Uncle Jack
We had gotten our seeds from my Uncle Jack and Aunt Pearl who still lived in Hazlehurst. Uncle Jack farmed and was always trying new plants and trying to cross-breed plants himself. He was one of the funniest men I have ever met. Uncle Jack "stories" include:
- Aunt Pearl wouldn't let him bring whiskey into the house, so he would hide it in the fields in holes in trees. That way while plowing, he could just stop by a tree for shade and refreshment. I have heard that one of my brothers used to like to go to Hazlehurst for a few weeks each summer to help Uncle Jack "plow."
- Uncle Jack liked to spend his days sitting on the porch of an old country store telling tales to people that came by. His fields were beautiful and people would ask him, "You are always here. We never see you working in your fields. How do you get everything to grow like that?" He would reply with something like, "I don't do anything, it just grows like that." Then after dark, he'd be in the fields plowing, hoeing or whatever needed to be done. And the next day, he'd be a man of "leisure" at the country store again.
Conclusion
Gardening is often and should be a family affair. It is wholesome and healthy. Families that grow their own vegetables share with their children lessons about the environment and good cooking and eating. Its great exercise and many gardening activities are easily adapted for a variety of age groups and abilities. Gardening gets everyone away from television, video games and computer screens. And it offers a time for young people to learn how to organize tasks and carry them out with other people.
Gardening builds character!
P.S. When I was growing up we had a chinaberry tree.
Go to Southwestern Mississippi and Eastern Louisiana Genealogy and History Web Ring link
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
| Here's the follow-up discussion on this article: | View all related messages |
For a complete listing of article comments, questions, and other discussions related to Kathryn Morse's Louisiana topic, please visit the Discussions page.