The Jackson standard. [volume] (Jackson C.H., Ohio) 1847-1888, 1886-03-18


and the balance Of the grain scraped
off, leaving the lower part of the husk
or bran, on the cob. This pulp, and
slices Of the grain which had been cut
off was put into pot containing boil
ing water, and thoroughly cooked.
Salt, butter and cream were added,
and here was the best soup ever
tasted.
Another way Of cooking roasting
ears was to boil the ears, and then cut
the cooked grains off the cob. add
butter and salt, and eat it, or, instead
of cutting the grains off, put butter
on the ear and gnaw the grains off.
Another verJ excellent dish was
succotash, or corn cut from the cob
and green beans, or snap beans, as
they were called. boiled with meat.
For breakfast, fried corn was good.
Fry few slices Of bacon, and in the
grease put the corn. after having cut
it from the cob.
The work horse and the pig came
in for their share of the roasting ears.
There was no pastures, but the range,
or woods furnished abundant food for
all kinds of stock, But the work
horse would 60 too far from home,
and bell was put on him at night,
and he was hobbled, or ''hoppled," as
it was called. The hopples were made
of twisted hickory bark in the fore
part of the season, when the bark
would peel, and of hickory wythes
later in the season. These hopples
were some three feet long, and were
slipped over one hind foot and one
fore foot on the same side. The
horse had to move both the fore foot
and the hind foot at the same time.
the same as the horse now does when
pacing, only SO very much more
slowly. Sometimes the horse was
"spanceled," or both fore feet fastened
together in q similar manner. This
was more embarrassing than the hob
bles, as the horse would step his hind
feet towards his fore feet, and then
raise both fore feet and make jump
with them.
In the morning the bell would tell
where the horse could be found-not
far from the clearing" At noon the
horse came in for his share of the
roasting ears. He was fed in large
trough, and on one end of it the ears
of green corn were cut with an ak, a
dozen ears, husks and all. being cut
with an ak, an inch or two being cut
off at time.
A shoat, or young hog was put in
pen to grow and fatten for meat when
the weather should become cool 1t
was fed on buttermilk, purslain, and
other weeds, and on green corn. 1t
would put its foot on the ear, and
with its teeth tear up the husk, and
then eat the corn. 1t would then
chew the cob and husks, swallow the
juice, and spit out the chewed husk
and cob.
After thus enjoying roasting ears
for about month, the milk in the
grains began to thicken, the ends of
the grains began to dent, and the sea-
son for roasting ears drew to close.
Then came the crater, or ''gritter," as
it was called. An old coffee pot, or the
side of an old tin bucket was laid upon
block. or puncheon, and with large
nail and hammer, the tin was punched
full of holes. (There were no cut
nails. or nail mills in those days, but
the nails were made by the black
smith.) The tin was bent in all
arched shape, and the edges nailed to
a board. The ears of corn were
rubbed up and down upon this grit
ter" until the cob was bare.
The sieve, or SITTER" was a hoop
with the ends fastened together with
whangs, or strips Of dressed deer skin.
A piece of deer skin was stretched
over the hoop and fastened on with
whangs. Then an old table fork was
heated red hot and thrust through the
deer skin. The fork had to he heated
very often, but soon the deer skin was
burnt full of holes, and there was the
SITTER After the meal had been sifted,
it was used in making bread and mush.
The ''gritted" meal was very fine, and
no such excellent bread can be made
as that made from gritted meal.
Burn clean corn cobs to ashes, pour
water on the ashes, and let it stand
for an hour or two, then pour off the
clear lye, and put spoonful or two
of this pure alkali in a quart of but
termilk or bonny clabber. Of the
cream was left on it did not hurt it,
Put in couple of fresh eggs, well
beaten, mix in meal to make thick
batter, then bake on griddle or in a
skillet 1t did not matter what you
ate with this excellent bread-it was
good enough for the pioneer and his
family without anything else; but l
will show hereafter, that about this
season, August and September, he had
1uite variety Of good food
The corn now had become too hard
% CRATE, and the ears were husked all
except a strip or two of husk, and this
;ied'around sticks and hung up in the