es, preparations began for spring planting. New ground
was cleared; old land fertilized and the corn fields cleared of last
year's rubbish.

Courtship began at a later age than is customary now but they were much
more brief. Gifts to one's sweetheart were not permitted, but verses
such as:

Roses are red,
Violets blue,
I don't love
No one but you

were invariably recited to the loved one. Young negro men always
"cocked" their hats on one side of their heads when they became
interested in the other sex. Marriages were performed by the master.
Common law situations did not exist.

Serious illnesses were not frequent and home remedies compounded of
roots and herbes usually sufficed. Queensy's light root, butterfly
roots, scurry root, red shank root, bull tongue root were all found in
the woods and the teas made from their use were "cures" for many
ailments. Whenever an illness necessitated the services of a physician,
he was called. One difference in the old family doctor and those of
today was the method of treatment. The former always carried his
medicine with him, the latter writes prescriptions. The fee was also
much smaller in olden times.

Food was distributed weekly in quantities according to the size of the
family. A single man would receive:

1 pk. meal on Sunday

1 qt. syrup flour (seconds)

3-1/2 lbs. meat Holidays--July 4th and Christmas
fresh meat.

Peas, pepper grass, polk salad were plentiful in the fields. Milk and
"pot likker" could be had from the big house when desired, although
every family cooked for itself. Saturday afternoon was the general
fishing time and each person might catch as many as he needed for his
personal use.

The slaves did most of the weaving on the plantation, but after the
cloth was woven the problem of giving it color presented itself. As they
had no commercial dye, certain plants were boiled to give color. A plant
called indigo, found in the cotton patch, was the chief type of dye,
although thare was another called copperas. The dresses made from this
material were very plain.

Walton believes in most of the old signs and superstitions because he
has "watched them and found that they are true." The continuous singing
of a whipporwill near a house is a sign of death, but if an iron is
placed in the fire and allowed to remain there, the bird will fly away.

When the news of the war finally