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BITS AND PIECES - 6/1/2008
(by Howard Ball - OpEd Columnist - June 01, 2008)
Our Victory Garden
This is the time of year when my father put all his effort into the garden. Buck Titus and his horses had turned the soil and dad had raked and finished it. He had planted some early crops, but Memorial Day was the day when the treasured tomato and pepper plants would find a home in our Victory Garden.
I planted a row of popcorn that was later to be devoured by the squirrels. There were plants back from last year like the delightful mint that made tea taste special. There was also rhubarb, which Grandma Stephens could make sweet in a delicious pie.
This was a practical garden and not just for show. Later in the year we would be canning tomatoes and peppers and preserving what we grew. I can remember the shelves of glass jars filled with tomatoes and homemade chili sauce. They were on the shelf that had the bright yellow Father John's mustard pickles, filled with cauliflower, peppers, cukes and little onions. There was a line of jars of relish and pickles and a shelf with jams and jellies.
One of the best crops and my favorite food in those days was the pole beans. Daddy had a couple dozen cedar poles and he planted the beans so they would climb the poles. The beans were bigger than string beans, smaller than Fava beans and had a special taste when mom served them with fresh butter.
Dad was in the garden at the break of dawn and right after he trudged home from Artistic Weaving Company. Between the garden and the flock of chickens he had, he was a busy farmer.
I was never too happy with the chickens. They created a mess for me to clean up and they picked on one another. The eggs we got carried us through the hard times we called "The Great Depression" and during the War they filled in for the meat that was rationed. We never went hungry. I recall the task of gathering the eggs. It was a daily experience. After gathering eggs we had to clean them and candle them. You had to hold the egg before a bright light to make sure it was fit to eat.
When I was very young there was a grape arbor from the back of the house to the outhouse. It was a convenient route to the doniker. It also bore delicious grapes, which were preserved as jam, jelly and conserved. My Uncle Chet and Aunt Gertie had grape too and I remember visiting them at canning time with the sweet aroma of jelly in the making and cool glass of the freshest juice one could get.
Inspired by all of this I responded to the Gardeners Choice ad for giant tomato plants. I learned that farming is not as easy as column writing. One of my investments was a plastic greenhouse that blew over and dumped the giant tomato plants and spilled all the stuff. I think there may be one plant left.
We will let you know how it all comes out. As for chickens, we still go to KFC.
| Comments (1) |
On June 10, 2008 Janel said:
I just wanted to drop a note to Howard Ball. I do not know if he remembers me, but I was looking at the edition online and wanted to say Hi and I think he looks great these days. I live in TN now and still remember him often for his encouraging words. Please forward this to him.
Thanks |
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