IMH 75:2 157

"Chronicles of Upper Burnet" (1)

 

Monday, January 10th

 

A day set apart to hauling in our stack of hay. Prepara­
tions occupied all the forenoon. There had to be a good deal of
the remains of the old cow-shed removed to make a road to the
cow-barn and the inside of said cowbarn had also to be dealt
with. I not helping in these preparations was kept hanging on
the ragged edge of expectation till about noon when we began
to haul. We made five loads of it of which two went into the old
barn and three into the cow-barn. I loaded everyone of the five
and pitched one load off the wagon, Father pitched all off the
stack and at least four off the wagon while Alvin mowed the
four away. We were till dark getting done. Mr. Dan. Kirk came
down about four o'clock to see about the strange hog that I
turned out of Bill Hand's wheat field and in with our fattening
hogs on the 19th of November last. He was inclined to claim it
but would not do so postively. It was a nice day much like unto
yesterday as regards cold but a good deal sunnier

 

Teaching note. Most of your students know very little about hay. Hay is grass or a legume
like clover or alfalfa that has been cut then dried in the sun...hopefully no rain for that presents
problems. Then is is raked--at that time by a horse drawn "dump" rake into windrows where
today a baler gathers it into small rectaguar bales or much larger round bales. The Harrisons
like most if not all of their neighbors loaded loose hay on a wagon, then took it to the barn
to keep dry. It was very labor intensive, but it was the way that their animals could survive
the winter.. All animals except chickens used hay for feed. A cows sevearl stomachs allow
it to convert the grass into energy providing protein much better than a horse. That is why
oxen were the animal of choice for the hardy settlers headed across the great plains in
a wagon. The cutting of hay has progressed a creat deal. At first it was cut with a sythe by hand.
It progressed up a horse drawn sikle bar mower to today conditioners. Rober Frost wrote
a favorite poem of mine, A Tuft of Flowers , that refers to the time when it was cut by hand.
It is a fine poem.