THE DIARY OF WILLIAM SELLERS

1,917

August First week wet & cold, heavy rain. Sold ten fat lambs at 78/- each. 15^th. Saw black wild rabbit. Shot wild duck Weather warm & showery
12^th. Man killed at Brid by lightning.
21^st. Started harvest, weather windy & showery. Several sheep & cattle have been killed by lightning in this district. This is an unusual occurrence.
26^th. & 27 Heavy rain. The week ending Sept 1^st. has been one of the worst possible for harvest work, exceptionally heavy rain fell nearly every day.
Sept 5^th. Finished cutting corn. Weather nicely settled. A german submarine shelled Scarboro last night. Three persons are said to have been killed.
11^th. Saw a steamer sink in the bay, after being torpedoed. It is estimated that ten steamers have been sunk in a week between Whitby & Flamboro Head.
13^th. The weather has been fine for ten days. Raining today.
The government is commandeering cattle for the army. A fixed price of 74/- per live hundredweight is being paid for them. This price drops gradually to 60/- in Jan 1918. This price is supposed to be the maximum for private sales of fat cattle as well, but at Driffield on the 11^th it was exceeded by 25 per cent.
16^th. The entire corn harvest of Mr Walter Coleman of North Burton was destroyed by fire today.
17^th. Finished leading sheaves. 24^th. Finished harvest. Weather fine & dry.
30^th. Firing recruits course at Boynton range. Very fine day.
Oct 7^th. Heavy shower of snow followed by rain, very cold. At the sales of breeding sheep gimmer shearlings made to seven guineas each. Sold two fat ewes for £5. 19. 0 each.
10^th. The Hunts cyclists have struck camp and left the village today.
The Norfolks have come in for the winter.
Horses slept in first time on the 8^th.