MEMORIES OF THE 



do most solemnly swear that the days' work set opposite each 

 man's name on the within warrant has been actually and faith- 

 fully performed as work is usually done on the road. ' Don't you 

 think that sounds better, Squire?" 



The hoeing is next in order. To be sure, there was not 

 much of it, but it had to be done thoroughly. The rows were 

 planted so that they could be plowed out and cultivated only 

 one way. Corn, potatoes and beans were gone over at least 

 twice with the hoe. '' Hilling-up " was done at the last hoeing. 

 Sometimes the weeds, grass and stones would be so thick that it 

 was slow work, and the field had to be gone over three times. 

 It was work in which skill, strength and quickness of motion 

 told. Each took a row, and when a turn-about was made the 

 outside man took that which was next to him, and so on. This 

 insured each one getting a fair deal. There was a great differ- 

 ence in the rows, some having more stones, weeds and grass 

 than others through a part or the whole of their length. This 

 originated the expression, '■'■ He has a hard row to hoe," or " He 

 has the boy's row" — a boy generally thinking and claiming that 

 he had the hardest of it. In our work, when we were small 

 bo3^s, father, to keep us along and prevent us from getting dis- 

 couraged and falling by the way, would take two rows to our 

 one, or he would occasionally hoe a few hills on the boy's row. 



We sometimes changed work in hoeing, when a neighbor's 

 field was a little earlier than ours. Then there was likel}' to be a 

 little fun in bragging and racing. On farms where hard cider or 

 other liquor was used, occasionally the corn would receive more 

 damage than benefit by these contests. I was told of one man 

 who used to get great work out of a gang of Frenchmen by going 

 ahead with a jug of whiskey and setting it down at the end of 

 the row and leaving it there until the gang reached it, then car- 



68 



