236 HISTORY OF CO HAS SET. 



The labors of the farm, plowing, planting, hoeing, 

 and harvesting, were essentially the same as now, where 

 in other towns farms* are worked. 



The multitude of stones that had to be cleared out of 

 our soil were placed into stone walls to succeed the rail 

 fences which were first built for boundaries. 



The earliest stone wall f mentioned was in 1673, when 

 Daniel Gushing, Sr., bought an acre of land in exchange 

 for Cohasset cord wood, lying next to the marsh near 

 Peck's Meadow — land that is now Zachary T. Rollings- 

 worth's. But stone walls were built at odd times in the 

 spring or fall through many years of land clearing. 



The building of houses to dwell in was long and weari- 

 some labor. Saw pits % can still be found where boards 

 were rived out. Bricks were made from the clay of our 

 marsh land, which was kneaded and mixed with sand by 

 the trampling hoofs of oxen. Plaster or mortar was 

 made by mixing powdered shells § with mud. During the 

 period covered in this chapter several houses were plas- 

 tered outside on the ends for durability and warmth. 



Framing and mortising of timbers in a way that saved 

 nails and wasted time was much indulged. The famous 

 "cock tenon and mortise " can still be seen in the top of 



* The following town vote for 175 1 shows the main articles of merchandise : — 



" Voted to raise the value of ninety pounds LawfuU Money for Defraying the 

 necessary charges arising within the said town the year ensuing to be paid in the 

 sundry Articles hereafter enumerated ; being the produce of the country, viz. grain, 

 Indian, Rye, Barley, Beef, pork. Merchantable pailes, wood, sheepswool, flax. 



Butter and chees ." Upon the committee of nine chosen to determine the value 



of these products were two Cohasseters, Isaac Lincoln and Jonathan Beal, 3d. 



t" February 21, 1673, Benjamin Lincoln sold to Daniel Gushing, Sr., from lot 

 twenty-two of 2nd division upland for a valuable consideration paid in cordwood 

 delivered at his dwelling house in Hingham by Daniel Gushing, Sr., one acre en- 

 closed by a stone wall set up by said Daniel Gushing on the west, the reserved 

 Highway was on the east. Daniel Gushings salt marsh on the north, and John 

 Lazell's land on the south." — Hingham Records. 



J Two or three are on the west side of South Main Street, on the sidehill back 

 of Loring Litchfield's. I have seen one in the woods west of Lily Pond next to 

 an old wood road. Many others may be known. 



^ The old home where Dr. Osgood lately dwelt is plastered with clam-shell 

 mortar. Also was the old Walter Briggs place at Scituate Beach. 



