IMH 74:4 342-43

"Chronicles of Upper Burnet" (1)

Tuesday November 9th

Father and Alvin went in the wagon above the city and about 10.30 o'clock reappeared with a heavy load of rock
of which part was for use in the cow-shed and part at the kitchen end. Wat came up with Jimmy Bishop66 driving
some cattle to the Upper 80. The two steer calves he got of us, came home last Saturday and I helped him get them
back. I came home and carried five basketsfull of seed corn up stairs to keep away from mice and freezing. I was
then sent after our sausage-grinder which had been at Wm Riley Nosler's67 for a long time I went, procured it, and
got back by dinner time besides interviewing several of my neighbors on the way. After dinner Father went to town
with the wagon, taking half the sow killed yesterday to sell, and the head, neck-bone, some old "belly;' and one foot,
saved from the cats, to give to Bill Bunton68 who began a job of cutting wood in our woods across the creek this
morning. Alvin and I were put to work fixing a bad place in the road a little below the lower corn-field. Alvin was
needed at the house but I "staid with" that job till dark. Tom and Pete Newbern69 were gathering in Warthen's corn
to-day. They took one load home and brought one up here to our crib. Jim Singleton70 was here a moment at
dinner-time; business unknown. Jake's Sally was also here during the day after arnica. The day was partly cloudy
and a good deal warmer.

Teaching Notes: The corn of that era...and it is still available was called open pollinated corn. It is unlike the hybrid corn
of today. One cannot save seed from hybrid corn today and expect it to replicate the corn it grew from. However, corn
of the 1880 was saved for seed for the following season. The best ears were selected and stored safely away
from the mice. Many of the "heritage seeds" of 21st century gardeners is saved seed from open pollinated plants. It
also shows the necessity of bees for pollinating the plants. Corn pollen on the other hand is wind born and the pleasant
aroma of corn pollen still fills the air on the warm summer evenings along the backroads of rural Indiana.

Here is a link to Arnica.