Position:Home>History> What are some needed fact for a farmer to have known in the 1800's about sta

How to acquire a good team of animals, that will help you plow, get milk from!. The first thing is to buy land with a good water source running through it!. Second would be to build a barn and a small house along with it!. Most small farms would be ten to forty acres in size usually!.

A good farm should have at three horses, 2 for a draft team, of the draft team can double as a plowhorse to help with tilling the soil!. One horse should be kept as a "buggy horse" strictly for going to the town & its stores and supplies!. And for other driving needs!.

There should be a "broad wagon" or a "buckboard" which is used for pulling the harvest of the crops at the end of the season!. It also can be used for hauling grains, seeds and other heavy supplies as needed!. Secondly, after the civil war, a "till harness" became available!. It enabled one or two horse(s) to pull a "wide rake" over the soil, with a farmer standing on a platform behind the team!. Third, a standard "buggy" that would hold two to four people!. This covers the basics of horses!.

Crops, or what to plant!. This varied from farmer to farmer, region and nationality!. Corn was a good crop but needed large amounts of water!. Wheat, barley and all manners of vegatables were grown on a farm!. The large amount of a farm had crops that were meant to sell!. A smaller and more varied plot of land contained the "vitals" or "Vittles", as the plots were commonly called!. This lowered the budget for food you had to buy from stores!.

Usually two crops on a farm, (planting to harvest) could be grown & completed during the spring and summer!. In Mid august, a third small crop was planted usually corn, or wheat to make hay and straw for the winter months!. The 3rd crop was usually held aside for the animals to eat during the real cold winter months!. Corn takes 2 to 3 months to grow fully!. So we would plant in April or early may, harvest and replant in june, harvest in august!. (this is why, farmers call the full moon in october, harvest moon)!.

This could be considered common knowledge, so heres something you find in polite history books!. the term "washcloth" orignally meant
a small cloth specifically for drying yourself after a bowel movement!. It was kept on a hook and you had to wash it yourself!. This really kept
people from spending long times in the outhouse!. Believe me on this!.
(Must remember forum rules, use clean language around here)!.

My background in this my father was a michigan farmer!. I have journals from my great-great grand parents (also farmers)!.
good luck with your report!.





Www@QuestionHome@Com

---

---