A froth of seagulls at the blade waiting for rich pickings from the chocolate-brown soil. A pale silver disc overheard suddenly mustered enough courage to charm away a curling mist.

“A straight furrow is the tribute that Agriculture pays to Art. There is virtue in a straight line, which calls for concentration and skill . Where there is skill there is art …”.

I looked him up when I got home, that Norfolk ploughing picture turning my day into a strange mixture of confession and celebration. John Stewart Collis was a scholar who became a farm labourer during the last war.

His experiences inspired the book The Worm Forgives The Plough, now widely regarded as a classic. But he was sadly neglected during the years he was learning to plough a straight furrow. He worked on farms in Sussex and Dorset , writing down what had happened at end of each day to give pages their authenticity and vividness.

“When the dusk fell I could go on no longer. I often caught the sharp whiff of smell coming from the upturned earth. Scent is a mighty marvel. What it is I do not know. But........

© Norwich Evening News