Tom's inability to repair the roof decides the Goods on joining evening classes in practical subjects, Barbara taking pottery and Tom taking weaving. Both do badly and decide to swap subjects. Tom achieves outstanding results, resulting in the temptation to go commercial. The pressure of work sowing the new season's crops requires the Goods to make the most of the daylight hours. The disturbance of their early morning work sours their friendship with the Leadbetters, and their attempts to go to bed early meet with a variety of frustrations.
Sentimentality overcomes practicality, and they decide to try to help the runt survive.
Jerry is stopped for speeding on the way to hospital to obtain some oxygen. A fellow allotment holder claims that talking and playing music to his plants gives better yields, so Tom decides to do a scientific experiment, enlisting Barbara's help. Unfortunately, playing music to the crops in the back garden threatens to sour their relationship with Margo, who is standing for election as president of the local amateur operatic society. The Goods are furious when they learn that Margo is planning to put up a large wind-break that will shade their new fruit patch. Mix-ups occur when they ask her to site it elsewhere.