Travels In The United States Of America; Commencing In The Year 1793, And Ending In 1797. With The Author's Journals Of His Two Voyages Across The Atlantic By William Priest
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We Will Suppose Him Arrived At The Place Of His Destination In
Spring, As Soon As The Ground Is Clear Of Frost.
No sooner is the arrival
of a new settler circulated, than, for many miles round, his neighbours
flock to him:
They all assist in erecting his hut; this is done with logs;
a bricklayer is only wanting to make his chimney and oven. He then clears
a few acres by cutting down the large trees about four feet from the
_ground_[Footnote: These stumps are many years rotting, and, when
completely rotted, afford an excellent manure.], grubs up the underwood,
splits some of the large timber for railing fences, and sets fire to the
rest upon the spot; ploughs round the stumps of the large timber, and in
May plants maize, or indian corn. In October he has a harvest of eight
hundred or a thousand fold. This is every thing to him and his family.
Indian corn, ground and made into cakes, answers the end of bread, and
when boiled with meat, and a small proportion of a sort of kidney-bean
(which it is usual to sow with this grain), it makes an excellent dish,
which they call _hominy_. They also coarsely pound the indian corn,
and boil it for five hours; this is by the Indians called _mush_;
and, when a proportion of milk is added, forms their breakfast. Indian
corn is also the best food for horses employed in agriculture in this
climate: black cattle, deer, and hogs are very fond of it, and fatten
better than on any other grain.
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