On Thursday we read in the paper Mr Runciman’s statement in the House, that the food of the nation was for the future to be controlled by the Govt. There is to be no more white flour, & the making of sweets is to be curtailed.

On Thursday & Friday there was a bitter wind. Father kept indoors trying to get rid of his cold.

Yest I went to Plymouth to attend a meeting in connection with Women’s’ work on the land. Dorothea is the Registrar for this parish but she was unable to attend. At Goodbody’s Café I met Mary Dickinson who is Secy for Women’s’ work. We went together to Guildhall and in the Court room the meeting was held.

There were present about 30 women. Mrs Mildmay and Mrs Calmady-Hamlyn spoke. They both told us that we must do all we can to promote women working on the land, & said that after April the men would be called up. It seems such ages ago that I wrote in this journal the efforts we made to get the young men to go & fight, & now here we are 2 whole years & still the young farmers are staying at home content to let others suffer & die for them.

I asked a question about demonstrations, & if it was possible to have some, just to show the farmers that women can work. Later I was told that there were dairy instructresses waiting ready to go out and teach if only classes would be got together, so I came home full of zeal to get the class together.

Before service this morning, got a promise from Mr Westcott that he would lend cows & then directly after lunch started off in the rain to collect a class. For 2 hours I tramped about & only got 2. The women don’t want to work, they are content to stay at home & let things be. One or two are afraid of the cows, & several think that the farmers want to get something out of it.

I returned damped in person & spirit.

The weather is fearful, & what is one to do. We were told that we must inspire the people with patriotism, but how can one inspire anyone in such weather.