IT IS very sad to read in the farming press notices of sales of well known herds of top quality dairy cattle, often by young farmers. The nation will come to rue the day it let this sort of thing happen. These young farmers just cannot see a future given the pittance they are paid for producing (seven days a week) top quality milk. These young people need encouragement, not punishment.

I do not know if I'm the only one but I do think there are some daft adverts on television. When I think of what these young farmers are paid for working to produce a quality food and what these people who dream up the daft adverts are paid, words fail me. As good an advert as any in my view and, remember, I'm not a dairy farmer, is the one that goes something like this: MILK IS SO GOOD, THE COWS WANT IT BACK.

It is often said that the Government only wants farmers in wartime. I remember about 60 years ago a small farmer who also went around pig-butching saying: "Appen what's wanted is a war with nobody killed or hurt nor nowt, but some kind of a war." Of course, he didn't subscribe to war; he was only making his point.

However, think on this, with much of the world in a population explosion and much of the world hungry, I would have thought that the need for farmers would be recognised. Well, I would say that, wouldn't I? Some will think the Government is right, but I'm not wrong.

The big five supermarkets make more money than all the nation's farmers put together. Perhaps the old countryman had an idea when he said: "Appen farmers should suck their own blood and cut out the supermarkets altogether."

Drink-driving as they call it is a serous offence and not really condoned by anybody. When I cast my mind back I can remember being told on various occasions about some of the farmers in times gone by who liked a drink and who sometimes, although they were a bit unsteady, would climb into the trap and wait until the "Lile pony would take im ome." Certainly ponies are intelligent animals and, of course, they would know their way home. I often wonder would there be many on the road at the same time minus a driver as they would probably have fallen asleep. How did they manage to open the gates - because there would be some? It used to be said that occasionally one would land in the ditch but that was all. One lady used to say to her sons: "Father's out, mek sure t' stable doors shut else yon pony'll try and go in and tek trap with it!"

Dialect word: Findy meaning solid or firm Thought for the day: It is nice to know that when you help someone up a hill you are a bit nearer the top yourself.