Cape Breton's Magazine

too many years we took a helper. I think we did it all by ourselves. (And would you work side by side?) Yeah. (Each would have a scythe?) Yeah. (How early would you start in the day?). Oh, if it was fine, after breakfast we'd go and cut some hay. Sometimes all day. If it wasn't a drying day that day. If it was a drying day, all the | better--what we cut that day, the next day we'd work it. (What does that mean,| "work it"?) We used to have to shake it up, so the sun and the wind could get through. Put it in rows, they call, at night, or stack. And then open it up again the next day, and one more day.in the sun, it was ready for the barn. (We're talking about many acres. And you would cut every bit of that by hand.) Yeah. And the way I was, me, I had about--wait now. One, two, three, four, five, six--six or seven medium fields. Different pieces of land. And I had to cut from one field to another. And then, when all the hay was cut--if I had three cows-- you leave the grass grow about that long. (Ten inches.) And then I'd put the cows in one of the fields for a pasture. And they'd eat for about 2 or 3 weeks, and then I'd ship them to the other field. That's how I used to feed them. Always lots of milk and very good cows. I had a Jersey and a Guernsey one time that came from Prince Edward Island. She was some cow. (You're not really letting me know how easy or how difficult making hay is....) Oh, it was hard work. Very hard work, yeah. Very, very hard work. Sometimes I used to go by the corner store there with a load of hay. And every time I'd go by, I used to go in and I'd buy a quart of lime pop. I used to drink lime when I was making hay. And I used to up the bottle, drink half of it in one drink, up the bottle, and drink the rest. I'd go for another load. Coming back, I'd do the same thing. And water or any? thing like that, you know. Sometimes they used to make what they called spruce beer, too; they used to make W. J, DOOLEY FUNERAL SERVICE LTD. • Peter V. Walsh • Joseph A. Walsh • Daniel P. Campbell 107 Pleasant Street, North Sydney, N.S. Telephone: (902) 794-3418 • Over a Century of Service • that. But that spruce beer, I don't remem? ber how it was made; my mother used to make it. I think my wife made it at first when we were young, married. (And yoU'd drink that when you were making hay.) That's right. (Did you ever use oatmeal water?) Yeah. Lots of times. My father was famous for that. That was his famous drink; he thought that's the best he could have. (How would he make it?) I don't remember too much, but I think he used to put a little bit of ginger in it. I'm not sure, but he used to like that. Oatmeal, and I don't know if it was sweetened; I guess it was. Some maybe had brown sugar; I don't know. I can't remember that, though. I know it used to be his favourite drink. (Drink the water off of it.) Yeah. He used to say it was better than anything else to keep away from drinking so much. (Did you have big hay wagons or did you (902) 794-9494 Full Range of Musical Instruments & Supplies Music Lessons * Instrument & PA Rentals * Sound Installation It' (' Ltoyd MacDonald NISSAN Our 35th Year 124 KINGS ROAD SYDNEY RIVER Toll Free 1-800-565-9427 20 CAR SHOWROOM 1995 Pathfinder 4x4 NOW IN STOCK • Also Available in 4-Door •