The citizen. [volume] (Berea, Ky.) 1899-1958, 1908-06-04
Winter Days

Ftulutf tue bnuthtfh hdu biatAeu
In TO strip the corn helds. and the
tattoo OF nylng ears had sounded
DULY through the distance for many
days. Down in the woods the flame
OF the red naples had dwindled away
90 ashes. the torches OF running vines
and sassafras had been smothered by
the frosts. and the grass curled and
crisped 10 a more rusty brown as the
chill winds swept by. Only the blue
Jays. crows, hawks and an occasion
al redbird were seen. except when
quail burst from the thicket or corn
Held 20 whizE over the space between
them and the thickest cover.
In the edges Of rayines that en-
croach on corn fields, and on pasture
slopes and In woods adjacent the HEX.
cries and walnuts. stripped OF their
leaves showed somberly On the
ground under them the nuts lay. and
even ia their branches. especially the
limbs OF the hiokories. a myriad nuts
clustered and clung In some timber
there were butternut trees. and under
these the butternuts lay. conieally
sheathed In thick and oily green GOV.
erlngs We had located number OF
promising trees. aud as soon as the
frost had dropped the nuts. We were
early with bags and sticks. and besieg.
ed these forest fortresses. The wal.
nuts we're easiest gathered. but as
they were encssed In their heavy
hulls. like the butternuts. ~ was
quite a Job 10 get them ready TO be
carried home BY laying them In
piles, and pounding them with a thick
stick. and then tranping on them With
hobnailed shoes. the bulls could be
nearly all worn on. and then by re.
moving the rest with our hands the
process was completed.
But despite the use OF old gloves.
our fingers and hands quickly took on
the stain OF walnuts. and long before
We had gotten a bushel OF them we
were quite ready 60 lay aside the
Sunglesume gloves and go TO work
bare.handed A lovely mahogany tint.
warranted 20 last for months. now
developed on our hands. and we were
careless OF Il 80 long as the bags
became heavy with spoil The hick.
ory nuts were gathered easier. as the
frosts for the most part had shaken
on the hulls a. the nuts dropped. and
the only dlficult thing about hickory.
nutting was to climb the trees and
shake down those nuts which Sun
chung 10 the trees As shell.bark
OF scaly bark hickory has bark which
iutA sharply down and out climbing
tree OF this Kind Is much like climb.
ing a liberty pole wound solidly about
with barbed wire. However. with
much laceration OF trousers and
-oyeralls" the feat was usually &C.
compiished Around the hickory tree
the fox squirrels divided the honors
with u.s. and We saw them nearly
every day during the late fall months
getting ready. like We were. for win.
ter
When We got our store OF hickory
nuts. walnuts and butternuts home
tand ] did the long and the short haul
art Of that part myself. We
spread them out In the garnet and
dried them gradually until they were
just right for cracking To go up
into a windy garnet on cold winter
day and bring a big bowl OF assorted
nuts down into the kitchen. is some.
thing which lie nearly indispensable
20 the eternal fitness OF things on
n farm. Where We were. along the
river. there were also pecans. and
we had over bushel OF these packed
away with the rest. waiting for the
'blowy" days
Apples we had gathered and bought.
and we had these packed away in bar.
rels ia the cellar. The sound ones
had been carefully selected. and every
once and awhile we up-ended these
barrels lat least did and sorted
them over by csndle.light so as to get
out those which showed signs Of rot
ting. One apple which has begun to
get bad will quickly contaminate the
ones which are In close contact with
e. Like apples. like men. We had
Jennatins, Ben Dayises. Northern
Spys. Winesaps. and some others
We had put away a little kindling In
the cellar for emergencies. but for
the most part. our fires. both In the
kitchen stove and the front room
stove, were going all winter night and
day. We used soft coal. mined within
half a mile OF us, and costing two
dollars a ton delivered. The whole
country In that part Of the state Is
honeycombed with big and little veins
OF coal. and as one travels along the
roads, In every direction will be seen
the little plank entrances 60 the
mines, some Of these mines being
mere holes In the ground. We had
wood. 100, for variety, and this was
split UP stoye-length size. and corded
away in a dry shed. Wood was 7b
cents a cord.
With the cellar packed with vege-
tables and apples. with barrel OF
cider In one corner. "doctored" 30
that Il would remain sweet all win
ter. ana not get bard with coal,
wood and kindling all in, there was
nothing TO do but say let her blow
40 far as winter was concerned. had
built raised plank walks to the sheds,
s-nolta. hruse and chicken house where