HERE on Manor Farm we have continued to make quite good progress cultivating and planting fields with winter cereals, although operations were slightly hampered by a scattering of heavy storms at the beginning of the week. There is now an autumnal feel to the weather, only to be expected as we have now passed the equinox with day length noticeably shorter.

The new cultivator, power harrow, seed drill, roller, plough and furrow press have all been used used during the week. The outcome being that we have now planted about half our winter barley area, with most of the remaining fields ready to drill. We have planted two varieties of winter barley this year called Cassia and California.

These two feed barleys are recommended for general use, being easy to grow, high yielding, with short to medium length stiff straw and good resistance to two common diseases Rhincosporium and Barley Yellow Mosaic Virus (BYMV).

Rhyncosporium, a fungus, is one of the most destructive pathogens that damages the leaves and can reduce yields up to 40 per cent. BYMV infects the plant via the root from resting spores that survive in the soil, with the breeding of resistant plant strains being the best way forward. Cassia is an ever popular variety, being grown on 20 per cent of the UK winter barley area.

All the grass seeds, planted a little earlier, have now germinated. The short term leys have already produced quite a dense sward, even the permanent pasture mix, only recently planted, has produced a green hue across the field.

Our cows are still calving, most having straightforward births, although Richard was called by Ian at 4.30am the other morning to help with one that was not so easy.

The vet was called as the cow's uterus had twisted, making the birth impossible. Ian's daughter Charlotte, who is studying to become a vet, also assisted at the birth. Together with the help of both Ian and Richard, the problem was corrected, a live bull calf was born naturally and the mother was soon stood licking her new baby.

In Devon, on Chuggaton Farm, Steve and Adele were also having a few problems, which occurred in a run of three. A cow got stuck in a doorway, another had bloat, which is when the rumen fills with gas produced in the cow and during a morning milking they were one cow short. Steve went to search the field they came from and found her standing in a ditch. Fortunately all three animals have recovered well. They also had a very busy time with five heifer calves born in one night. Not to one cow I hasten to add!

On Stowell Farm Kevin has been collecting the large wrapped bales of halage from Corsham Park, bringing them back to the buildings for winter use. He still has about 25 acres of spring barley to harvest and with air pressure rising he will hopefully manage to finish gathering in all the grain very soon.

A third cut of lucerne has also been ensiled, proving to be the highest yielding cut of the season. Kevin is buying our Friesian/Holstein bull calves, which he will rear for beef . The four Aberdeen Angus calves that spent the last six months at Bowood Pets' Corner have just come back to Stowell Farm where they will spend the winter.

On a recent walk in the glorious sunshine I came across some interesting oak galls, commonly called oak apples. These are found on many species of oak, are 2 to 5cm in diameter and are caused by chemicals injected by the larvae of certain kinds of gall wasps.The eggs are laid in the leaf bud, where the larvae feed on gall tissue resulting from their secretions.The galls appear on the underside of leaves in late summer/autumn and are yellowish green or red.