whining about immigrant kids working tobacco. They put garbage bags on to keep from absorbing the nicotine. Was this a common practice when you worked? Or is this all new fangled stuff? I can't answer cause I was putting up hay and "breaking" corn. Some of y'all called that pulling or picking. Some of all are wrong.
Who here worked Tobacco as a kid? Article in the Readers Digest this month
- Thread starter JimDandyDawg
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$5 a day, for about 5 years. no garbage bags. That was what
the hair on your arms was for. Good tar collector. Miserable, hot, long days. When they went from mules or tractors pulling sleds to harvesters, you sat on a steel seal, got wet and itched like hell on you wet butt.
the hair on your arms was for. Good tar collector. Miserable, hot, long days. When they went from mules or tractors pulling sleds to harvesters, you sat on a steel seal, got wet and itched like hell on you wet butt.
Everyone on CHATs worked tobacco except for AgEng
You need that nicotine getting in you to keep you going.
There was no nicotine in plucking corns.
You need that nicotine getting in you to keep you going.
There was no nicotine in plucking corns.
Had huge plug of Red Man whilst I was in amongst the corn stalks. Hated
corn. Until the day they told me to go cut okra. If someone every asks you to cut okra or pick butterbeans you hit him as hard as you can right between the eyes. Granthammit! That's a sunuvabeech.
corn. Until the day they told me to go cut okra. If someone every asks you to cut okra or pick butterbeans you hit him as hard as you can right between the eyes. Granthammit! That's a sunuvabeech.
Re: Had huge plug of Red Man whilst I was in amongst the corn stalks. Hated
Reminds me of Waylon (link)
One of Waylon's greats
Reminds me of Waylon (link)
One of Waylon's greats
Thought I had outsmarted em one day. I decided to ask to work in the hay
loft instead of out in the sun. John McCain and I know what it is to be in hell. Bear caught me about 1:30 one afternoon. Oven was warmed up and ham was nearly baked.
loft instead of out in the sun. John McCain and I know what it is to be in hell. Bear caught me about 1:30 one afternoon. Oven was warmed up and ham was nearly baked.
Worked in a cotton field for approximately 30 minutes when I was...
around 6 years old. Mom handed me and my brothers each a 9 ft long burlap bag with a shoulder strap, put each of us on a row and told us to pick it all the way to the end, which I'm guessing was about 150 yards or so.
She wanted us to know what it was like to live on a farm when she was our age.
I think I made it about 15 feet in 30 minutes and quit. Cured me of ever wanting to be a farmer or do anything that didn't at least require a HS Diploma.
My brothers all became Doctors.
This post was edited on 4/10 11:33 AM by MusicCityDawg
around 6 years old. Mom handed me and my brothers each a 9 ft long burlap bag with a shoulder strap, put each of us on a row and told us to pick it all the way to the end, which I'm guessing was about 150 yards or so.
She wanted us to know what it was like to live on a farm when she was our age.
I think I made it about 15 feet in 30 minutes and quit. Cured me of ever wanting to be a farmer or do anything that didn't at least require a HS Diploma.
My brothers all became Doctors.
This post was edited on 4/10 11:33 AM by MusicCityDawg
We always called it "getting a monkey on your back", we'd see a guy...
who was struggling and about to fall out and we'd say "the monkey's about to get so-and-so" and the boss would let him go sit in the shade, drink some water and put a wet towel on the back of our neck. After the guy came back to work, he would have to endure the taunting the rest of the day about "so-and-so monkeyed out today".
who was struggling and about to fall out and we'd say "the monkey's about to get so-and-so" and the boss would let him go sit in the shade, drink some water and put a wet towel on the back of our neck. After the guy came back to work, he would have to endure the taunting the rest of the day about "so-and-so monkeyed out today".
I survived the Summer of '61 on a tobacco farm............
worked 6 days a week for my grandparents and uncles......toughest summer I ever spent.......made $300 for the entire summer......we cropped tobacco, suckered tobacco, loaded tobacco sticks in a barn, unloaded the tobacco at 2:00 AM, probably washed 100 pounds of tobacco sap off my hands during that summer, among other things like feeding the hogs, chickens, etc..........
that summer made me realize I wasn't going to be a farmer and that "hard work" sucked...........however, it was probably the best thing that ever happened to me.........I enjoyed swimming in a nearby creek--I appreciated the small country church services--I made up my mind then and there that I was going to college...........Tobacco farming was the toughest job I ever had............
worked 6 days a week for my grandparents and uncles......toughest summer I ever spent.......made $300 for the entire summer......we cropped tobacco, suckered tobacco, loaded tobacco sticks in a barn, unloaded the tobacco at 2:00 AM, probably washed 100 pounds of tobacco sap off my hands during that summer, among other things like feeding the hogs, chickens, etc..........
that summer made me realize I wasn't going to be a farmer and that "hard work" sucked...........however, it was probably the best thing that ever happened to me.........I enjoyed swimming in a nearby creek--I appreciated the small country church services--I made up my mind then and there that I was going to college...........Tobacco farming was the toughest job I ever had............
Beats me. The ones my mom had were folded up in the well house...
and were probably as old as her. Anytime we complained about ANYTHING she would tell us that when she was our age she only went to school half a day in the fall so they could all go home and chop cotton until the sun went down.
and were probably as old as her. Anytime we complained about ANYTHING she would tell us that when she was our age she only went to school half a day in the fall so they could all go home and chop cotton until the sun went down.
No that was not a common practice. I had my shirt off
and only wore shoes and a pair of shorts. It was hot as could be and the only shade was when we were racking it. We started at 6am and got off about 3 pm everyday. $27.00 a day. Pretty good money for a 14 and 15 year old.
and only wore shoes and a pair of shorts. It was hot as could be and the only shade was when we were racking it. We started at 6am and got off about 3 pm everyday. $27.00 a day. Pretty good money for a 14 and 15 year old.
I did that ONCE. After first cotton pickers came out they'd leave lower
balls on the plants.... the "help" called 'em widows. So my grandad would let 'em hand pick the widows for 50% of the weight at the gin. Guess WO got "invited" to participate one summer at about 11 or 12. Had one of those long sacks just like you described to drag along and in 5 days I MAYBE worked 3/4 of row in a 50 acre cotton field. I prayed that if God would get me out of that backbreaking field I'd never sin again and go to divinity school. He kept his end of the bargain.... me not so much though I did graduate. Thinks I may have to answer for that one day.
This post was edited on 4/10 12:17 PM by RoyDawgMercer
balls on the plants.... the "help" called 'em widows. So my grandad would let 'em hand pick the widows for 50% of the weight at the gin. Guess WO got "invited" to participate one summer at about 11 or 12. Had one of those long sacks just like you described to drag along and in 5 days I MAYBE worked 3/4 of row in a 50 acre cotton field. I prayed that if God would get me out of that backbreaking field I'd never sin again and go to divinity school. He kept his end of the bargain.... me not so much though I did graduate. Thinks I may have to answer for that one day.
This post was edited on 4/10 12:17 PM by RoyDawgMercer
