Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1886-05-21
Farming in che North Carolina Back.
vaooHa.

Farming In the North Carolina Back
woods.
IA Glimpse Of Primitive Life and ways from North
Carolina Letter In the Philadelphia Press.l
When old Jim Railey wants any coffee or
gunpowder he puts some eggs or truck ON
the spotted steer that serves him as a pack
horse and comes down to the settlement TO
trade" In talking with Jim on one occasion
l found he chose that particular time TO leave
his mountain ranch because hit don't do to
burn bresh and log heaps on the full Of the
moon, it plum ruins the sile." Having heard
Jim express many other surprising opinions
on points Of agricultural theory and practice,
l was interested to see some of his farm proc
esses at home and gladly accepted an invita-
ton to his clearing Four miles Of climbing
over rough mountain trail for wagon roads
there is none brought me to the bars, which
answer for front gate, when the appearance
of a surly dog reminded me Of the custom OF
the country. So didn't attempt to let down
the bars but shouted the regulation greeting.
"Hello have you got any bitin' dog 2" Jim
quickly appeared at the door with hearty
"Howdy Come right in and take a cheer"
But the weather was too fine to waste in q
cabin and we set out together TO salt the
sheep" and observe things in general. II
was one of those still October days when the
tap of the little downy wood-pecker on an
oak half a mile away sounded as II 1t came
from a distance of dozen rods. The tinkle
of stock-bells came to us out Of the depths on
every side and their lonesome monotones only
seemed to add new hush to the stiffness of
the woods. Jim's sharpened senses soon de-
tected familiar note as he said "Yan is my
sheep in that chestnut cove. They know
where the feed is" In chestnut time he told
me that his sheep and hogs "got rolling fat"
He had a right smart Of hogs-40 he reckon
cd, though he didn't always keep a straight
count This drove Of porkers had cost him
not nickle for feed The stock he winter
ed was fed only in the very coolest weather,
with what 'roughness" he could collect
corn-stalks, besn-vines, and the like. No, he
never lost any for lack of care. Chestnuts
will hold on till well into December, and
then bitter mast (acorns), with coltsfoot (gsl.
AK, twigs of trees and shrubs would serve
till green stuff came in spring Sheep
were fed occasionally when snow covered
everything up in the woods The danger to
them came in the spring, when they were
"pizened" with hucklebury (andromeda) and
hemlock (leucothoe) There was no trouble,
however, in fetohin' 'em out" with strong
coffee il they we're found before the poison
had seriously affected them. The wild cats
take a lamb or pig now and then but a man
with good rifle can usually beat the varmints.
in q hollow, so as to be close to an overflow
ing spring. Barn he has none. He raises a
little corn and some of the common vegeta
bles. sorghum patch furnishes him with
syrup, and his bee skips help to furnish
sweets. The bull-tongue is his pillow and
cultivator 1t is a single tooth, like a cult
vator share fastened to a homemade beam.
His harrow is a scrubby tree-top. These
farming utensils and the household furniture
are the same his father used a century ago.
This is how his churn was manufactured: A
section of sassafras log was bored through
from end to end with an sugur. The strips
we're split out from the inside until the shell
was of proper thickness. This was smooth
ed inside and groove was cut out to hold
the bottom, made from a dry board which
was closely fitted in and the green shell left
to shrink neatly about it, The churn was
| perfectly tight, although it was bound by no
hook. The "lye gum" is another institution
made from hollow log. A dug out is an
chored in the brook and in this Mrs. Railey
stands when she does the family washing.
She first dips the clothes in the clear water,
and then, drawing them over the end of the
log, she btlabors them with a paddle, re-
peating the process until they are clean. AL
most everything used il made at home Even
the shoe thread is from fax grown on the
| clearing, and Jim tans the leather from which
he makes his own shoes.
A mountain loom is a whole show and il
plays a leading part in the household econo.
my. Jim split the frame of this out of white
oak and shaped it with drawing knife. The
''qullls" (bobbins) are pieces of reed The
shuttle is Whitfield from the wood of rhode
dendron maximum. The spinning wheels are
also hand made from the tree. Leaves OF
symplocos furnish yellow dye, butternut a
brown, and other colors are made from other
products of the forest. Jim's wife showed
me some OF her loom work, every detail OF
which has been carried out at home, from
the very growing of the wool. Here were
plaid shawls, one of which weighed si1
pounds, and one was used a. Jim's "dress
up" outside garment in place of an overcoat
with blankets, dress goods in variety, j ans,
etc, and much of it was very creditable work
OF course, took dinner with Jim, and hi,
table was bountifully furnished with fried
chicken and bacon, boiled cabbage, baked
potatoes and baked pumpkin, hard corn bread
and butter, sweet milk and buttermilk, coffee
of the blacklist and strongest, swestened will
sorghum. The first meal at a mountain
board is trying experience in one respect
for the table is built very high and the bench
es low, so that the edge of the table is on
level with the shoulders. This arrangement
enables the feeder to sip coffee from his cuI
without raising it, and by placing his moutf
at the edge Of his plate he can shovel in hiG
provender without much effort. 1t require
some practice, however, to perform thes
feats with grace and precision. After dinne
we sat about the big stone fire place. Will
Jim smoked home grown tobacco in home
made pipe, and Mrs. Raiey took down from
Shelf an earthen jar sealed with tarred cloth
which she proceeded to open. The contents
} canned peaches, were emptied into a largt
tin basin, and over these was poured a guam
tity of honey, and afterwards some swee
cream. Several spoons were then placed il
the dish, and jim, taking his pipe from hi
mouth, handed one to each of the youngster
and larger one to me- inviting all hands +
''lay on" The order was promptly obeye
by every one but me. l had eaten so hearth
that the dessert could not excite my appetite
As walked away grateful for the kndl
hospitality with which had been treated
doubted whether farmers in what are Gale
3 better circumstances are more happy. Her
{ is one class of people who are not affecte
, by business depressions or hard times. Her
, is one spot in the United States where all tn
necessities of life are produced at home, an
D where the people are truly independent. Br
Q emigrants are drifting into the highland
q The silence of the woods is broken. Til
roar of the great world is family heard i
the distance. The mountain people al
doomed to broader thinking-to the amb
+ tons and anxieties of a more complicated sc
: ciety. viii they grow more kind hearted
g more hospitable, more honest Perhaps mo-
/. And yet the new civilization must bring son
, compensation for the loss of primitive sin
plicity. Life will be better worth the livinJ
Q even if it is filled with new tolls and care
Q and disappontments.
Q Tolland county farmer suggests that v
+. remind farmers of the value of tarred cor
as a safeguard against crows. He has use