Editor’s Note:
Last October we offered our readers a look back on the farming industry as it related to those who worked the soil in the early 1920s and 1930s. We did it through the eyes of a first-person, hand-written journal kept by Alameda area farmer Forrest Widenmaier whose granddaughter Virginia Dietze agreed to share with Agri News.
The journal tracked Widenmaier’s journey through all four seasons, as he commented on intriguing details that surrounded him at the time as he struggled to eke out a living within some challenging conditions.
Since the journal came into our possession in the fall, we decided to take excerpts from the Widenmaier journal that commented on the fall and winter life on the farm. We are now pleased to bring you the second installment of the journal with Widenmaier looking forward to the busy spring season.
In all instances, when we quote from the journal, we do so using Widenmaier’s own words.
We hope you enjoy this first-hand look back on the agri-business.
Spring and Summer – Forrest Widenmaier – early 1930s (Bold print)
The horned lark coming the latter part of February generally is the first sign of spring. It has two tufts of feathers for horns and black bars under the throat. It perched on some stone, sod or clumps and it sings its dit, dit, dat (slowly) and then increases rapidly.
We still have many fierce blizzards yet. Around the 17 to 21 of March the first crows are seen and their raspy “caw caw” heard, and we know spring is as good as here. We begin to have thaws and pools of water gather. The sun is warm, the wind is icy and we sometimes have some very raw, damp winds from the northeast and southeast and dull overcast days. But near the end of March, the air has the feel of spring in it. We can hear the grouse booming away in the distance and I sure like to hear that in the early mornings. I have actually seen a flock of them close up and saw how they make sound. It’s very rare to see them.
Wheat birds can be heard in the mornings flying high and making their peculiar glad noise on the sunny sides of buildings a few flies drone around sleepily. Next, on some mornings we wake up to hear a meadow lark’s “back to Peterborough” song.
As spring advances and snow thaws and water rushes into sloughs, ravines and creeks, ducks are seen to go over in Vs and at night quacks and calls can be heard, or the rushing sound in the air as they fly overhead, followed by a splash into some slough.
By this time a few frogs have started to croak and soon nights are filled with their singing and the shrilling cry of the tree toad is also heard and the glick, glick, glick of the strange frog is heard too. A warm damp bright moonlit night with the above mentioned frogs and ducks singing and quacking in the distance is certainly wonderful. The sparkle of the moonlight on many sloughs make it a fairyland.
Sand Hill cranes go flying over, crying away to themselves and geese soon follow. Kill deers make their appearance with their song and sometimes with the wind in the south, the smell of rain is in the air and a blue haze in the sky, soon means we’ll have a change for damper weather.
It is sure nice to wake up in the mornings and hear all the birds singing, to hear the roar of water as it rushes down the ravine and see the mist rising above them. We have often gone to watch the water rolling swiftly along in both creek and ravines and have had to cross through about eight inches of water, running over a high grade and bridge in the ravine once in school days.
The canaries come and robins begin their noisy cheer up song and look around for worms. Red wing blackbirds soon are heard with their “look at me” call.
In the first part of spring, the farmers finish the seed cleaning that has not been done in winter. We trim up the horse’s tails and manes, do some clipping, trim hoofs, fit on collars and harness. Farmers repair the harness and fix machinery, overhaul tractors and hunt up a 101 things in preparation to start on the land.
We grease plows and seeders, hunt up eveners.
In the latter part of spring, farmers start to plough or seed harrow or disc. The first day is spent adjusting the plough to run in the furrow true or to get the malboards to clean. It’s a great thing to smell the freshly turned earth. The seeder has to be adjusted to sow the right amount to the acre. If horses are used on the implements, they have to be rested frequently the first few days till they get hardened up. Collars and sweat pads have to be inspected to see if they fit properly and straps tightened up as they loosen up through usage.
It is simply great to work on the land for anyone who has been used to farm life. The plowed field and seeded and harrowed fields look so smooth and level, stretching way into the distance.
Farming has it’s black points too with cold, damp days, sleet and April snow flurries. Plows won’t run right or clean and tractors getting stuck in mud. The horses get pretty tired and one starts to lag behind the eveners. Sand starts to drift, cutting off the grain when it is small. The dust storms get so bad at times it’s almost impossible to see or breathe. Lamps are lit, and wet blankets hung on doors and windows to keep out the dirt. All grass and grain is set off, everything is covered with dirt … fences, trees, implements and houses buried or partly buried in sand. The land looks like a grey desert. It is only on dry years this happens.
Up late at night, pickling grain, hunting up the milk cows in the dark and they sure do wander in the spring if not in a fence.
But it’s our work and our life and we would not be content to do any other work.
This is the second of a three-part series.
