AGRICULTURAL HERITAGE OF BUCKS COUNTY
For most of its history, agriculture has played a dominant role in the story of Bucks County. Even today, as much of the prime agricultural lands in the county are being covered over by houses, shopping, schools and all the other “necessities” of twentieth century life, agriculture remains important.
The wide, green pastures with their split rail fences were due to efforts of many generations. Pennsylvania was heavily forested when these settlers arrived, and clearing enough land for vegetable gardens was a high priority.
It was a slow and difficult task with nature giving way very slowly to the efforts of man. When an area was finally cleared and planted, a fence was erected. These first fences were erected around the cleared areas to keep animals out of the garden. Livestock was not penned in, they were penned out.
William Penn attempted to attract colonists from across Europe. In 1682, a pamphlet was produced to tout the benefits of the colony. The land was not as productive as that in England and 500 acres of uncleared land in Pennsylvania, if “indifferently chose, will keep as many Milch Cows, or fat as many Bullocks for the market in Summer, as 50 acres of improved Land in England, as chosen aforesaid, can do”.
What becomes of your flock in the winter? I say our Woods usually keep them for the Market till December, and unless it be a more than ordinary Winter (which is observed to happen but once in four or five Years) or that they are young stock, or Cattle big with Young, they mostly shift for themselves. But if Fodder be wanted, we have a supply by Hay, we mow in the Marshes and Woods, or the Straw of the English Grain we use, or the Tops and Stalks of Indian Corn, and sometimes that its self; a Thing hearty, and easily rais’d,and is good to fat s well as keep, and answers to Oats, Pease, Beans, and Fetches here, tho’ we have them also.
Now for clearing of our Wood-lands in order to corn; four hands, in four months time, may easily clear five and twenty Acres for the Plow.
Fencing pasture land for animals was secondary priority. Consequently, wandering domestic animals foraging for their own food were as much of a threat to planted areas as any wild animal. For this reason, one of the first acts passed by the provincial government in Bucks County was to register each property owner's "brand". This action was taken in order to "avoid the occasions of much strife between Planters" [farmers], William Penn ordered that all farmers mark their hogs, sheep and cattle. Any animal which was owned for three months "be it young or old, it shall be forfeited to the Governor". Livestock in Bucks County was not typically branded by burning the hide of the animal as it was done later on the western frontier. Instead, Bucks County farmers notched the ears of their animals, cropping one or both ears. Each owner's livestock was marked differently, and an official book of ear marks was kept at the county courthouse. Any alteration of the marks was a punishable offense.
The difficult process of clearing the land is documented in the journal of Reverend Joseph Mathias of Hilltown 1831. The settlers' work required the greatest patience, energy and perseverance. By today’s standards, the process seemed slow, labor intensive, and wasteful. The process started when at a suitable time of the year a farmer chose a portion of his timber land for clearing and arranged for a number of neighbors to come over and help him with his project. “Perhaps 20, 30, 40, or 50 of as strong and healthy yeomen as could be collected promiscuously in an equal space in any part of the world made their appearance with sharp grubbing hoes of proper shapes and weight; when the staking out of the ground commenced, in equal spaces, apportioning to each man (or sometimes two in company) their lot: when at a given word , those veterans in grubbing, proceeded with determined spirit and resolution to the work, tearing up saplings with a scientific skill”. Care was taken to throw the felled saplings in a pile “so as that the tops formed large heaps in suitable places, which at a proper time were burned.” The remaining larger pieces were drawn off by oxen or horses. The ground was then cleared for plowing. Larger trees were not chopped down. Instead, “The trees were then girdled, after which they died and in process of time by storms and otherwise fell.” The fallen trees were then slowly dismembered, again by fire, into workable sections. This was accomplished by picking “convenient spaces on the trunks to build and feed firs, so as to part them at convenient lengths for rolling together in large piles when fire was applied and attended until the whole was consumed and the ground again cleared for the plough”. The log rolling was another community activity.
The men would be given water or home brewed beer to quench their thirst. Later when it became available, New England rum was served, “and after the orchards grew to perfection and bearing fruit plenteously, cider and apple whiskey” became the refreshment of choice. The mass meals necessary to feed the large crews became festive occasions. The workers would eat beef, pork, poultry and sometimes mutton with heavy wheat or rye bread and meat and vegetable dumplings. A treat of apple dumplings was often added. “When apples could be obtained, the house wife would procure some of the largest and handsomest, peel them, then cut out the core, the place them together and enclose them in dough rolled thin...very commonly it was made into puddings mixed with eggs, milk and some other ingredients, and boiled in bags sometimes in the same pot with the meat, and sometimes alone; a good mixture of dip, made either sweet or acid, to suit the palates of the eaters, was plentifully on the plates. Occasionally the pudding was well supplied with beef suet, which served as a substitute for dip.”
Another common treat which was served consisted of “A mixture of flour, eggs, milk and some additions made into a thin batter. A flat frying pan with some lard was placed over the fire, generally a man or boy (but of a later period the matron or maid) was seated conveniently who handled the frying pan and the wooden ladle with which he or she dipped up the batter, and poured a thin layer of it in the pan, and when done on one side dexterously with one toss reversed the cake, and when baked on the other side as skillfully with one toss cast it on the pile; of these pancakes a meal was sometimes made, but generally they constituted the desert, frequently with a little sugar or molasses sprinkled thinly over them.”
Community activities were not limited to the male population. “Much of the domestic labour were performed, by thehealthy able bodied dames, and their sprightly daughters, with great glee and cordiality; such as the picking, carding and spinning wool, swingling, hatcheling and spinning flax, quilting and other emloyments.” Social intercourse “by men, old and young, and women of suitable ages meeting together by way of what was called frolics, to pull flax, gather the grain, and husk the corn” was a vital part of development of the community..
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