AGRICULTURE

When the pioneer farmers cleared the land, they found the soil very productive for the growing of grain and potatoes. These crops were first planted around the stumps. As more land was cleared. larger crops could be grown and some of the surplus grain was exported to England.

In those times the sickle was first used to cut the grain. This was followed by a reaper which made sheaves but did not bind them. For both the sickle and the reaper grain was picked up by hand while part of the grain was twisted into a rope to bind the sheaf. Next the binder was invent- ed, which used twine to bind the sheaves. '

About the same time the tread mill powered by horses was used for threshing the grain. The oats and wheat were taken to Wrights grist mill at New Annan to be made into oatmeal and flour.

After the binder, came the combine, both pull type and self-propelled. which eliminates the threshing which used to be done with power from an engine or tractor. The grain grown was used chiefly as feed for livestock. Since more land is available now for the growing of grain, a new elevator was built at Kensington in 1971 for the storage and drying of grain. This elevator is to be used by all farmers in the vicinity.

Hay was cut with a scythe and left lying on the ground to dry, then raked up with a wooden rake and made into coils. It was pitched by hand onto a wagon and taken to the barn where it was again pitched by hand onto the loft. Later a hay fork. which was hoisted by means of a horse was used to convey the hay to the loft. Gradually machinery was invented. First the mowing machine, which cut one swathe at a time, the dump rake. then the Side delivery rake. wmcn rolled the swathes Into a large row whicn could be coiled or picked up by the hay loader. In more recent years. mowing machines are just an attachment on the back of a tractor. The hay can also be put through a machine to condition it. If the crop is very heavy. it need not be raked. The baler comes along, picking it up. and makes it into bales; an escalator takes the bales from the wagon to the loft.

Potatoes, too, grew well in the new soil. in the spring potato seed or set as it was called was planted around the stumps and hoed into the ground. When the plants began to grow they were kept mounded up with the hoe. When they reached maturity in the fall the potatoes were dug by hand with a hoe. As more land became cleared. potato sets. with an eye in each one, were planted after the plough about one foot apart. They were planted every second or third row depending on the distance needed be- tween the rows. They were kept clear of weeds by use of the scuffler. As the plants grew large two teeth were removed from the scuffler and mold boards were attached to be used to hill up the plants when needed.

If the Colorado potato bug attacked the plants Paris Green was used to kill these insects. ‘

In the fall the potatoes were dug with a drag which had five flat prongs and was shaped like a hoe. Later a wide plow was used to turn the drill upside down and the potatoes had to be scratched out by hand and picked into a basket which when full was dumped into a cart to be taken to the cel- lar where they were stored. The invention of the elevator digger made work easier as the potatoes were left on top of the ground to be picked and

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