Low Down Articles
Echoes from the Past
Article 87 of 111
This article first appeared in the "Echoes from the Past" column of the The Low Down to Hull and Back News.
Reprinted with permission. Search complete list of Low Down Articles.
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The Diary of a Farmer (continued)
I immediately built a large barn, 36 x 75 ft. and 18ft. posts, and this barn was not large enough to hold the whole of my wheat by several stacks; I suppose there were 3000 bushels at least. I measured one acre, and then threshed it out upon the spot; it was 40 bushels on that acre.
In the autumn I secured all my crops. The crops exceeded all expectations, or anything that we had ever seen or known in the latitude of 42, and all without the help of manure; which was the more surprising to those who had been accustomed to go to Boston and obtain it at the price of $3.00 per load.
I also cleared about 100 acres of land this year and laid down in grass about the same quantity. We kept the felled timber in stacks, to dry, against the day when we would be required to construct better housing for our family.
A quantity of hemp-seed was made available from Commissary J.W. Clarke. I sowed, and it did exceedingly well. I sent a bundle of it to the Hemp Committee. It measured 14 ft. long and very fine... I received a Silver Medal.
This year my older brother died. It is sad as we two had been close to each other.
1802. I extended my improvements in clearing of lands to about 380 acres, generally sowing down grass on the land that had borne two crops of corn, in order to obtain a quantity of good timothy and clover hay for wintering my cattle; this is one of the first points in grazing farms. I am much surprised the inhabitants don't sow more grass seed. If they were to sow more grass on the high swells of land, the cattle would go into their barns fat and would not take half the quantity of fodder to winter them.
1803. Our little settlement grew apace with the arrival of more New England families in Wright's town. Such was the spread of habitations - we built our proper house this year - that roads and bridges were needed. Each male in a family from the age of sixteen upwards was required to "put aside for the community". As there was so little money it was a matter of bartering one's time and skills. You helped your neighbour to set up his barn. He and his sons and other families came to set up your blacksmith shop. The operations were called "bees", without them little would be accomplished.