New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1853-07-29
ILLINOIS
Harvest scenes.

The summer IN this part OF limos mus lar hhs oeen
most delightful The DAYS have with few exceptions been
warm and bright th dahes of rain and thunder showers
inst frequent enough keep the atmosphere pure aud
vegetation thrving and then uch nights surely Italy her
self could bOast Of none more radrntly beautfu IN tne
brightness fber planets and the transparent cearness OF
her heavens The meonlt nights of June we're DELI
ciou.y cool and dewy breathing of roses and clover
bloom-but they equaled and even surpassed IN bril-
anCy and baluines by these Of July Farmers are Va
the midst Of having aud harvesting an1 tbe "hoir at-'
pbere especially At night is periumed with the incense
that comes upirOm meadows new ym0wn while tue iI.l
moon, almost dazzling IN brightness reveals distinctly
the long regiments Of wheat and barley SHOCKS tetch
inc far away On tie upland slopes TIL lost III the over
hanging shaCOws Of the wood beyond As have watch
ed the progress Of these harvest n0v aud then
found ny way into farmers kitchen where al was
hustle and cheerful activity, preparing the bountiiu re-
mast for the field abOrers il has brought up 10 my mind,
in strong contrast, wheat harvest witnessed IN Ken
tuckv in 1851 II may hot be unlnerestiDg 70 some OF
your readers particularly our Western paIre farmers,
10 know something Of how their sbOrs we're performed
and bow the harvest hands were treated.
II is well known that Kentucky is not an extensive
wheat growing State though have been told by oh peo
ple there thai in their young days hundreds Of
were raised where tons are now Hemp corn aud STOCK
engage their attention present. and you una only mere
end there a wheat field Of very moderate dimensions
indeed mere garden patches compared with those OF
Michigan and Illinois On the p7natlon of which
speak there worked s0ue eight or ten men ser
wants and about the number oi women lhe farm
contained betge three and four hundred acres worth
then sxty.fve dollars per acre; great part OF was
in bluegrass pasture devoted 20 stick, considerable
hemp some oats some wheat and immense quantities Of
corn were raised every year Of course the owerwas
wealthy The wheat field small, perhaps not cover
ING more than fifteen twenty acres bu thought the
moor negroes might be thankful It was no larger o0nsd.
erpp the implements they had 10 work with. Not
cradle nor rake TO be- on the field me cut
ting was done with scytbes and sckle aud the negroes
fingers served for rakes They followed the cutters,
gathering what lay most directly IN their way into niue
bundles and throwing them SIDE 10 he ettcr~ set
up in shocks IL to ne that nearly onefourth "f
the grain must be left scattered the ground some
times the masters give their slaves the privilege of
cleaning such fields but often cattle and SWINE are
the cleaners
cannot better describe the harvest dinner than by
Giving il in the words of young kentuckan son OF the
family where ] was staying He spirited youth OF
about sixteen, bold, mpetuous and passionate bat 10
dustrous ard ashamed to work with the hggers,
and as hard as any of them according to bis strength
He could be cruelty tyrannca too, at times but he had
human heart yet wholly hardened by the influences
around him His father had no wheat harvest this sun
mer and Charles and old negro man went out to
help their nelehbor. ,. i,
er's room bis face glowing and his eyes flashing with
excitement lie threw himself at full length on the
| Garnet exclaiming Conound it Mother send TO tho
| cabin for Judy, quick :" little black imp called >imp
SON who usually lay cOied w behind the door eay 10
| his mistress disappeared III search OF JUDY.
! In answer to his mohers Inquiry as TO what was
wanting Charles replied, want my dinner. Coniound
il can eat decsnt dinner with the Niger, any time
but such as old Suke and CLANCY send our Tor thelf
| hands | wouldn't let my dog eat 1t Why, mother,
yOud Won believe il as in the same0ld tray shey sent
out in on.planting time il wasn't fit for hog-trough
| then ard hasn't been washed since
"Charles - said his quiet mother reprovingly It's
"a fact mother - said the boy, sprnging up, the same
od tray and the old rim o grease round the top
and sides and that hot dinner poured H. and steamng
il all UP togetherbacon and beans aud grease aud
/ greens Oh bah but II trdS Sntd! Jud!, tAd ne,
turning to the black face that appeared al the door
get your Master Charles the very best dinner you eau
scare up in less than twenty minutes ham and hoe
cake and butter and pitcher Of milk fresh from the
spripg house with all the cream that belongs 10 H. and
luup Of ice besides aud NJ dessert-all the sweet
"lhirls in mothers side board quick now Yes,
Mas'r." said the grinning Judy as she turned away
but be called her again and ordereda good dinner Tor OIL
SAM the negro who had been in the held with him. ior'
said be- the old dog amt used 10 such d0nss As they
have over thee, and ! would Mt lex him touch
"moutLful" How came they to send out such din
"nerf" asked his mother; did they know you were
there o. Know it, Yes; Nj - was out m the
field about 10 o'clock ri ding round on bs BLACK troef
large as life but that's the way their held hands are
ALWAYS served the mistress Of that house never go''
into the kitchen without to order some dainty for
herself the house servants stuff themselves on the
"cmbs from her table and the poor dogs that work Tor
1T al are fed on swil and slug. A0tner! ne ex-
claimed growing still more excited, tel you u
nostive truth the mix was sent in the buck
e. CLANCY saves her kitchen slope IN Bob got leat
and went to Swimming OF the strass aud feathers ADD
what not ard then that slug bread! Mother won
der il don't Lii every niger On the plantation -
Slug bread - said l. growing mquisitIye IN my turn;
what is that p" / was quite familiar with Johnny
cake hoecake and dodgers but this was something new
"Whv" said Charles, they take all the musty corn
that the mules wont eat ana make II INTO meal lor 'e
outdoor hands Every night CLANCY mixes up tray
full with little salt and vater and pours It mo ier
"oven Nsakee bake-kette) in the corner OF TIE IRE
"place She piles ashes and ccas over II and lets u
steam ill morning sometimes It s half done some
times not That 5 What call slug bread II S whai
they are eating under the trees IN the field nos" anu
cit. what they have TO eat al the time or starVe LIE
poor fellows haven't had moutniul to eat III nov
since day break and then al they lad vas slug and
bacon" 1
Charles went into the dining where judy hsd
prepsred his dinner az he desired and could not resist
The iruulse 10 follow and talk with him about harVes,
scene had witnessed in Michigan the year OeioFe.
Iney he was not very creGuous when listeni. 70 III,
descriptons If Northern Inventions and mgrnh'yi 50
prudeItly commenced with farm il the oak oPenhss'
where only the cradle and the rake we're used ue-
sciibed tie easy graceful sweeping march OF the era
ders and the heavy bWalhs laid evenly 70 De gs',
cred up by the raud rakers and binders AID then tod
him Of the 10 o'clock lunch Of tie harvesters rePoss
in the shade and served by the farmers own dllghel
ard little who we're proud 10 assist IN carry ng o
the loave of white bread the cakes aud res ana COZ
fee, ard jugs Of ginger beer aud then OF the diune
hour-hoW tie cheerful labOrers came up, ana sI'ei
bathing their glowing faces and sun-browued hands Ia
cold water from the well under the shade OF trees ~
the back door, they ushered into the dnhs-ro'
and seated long table, laden With substan'iA 1904,
followed by dessert Of pies and Puddngs with tea ana