The Prince George's enquirer and southern Maryland advertiser., 1916-12-08
Our Farm Life in 1910

In view of the present inflated prices
of the necessaries of life, it may be of
interest, says a correspondent of the
New York Times, to recall living con-
ditions on farm mseventy-ive years ago.
The farm I have in mind consisted OF
200 acres; the stock was fifteen cows,
yoke of oxen, twenty sheep, an old
white horse, dozen pigs, fifty hens.
ten geese, q few ducks, and flock of
turkeys.
The farm produced practically every
thing the family consumed, both cloth
ing and food. The sheep furnished the
wool, which was corded at ''fulling'
mill and into rolls for spinning. At
home it was spun into yarn and woven
on hand loom. For beds it was left
white, for clothing it was dyed any
color desired-a competent housewife
could make dyes of logwood, indigo or
cochineal. The white and black wool
were mixed to produce gray like the
confederate uniform. There were no
readymade clothes; all clothes were
made in the home. There was no woven
underwear. Stockings were knitted at
home, as we'll as mittens and tippets.
Caps with earlaps were of rabbit skin.
There were no shoes; in the winter boots
came up to the knees. Several cows
were killed each year. There was
tannery nearby, where the skins were
tanned. A shoemaker made our boots.
They were usually too small, and gave
much trouble and pain. The fax, cut
and laid down until the fibre loosened
from tho woody part, was put through
heckle worked by hand and then spun
and woven. This strong linen cloth
was used for summer clothing, towels,
&c. The seed was saved to make flax
seed tea Ia medicine) or poultice for
bruises.
For food we had everything needed
fresh meat, potatoes. beets, cabbage,
parsnips, pumpkins for pies, apples,
which lasted from fall to spring, cider
which gave US vinegar or produced q
4 cider champagne. Half dozen pigs
killed in the fall gave US plenty of ham
and bacon, lard sausages. and sa tpork.
The hams and bacon were hung up in
the smokehouse. a small building with
no opening except the door. A small
fire produced more smoke that heat
but gave the hams and bacon a very
delicious flavor. There were plenty of
chickens for roasting and potpies and
eggs-turkeys for Thanksgiving and
Christmas; occ asionally roast goose
with apple sauce.
From the cows milk we made both
butter and cheese. What butter and
cheese the family did not consume was
sold in a nearby village-butter usually
brought twelve and a-half cents pound.
Cheese was also made at home, as there
were neither creameries nor cheese
factories. Cheese was sold at five te
six cents pound. All eggs not useo
went to the village store and brought
10 cents to IL cents a dozen. Every
farmer no ade his own soap; it was callee
soft soap; it was soft, but very strong
and took the dirt off your han ds ane
face very thoroughly, and some skin
also. unless you were careful in you
ablutions.
Little was heard of the world at large
Twenty miles from the railroad, th'
great four horse stage coach came
every day, bringing the mails. Their
were few newspapers or magazines
The telegraph was unknown. Th'
Atlantic cable did not succeed unit
1866. There were only twenty thre'
miles of railroad in 1880.
All the wonderful agencies which
have added t. the power of man in tn
last century will not be lost, but will
be added to constantly. The man.
problems of our present situation cal
only be solved by time and the effort
of our greatest minds.