The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1904-06-03
PAST AND PRESENT.

1t affords me great pleasure to have the Cecil
Farmers CLUB and these friends with us today.
And this beautiful season of the year tends to
make it doubly interesting, especially when we
compare these beautiful spring days. with frag-
rant blossoms, green fields and leafy woodlands,
with the cold, bleak winds OF the record breaking
winter just passed. Indeed, it has been year
long to be remembered, with fire, floods and war.
Disasters by sea and by land go to make up pages
of history such as cannot be found in modern
times then let us rejoice under the favorable cir
cumstances of today in the quiet OF our rural
homes; and as we apply our energies to our most
delightful ccupation-farming-wh Is the
most healthful and delightful occupation in the
world, it would be well for us while cultiyating
the fields to also cultivate spirit of optimism
which will tend to comfort and encourage US in
the daily toll that is so essential to success.
Farm life of today is quite different in many
ways to that of my early recollection. and this is
especially so in regard to machinery, &C., both in
the house and out in the field.
1t might be of interest to the younger part of
this company to refer briefly to some of the modes
of farming as well as the customs of those olden
times, when the farmers ploughed six burrows
together for corn, planting on the ridge and cul-
tivated it largely with hoe and one horse plough.
Wheat was sowed by hand and either ploughed
under or narrowed in. OF course there was not
so much farming done as now, and not so many
people to provide for. The harvesting was done
by hand, as there was no such thing as moving
machine or reaper, no horse rake except the old
revolving rake that is now on exhibition as relic
of the past The threshing was mostly done with
fail or tramped out with horses, as there were
very few threshing machines and they were one
horse tread powers
Most farmers made a speciality of buckwheat as
it was an essential to complete that very delight
full diet of buckwheat cakes and sausage, which
still holds prominent place one very kitch-
en- table during the season OF frosty mornings.
Corn cake and pone were extensively used and it
must be remembered that the cooking was done
in the large, old time fire place, and while many
might smile at the crudeness of the olden times
there was genuine nobility about those days
that might well be courted by modern society.
The Farmers were very social and neighborly
with each other and corn huskings and wood
choppings were the rule during the fall. and the
ladies knew how to prepare roast pig and chicken
pot pie in way that pleased the palate to per
lection. In regard to fashions a lady could use
her Sunday dress or bonnet until it was worn out
and man might wear his pigeon tail coat with
gold mounted buttons, that was his wedding out
fit, the balance of his life for Sunday. All the
above only go to prove that happiness comes
from within. l could dwell in those early REM
iniscences but the present time demands special
notice. s.sss5 -s-.-A-|i ,4ad..a s-.e
want to say that the Cecil Farmers Club is an
organization that. while it is local in Its attitude