Every farm in the area where we lived  had this seen behind these brothers, some was on the owners farm and some on a share crop. The farmers thought it was the most profitable item that could be grown on those red banks of Adair.
I remember the preparation for growing this crop each year, usually started in February or March making preparation for the plant bed, either by burning logs or brush to ready the ground for the sowing of the seed for the would to be plants.

While Adair County produced a good crop it was thought best to have "New Ground" in which to grow this burly. The clearing of the new ground was a lot of work, It usually involve falling of trees and cutting them up into logs or fire wood. Cleaning the ground of all debris such as small bushes by using a grubbing hoe and a ax. Once the brush and rocks was cleared from the field it was ready for plowing. A large beam type plow with a pointed plowshare and a cutting sword was used  to brake the ground. This was no easy chore the ground was invested with stumps, roots and rocks which would hang the plow. The work mule was most desirable for the pulling of the plow, they could sense the plow getting hung in the undergrowth.

Lessons was soon learned if this was the first time for the mules and the men or boys, when the plow got stumped it would come to a sudden stop which would whack one on the legs with the cross bar on the plow handles. Once the ground was plowed again the roots and rocks were cleared before disking and dragging the ground, after the ground was ready for planting and the plaints in the plant bed was ready for transplanting, they were hand picked and then planted in the prepared ground, usually in late May or early June. This was done by laying off rows then dropping the plants in the rows and taking a wooden peg to make a hole and then placing the plant it it and pressing the earth firmly around it. This was a very back breaking job to start very early in the morning and work until the sun was very hot about 3 - 4 hours.

When the plants was set and given time to get established then the ground must be worked again to keep the weeds and grass from the plants after this was done about three times then the plants were ready for the young boys and girls to remove any worms that was on the plants, this could make one sick from the smell of the plants. After some time of growing the tops were taken off the plants so the leaves would spread and grow larger.

Finely the time would come to cut and house the plants. This was done by using a knife that was design for this kind of work, there was two ways to cut and house the crop one was to stake the sticks and then a spearhead was used to place the plant on the stick by pushing it down over the spear on the stick, the other was to split the plant and have an assistant hold the stick while placing it on the stick. some say splitting was best for the curing process. The plants would wilt in the sun then later be loaded on a wagon and taken to the barn for housing until cured and ready for stripping and grading and then booked for later shipping.
 The graded plants were taken to a auction warehouse, this usually took place in late November or early December.

What is the plants behind the Wilson Brothers?
 

_Carlis B. Wilson