They responded energetically to foot and mouth but have lately prevaricated over reopening footpaths to innocent walkers. Of course the paternalist tradition conceals instinctive Toryism - which proved unable to resist the extremes of Thatcherism. Appearances may deceive. Nowadays county councils are essential cogs in the public service machine. In physical and demographic fact most counties are not rural at all and county hall provides vital schooling and child care for millions of townies.
Counties are, in other words, worth voting for.
Yet all the signs are that this week they will again be electoral also-rans, in two senses. One is that these are local elections. If the general election has been greeted by deafening silence in many households, this year's council contest has drummed up even less interest. The other sense in which these will be residual elections is that the Tories will probably do well in them - as much at the expense of the Liberal Democrats as Labour, even in areas where those parties are picking up parliamentary seats. Some voters are going to be tempted by the theory of checks and balances.