SOMETIMES when you're not thinking about anything in particular, something pops into your mind for no apparent reason.

Often this can be from the past; it could be a name, a place, an object, an event and so on.

This happened to me only yesterday and, of all the things it could have been, it was in fact a fiddle drill.

These were used quite a bit on small farms for sowing grass seeds and occasionally for sowing grain seed although with the latter you were always having to fill up.

I have had a go at using one, but although you got an even broadcast of seed, I felt it was a bit too fussy.

Also because, as lads, we were taught to sow seed accurately by hand from either a bucket or a hopper I had really no need to use a fiddle drill.

You carried them under your arm with a strap over your shoulder to take some of the weight.

The seed trickled from a canvas bag onto a disc which I think had four ridges on and below which was a small pulley that rotated, driven by what looked for all the world like a thick leather bootlace which of course was the "string" to the bow.

As you marched across the field used used your free hand to move the bow backwards and forwards fiddle-like, that is how the apparatus got its name.

The seed would be thrown out by the disc in each direction thus ensuring a good cover of the ground.

I should mention that the disc mechanism was mounted on a handy wooden box frame.

The main thing to remember about sowing seed, whether by hand or using a fiddle drill, is that it must by done using a constant rhythm.

For example, when using a bucket of seed tucked under your left arm you would grasp a handful of seed in your right hand and as your left foot moved forward you swept your right hand containing the seed in an arc in front of your body at the same time allowing just a trickle of seed to fly from your hand.

Experience or practice soon showed you how to empty your hand with an average of seven trickles.

I hope I have explained the method satisfactorily, but what it boils down to is that you fill your hand once and make up to seven casts before filling your hand again.

By this method you would be sowing grass seed at the rate of about 30lbs to the acre.

I still refuse to talk about kilos per hectare.

To enable you to keep straight you set up three or four sticks across the field and moved them as you came to them usually three yards or whatever you were comfortable with making your cast.

I tell you what, it's a jolly sight easier doing the job than it is describing it.

I well remember the time when two chaps were sowing seeds together when one went to the other's stick.

The sky was blue, the air was blue, but there was plenty of laughter later.

Of course, it's being so cheerful that keeps us going.

Dialect word: Whins meaning gorse.

Thought for the day: The rush-hour is when the traffic stands still.