THE DIARY OF WILLIAM SELLERS

1,917

Jan 4^th. Weather windy & dry Small store pigs were sold at Driffield yesterday at 7/6 each owing to the high price of feeding stuff.
8^th. North east gale, very heavy rain.
March 1^st. From today fewer passenger trains will be run the last leaving soon after 6 p.m. Mails will be much later in the morning not arriving till 12.45 instead of half past seven. The Sunday trains will be discontinued altogether. Weather settling nicely but second ploughings are not yet started.
The fixing of minimum prices for corn for a period of six years 1917 to 1922 inclusive appears to give general satisfaction to farmers.
The prices to be paid are as follows.

	1917	18 & 19	20 & 22
Wheat	60/-	55/-	45/-
Oats	38/6		24/-

Farm labourers, minimum 25/- to include rent & housing.
The highroads are in bad repair, the road surveyor not being able to obtain sufficient material & labour for their repair.
March 6^th. The weather over the weekend has been extremely cold with some frost & snow, wind east, quite a gale.
The first drill of the Speeton volunteers took place at the Council school last night at 7.30. Lieut. Wheldon of Speeton in charge.
8^th. Shot a couple of wild ducks at North pasture waterhole.
9^th. Weather since the 6^th very wintry, too frosty to plough.
12^th. Frost gone ploughing today.
A new kind of airship, about the shape of a cigar has been round the coast today. 16^th. Mr Ellbeck of Speeton died today.
20^th. A baby of Mrs Cooper’s died today.
21^st. Wind North, heavy snow showers, white over with snow.