The barn is the large building at the top center of the picture. If I had known 60 years ago that I would be writing a blog about the buildings on the farm, I would have made lots of pictures.
A
LESSON IN THE BARN FOR ALL OF LIFE
In
other barn stories I mentioned that on one side of the barn was a
thousand bushel corn crib. I know that is not large compared to
some in the corn belt of the country (Illinois), but it was probably
the largest one in Clay County, NC. Another note about this system
of corn storage; in the time that the barn was constructed almost
all corn was harvested on the ear and in the husk then later after we
acquired a corn picker which removed the husk more corn could stored
in the crib. A large truck could be driven right up into the upper
level so corn from the field could be scooped into the crib.
From
this crib we shucked (husked, for you Yankees) the corn and filled
orders for local customers. Before dad bought a Howe farm scale, we
just measured the corn in a bushel basket, but the scale we could
give a more accurate measure. A bushel of corn on the cob with the
husk removed weighs 56 pounds. Bill, Wayne and I would shuck the
corn and put it into a box or basket then transfer it to burlap bags.
When we first got the scale and were preparing the first order of
corn for a customer dad was standing close by to observe just how we
would do with the scale. We put the corn in the container sitting
on the scale. Watching the marker on the scale bar with the
container almost full, 50lbs, 51, 52, 53, 54, 55, 56 lbs. One of us
shouted out, “That's it.” Dad said, “that's not enough,”
put more on.” We did, then he said,
“put
some more on.” We did until he said, “enough.” We looked at
him inquisitively and to this stare he said, “always give more than
the scale says.”
Dad
always lived by this rule whether it was corn from the barn or lumber
from the sawmill. I remember on lumber orders, after he had scaled
the number of board feet on the order he would add several boards
(planks) without scaling them with his lumber rule.
What
are these important lessons in life and where do they come from? The
Bible addresses these principles many times, especially in the
Proverbs and Jesus taught them to His followers. Dad was all about
integrity and honesty and about passing it along to his sons knowing
that one day they too would be faced with what to do plus teaching
the values to their own children.
I
remember, Evangelist Dr. Bob Jones (an evangelist of years past) as
he would cup his hand around his mouth as if to magnify the sound of
his voice, then he would shout, “Do Right.”
