Barefoot Memories of a Hillbilly - Time For Bed (FREE ACCESS)

Another windy March day. It seems like Lady March is stubbornly trying to demonstrate her determined nature. The force of the breeze changes throughout the day (and night) from one day to the next but is constant in its presence. This is to be expected, after all, it’s what March is famous for, but it’s rather unfortunate in that it’s delaying burning the baccer beds.

You see, it’s that time of year for burning the lettuce bed and baccer beds in preparation for seed sowing. In this situation, a “bed” is an area or plot for seeding that is generally rectangular in shape, the width of a “bedding canvas” and a length determined by the farmer to suit their needs.  Lettuce seeds are grown for the lettuce used in wilted salats or “kilt” salads and share space in the seed bed with mater, pepper and various other seeds grown within the frame. The first few days the beds are covered with a length of canvas.

Baccer beds too are the width of a standard sheeting of canvas, but much longer, often more than 100-feet, and rimmed in by some type of frame. At our farm, we surrounded the area with wooden poles cut from the woodlands across the farm. Baccer seeds are tiny and to allow for better spreading or distribution are often times mixed with an inert substance. My parents often used the powdery residue of wood ash. The ash is cold of course, and has a silken smooth texture. The seed are stirred into the ash, blended thoroughly, then broadcasted (scattered about) across the designated area.

In order for the seed sewing generally done in April, the beds are burned in March. That is, brush, grapevine and fruit tree trimmings, and various other bits of wood and wooden debris is piled upon the ground and set ablaze. This serves several purposes, as it sterilizes the soil, increases the potash content of the dirt, helps to kill weeds and weed seeds from the earth, and helps to repel insects when the seed beds are sown. When the beds are burned it’s a big deal and all capable farm denizens are required to be on hand to prevent any brush or grass fires and armed with rakes, shovels, hoes or mattocks to aid in the management. Many prefer burning late in the evening when the weather generally calms. But enough of my rambling, as it’s time to head for that other bed, you know, the one with a pillow at the head and quilts covering all else. You all rest well.

I wear shoes now, but sometimes I have barefoot memories.