Home intelligence of very early spring - Country diary, 3 February 1921

3 February 1921 A singing thrush breaks the hoarse sound of the jackdaw, while far are the mating calls of blackbird and woodpecker

With just enough of frost to crisp the pasture the heavy carts have been out and across the land, carrying their last loads for spreading; blue smoke has gone up into a morning mist from the heaps out of cleared hedges and lopped trees in the great park; farther off, the sun, strengthening, glistens on young corn; and now the cattle, in a long line, follow a labourer who bears a big fork full of hay into the field for a meal that will make a change for them from watery cold grass. Below the orchard spades are at work. This open weather helps the garden; you can trench well down and bring the under soil into light and air with so much of promise of full crops as can as yet be foreseen. Produce waits upon a spade.

Related: Country diary 1917: warmth from the sun brings out winter wildlife