INA’S GARDEN NOTES

 

My grandmother, Ina Dobson, with her daughter Myrtle at their garden in 1950

Please have plenty of vegetables cooked and a big cake, canned or fresh fruit. If handy, chicken. – Ina Dobson, 1926

Hallie opined that the homesteaders knew exactly how much food they would need to feed a family through the winter, and I commented that they might have known but wondered it they would always have it. Living off the land can be such a gamble.

As I thought about it, I remembered Grandma Ina’s little record book. This little notebook was an advertising giveaway from the “American Wire Rope” manufacturer obtained at the John Oud Hardware Company in Orofino. It’s just a common pocket notebook with lined pages, but someone, probably one of Ina’s daughters, made it special by pasting a bright cover onto it and labeling it “garden book.” She also tied a little pencil onto it.

It’s clear that two people made entries – Grandma Ina in pencil and the daughter (either Aunt Lynn or Aunt Shirley) in ink. I thought I’d transcribe some of these notes here since the subject of food readiness more or less came up. The dates are confusing, but I think it’s because sometimes it’s what she planted for that year and sometimes she’s making notes for the next year. Sometimes it’s an inventory of what’s on hand, not what she put up. These are her notes, and she never meant that they should be read by anyone else. It just proves Hallie’s point that she knew how much produce she needed.  

In 1935 when Ina began this notebook, her children were grown and long gone with the exception of Aunt Shirley, who was in and out. So, the household had dwindled to two or three adults with occasional visitors, and it’s fascinating to see the size of her garden. It surely puts me to shame.

1935

·      Peas – about 2 ½ rows, early and late. Decided to plant all marrowfat in 1936.

·      Beans – 1 row white stringless; 2/3 row brown (John Boehm)

[Their neighbor John Boehm probably shared those beans with her.]

·      Got peas and beans from Bee [her sister Bertha] for part of canning of short crop. [I think this means that Ina’s crop was short, so she filled in with peas and beans from Bertha.]

·      Pickling onions – 9 short rows. Plenty into fall.

·      Tomato seed saved from best plant. Note date on package of seed in box.

·      Plant 4 rows of lettuce. Thin for early use.

·      2 dozen tomato plants well-spaced enuf.

Canning Record for 1935

·      Peas – 23 qts. canned the 3-hour way. Note from 1934 tried and proved. Can like this in 1936. Cook open pot until tender, then 1 hour process. Taste fresher.

·      Beans – 24 qts.

·      Beets – 6 qts.

·      Tomato puree

On August 2, 1938, she notes what she should plant in 1939:

·      About 1 row peas or less. This all kinds.

·      1/3 row beets, parsnips, and carrots

·      8 or 9 rows of onions ample

·      4 rows of lettuce ample.

·      2 rows radishes

·      1 row cress

·      3 rows Swiss chard

·      3 rows golden wax beans

·      6 cucumber hills ample

·      2 Garden Queen squash [A classic acorn squash, also called Table Queen]

·      1 dozen watermelon

·      About 6 or 8 zucchini squash

1940:

Cut four 2-gallon pails of potatoes. It made 6 rows across garden. There was one row of volunteers.

1941:

Jack cut three 10-qt. pails heaped up of potatoes. One pail Irish made some 2 rows south of orchard. 2 pails Early Rose and 1 pail small Irish planted on flat May 2.

1942:

To can raspberries, make a thin syrup and pour boiling hot over berries. Put jars into hot water about same as jars are after syrup is in. [That’s what it says.] Bring to a boil, then pull to back of stove for a little longer – 10 to 15 minutes. This is fine. Try to put up strawberries the same way. Also Logans. Myrtle and I canned raspberries as above this year of 1942.

[The following are inventories. I found it interesting to see the variety on hand.]

Oct. 6, 1936

This was probably written by Myrtle

Fruit on hand:

·      Cherries, Bing – 11 qts.

·      Royal Ann – 1 qt.

·      Olivet – 1 qt.

·      Italian prune – 1 qt.

·      Logans – 2 qts.

·      Raspberries – 1 pt.

·      Strawberries – 3 pts.

Oct. 6, 1935

·      Olivet cherries – 5 qts.

·      Apricots – 5 pts.

·      Peaches – 6 pts.

·      Gooseberries – 6 pts.

·      Pears – 1 qt.

·      Petites – 5 qts.

·      Pickled beets – 5 ½ qts.

·      Elderberries – 2 pts.

Fruit

·      Cherries (Olivet) – 16 qts.

·      Apricots (Clarkston, WA) – 24 pts.

·      Peaches (Elberta) – 1 box, 15 pts.

·      Pears (local) – 13 pts.

·      Elderberries – 3 pts.