The Harvest by Kathleen Hawke 1902 – 1999 Cornish Bard ‘Keren’
Looking back over the years, to harvests that have been,
When Combines were unheard of and Binders modern machines.
I recall those well-loved horses, Trooper and Duke by name.
Coats brown and shiny as conkers and blond of tail and mane.
Abreast they pulled the Binder round those golden fields of wheat,
In ever decreasing circles, a sight that was hard to beat.
Sheaves fell behind the Binder, neat bundles one by one.
Strong brown arms stooked in rows, corn ears pointed to the sun.
Today they use the Combine, the harvest is less strain.
The trailer goes off to the Barn to empty out the grain.
This poem was sent to her grandson, James Hawke to help with his homework.
He above pom was sent to me by Ann Head who writes in modern terms about ‘The Diary of a Farmer’ written by James Stevens of Foage in Zennor.
I was reminded of this poem when we were driving along Trewey Hill to the field where the ceremony was to be held. There, in a field, was a convoy of shiny bright harvesting machines lined up and ready to work. Foage Farm, where Kathleen grew up, was very close to the fields farmed by the Mann family from Trewey Farm and Harry knows the original book as he has it for reading at quiet times. Harry and wife Caroline were waiting for us in the field with his newly sharpened family scythe to perform the ceremony of cutting the last of the standing barley by hand in the traditional manner. During the cutting of the crop he mentioned how much he pays to hire the shiny machinery and how surprised the drivers were to see him honing his skills during the morning with the scythe!
The audience was waiting in sunshine, which was quite a surprise after the previous few years when it has blown a gale or threatened rain at any minute. Our President, Elizabeth Veal welcomed visiting Old Cornwall members, Town Councillors Martin van Staeyen and Paul Viney, Andrew from St Ives Library, Raymond Perkins who proudly held our banner and everybody who attended. Harry and Caroline Mann were also thanked for taking time from their farming commitments to share this traditional ceremony with us. The service started with the singing of Trelawny, led by Dee Brotherton. The History of why we hold this celebration was read by Elizabeth Veal and traditional harvest hymns were sung led by Dee. Prayers were said in Kernewek (Cornish) and English by Dee Brotherton and Frank Stevens prior to the cutting of the corn.
Harry is from generations of farmers and happily explained that badgers had been playing in the field the night before which was why the crop was crushed in the top corner. The crop was barley, which is more nutritious for the cows than corn, but he said the ‘beard’ of the barley (the sharp whiskers on the top) prick the mouths of badgers so they prefer to play and eat corn if there is a choice. Unfortunately, I flattened the bottom part while trying to take a photograph of the proceedings! Harry showed how he tests the grain is ready by biting it: not using a fancy machine like Jeremy Clarkson does in the television programme about his farm! And then he set to work with his scythe, making the cutting look easy with long strokes of the blade. The cut crop is then gathered, beard up and butt down, into bound sheaves and stood in the field in the form of a conical ‘A’ frame shape called a stook or a stock. Each stook is comprised of 6 to 8 sheaves, beards up. (One had been partly prepared for us in advance!) He explained how the farmers traditionally stopped the sheaf from disintegrating in the wind by bending the outside stalks over the one which was used to tie the bundle around the middle. All this knowledge is now being lost to future generations who, like me, were not brought up on a farm or took part in harvesting, so it is good to be reminded.
Sheaves bound, stooks formed the traditional cry of “I ab’m, I ab’m” “What ave ‘e, what ave ‘e?” was shouted 4 times to each point of the compass, again in Kernewek and dialect English while holding aloft the last sheaf. Loud “Hurrah’s” followed from the watching audience.
Our ‘Lady of the Flowers’ this year was Lynne Issacs who told the story of harvest suppers in the past, known as Guildeze and the fate of the last sheaf of the harvest which was either taken to the church to be hung as a talisman for a good crop next year or kept safe in the farmhouse to be given to a favoured animal at Christmas. Her grandparents had a farm at Boscastle which she often visited during harvest so she had fond memories of their celebrations.
The traditional celebration ended with another huge ‘Thank You’ to the Mann family of Trewey Farm Zennor for hosting St Ives Old Cornwall friends, visitors and members again this year. The weather was good and the banner was safely stored away without needing to be dried off!
