5:30A.M. Getting dressed. Milking. Feeding the animals. Breakfast. Fieldwork.Noon-Dinner. Then back to the fields. Supper. Milking. Chores. Bed.
So... few of the readers of this site would know of these "memoirs" that live on a farm today in 2009.
Written here is a recollection of the boy-hood events of a typical day in 1910. ~ 99 years ago ! !
The hour for rising from sleep was earlier in summer; say 4:30 A.M. than in winter, say five-thirty A.M. Dressing was simple and swift. I suppose, I slept in a nightie, but I'm not sure. I do not recall, whether I wore underpants as a lad; later, it was BVD's.
Outer garments were shirt and overalls. Shoes and socks were standard beginning in adolescence, earlier, barefoot in summer, as soon as weather permitted.
We loved the feel of earth and were willingly bore the pains as tender soles became tough and calloused. Look out for broken glass and boards with nails!
Mother would be busy in the kitchen, to which all reported. Dad and/or the older boys picked up the milk pails and left for the barn.
Milking had high priority, twice a day, and see to it that you left no milk in the udder, least you hurry the "drying- up" of the cow. Dad often came along after the boy had done what he could, to do the "stripping," getting the last drops. The boy graduated into responsible manhood when Dad acknowledged that the boy had effectively drained the udder.
The cows were given their feed: ensilage or moistened hay, with a dollop of grain and a shake or two of salt to make them thirsty and thus drink more and thus expedite the formation of milk. Ensilage was preferred, being chopped corn.
Toward the end of the supply in the silo fermentation of the Juices caught in the cement base had begun. It smelled good, we boys agreed, unaware that it was "corn likker."
Horses had their mangers filled with hay; a scoop of grain (oats) in the small box nailed in the manger; how the horses rushed their noses into it, getting in the way of the scoop!
Feeding went on all down the line: pigs, at times sheep, and chickens. The calf had to be trained to drink from a pail (rather than continue draining the mother cow), for the pail contained skimmed milk.
After the "chores" were done, all gathered again in the kitchen, for breakfast and its routine of prayer, pancakes, Bible, and closing prayer.
In harvest season, Dad pushed back his chair as soon as the prayer was finished, cajoled and admonished his sons to hurry, harness the team and get out onto the fields. There the work was interrupted only for the ten-thirty lunch break of big moist sandwich of home-baked bread and cool skimmed milk.
At twelve-noon, the dinner bell rang by ma at the house, you could hear it over a half-mile area, we were allowed to unhitch the team and headed for the barn and then to the house, confident that noon-dinner was ready. Conversation was sprightly, particularly if Dad had been to town or had enjoyed a prolonged "interview" with a passing neighbor; he was a good reporter of news.
If the, work was particularly hard; we were allowed a brief snooze after the noon meal. Otherwise it was back to the cultivating or the haying, etc. until time for supper.
"Chores" could be tackled before supper, as time permitted; certainly they had to be done right after supper, least the cows go too long un-milked.
Ma and/or "the girls", or little boys, (when to young to do REAL WORK) commonly cleaned the coop and gathered eggs. This required diligent search in summer for hidden accumulations by choosy hens that preferred laying their treasures under the shade of the burdock, versus using the nests provided in the hencoop.
Once back in the house, we sat in the sitting room around the parlor stove in the winter talking a while. In the summertime, we would sit outside the front of the house and do the same, except us kids would be off playing. After being called in from play, then the routine of reading the Bible, bedtime prayers, and then to bed, this was about 9 P.M.
4 Month's worth of excerpts,
from a 1900 Personal Journal
(Possibly) Nicholas Lundgren's (Nicholas Lundgren built the present Round Barn in 1914.)
Tuesday Jan. 2 1900- went to Hudson to the Farmers Market, it being the last Day, in the Afternoon bought of Chas. Rogers an Eight Day Spring Alarm Clock for $3.50, gave the old one for $1.00 owing 2.50 for Watch Crystal .25 total $2.75. Cool and Blustering for Sleighing.
Wednesday, Jan.3, 1900 -Fixed up the Cow Barn to make it warmer Put straw overhead and built a Partition Between the Cow and the Old Horse Stable Port. Frank Makeley got 2 3/4 Pounds Butter at 20 cts Pound to apply on Wood Cutting. Weather a little mild.
Thursday Jan 4 - Hauled Slab Wood from the Woods 1 Load 16 inch to the Barn 1 Load 18 inch to the House. Moved the Cupboard in the Kitchen up by the stove the bureau in the Kitchen Secretary in the Sitting Room. Lee Reynolds was there to talk about cutting wood; Danny Austin got Fifty Cents on woodcutting with Makeley. Weather, Warmer.
Sunday, April 1, 1900 - Went with Addie over to O.A. Smiths Jessie Marsh and Gertie was there.
Monday 2 - Went over to Mansfield with a veal calf and tub Butter 8 Gallons Maple Syrup Sold it for $1.00 gallon and can thrown in Bought 1 Gallon Separator Oil of C. J. Beach for 80 cts Gallon. 200 lbs Bran for $1.80 Daniel working .
Tuesday, April 3, 1900 - Gathered 1 Tub Sap and the Flat and Boiled it had Six Pails Syrup. Cut Some Wood at the Sap Arch. Daniel Working. Lily Cow took the Bull. (Note: I don't have to explain this do I? Even for the non-agricultural among you.)
Wednesday, July 4, 1900 - Finished Sowing Buckwheat for Will & Raked the Hay for Daniel & Hauled it in Had 1 Load there was a Celebration at Roseville it Rained at Night Had a good Soaking Shower.
Thursday, July 5 - Mowed a Part of the Field Below the Road Below Wesleys and Raked & Bunched it Cleaned off the Barn Floor & Rigged the Wagon for Drawing Ground the Mower Knives thought it would Rain but did Not Daniel Helping
Friday, July 6, 1900 - Finished Mowing the Field Below Wesleys Below the Road and then it Rained Had a good Soaking Shower tapped my Shoes Daniel Helped until it Rained at 2 o'clock.
Saturday, July 7 - Hauled in the First Load of the Piece Below the Road and Picked Cherries
Monday, Oct. 1, 1900 - Finished Digging Potatoes Had 15 Bushels in All Lee & Draper Reynolds Helped Dig them. then Attend the 2 Shoaty that came from Jeralds (Note: I believe shoaty are pigs).
Tuesday, Oct. 2, 1900 - Cleaned up the Barn floor and Hauled in Some Corn & Dragged the Wheat Ground on the Hill over and Hauled up a Little Manure on the Stone Boat Draper Commenced Picking Apples on Shares But was Sick and quit.
Wednesday 3 - Finished Dragging the Wheat Ground and Sowed it to Wheat
Thursday, Oct. 4, 1900 - Hauled in the Piece of Corn across the Road Below the Part that Was Planted for Fodder & Hauled 2 Loads from the House Lot
Monday, Oct. 5, 1900 - Husked Corn in the Barn it rained All the Forenoon. Castrated the Little Dog, Snip. (Note:Under the circumstances, Snip was probably a good name for him, and this was done without anesthesia, something no present day dog owner would consider, but it was done at that time.)
