OLD HOMESTEAD 



Before the frost came the corn had to be cut and set up in 

 shocks, preparatory to drawing and husking. When cured the 

 corn was usually drawn to the barn and husked evenings and 

 rainy days. The potatoes must be dug before freezing or very 

 muddy weather came on. Carrots, turnips, beets and such stuff 

 were to be dug or pulled and put into the cellar or other place of 

 storage. Sometimes the digging of the potatoes was unreason- 

 ably delayed until the cold weather came. This made bad work 

 and cold fingers for the boys who had to pick them up. Once 

 we took to the field an old foot-stove which was formerly used 

 when traveling in the sleigh in very cold weather, or in church 

 when there was insufficient or no fire. We would pick up pota- 

 toes awhile, then run and warm our fingers by the old stove, the 

 original use of which was to warm the other extremities. 



On the farm were two orchards of over an acre each — the 

 "lower orchard" and the old or "upper orchard" — besides 

 quite a few trees, both young and old, near the old house over 

 the creek. The lower orchard was planted in 1823, the upper 

 orchard several years earlier. Originally the trees in these 

 orchards were nearly all what is known as seedlings, or natural 

 fruit, some of which bore fruit of a quality and flavor excelled by 

 no apples which I have since tasted. Particularly is this true 

 of the old "Thistle Tree," which bore a small-sized yellow apple 

 with black specks, of a rich, spicy flavor. It was a great and 

 regular bearer, and there are hundreds of people alive to-day 

 who remember the merits of "Old Thiss." It was named be- 

 cause of a bed of thistles which grew under it, and was the tree 

 under which were found the most clubs. 



The trees in both orchards all had names, like "Corner 

 Tree," "Hard Sweet," "Winter Sweet," "Water Core," 

 ' ' Pear Tree, " * ' Frost Tree, " " Honey Sweet, " " Upper Sweet, " 



89 



F 



