Farming in the 1800's

May 07, 2022

Farming in the late 1800s

Continued translation of Odile Marten's Pionniers de la Montagne Pembina: Saint-Leon 1877-2000 borrowed from the Manitoba Legislative Library.

p. H-117

Ovide Lafreniere is one of the farmers among the pioneers of Saint-Leon. Arriving in 1878, the year after the first four settlers arrived, he took a homestead of 180 acres and a long preemption of the same and brought his family, already 11 children, including 2 boys aged 11 and 12.

His fortune was not large since he had only his arms, but he also went to work despite the difficulties of the beginning. It was 75 miles away, without roads, that he had to fetch the instruments of work as well as the flour and other essential provisions. In addition, there was a lack of market for the products of his land.

p. H-127-129

Despite all the progress made after 1900, the fact remains that the farmer did not have the easy work. His first concerns were his farm work. The quality of his harvest in the fall depended mainly on the work he had done in the spring and summer, but also on the whims of nature.

Preparation for the seeding at Rodriigue Lussier in 1918

page H-36

Alcoholic beverages Anthony Messner opened a general store in the spring of 1880; messner gives a bell; empirical choices. the French Canadians of the parish, seeing the large and ever-large number of Alsatian and German settlers settle in Saint Leon THIS IS INTERESTING AND WORTH TRANSLATING

ALSO MENTIONS FIRE UNDER "ANECDOTE"

p. H-55

Land clearing and agricultural work

Land clearing was a very laborious undertaking. The village was originally surrounded by woodland. The settler had to cut down the trees with an axe, burn the branches and tear the roots and stumps one by one with a spike. He would clear one acre at a time, then plow his field with oxen or later with horses. In order to keep the title in his homestead, he had to clear 15 acres in three years. He also had a right of pre-emption, which meant that he was entitled to a second quarter of section for a modest sum of money.

All work on the farm at the beginning of the colony was done by hand or with oxen. When the settlers came to take their concession before settling their families, they did not always have time to remove the stumps. They were digging and sowing by hand around the stumps. Later, they cut this grain with sickles, made sheaves of it, tying them with a handful of straw wrapped around the sheaf. These wreaths were then picked up and placed in "quintals" or stouques so that the grain would dry and harden before being beaten.

The hype was plagued, a kind of rod made of two sticks bound end to end by belts. One of the sticks served as a handle and the other to beat the grain. The wreaths were placed on the floor and struck with the scourge to get the grain out of the ears. The grain was picked up on the floor and pocketed and started again with another wreath. The hype lasted until the winter.

p.H-56

Over time, the little sickle was replaced by a large forgery. The first reaper, Herménégilde Bessette, being the only one to own one, cut the grain for the other settlers and piled it up, but did not tie it into sheaves. It was, therefore, necessary men and women to follow it and tie the grain cut into sheaves. The best and fastest place at that time was Madame Victoire Labossière, wife of Adolphus.