THIS has been about the worst spring I can ever remember, not only because of the diabolical weather but also due to the distressed misery caused largely by the Government's total ineptitude at handling the foot and mouth crisis.

Yet in the midst of it all, history was being written by 20 or so mature Ryedale gentlemen, dressed in shorts, running around a half-acre former cabbage patch in South London. And they were magnificent, from the first strains of Land of Hope and Glory to the final whistle which brought the packed west stand to its feet, celebrating the 36-20 victory for the Malton & Norton Rugby Club.

Every man who ever caressed the oval ball dreams of running onto the hallowed Twickenham turf; to score at Twickenham is beyond our wildest fantasy, but to score a hat-trick on one's debut must be a record for Mr Guinness to note.

And yet, this is exactly what 'Twinkle Toes' Tim Chapman achieved at the ripe old age of 29, according to the programme, and he, like us, will remember every stride to the line.

It was a quite outstanding game, with one of the best three-quarter moves I have ever seen on a rugby field, with the looping ball finishing with a try in the corner.

It was a privilege to be there amongst a passionate Ryedale crowd that appeared to outnumber the Hoylake supporters by at least 10 to 1.

Nick Crumack rang me on Tuesday evening about the military sightings around Golden Hill quarry at Marton and the Evening Press front page carried the story. MAFF officials gave the unconvincing excuse that they were surveying the quarry just in case there should be an outbreak in the area and to assess its suitability for dumping carcasses.

Many of us wonder why they are doing this when the disease appears to be burning itself out, in spite of their mismanagement; and the alternative answer carries a lot more credibility, namely that the quarry is needed now for the disposal of carcasses from infected areas.

The policy of centralised burning has been not only an environmental disaster but it has contributed substantially to the spread of the disease.

What sort of basic hygiene principles are being followed when carcasses are left to fester on farms for a week, and they are then transported on the public highway, often taking several more days, until they are so full of gas as to blow up in front of the operators.

Many believe that some of the problems around the A1 in North Yorkshire stem from this ill-advised transport strategy.

We must not let it happen in Ryedale where we still, miraculously, have a clean bill of health.

If there is a call to defend the quarry, I hope the entire Twickenham supporters turn out.

One of the most unsavoury aspects of this disaster has been the slaughter of the innocents, the killing of thousands of healthy animals for no other reason than they fell within the clinical computer-drawn radius of a confirmed case.

Private practice vets in groups of 40 and 50 from Dumfries and Devon have protested strongly to the Government that such vital decisions be made behind a Whitehall desk without professional veterinary guidance.

This senseless rigid policy of slaughtering on 'contiguous' farms despite special circumstances has incensed vets and farmers alike.

Cumbria has seen healthy sheep put to the sword just because they were in the 3km zone and despite the fact that five weeks had elapsed since the last case in the area, which is well after any incubation period.

I am sure there will be more stupid and embarrassing stories, like the farmer who had all his stock shot in front of him only to discover that the invading officials had got the wrong grid reference and were 50 miles out in their calculations!

The really serious point I wish now to make is that with the disease diminishing, so must come a re-appraisal of the animals to be slaughtered. All stock that is not on infected premises must have their case reviewed; and I suggest that the advisory panel comprises the MAFF vet, the farmer and the farmer's vet.

We need to stop the slaughter as soon as possible.

Our own Major-General Naylor wrote a very sensible letter to The Times deploring the loss of ability to manage in modern government. He is quite right that consultation, spin talk and buck-passing are the preferred options to making an actual decision.

If only the army had been called in a week after the first case was confirmed in February, then much of this horrible mess would have been avoided.

However, in response to the general's letter he received an interesting comment that everyone was misinterpreting the facts.

According to John Wright, the virus is already in the soil everywhere, and has been for centuries, and it only breaks out when there are susceptible weaklings in the animal kingdom who have suffered nutritionally. His theory is that soil quality is important and may not be providing enough zinc for the weaker animals and that, in due course, the disease will die out, having disposed of these weaklings.

Nice try, Mr Wright, but the e-mail address of "docbiozinc" smells of tainted interest.

This week's tale from the cab is almost too fanciful to believe but here goes.

A lorry hired for the statutory 12-hour day at £40 per hour was dispatched to pick up a single goat. Like any thinking goat interested in self preservation, it was reluctant to go up the executioner's ramp but, with MAFF vets and the distressed owner in attendance, EU regulations forbade holding the horns of the goat to pull it into the wagon.

The solution was quickly found, five miles away, whence a JCB was hired to gather the animal into its bucket and gently deposit it into the wagon.

By this time it was too late on the Friday for the goat to be dealt with so it was parked over the weekend with the meter still going round in the lorry.

That goat has cost the country more than £2,000!

Although attention has been transferred from shifting fatstock to moving stores, there is still plenty of activity about. Over the past fortnight there has been a growing crescendo of demand for fat cattle as abattoirs to the north and west of us had to source their supplies from the Yorkshire area.

Relatively speaking, we have basked in good prices of 170-175p for 'R' grade cattle with the occasional premium for retail beast. Even the more ordinary continental Xs have been making from 160-170p/kilo, and this is a definite improvement on where we left off live trading in February.

However, this week stock from infected areas has been released to go to abattoirs within the same region and this has opened the flood gates at least for a temporary period. One abattoir we supply had 800 cattle on their books with no negotiated price and another had been offered 100 'R/U' grade steers at 155p.

The size of the backlog, even in North Yorkshire, was demonstrated by the reported 23,000 calls received by MAFF/Trading Standards on the day after the stock was released.

The badly implemented Welfare Scheme has now resulted in a shortage of hoggs at the end of the season. Prices have gone to around 230p/kilo with a margin either way to reflect quality.

Spring lambs are just coming on stream and prices run from 280-290p/kilo.

The pig trade has been pretty steady, with bacon pigs at 95-100p/kilo and the best cutters making 108-112p/kilo.

We are now seriously trading store stock and have a good register of buyers and sellers.

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Malton on (01653) 697820/692151

York on (01904) 489731.

Updated: 09:28 Thursday, April 26, 2001