farmers

farmers
FARMERS WERE UNIQUE
     The farmers were a unique group of people. At crop planting time they borrowed enough to plant a crop. Then when they harvested at the crop at the end of the season their farm animals used a 1/3 of the crop for food. The crows, Coon and other animals swiped a 1/3 of it. Then the banker got a 1/3 and the poor ole farmer was rat back where he started.
     The people from the farms came to town in their buggies, farm wagons and some of them come in automobiles. Some of the farmers owned a model T Ford. The model T was used by the farmers for transportation. For a few dollars:You could buy an adaptor that enabled the farmer to convert it to a tractor. With that he could then plow his fields, haul his tools and it was much hander than the horse. Also it didn't eat when it wasn't running. He could remove one of the rear fenders and use belting to obtain power for running stationary equipment.
     Saturday was also some time called butter and egg day because that was the day the local farmers brought in the week's accumulation of eggs (sometimes later in the day you could buy some of the eggs for as little as a dime a dozen. They also brought cream, chickens, and other farm produce. These produce items were their weekly cash flow for provisions and other necessities. The farmers' wives then proceeded to do their weekly shopping while the men folks gathered on the sidewalk or street corners to exchange the latest news (lies, or gossip), whichever the case might be. They would trade, or sell their products and then shop. I know my father has many times bought potatoes from the Farmers for $1.00 per hundred pounds. The farmers could then visit with his friends and neighbors in the evening.
     Some of the major crops of those days were Cotton, peanuts, corn and sorghum. They Could sell the Cotton to the gins. The corn was eatable for them and their animals. Also the corn stalk were eatable for the animals. The people took as good care of their animals as any of the rest of the family, because they were so important to their livelyhood. The peanuts were also used for cattle and horses feed. And the sorghum was used used to make syrup. This was used a lot for breakfast food. The animals could use the pummy for hay.      The women mostly were shopping for material to make clothing. They also shopped for groceries that couldn't be produced on the farm, such as soda, baking powders, flour, etc. The women would buy flour in 48 pounds sacks. These sack were what was called print material. The women tried to buy sacks that matched sack, which they had bought previously. Then they would make dresses, shirts and other clothing from the sacks. I remember the Shawnee Milling Company had the slogan on their trucks that read, �EAT THE FLOUR WEAR THE SACK: IF NOT SATISFIED YOUR MONEY BACK.� As soon as the women finished their shopping, they, too, gathered about to exchange news and views or just plain visit. Money was in short supply so there was more visiting than shopping.
I will be adding and refining these pages as time permits.
TOMMY JONES