MEMORIES OF THE 



the settlement in the east end of the town, who were extra good 

 hands and could be easil}^ paid, as they always wanted pork, 

 flour and sugar, of which there were large quantities in the cel- 

 lar and storeroom. 



The ripest grass and that which was likely to lodge was cut 

 first; at least, this rule was adhered to as closely as it could be 

 without jumping around too much. Beginning with the lower 

 meadow, next the big upper meadow, called the '' hill meadow," 

 we usually finished up at the old place across the creek, where 

 grandfather first settled and which our brother Gilbert owned 

 when he died. 



The day's work was usually commenced by mowing around a 

 field or piece of grass of such size that it could be "downed" 

 before dinner, and raked and cocked up in the afternoon, or 

 drawn to the barn if dry. Sometimes, in order to have all that 

 was cut in a body, the mowing was conducted by what is known 

 as "turning a double swath " and mowing backwards and for- 

 wards on each side thereof, or in "carrying" the swaths, which 

 meant mowing through to the end and walking back. 



The men mowed at intervals of three or four feet each, a 

 good mower cutting a swath of about four and a half or five feet. 

 They kept stroke in swinging the scythes, and there could be 

 no lagging. The only dead-beating was by mowing narrow or 

 "lopping in and out" — that is, striking in high at the heel and 

 letting the scythe come out high at the point — a vicious prac- 

 tice not allowed by any good farmer. They could only make 

 time by making false motions in whetting or sharpening the 

 scythes. 



The leader gave the stroke and it had to be kept by all. 

 Mowing out of stroke is like walking beside a person out of 

 step, and even worse, because the man out of stroke may hit the 



74 



