Taking up the mantle ( Uncle Jake )

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On Rag's post on the ph for cole plants, it was suggested that some take up the mantle of storytelling. I think that is something that probably most on here could do if we really thought about it. We owe it to ol' Hoot.

As for me, I come from two sets of strong farming stock. Daddy's family is from L.A. ... Lower Alabama for those less cultured :), and were sharecroppers. I still have an old photo hanging on the wall of Grandaddy in his best pair of overalls standing behind his prize posession.. OL' Tom. He was a BIG mule, about 18 hands. Grandaddy use to say there weren't nothing better in life than plowin with a well trained mule, and OL' Tom was the best!

Mama's family is from the mountains of western N.C. The ground is so steep there, that the cattle have two short legs and two a little longer. Grandpa had a beautiful 100 acre valley that he raised his family in and I'm glad to say that it is still in the family. Talk about times being different back then, He bought the place from two different men.. both owned fifty acres. One tract he gave $250.00 for and the other tract cost him a good milk cow. There wasn't a real road on the property for the first 25 years that he had it, just an old skid trail that he used with his team of oxen. Grandpa never had a " public " job. He would snake logs with his oxen, and lead hunts for the government when they had the occasional foreign dignitary that wanted to go on a " bar " hunt. This is how he earned money for the things that he didn't produce on the farm. I was bout half grown before they got electricity and indoor plumbing. I remember a many a saturday afternoons when mama would fill up the ol' wash tub and us younguns would have to take turns taking a bath. Boy, you sure hoped you weren't too far down the line in turn, cause that water got real dingy quick!!

Well, my fingers is tired, so I'll shut my yap for a while and let someone else talk.

Oh by the way Rags, your cole plants should do well anywhere between 6.0 and 7.5. Around here the normal ph is around 5.5-6.0 and I have seen them do well in it.

Y'all have a good night, and don't forget to hug your families and say your prayers!

-- Uncle Jake (lulafred@cs.com), September 10, 2001

Answers

Uncle Jake, May God bless you and keep you. Thankyou for the story. In His Grace, Sissy

-- Sissy Sylvester-Barth (iblong2Him@ilovejesus.net), September 11, 2001.

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