The Prince George's enquirer and southern Maryland advertiser. (Upper Marlborough, Md.) 1882-1925, 1898-10-14
THE TIME OF REAPING.

1t marks the close Of the wears labors.
and is celebrated by three DAYS of mu-
sic, frasting and dancing with part
n"rS chosen or allotted, according to
d"7rtcs of comcliness, at the prece-
ding May festival. In southern Ger
many the end of harvest is marked by
the sickle feast. The last sheaf is car
ried in triumph to the barn, and plac-
ed on the floor, while the younger cou-
pies dance around it. One half of it
is then dCcked Wit ribbons and hung
aloft. While the vii,r half is burned
Its ashes are treasured everywhere as
remedy for rheumatism, and are
sometimes used for making amulets or
charms. The peasants leave for, Wo-
dam or "the old man. a few years of
corn and 4 small number of apples, it
being considered unlucky to strip
either field or trees entirely bare. In
Bavaria the last sheaf is fashioned into
the likeness of human figure, with
stick in one hand and wreath on its
head, and the peasants kneel around it
and pray, not to the image, but the true
God. The same custom prevails, with
little variation, in every country of Eu-
rope. In Russia the corn flower-blue
fairy of the rye field-forms the har-
vest garlands ofthe young people, and
seemingly unlimited supply Of vod-
ka is provided for their elders. In
England the harvest festival has va
rious names in the different counties,
but ''mell SUPPER "harvest supper"
and harvest home all refer to the
time honored feast of ingathering. The
Ivy Girl Of Kent is known as the
"kern Baby" in northumberland
In Windsor the last load is always
crowned with flowers, and richly
drsss d image, to signify Ceres, is
borne aloft in the procession. The
celebration varies little in the several
countries, each celebrating it after the
fashion stamped with centuries of APP
proval and, asa singular instance of
tctishism, the image used on each oc-
casion is always retained until the
succeeding years crop furnishes ma
teriaI for new one
In a few shircs, notably those of
Cambridge and Buckingham, it is con-
sidered proper to drench with water
the harvestcrs who rode home on the
'hock cart which bears the impor-
tant last load The shower bath is eX-
pected as Il portion of the days sport,
and seems to afford equal merrimcnt
to the drenchers and the drcnched
In Durham the nell supper is re-
galded as vestige of Roman usage
In Norththumbcrland and Yorkshire
it was formerly preceded by the "kern
supper" or "churn supper" which
marked the completion of the shearing
the nell supper being celebrated after
the gathering in. The distinguishing
characteristic of the churn supper was
a great quantity of cream, which, par
TALLY churned, wis dispensed to the
rustic company for consumption with
bread. The cream was displaced by ale
fully two centuries ago. The nell
supper WAS made indiffercntly of either
the new or the old corn.
In Cornwall the harvest dinner was
celebrated, not at the end OF the har-
vest, but between Michaelmas and
Can'llemas. 1t was given by wealthy
men to their poor neighbors and,
though hearing the name of dinner,
the good cheer sometimes continued
for almost Il week.
North of the Tweed the harvest frs-
tival, where still observed, is in scarce
~ any particular unlike that of Eng
land. Perthshire had, until quite re-
Gently, its "Maiden Feast in which
the last handful Of corn was placed in
the hands of the prcttiest maiden in
the field. She who was thus honored
became the queen Of the feast, and the
long northern evening was devoted to
merrimcnt. This custom is now en-
tircly abolished, and in its stead each
reaper is given siXpencc and a loaf of
bread. Another Perthshire custom,
that OF feeling a piper to play for the
rcap>rs throughout the harvest, was
slightly modified in the Highlands,
where every action that could be fitted
to Music had its appropriate strain.
E"cry stroke Of the sickle was timed
by the moduiation of the harvest song,
the effects of which were regularity
and chccri,i.nc's. \ writer visiting
the Isle Of Skye 4 century ago, said
ain this Hyperborean country, in
every district, there is to be met with
rude stone consccrated to Gruagach,
or Apollo. The first who is done with
his reaping sends man or a maiden
with bundic ofcorn to his next neigh
Dor who hath not yet rcaped down his
harvest, who, when he has finished,
dispatches it to his own next neighbor
who is behind in his work, and so on,
until the whole corns are cut down.
The shcaf is called the Cripple Goat.
and is at present meant rs a hrag or