The Farm
Farming in 1880 was not specialized as it is today. The barnyard of yesterday was a circus-alive with animals large and small.
As the countryside took on the green mantle of spring and early summer the farmer took his team and hand plough and from dawn til dusk he plodded along behind them turning the sod over in long straight furrows. The farmer took great pride in the straightness of his furrows, especially if they were near the road where passers-by could sight along them. Next came harrowing to pulverize the soil and break up the sod increasing the depth of soil for crops to come. Seeding was broadcast by hand at first, later mechanical seeders were used.
Good cattle were both the pride and mainstay of the early New Brunswick farm. During the winter the cattle were kept in stables, but in the spring they were once again released to roam freely over the open pastures of the countryside.
Throughout the long hazy days of summer crops were hoed and cultivated to discourage the rapidly growing weeds. The fields were separated from the pastures by strong cedar rail fences to protect the carefully tended crops from grazing cattle.
Summer too was haying time. Hay was cut by hand with a scythe and left to dry. After the swaths had dried somewhat they were turned with a three tined pitchfork. Later in the day the hay was raked into long windrows. The next step was the hauling in. The usual procedure was to drive the hay wagon between the windrows and pitch the hay onto the waggon from each side. When loaded the wagon was taken to the hay barn where the load was pitched up into the mow. The task of mowing was neither pleasant nor popular. The intense heat of the mow made it a chore to be avoided at all costs if possible.
Autumn,the season of mists and mellow fruitfulness comes to Keswick Ridge sometimes imperceptibly and sometimes dramatically and suddenly. Grain was harvested and dried with care. Threshing was done by hand using a flail - a simple instrument consisting of two stout sticks one a handle and a shorter one connected to it by a piece of leather. The thresher swung this over his head causing the short piece to land at full length upon the grain detaching it from the stems.
Potatoes and turnips were harvested before the early frosts. Turnips were pulled from the ground and trimmed with a large knife - often fashioned from an old scythe blade. Potatoes were dug from the ground using a fork. Later when agricultural technology and acreage increased, mechanical diggers became common on the farms of Keswick Ridge. Often machinery such as this was shared between two farmers. Costs had to be kept to a minimum as a barrel of potatoes often sold for less than a dollar.
The fertile fields of the Keswick Islands yielded good crops of hay, and a rich growth of after grass produced after the hay was cut. Cattle were pastured on the islands in a common pasture after the hay had been cut. The number of cattle was proportionate to the acreage of island land owned by the farmer. The cattle drive began on a day after haying was completed, then late in the fall before the fall freeze-up the cattle were driven home. Hair was clipped from the animals back to show the owner’s initials establishing ownership.
In winter the frozen roads of ice and snow facilitated the cutting of timber and firewood. In many ways hauling and transportation were easier on ice and snow than the mud of early spring and late fall. In the early days before the advent of refrigeration the cutting of ice from the river surface for storage in the farm ice house was a necessity if one wished to keep meat and fish for long periods during the warmer months.