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The clearing of new land.

When additional land was required for cultivation the first step was to go into the forest in summer and “deaden” or girdle the trees on a given tract.  This was cutting through the bark all around the trunk about thirty inches from the ground.  The trees so treated soon died and in a year or two were in condition to be removed.  The season selected for clearing the land was winter, beginning with January.  The trees, except the larger ones, were cut down, cut into lengths convenient for handling and piled into great heaps, called “log heaps,” and burned.  The undergrowth was grubbed out and also piled and burned.  The burning was done at night and the sight was often weird and grand.  The chopping was done by the men slaves and the grubbing by women.  All the trees that blew down during the summer were left as they fell till winter when they were removed.  This went on, year after year, until all the trees were cleared out.  The first year after the new land was cleared corn was put in, the next season cotton.  As a rule corn and cotton were planted alternately, especially if the land was poor, if not, cotton would be continued year after year on the same land.  Old corn stalks were always plowed under for the next year’s crop and they served as an excellent fertilizer.  Cotton was seldom planted on newly cleared land, as the roots and stumps rendered it difficult to cultivate the land without injury to the growing plant.

I never saw women put to the hard work of grubbing until I went to McGee’s and I greatly wondered at it.  Such work was not done by women slaves in Virginia.  Children were required to do some work, it mattered not how many grown people were working.  There were always tasks set for the boys and girls ranging in age from nine to thirteen years, beyond these ages they worked with the older slaves.  After I had been in Pontotoc two years I had to help plant and hoe, and work in the cotton during the seasons, and soon learned to do everything pertaining to the farm.

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Cooking for the slaves.

In summer time the cooking for the slaves was done out of doors.  A large fire was built under a tree, two wooden forks were driven into the ground on opposite sides of the fire, a pole laid on the forks and on this kettles were hung over the fire for the preparation of the food.  Cabbage and meat, boiled, alternated with meat and peas, were the staple for summer.  Bread was furnished with the meals and corn meal dumplings, that is, little balls made of meal and grease from the boiled bacon and dropped into boiling water, were also provided and considered quite palatable, especially if cooked in the water in which the bacon was boiled.  In winter the cooking was done in a cabin, and sweet potatoes, dried peas and meat were the principal diet.  This bill