blackthorn
03-10-2017, 03:08 PM
The recent thread on "Lying chickens", for some reason , got me thinking. I started to compose a post to go in that thread but decided to start this new offering instead.
My grandfather and family (wife and one child) immigratedto Canada from Scotland around 1897. MyDad was born soon after they arrived. Later,there were two more girls and two boys born to my Grandparents. My Grandfather eventually moved toSouth-central Manitoba where he owned a General Store. During the depression, Grandpa wasreluctantly forced to acquire several farms due to the inability of some folksto pay their bills. My Dad wound up withone of those farms. It was a quarter section(160 acers), which he farmed using horses (of course). Dad also worked for the Railway as a carchecker and had the misfortune to have his foot crushed by some falling metalplates from an insecure car and that caused him lifelong problems. My parents were married in 1927 and afterseveral miscarriages, they decided to adopt, and in 1939 they got me at an ageof 8 months. In 1948 Dad bought atractor. He quickly found that tractorsand machinery designed for horses do not mesh well. His solution was to let the farm out onshares, at one third for him and two thirds for the “lessee” who supplied theequipment and fuel/labor. Dad dividedthe farm into two equal parts, 80 acres to crops and 80 acres topasture/hay. Our one third of the cropswas used to feed our livestock and (hopefully) have a bit to sell for a bit ofcash. We had eight milk cows (withassociated offspring), and two brood sows. Dad kept four horses and he had assorted fowl,amongst which were about two hundred chickens. We had no running water, rather we carried our water for household needsin buckets from our well (about 1000 yards). Our water for washing was collected in a holding tank and came from the eve-troughsthat were installed on all four sides of the roof. We had no electric power until 1948 and nophone until 1953/4. We had a largegarden and Mother canned a lot of produce for winter use. We kept Bees (six hives). We sold cream from the cows, weaner piglets,beef calves, chickens and eggs, as well as any surplus grain or garden produce. We were close to being self-sufficient andwhile we never had much money, we had a great life! My folks raised me to be independent, (perhapstoo much so) and I hope they can look down and be proud of what theyaccomplished. I got a GREAT deal!
My grandfather and family (wife and one child) immigratedto Canada from Scotland around 1897. MyDad was born soon after they arrived. Later,there were two more girls and two boys born to my Grandparents. My Grandfather eventually moved toSouth-central Manitoba where he owned a General Store. During the depression, Grandpa wasreluctantly forced to acquire several farms due to the inability of some folksto pay their bills. My Dad wound up withone of those farms. It was a quarter section(160 acers), which he farmed using horses (of course). Dad also worked for the Railway as a carchecker and had the misfortune to have his foot crushed by some falling metalplates from an insecure car and that caused him lifelong problems. My parents were married in 1927 and afterseveral miscarriages, they decided to adopt, and in 1939 they got me at an ageof 8 months. In 1948 Dad bought atractor. He quickly found that tractorsand machinery designed for horses do not mesh well. His solution was to let the farm out onshares, at one third for him and two thirds for the “lessee” who supplied theequipment and fuel/labor. Dad dividedthe farm into two equal parts, 80 acres to crops and 80 acres topasture/hay. Our one third of the cropswas used to feed our livestock and (hopefully) have a bit to sell for a bit ofcash. We had eight milk cows (withassociated offspring), and two brood sows. Dad kept four horses and he had assorted fowl,amongst which were about two hundred chickens. We had no running water, rather we carried our water for household needsin buckets from our well (about 1000 yards). Our water for washing was collected in a holding tank and came from the eve-troughsthat were installed on all four sides of the roof. We had no electric power until 1948 and nophone until 1953/4. We had a largegarden and Mother canned a lot of produce for winter use. We kept Bees (six hives). We sold cream from the cows, weaner piglets,beef calves, chickens and eggs, as well as any surplus grain or garden produce. We were close to being self-sufficient andwhile we never had much money, we had a great life! My folks raised me to be independent, (perhapstoo much so) and I hope they can look down and be proud of what theyaccomplished. I got a GREAT deal!