Farming in the Matheson Cove

Work never ended on the farm.  Raising livestock and crops took a lot of time and labor.


Bob Ledford worked sunrise to sunset in the Matheson Cove.  He was a small man, but strong and handsome.  Farming began each spring.


He got the turning plow, hitched the mules, and prepared the ground for planting.  Like other mountain folks, he consulted the "Farmer's Almanac" to plant according to the signs.


After plowing the field, he went over it with a disc harrow and laid off the rows.  Then all the family:  Ma, Rondy, Reba, Ralph, Robert, Robenia, Rena, Reuben, and Ray got compost from the barn.


They planted corn, cane, sweet potatoes, Irish potatoes, green beans, and watermelons. When the vegetables ripened, Ma and the girls canned them.  They also pickled beans, corn, and cucumbers.  They dried fruit and made kraut from cabbage.


Each fall they dug the potatoes.  Since there was not enough room in the cellar for everything, Bob piled potatoes on a bed of straw, covered them with dirt.  The boys took sweet potatoes to the neighborhood curing house.


After harvest, the Ledford family butchered the hog around Thanksgiving.  They dipped it into hot water, lifted it, and scraped off hair.  Then they hung the hog upside and took out the insides.  The liver, lights (lungs), and heart were saved. 


They wasted no part of the hog.  The guts were split, washed, and boiled with lye to make soap.  It didn't smell well, but sure cut the dirt.


Labor never ended on the farm, but they worked together.  The children learned responsibility, work ethics, and the value of family and community.


by:  Brenda Kay Ledford