The Elk County advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Pa.) 1868-1883, 1882-09-14
NO. 80.
Harvest Homes.

denly Sprang into usage HSdlll dI,ionS
some of the famous farmers OF Mlddle
New York, and has rapidly spread be-
yOnd the confines of that State, and be-
yond the limits of the farminfi class
alone. In the rich farming country OF
Eastern Pennsylvania, and in Ohio ana
Illinois to the west of us there nave
been notably large gatherings.
The farming folk have not been able,
if they so desired, to make these pic
MICS exclusively farmers affairs. 1t
has become quite the fashion among
city and townspeople as well. The
festivals being under the management
of representative men from the colln-
try, have insured responsibility and
decorum which does not always attend
picnic parties which go from the city
to the country. never degenerates
into a carouse, butretains its charac-
ter as decent, yrderly gathering for
days enjoyment in the woods. Parents
with large families of children, of the
inconvenient size that tumble out
of boats, gather stray toads to
their bosOms, get beetles down their
neck and squall have seized upon this
new enterprise as an opportunity for
taking them for day of merry
making at Il picnic where there is no
drinking and no fights. Besides, there
is a fragrant suggestion of red apples
and broad slices of bread and butter
about real farmers picnic that is
very taking to city-living people. OF
course, the farmers and their families
constitute the largest part of the at
p,,, ~, thot
they can see more of their neighbors
there than at my other place.
Many horse trade is con-
summated at the harvest home
and new varieties of seed wheat
exchanged. The wives and daughters
go partly for the fun, and largely be-
cause it is the latest fashion. The rail
road companies have not been slow to
promote an enterprise which cultiyates
sociability, and hence conduces to vis-
iting and consequently travelling. The
rates of fare to and from the harvest
home are usually lower than on any
other occasion.
The custom of celebrating the gath
ering in of the harvest by feast or
merrymaking is older in England than
Uilt VI Nlll tlltl
formerly practiced had many features
of the old Druid dispensation. In Eng
land generally this festival passes under
the name of the " Harvest Home" In
the northern counties it was called the
"Mell Supper" In Scotland it was
hailed under the designation of the
" Kim" " or "Kirn Supper" And there
were perhaps other local names.
In the old simple days of England,
the harvest home was such a scene
as Horace's friends might have expect
ed to see at his Sabine farm, or as
TheOcritus described in his Idyls. In
these days the working people of few
contiguous farms only united in. the
celebration, but subsequently whole
counties came together. The grain last
cut was brought home in its wagon,
called the hook cart, surmOunted by
figure formed Of a sheaf with gay
dressing, presumably representing the
| goddess Ceres. Sometimes the figure
on the cart, instead Of being u mere
dressed-up bundle of grain, was Il pretty
| girl Of the reaping band, crowned with
flowers and hailed as the maiden" or
in Scotland 50 the har'st queen" OF
this we have description in ballad of
Bloomfield's:
"Home came the iovIal hockey load,
Last of the whole years crop,
And Grace among the green bOughs rode,
| Right plump upon the top.
'This way and that way the wagon reeled
| And never queen rode higher;
| Her cheeks cOlOrCd in the field,
And ours before the fire."
IIerricll describes the harvest home
of his day, the earlier half of the sew
enteenth century, and chronicles the
cheering virtue of the "all-tempting
frumentie," the smirking wine" and
the stout beere" which flowed freely
upon the occasion.
A custom obtained at the close of
harvest of "Crying the Mare" as it
was called in IIertfOrdshire, the "Nack,"
as it was termed in DevOnshire,
"Goobbir Bhacagh" or "the Crippled
Goat" as it was named in the Isle Of
Skye The last handful of grain cut
by farmer who got through his har-
vest first was tied up in a bundle,
tricked out with ribbons and sent with
some rude preliminary ceremonies to
tardier neighbor who still had SOM
grain still standing. He in TURF
W ilNll llS ''lllp plNtNi iiio li6tl hCSJ NOIh
! passed it on to the nearest tardy one
and so on until all the
grain being cut in II neigh
borhOod it was time for har-
vest home. The last man holding the
handful of grain, which constituted the
Mare Mack or Goat, was esteemed a
sluggard all the year through. In Scot
land this last handful received more
honorable treatment. 1t was cut by
the bOnnieSt lass in the district, tied
up with ribbons and usually preserved
in the farmers parlor for the remainder
of the year.
The modern celebration of the in
gathering of the harvest is by no
means the rude festival of former
days. The progress of the farmer
socially is very well illustrated by a
| comparison of the festivities mentioned
above with the amusement resources
provided for at picnic next
Tuesday. There is to be a band of
music on the grounds, and fat mems
races, sack races and boat race on
the Ohio river opposite the ground.
Swings, flying horses, croquet, base
ball and the like amusements will
make glad and tired the young genera
/ A 4 r r