The diamond drill. (Crystal Falls, Iron County, Mich.) 1887-1996, 1901-11-30
bringing Home the Last Load Of
Grain - Songs and Franks of the
Harvesters - OLD Scottish Customs.
The Harvest Queen.

gay dIebSlHEs II lItnuihHDic itlAt5thNh-
ton Of the goddess Ceres, while a pipe
and tabor went merrily sounding in
front and the reapers trlpped around
in a hand In hand ring. singing appro-
pirate songs or simply by shouts and
cries giving vent to the excitement OF
the day.
Harvest home, harvest home.
We have plowed, have sowed.
We have reaged. We have moved,
We have brought home every load.
Hip. hip, hip, harvest homel
SO they sang or shouted. In Lincoln
shire and other districts hand bells
were carried by those riding on the
last load and the following rhymes
were sung:
The boughs do shake and the bells do ring.
SO merrily comes our harvest In,
Our harvest in our harvest In,
So mcIry comes our harvest in.
Hurrah
Troops OF village children. who had
contributed in various ways TO the
great labor, joined the throng. solaced
with plum cake In requital Of their lit
tie services. Sometimes the image OH
the cart instead of being a mere dress
ed up bundle of grain was pretty girl
OF the reaplng band, crowned with
flowers and hailed as the maiden" OF
this we hive description in ballad
Of Bloomneld's:
Home came the ioyial hockey load.
Last 8. The whole years crop
And Grace among the green boughs rode,
Right plump upon the top.
This way and that tho wagon rcclod.
And never queen rode higher;
Her checks were colored in the field
And ours before the fire.
In some proYlnces-we may instance
Observation-Disclosures was q fayorlte
practical joke to lay an ambuscade AZ
some place where a high bunk or a tree
gave opportunity and drcnch the hook
cart party with water Great was the
merriment when this was cleyerly and
effectively done, the riders laughing
while they shook themselves as merrlly
as the rest. Under all the rustic jocosi-
ties of the occasion there seemed ba-
sis OF pagan custom, but it was such as
not to exclude a Christian sympathy.
Indeed the harvest home OF old Eng.
land was obviously and beyond ques.
tion piece Of natural religion, an ebul-
lition Of jocund gratitude to the divine
source OF all earthly blessings.
In the north there seemed to have
been some differences in the observ-
ance. Ii was common there for the
reapers on tie last day Of their BUSH.
ness to have a contention for superior
~ ia quicknoss Of dispatch, groups Oh
three or four taking each q ridge and
striving which should soonest get to-
its termination.
In Scotland this was called a kemp.
ing. which simply means q striving. In
the north Of England IL was IA nell,
which. suspect, means tie same thing
from French melcpl. As the rcapers
went OH during thc last day they took
care TO leave a good handful Of the
grain uncut. hut laid down fiat and GOV
cred over aud when the field was done
the "bonnicst lass was allowed 70 cut
this handful, which was presently
dressed up with various servings. tyings
and trimmings, like Il doll. aud hailed
as a corn baby. L WAS brought home
IN triumph, with music of lddles ana
bagpipes, was set Up conspieuously that
night az supper and was usually pre-.
served In the farmers parlor for the r..
malnder Of the year.
The bonny lass who cut this handfnl
OF grain was deemed The harvest queen.
In Hertfordshlre and probably other
districts OF England there was the
same custom OF rcseryng a final hand
full but 1t was tied up and erected un.
der the mane Of n mare and the reap
ers then one after another throw their
sicl;les &C it 10 cut Il down The sue
cess ful individual called out n have
herr What have youg" cried the
rest 4 mare, mare. a marer he re-
piled. "What VIII you do with herr
was then asked. wen send her 60
John Snooks," on whatever other name.
referring % some nciglb0ring farmer
who had not yet got all his grain cut
down
This piece Of rustic pleasantly was
called crying the mare" Il Is very
curious 10 learn that there used TO be a
similar practice In so remote a district
as the Isle Of Skye. a farmer having
there got his harvest completed the
last cut handful was sent under tile
name Of goahblr bhncngh Uhe cripple
goat 60 the next farmer who WAS still
ut work upon IFS crops, it being Of
course, necessary for the bearer Go take
some care that ON delivery he should be
able instantly TO take 20 his heels aud
escape the punishment otherwise sure
TO befall him.