:44 > 0:27:47And that's so much easier to use than all those bits and bobs.
0:27:50 > 0:27:54In the garden, those in the know could find another way
0:27:54 > 0:27:56to deal with the soap shortage.
0:27:59 > 0:28:01This is soapwort.
0:28:01 > 0:28:04So, you can sort of see why there's a nice pretty pink flower on it.
0:28:04 > 0:28:08And just like the name implies, soapwort, it's useful as soap.
0:28:08 > 0:28:10It's a soap substitute, really.
0:28:10 > 0:28:13The strongest part, the saponin, is in the root,
0:28:13 > 0:28:15but you can get it in the leaf and the stem, as well.
0:28:15 > 0:28:18Eek-ing out your soap ration with soapwort, however,
0:28:18 > 0:28:21was probably not very mainstream.
0:28:21 > 0:28:23Really restricted to eccentrics like me,
0:28:23 > 0:28:25who happened to know the older ways of doing things.
0:28:27 > 0:28:29The next stage is processing the plant.
0:28:33 > 0:28:37So, I've washed and cut up all my soapwort.
0:28:37 > 0:28:41Nice, hot water. Now, I'll start bruising it.
0:28:43 > 0:28:48What I'm trying to do is release the juices in the soapwort.
0:28:48 > 0:28:50In particular, the one called saponin.
0:28:50 > 0:28:53That's the thing that does the cleaning.
0:28:56 > 0:29:01Oh, yeah, look. It's starting to go a little bit bubbly.
0:29:02 > 0:29:04It's supposed to be one of the gentlest
0:29:04 > 0:29:07of all the cleaning agents. Indeed,
0:29:07 > 0:29:09conservators use it when they're dealing
0:29:09 > 0:29:13with really ancient textiles, where soap would be too harsh.
0:29:13 > 0:29:16They use a solution of soapwort or saponin
0:29:16 > 0:29:20to gently soften and lift dirt and grease
0:29:20 > 0:29:24out of things like ancient tapestries and so forth.
0:29:24 > 0:29:27So, if it's good enough for that, it's good enough for my hair.
0:29:30 > 0:29:33This is the greenest shampoo I think I've ever made.
0:29:33 > 0:29:35All right.
0:29:44 > 0:29:49It smells very sappy. It's quite a nice, fresh smell, actually.
0:29:56 > 0:30:00I mean, it doesn't lather up like modern shampoos do.
0:30:00 > 0:30:05But it mostly feels just cool and clean-ish, I suppose.
0:30:05 > 0:30:09I don't know. Right, I think I'm ready to rinse it all off.
0:30:16 > 0:30:20Peter also has a scheme to make the most of meagre scraps
0:30:20 > 0:30:23and impress the War Ag at the same time.
0:30:24 > 0:30:26Though feed for livestock was in short supply,
0:30:26 > 0:30:30there was one animal that thrived in conditions of scarcity.
0:30:33 > 0:30:36Rabbits were an excellent, quick-growing source of meat,
0:30:36 > 0:30:39and rabbit farming was officially encouraged.
0:30:43 > 0:30:45Peter plans to start a small concern...
0:30:46 > 0:30:50..with the help of animal behaviourist Anne McBride.
0:30:52 > 0:30:56Rabbits are extremely good converters of food.
0:30:56 > 0:31:01They are the best of the mammals that we keep to produce meat.
0:31:01 > 0:31:08They've evolved to live on low quality, dried foodstuffs.
0:31:08 > 0:31:11They evolved in the southern Spanish peninsula.
0:31:11 > 0:31:12If you think about Spain in the summer,
0:31:12 > 0:31:16it's dry, it's coarse, it's very low-quality food,
0:31:16 > 0:31:19and that's what the rabbits are designed to survive on.
0:31:19 > 0:31:23So in terms of food in, meat out,
0:31:23 > 0:31:26they're extremely good rapid converters.
0:31:26 > 0:31:27Wow.
0:31:34 > 0:31:37Selecting rabbits for breeding is a delicate process
0:31:37 > 0:31:39that begins with sexing.
0:31:39 > 0:31:41- These are our rabbits.- Fantastic!
0:31:41 > 0:31:43The first thing we need to know is which ones are the boys
0:31:43 > 0:31:45- and which ones are the girls.- Ah!
0:31:47 > 0:31:49OK, there we go.
0:31:49 > 0:31:52Let's get you up. There we go, little man. Sorry.
0:31:52 > 0:31:54- He's not happy, is he?- Or girl.
0:31:54 > 0:31:55Oh, no, this is a boy.
0:31:56 > 0:32:00He's got a very nice pair of testicles here.
0:32:00 > 0:32:01- Hm-mm.- Very large.
0:32:01 > 0:32:05So, we have here a very nice young man.
0:32:05 > 0:32:08Put him back. Oops!
0:32:08 > 0:32:12You only need one boy, but you do need more than one girl.
0:32:12 > 0:32:14- Ah, another boy. - Another little boy.
0:32:16 > 0:32:19Well, rabbit number three. Hopefully, this isn't a boy.
0:32:20 > 0:32:22- OK, not a testicle in sight.- No.
0:32:24 > 0:32:27There are two more female rabbits to choose from.
0:32:29 > 0:32:30Oops!
0:32:32 > 0:32:37Of the two, just based on size, I'd be going for this one anyway.
0:32:37 > 0:32:40If you're going to breed large with large, you're more likely
0:32:40 > 0:32:43to get larger offspring and a bigger litter.
0:32:43 > 0:32:47And as the ultimate aim of this is to provide as much meat as possible.
0:32:47 > 0:32:51- Yeah.- Then, obviously, you're going for that, not for looks
0:32:51 > 0:32:52or pretty features.
0:33:03 > 0:33:06At the cottage, Ruth's got a visitor.
0:33:06 > 0:33:08- Karen. Nice to see you! - Nice to see you.
0:33:08 > 0:33:11Laundry day today. You haven't come to help, have you?
0:33:11 > 0:33:13I've got a surprise for you, come with me.
0:33:13 > 0:33:17Hang on. Hang on, hang on.
0:33:17 > 0:33:21Historian Karen Sayer studies 1940s household technology,
0:33:21 > 0:33:26and has brought Ruth a revolutionary gadget.
0:33:26 > 0:33:30Ahh, I'm so excited about this! A washing machine!
0:33:30 > 0:33:32Finally, a washing machine!
0:33:32 > 0:33:34Just like in the advert.
0:33:36 > 0:33:39With huge numbers of women working full time for the war effort,
0:33:39 > 0:33:43labour-saving devices at home were invaluable.
0:33:43 > 0:33:47Washing machines were hard to come by, with many factories converted
0:33:47 > 0:33:52to make munitions, but Karen's found a pre-war machine for Ruth to use.
0:33:52 > 0:33:54But it's still not a powered washing machine, is it?
0:33:54 > 0:33:56No, it's woman power.
0:33:56 > 0:34:00- I can see her turning the handle. - It's manual labour, yeah.
0:34:00 > 0:34:03Where you're fortunate is in connection
0:34:03 > 0:34:04with the heating of the water.
0:34:04 > 0:34:08This machine was designed to heat water using gas power.
0:34:08 > 0:34:10I think the gas inlet is down there.
0:34:10 > 0:34:14You could get electrically heated machines, as well.
0:34:14 > 0:34:15But it is all about the heating of the water,
0:34:15 > 0:34:18because it's saving so much work.
0:34:19 > 0:34:21But the farm doesn't have a gas connection,
0:34:21 > 0:34:23so the water must be heated separately
0:34:23 > 0:34:25and then brought to the machine.
0:34:27 > 0:34:29Here we go, pop it in. You don't need very much.
0:34:31 > 0:34:34My blouse, some shirts...
0:34:35 > 0:34:38- ..and my apron. Look at the state of that.- Such a mess!
0:34:38 > 0:34:42Let's see if this washing machine is tough enough to handle it.
0:34:42 > 0:34:44- Well, we can give it a whirl. - See if it really works.
0:34:48 > 0:34:50So, moment of truth, I think, don't you?
0:34:51 > 0:34:54Right, go... Agitate.
0:34:54 > 0:34:57- Agitate away.- Agitate, agitate.
0:34:58 > 0:35:02I read that advert, it said three minutes to do your weekly wash.
0:35:02 > 0:35:03Yes. As if.
0:35:03 > 0:35:07It doesn't take me three minutes to do my weekly wash now!
0:35:09 > 0:35:12Although washing machines were first marketed in the late 18th century,
0:35:12 > 0:35:17it would be the 1960s before they became common in British homes.
0:35:19 > 0:35:22I suppose the next development on from this would be the twin tub,
0:35:22 > 0:35:25which would have been a powered agitator,
0:35:25 > 0:35:27but that wasn't to happen for a long time.
0:35:31 > 0:35:33We must have done our three minutes by now, surely?
0:35:33 > 0:35:35- Let's have a look. - OK, let's have a look.
0:35:35 > 0:35:37Right, so. Pull it up, don't we?
0:35:38 > 0:35:40OK.
0:35:40 > 0:35:43Well, it smells good and laundrysome, doesn't it?
0:35:43 > 0:35:44It does, smells very wholesome.
0:35:48 > 0:35:50Is that your apron? That's looking a lot better.
0:35:50 > 0:35:51- It is, isn't it?- It is. You see?
0:35:51 > 0:35:54- That's what you needed. - Yeah, that's shifted it.
0:35:54 > 0:35:57OK. Squeezy, squeezy, squeezy.
0:35:59 > 0:36:01I like this bit.
0:36:06 > 0:36:08I love washing machines.
0:36:08 > 0:36:11I think of them as an implement of women's lib.
0:36:11 > 0:36:13Well, I think you're right.
0:36:16 > 0:36:19Where are you planning to put it? Down here?
0:36:19 > 0:36:21Peter and Anne are ready to start breeding their rabbits.
0:36:23 > 0:36:26I suppose the first thing we need them to do is actually...
0:36:28 > 0:36:32- Do the business.- Yes, exactly.
0:36:33 > 0:36:35The sun has come out for you.
0:36:35 > 0:36:37The buck is put in first
0:36:37 > 0:36:40so that he can establish the run as his territory.
0:36:40 > 0:36:43I think he's rather enjoying himself at the moment.
0:36:43 > 0:36:47Now, if they don't mate at this attempt, does that mean
0:36:47 > 0:36:48it's never going to happen?
0:36:48 > 0:36:53No, it could mean she's not ready yet, because they do have a cycle.
0:36:53 > 0:36:55He might spray her with urine,
0:36:55 > 0:36:58which in rabbit language means he fancies her.
0:36:58 > 0:37:00Don't try it at home.
0:37:00 > 0:37:03And we'll just see how they get on.
0:37:07 > 0:37:10- There you go.- That was pretty fast. - That was pretty quick for that.
0:37:10 > 0:37:13Clearly we've got her at the right time.
0:37:13 > 0:37:15- They're certainly living up to the stereotype.- They are.
0:37:17 > 0:37:19And that's it, over and done with.
0:37:19 > 0:37:21The whole thing is quite fast.
0:37:22 > 0:37:26- Now, we've got some nice grooming behaviour.- Oh, yeah.- Look at him
0:37:26 > 0:37:29showing some affection.
0:37:29 > 0:37:33Excellent, it looks really hopeful for baby rabbits.
0:37:33 > 0:37:36Not to put a dampener on it, but how long
0:37:36 > 0:37:40until those babies, well, are ready to be butchered?
0:37:40 > 0:37:43Really, at the weight you want them, I guess. Three to four months,
0:37:43 > 0:37:46you're going to have an animal that's a goodly size.
0:37:47 > 0:37:50Peter hopes his frugal new enterprise will please
0:37:50 > 0:37:52the War Ag inspector.
0:37:53 > 0:37:56But his main concern will be how well the team have done
0:37:56 > 0:37:59with the flax they've been ordered to grow, to produce textiles
0:37:59 > 0:38:01for the war effort.
0:38:03 > 0:38:05Alex is getting ready to sow the field,
0:38:05 > 0:38:07but he's worried about pest control.
0:38:08 > 0:38:10Any resulting loss of crops
0:38:10 > 0:38:14would invite the displeasure of the War Ag.
0:38:14 > 0:38:17The pigeons, the rooks and the crows, got to do something about them.
0:38:17 > 0:38:20I know they don't particularly savour flax seed,
0:38:20 > 0:38:22but at the same time,
0:38:22 > 0:38:25what I don't want to find is we get the little shoots coming out
0:38:25 > 0:38:27and it's like a beacon to the crows and the rooks.
0:38:27 > 0:38:30They'll see that shoot and know that at the bottom of that shoot
0:38:30 > 0:38:31is a nice, sweet, little seed.
0:38:31 > 0:38:35And I don't want to lose any of this flax crop.
0:38:35 > 0:38:38I want to keep the Ministry of Agriculture as happy as I can.
0:38:38 > 0:38:42So, I'm going to find some kind of way of scaring the birds
0:38:42 > 0:38:43out of this field,
0:38:43 > 0:38:46and I'm not going to go for the old-fashioned scarecrow this time.
0:38:54 > 0:38:57At the start of the war, one million tonnes of food
0:38:57 > 0:39:00were being lost to pests every year.
0:39:01 > 0:39:04Eliminating the problem was seen as a patriotic duty,
0:39:04 > 0:39:06if Britain was going to feed itself.
0:39:06 > 0:39:09It's almost like a war on pests, as much as a war on anything else.
0:39:09 > 0:39:12When you're so desperate for every little bit coming out of the fields,
0:39:12 > 0:39:17you can't afford to let half of it be taken.
0:39:17 > 0:39:20If we're going to go for that A category, then we should
0:39:20 > 0:39:24at least be seen to be doing something about the bird problem.
0:39:29 > 0:39:33Alex has taken inspiration from a 1940s product.
0:39:34 > 0:39:36You see, in this little...
0:39:39 > 0:39:40..advertisement...
0:39:40 > 0:39:42Bang!
0:39:42 > 0:39:44What looks like a firecracker going up the centre.
0:39:44 > 0:39:47- Yep.- It goes bang and pushes the corrugated iron out
0:39:47 > 0:39:49and it flaps about. And that's what happens, look.
0:39:49 > 0:39:51Rabbits flee in terror.
0:39:51 > 0:39:53LAUGHTER
0:39:53 > 0:39:59- Noisy enough?- It's not bad.- We want it to go from there, don't we?- Blah!
0:39:59 > 0:40:04Alex has ordered in explosives identical to the wartime ones.
0:40:04 > 0:40:06So, that's gunpowder, isn't it?
0:40:06 > 0:40:08Wrapped up in paper, stuck into a bit of string.
0:40:08 > 0:40:12Now, we've just got to hope that there's enough power
0:40:12 > 0:40:15- in each of these...- To blow it open. - ..to blow it open, yeah.
0:40:18 > 0:40:20Head for the spade, Ruth.
0:40:20 > 0:40:21Oh, yeah.
0:40:22 > 0:40:25The bird scarer will be tested in a nearby field.
0:40:29 > 0:40:32The thing is, is it going to be deep enough?
0:40:39 > 0:40:42So moment of truth, Ruth.
0:40:46 > 0:40:47Well, I reckon a charge has got...
0:40:47 > 0:40:50One of those whole things has got to last a day.
0:40:50 > 0:40:53Yeah, so it's going to be quite some time, I should think,
0:40:53 > 0:40:54before we get...
0:40:59 > 0:41:01Oh, smoke!
0:41:02 > 0:41:05SHE LAUGHS
0:41:06 > 0:41:08Well, it was a good bang.
0:41:09 > 0:41:13It didn't flap, though, it scarcely moved!
0:41:15 > 0:41:17- The fuse is lit.- It is.
0:41:17 > 0:41:20Presumably, it will work its way up and bang again.
0:41:20 > 0:41:24It would be nice if it did flap around a bit more, but it scared me.
0:41:26 > 0:41:29The Second World War saw farmers all over Britain battling
0:41:29 > 0:41:31to reduce pests.
0:41:32 > 0:41:35The bird scarer should help the team make a good impression
0:41:35 > 0:41:37on the War Ag.
0:41:45 > 0:41:48In June, 1941, the course of the war was transformed
0:41:48 > 0:41:51when Germany invaded the Soviet Union.
0:41:55 > 0:41:57But the resulting conflict on the Russian front
0:41:57 > 0:41:59was bad news for British farmers.
0:42:01 > 0:42:03The government diverted shipping
0:42:03 > 0:42:06to send munitions to the Soviet Union,
0:42:06 > 0:42:09leaving even fewer vessels available to bring food to Britain.
0:42:13 > 0:42:16The War Ags now ordered farmers to redouble their efforts,
0:42:16 > 0:42:20to increase the nation's home-grown food production.
0:42:24 > 0:42:27Milk remained a vital part of this campaign.
0:42:30 > 0:42:33The farm's cows have, at last, had their calves,
0:42:33 > 0:42:35and the team can begin milking.
0:42:37 > 0:42:40The wartime need to get maximum yields and keep the herd healthy
0:42:40 > 0:42:44greatly increased the role of vets on farms.
0:42:45 > 0:42:50Veterinarian Abigail Woods has come to advise Alex and Peter.
0:42:50 > 0:42:52Come on, cows. Here!
0:42:52 > 0:42:55Hey, hey! Come on.
0:42:55 > 0:42:57In the 1930s, farmers had no money.
0:42:58 > 0:43:01They would only call vets as an absolute last resort.
0:43:01 > 0:43:04Something was on its last legs and it was about to die.
0:43:06 > 0:43:12Now, 1940s vets are on farms essentially to deal
0:43:12 > 0:43:14with the sorts of diseases
0:43:14 > 0:43:16that weren't thought a big deal of before,
0:43:16 > 0:43:18because they didn't kill cows.
0:43:18 > 0:43:23So, diseases like mastitis, infertility.
0:43:23 > 0:43:25They're not dramatic diseases,
0:43:25 > 0:43:28but they have a major impact on milk production.
0:43:28 > 0:43:32- Right.- And, you know, 1941,
0:43:32 > 0:43:35this nation needs all the milk it can possibly get.
0:43:36 > 0:43:39Mastitis, an infection of the udder,
0:43:39 > 0:43:43is easily caused by using the milking machine incorrectly.
0:43:43 > 0:43:45That's great.
0:43:47 > 0:43:49Before we start milking proper, the next thing
0:43:49 > 0:43:53is just to get a little squirt of milk out of each teat.
0:43:53 > 0:43:56- Out of each one, OK. - Out of each one, just a little bit.
0:43:56 > 0:43:59Don't get it all over the floor, make sure it goes into that mug.
0:43:59 > 0:44:00So, the reason we're doing this
0:44:00 > 0:44:03is that from the appearance of that milk,
0:44:03 > 0:44:05you can pick up the early signs of mastitis.
0:44:05 > 0:44:08So any nasty little clots or flecks in the milk
0:44:08 > 0:44:11or smells a bit funny.
0:44:11 > 0:44:15- That's fine.- Smells OK. - That's absolutely fine.
0:44:15 > 0:44:19So, turn it on. There we go. So, you can hear that's coming through now.
0:44:19 > 0:44:21So, if you put your thumb on that, you should be able
0:44:21 > 0:44:23to feel the vacuum.
0:44:23 > 0:44:26- That's just sort of pulsating. - That's right. If you put
0:44:26 > 0:44:28a straight vacuum on that and it didn't pulse,
0:44:28 > 0:44:30- it would damage the teats. - Right, OK.
0:44:30 > 0:44:32The pulsing gives it a chance to recover.
0:44:32 > 0:44:35Attaching the vacuum cups is a tricky task.
0:44:38 > 0:44:42- Put your thumb over the end first. - Yeah.- That's it.
0:44:42 > 0:44:46No, it's not. Oh, there we go, vacuum's going now.
0:44:46 > 0:44:49- There we go.- Two.- Ah!
0:44:49 > 0:44:52It looks like you're winning the battle there,
0:44:52 > 0:44:53but perhaps not the war.
0:44:55 > 0:44:58- There we go.- Brilliant.- Will that just hold itself on, yeah?
0:44:58 > 0:45:00- That will, yeah. - I don't have to stay here?- No.
0:45:00 > 0:45:02It's on about three or four minutes now.
0:45:04 > 0:45:06But you've got to do everything just right.
0:45:06 > 0:45:08If something goes wrong with this machine,
0:45:08 > 0:45:11you can do more damage that way than by hand milking.
0:45:11 > 0:45:15Do you know how much it's sucking out? A ratio, a rate?
0:45:15 > 0:45:19- It's quite quick, is it?- Yeah, it's about 40 to 60 pulses a minute.
0:45:19 > 0:45:22That is the frequency which a calf sucks.
0:45:22 > 0:45:26- Right.- It's also the frequency that a cow's heart beats,
0:45:26 > 0:45:29so there's some logic behind that.
0:45:29 > 0:45:31- There's a bit of rhythm here, natural rhythm.- Yeah.
0:45:33 > 0:45:36- OK, so she looks like she's done. - Right.
0:45:36 > 0:45:39Farmers were under pressure to send the milk they produced
0:45:39 > 0:45:42into the rationing system, keeping only a small amount for themselves.
0:45:44 > 0:45:46- There we go, fresh out of the cow. - That's very full.
0:45:46 > 0:45:51Most were prohibited from turning it into butter or cheese at home.
0:45:51 > 0:45:54These foods were now produced in centralised factories,
0:45:54 > 0:45:57so the government could keep a close eye on what was being made.
0:46:00 > 0:46:03But if any of the milk went sour before it left the farm,
0:46:03 > 0:46:05farmers could get special dispensation to use it.
0:46:07 > 0:46:10My milk's turned. It's off.
0:46:12 > 0:46:13But luckily, not a disaster.
0:46:15 > 0:46:18Cheese, after all, is just off milk. That's all it is.
0:46:18 > 0:46:22All you've got to do is separate the curds from the whey.
0:46:22 > 0:46:25All I'm going to do is strain it.
0:46:27 > 0:46:30Agricultural workers really felt the need for cheese.
0:46:30 > 0:46:32They'd always been big cheese eaters.
0:46:32 > 0:46:36Taking a lump of bread and cheese out into the field is the easiest
0:46:36 > 0:46:39way of dealing with lunch miles away from the farmhouse.
0:46:42 > 0:46:44A little bit more.
0:46:49 > 0:46:52It's only going to need a sprinkle of salt...
0:46:53 > 0:46:55..and a dusting of chives
0:46:55 > 0:46:58and I've got cottage cheese that we can have in sandwiches.
0:47:04 > 0:47:08With the War Ag inspector due to revisit the farm soon,
0:47:08 > 0:47:10the boys must now get on with sowing the flax.
0:47:10 > 0:47:14- This flax isn't light, is it. - No, it's not. Nearly there, though.
0:47:14 > 0:47:17- Certainly got the weather for it, as well, haven't we?- Yeah.
0:47:23 > 0:47:27Alex and Peter have enlisted help from one of the few remaining
0:47:27 > 0:47:31flax farmers in Britain - Simon Cooper.
0:47:31 > 0:47:34What I've done, I've brought along a bit of flax just to show you
0:47:34 > 0:47:37- what we're hoping you'll achieve for us.- This is the end product?
0:47:37 > 0:47:39- Yes.- What's so special about it?
0:47:39 > 0:47:43Behind the bark, you'll see the fibres,
0:47:43 > 0:47:48the flax fibres for making ropes, canvas, tenting,
0:47:48 > 0:47:51fire hoses, it's got a whole load of uses.
0:47:51 > 0:47:54We have brought you two bags of flax,
0:47:54 > 0:47:55you do have a seed drill.
0:47:55 > 0:47:58- Yes.- And we have a field we need to sow.- Good.
0:47:58 > 0:48:03Flax was such a rarely-grown crop in pre-1940s Britain
0:48:03 > 0:48:06that virtually no machinery was set up to deal with it.
0:48:06 > 0:48:08Peas, oats, barley, wheat.
0:48:10 > 0:48:12No flax. No flax, no.
0:48:13 > 0:48:17Ah, we'll go there and see how it goes.
0:48:17 > 0:48:20We're going to try and lift it up, are we? There we are.
0:48:23 > 0:48:26This seed drill needs to be calibrated, so the correct amount
0:48:26 > 0:48:28of seed will be sown in the soil.
0:48:28 > 0:48:31You'll want to spin the wheel ten times.
0:48:31 > 0:48:32- Ten complete revolutions?- Yes.
0:48:44 > 0:48:46Nine and three quarters, ten.
0:48:51 > 0:48:55- That's almost perfectly on, just under 8oz.- 8oz.
0:48:55 > 0:48:57So, it's probably a little bit high.
0:48:57 > 0:49:00If we just go down a setting, it'll be pretty close with that.
0:49:00 > 0:49:02We want to get this right.
0:49:02 > 0:49:07You really want to get a good, even crop, so it competes with itself,
0:49:07 > 0:49:09makes itself grow tall and straight.
0:49:09 > 0:49:11Hopefully, keeps the weeds down.
0:49:11 > 0:49:13Let's take the time then and get this right.
0:49:13 > 0:49:15Remember, we're looking for that A rating.
0:49:17 > 0:49:19After hanging for just an hour,
0:49:19 > 0:49:22the sour milk is transformed into cheese
0:49:22 > 0:49:24that's ready to eat.
0:49:24 > 0:49:26There we go.
0:49:41 > 0:49:43That's quite nice.
0:49:45 > 0:49:48- Do you need a hand starting it? - Yes, please, Peter.
0:49:49 > 0:49:51This is the ignition key.
0:49:53 > 0:49:55- Well, you certainly won't lose that, will you?- No.
0:49:55 > 0:49:59- You've started this before, haven't you?- Yes, yes, yes.
0:49:59 > 0:50:02- Yeah? Experienced?- No.
0:50:02 > 0:50:06So, make a flame, diesel, shotgun cartridge.
0:50:09 > 0:50:11OK, let's get that tightened up.
0:50:13 > 0:50:14OK, here we go.
0:50:14 > 0:50:16Don't miss.
0:50:21 > 0:50:23ENGINE CHUGS
0:50:23 > 0:50:25Just like that.
0:50:35 > 0:50:39The acreage of flax grown in Britain increased from 1,000 acres
0:50:39 > 0:50:42to 60,000 over the course of the war.
0:50:42 > 0:50:46Specially-built factories across the country turned the crop
0:50:46 > 0:50:50into textiles that were vitally important for the war effort.
0:50:55 > 0:50:58So, how long is this going to take? When can we harvest it?
0:50:58 > 0:51:03It's round about 100 days from planting till harvest.
0:51:03 > 0:51:05It's a very, very quick-growing crop.
0:51:12 > 0:51:14Hi, chaps!
0:51:15 > 0:51:17Sarnies! Hello.
0:51:20 > 0:51:22- Thank you very much. - Cottage cheese, of my own.
0:51:22 > 0:51:26- What's this?- It's my cottage cheese. - You're a life saver.
0:51:27 > 0:51:29Is it all right?
0:51:29 > 0:51:30Better than wasting it.
0:51:34 > 0:51:37- Are you going to get it done today, do you think?- Yeah.
0:51:37 > 0:51:38Yeah, we're going to get this in today.
0:51:38 > 0:51:41Right, save that for later.
0:51:42 > 0:51:44Let's get this baby started up again.
0:51:44 > 0:51:45Ready!
0:51:46 > 0:51:49To make sure they get all the field work done,
0:51:49 > 0:51:51the farmers have enlisted some extra help.
0:51:53 > 0:51:56Hello! Come on through.
0:52:04 > 0:52:07Local farmer Robert Sampson has brought his horses,
0:52:07 > 0:52:10to harrow the ground - breaking up
0:52:10 > 0:52:13and levelling out the soil to embed the seeds.
0:52:13 > 0:52:16Whoa! I didn't ask anybody to move.
0:52:18 > 0:52:21- Come here, come here. - Those are good-looking beasts.
0:52:21 > 0:52:25- They're not Shires, what are they? - These are British Percherons -
0:52:25 > 0:52:29a compact, powerful horse, capable of all farm work,
0:52:29 > 0:52:31and you can trot them to town, if you wanted.
0:52:31 > 0:52:34Come on, keep going.
0:52:34 > 0:52:37I might be talking, but I'm not talking to you. Come on.
0:52:38 > 0:52:41Percherons originally came from France,
0:52:41 > 0:52:45but began to appear on British farms in the early 20th century.
0:52:45 > 0:52:48Just after the First World War, the British army were looking
0:52:48 > 0:52:54for a heavy artillery horse that was capable of fast movement.
0:52:54 > 0:52:57Of course, war was mechanised and they were never needed.
0:52:57 > 0:53:00So they went onto the farms, because the farms was where they came from.
0:53:00 > 0:53:04And, of course, a site like this, with a tractor and horse working
0:53:04 > 0:53:08in the same field at the same time, is a really typical sight
0:53:08 > 0:53:10- of World War II, isn't it? - Yes. Oh, definitely.
0:53:18 > 0:53:20Despite the influx of tractors,
0:53:20 > 0:53:23working horses made a huge contribution
0:53:23 > 0:53:25to wartime farming.
0:53:25 > 0:53:28Their numbers had declined in the 1930s,
0:53:28 > 0:53:30but the Second World War revived them,
0:53:30 > 0:53:34and by 1945, there were almost half a million working horses
0:53:34 > 0:53:38on British farms - twice the number of tractors.
0:53:38 > 0:53:41- Nice to see the horses out working. - It is.
0:53:43 > 0:53:46I am an absolute bag of bones.
0:53:46 > 0:53:52I'd give my hind teeth to be behind those two horses.
0:53:57 > 0:54:01After a long day's work, the flax is safely in the ground.
0:54:04 > 0:54:07- Looking good.- Oh, my head!
0:54:07 > 0:54:11- That is so noisy. - You all right there?
0:54:11 > 0:54:13Good Lord!
0:54:16 > 0:54:17What a machine!
0:54:17 > 0:54:20Well, I think we've all earned ourselves a beer.
0:54:21 > 0:54:23My back!
0:54:25 > 0:54:27It's not the most ergonomically-designed seat, is it?
0:54:27 > 0:54:29- Do you know the best thing about that tractor?- What?
0:54:29 > 0:54:31I can't hear you complaining.
0:54:34 > 0:54:36"My back, my back!"
0:54:38 > 0:54:41Here you go. I think we'll get these down us
0:54:41 > 0:54:42and then I'll get back to the yard,
0:54:42 > 0:54:46get that bird scarer and get it out here as soon as possible.
0:54:46 > 0:54:48Because I don't want to lose any of this crop.
0:54:48 > 0:54:50I want to keep the man from the Ministry happy.
0:54:50 > 0:54:52He'll be pleased. He'll be pleased, I'm sure.
0:54:52 > 0:54:56- Cheers.- Thanks ever so much. - Here's to a flax crop.
0:55:03 > 0:55:06The War Ag inspector is about to return
0:55:06 > 0:55:10to judge how well the team have carried out his instructions.
0:55:11 > 0:55:14Just in time, the rabbits have started nesting,
0:55:14 > 0:55:17meaning their babies should be born soon.
0:55:23 > 0:55:27And the farmers are keeping careful records of their milk yields,
0:55:27 > 0:55:29to make sure they have all the information to hand.
0:55:41 > 0:55:44With everything in place, they're ready
0:55:44 > 0:55:48for the long-anticipated return of War Ag expert, Brian Short.
0:55:51 > 0:55:53SHARP EXPLOSION
0:55:53 > 0:55:56- That was the bird scarer. - Yes, very effective.
0:55:56 > 0:55:59Yeah, I'd like to think so, but flax was one of the crops
0:55:59 > 0:56:01that you said would put us
0:56:01 > 0:56:04in the Ministry of Agriculture's good books.
0:56:04 > 0:56:05Yes, absolutely right.
0:56:05 > 0:56:08So, all the time, I've got my eye on that grade A.
0:56:08 > 0:56:09- Ever hopeful.- Yes.
0:56:09 > 0:56:11Meanwhile, the cows have come into milk
0:56:11 > 0:56:13and we're getting about two gallons a day off each one.
0:56:13 > 0:56:15That would have been very good.
0:56:15 > 0:56:18We have branched out into a rabbit concern.
0:56:20 > 0:56:24We started off with two, but they are multiplying, as we speak!
0:56:24 > 0:56:28It's amazing how fast that process happens.
0:56:28 > 0:56:30Well, that's good.
0:56:30 > 0:56:33Any meat for the pot helps.
0:56:33 > 0:56:37So, Brian, we now get to the burning issue of the grade,
0:56:37 > 0:56:41the category that you would like to assign to our farm.
0:56:41 > 0:56:44Yes. Well, of course, it's not just this field.
0:56:44 > 0:56:48One has to take account of the whole farming operation.
0:56:48 > 0:56:52But I would have thought that given what you've done,
0:56:52 > 0:56:55you are working to at least 60% of productivity
0:56:55 > 0:56:58on a farm like this, so that's a B.
0:56:58 > 0:56:59OK?
0:56:59 > 0:57:01Right.
0:57:04 > 0:57:08There are some War Ags who actually used B pluses and B minuses.
0:57:08 > 0:57:11- I think you might be edging towards a B plus.- Really?
0:57:13 > 0:57:15- B plus.- I can live with that.
0:57:15 > 0:57:16I think so.
0:57:16 > 0:57:19Well, come on, let's have a cup of tea, before we get any wetter.
0:57:19 > 0:57:23- Are you allowed a cup of tea after you've done it?- Yes.
0:57:23 > 0:57:27You'd have got a biscuit with it, as well, if you'd given us an A!
0:57:31 > 0:57:34The War Ags' central role in British agriculture continued
0:57:34 > 0:57:38throughout the Second World War, becoming more and more demanding.
0:57:39 > 0:57:41It was a gruelling challenge,
0:57:41 > 0:57:44but one from which the nation's farmers would not flinch.
0:57:50 > 0:57:51Next time...
0:57:51 > 0:57:54The team set up an emergency feeding centre...
0:57:56 > 0:57:58..Ruth helps out at the Women's Timber Corps...
0:57:58 > 0:58:00Timber!
0:58:02 > 0:58:05..and they convert a van to run without petrol.
0:58:05 > 0:58:08It's not the fastest ride in wartime Britain,
0:58:08 > 0:58:10- but it's certainly one of the most exciting.- I love it!