—Uncaitr Firming, Saturday. March 1.1975
42
Mrs. Wenger is using her Drop Spindle, the most
3rimitive method of spinning, to make wool yarn. She
ilso uses it for linen and cotton thread.
Homestead
Notes
Country
Corner
-- As-a chtld, t always knew-wherr-garden-planting
time had come as I would annually accompany my
parents to a small greenhouse nestled beneath the
rolling hills a few miles from our home. During our
visit an elderly farm woman would pick out her best
flats of pepper and tomato plants to insure our
garden flourished well during the summer
While spring will not be officially with us for
another three weeks, now is the time to plan what
will be going in your garden or flower bed and to
purchase the seeds before the annual “rush "
Mail orders for seeds should be completed
within the next few weeks to insure early delivery.
Then in case of a mix-up or incorrect order, the
seeds can be replaced or returned in time for
planting.
Purchasing of seeds from stores should also be
done early so that you can be assured of the seeds
you want. This year more and more individuals will
be planting gardens to ease the high cost of food so
early selection of seeds is adviseable.
If ordering plants or flowers from a greenhouse
operator, place your order, early making sure the
operator knows just what you want and the
quantity. This will be of help to him and will insure
your chances of obtaining the plant you desire.
Even though the March winds may remind you
that winter hasn’t completely faded yet, prepare
now for the planting season!
Edible Eggs
In keeping with their promotion of the “in
credible edible egg”, the American Egg Board has
recently published a complete cookbook on eggs.
Entitled “Always Eggs - All Ways" the authors
Janet Salstrom, Linda Braun and Peg Raffles have
included chapters on using eggs for appetizers,
mam dishes, salads and desserts. Also included is a
section on the basic methods of egg cooking.
The attractive and illustrated booklet can be
obtained from the American Egg Board, 205 Touhy
Ave., Park Ridge, Illinois 60068 for the cost of 10
cents per copy.
A final note - all the recipes have been kitchen
tested for your convenience.
with: Melissa Piper
ASSOCIATE EDITOR
Spring Planting
Mrs. Susan Wenger
A Creative Farm Woman and Weaver
Mrs. Susan (J. Lloyd) Wenger, 83 Lancaster Avenue,
Strasburg, who says she always did like to be self
sufficient, makes her family’s cereal, Jelly, bread,
sauerkraut, potato chips, fills two lockers and two
freezers and makes her own clothes, hats, gloves and
household items from scratch. *
Mrs. Wenger’s farm background probably accounts in
part for her ability to be independent, even in this
machine age. Susan, the daughter of the late Mr. and Mrs.
Benjamin Mowrer, grew up on their 20 acre fruit and
general farm in East Lampeter Township which is now
part of the eastern by-gaga, round Lancaster where
Greenfield Road and Hempstead Road are located.
Mowrers had apple, peach, pear, plum and cherry trees in
- their orchard and grew tobacco, wheat, corn, hay,
asparagus, strawberries and raspberries. Some of
Susan’s cherished possessions are snapshots of the or
chard trees in full blossom and it makes her sad to see the
roads and industrial development which have changed the
landscape.
Susan helped take tobacco off the lath, picked
strawberries, raspberries and asparagus and helped get
the apples ready for making apple butter. This was no
small job because they made 75 to 100 gallons, even as
high as ISO gallons per year. They also bad venegar made
and sold it by the gallon. Their apples lasted till February
or March and people came to theu farm to get fruit,
berries, vinegar and apple butter. They also sent
asparagus, raspberries, strawberries and rhubarb with
Amos Brooks who had a stand at the curb market on the
first Mocks of North Duke and East King Streets in
Lancaster. Mowrers always did a lot of canning and
preserving too. Susan graduated from East Lampeter
High School then worked five years in the Friction
Jeweling Department at Hamilton Watch Company,
Lancaster, where she assembled watches and steel fitted.
Lloyd, a son of the late Mr. and Mrs. Harry G. Wenger,
was bom and raised on their near-by general farm. He
arose at 4:30 in the morning and helped milk the cows by
hand, by the light of an old-fashioned lantern. He is a
World War II veteran, having been a Staff Sargeant in the
Air Force and was stationed in California, Washington,
Florida and Wisconsin over a three and a half year period.
He bought a 43 acre farm, near, where he grew up, in 1934
and farmed it two years. He finished about 10 steers a
year and grew com and wheat. He rented out the farm for
15 years and he and his brother made some of the farm
into building lots before selling it. He retired from Arm
strong Cork Company in 1969, having worked 32 years in
the Inlaid Stoves Department.
Wengers have lived at their present location about three
years. They have a garden which Mrs. Wenger helps with
when she has time. She freezes and cans more than they
can use. Besides filling their two freezers they have two
lockers filled at a freezer plant. They take the excess
vegetables to Conestoga View. Mrs. Wenger makes
quantities of sauerkraut and freezes it after it has fer
mentecL She bakes their bread, makes and
makes jelly, especially Lloyd’s faverite quince jelly. She
also makes grape nuts cereal.
Mrs. Wenger not only made the fireplace and
regular brooms she is holding but also grew the
broom corn to make them. She made all of the items
on the table.
Mrs. Wenger says “I have always made all-purpose
soap.” She grates this and puts it in a small doth bag in
the washer to launder their clothes. Now she also makes
scented toilet soap and figures it saves her about half the
cost. She probably saves more on the all-purpose or
laundry soap.
Mrs. Wenger says “I was always interested in old
things.” She loved to listen to her grandmother tell how
her aunt grew flax, spun toe thread, wove toe material
and made their clothes. This interest plus seeing crafts
demonstrated prompted her to leam to spin and weave.
She took lessons to spin in 1968 from Mrs. Leon (Helen)
Weit who is associated with the Ephrata Cloisters
Associates. She took three lessons and through a lot of
practice became very proficient in this art. Then two
years ago she spent two weeks at Mannings Weaving
School in East Berlin, Adams County. She commuted each
day.
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Mrs. Wenger is spinning wool yarn on her Walking
Spinning Wheel. She also uses it for Samoyed dog hair.
Her Canadian Wool Wheel can be seen behind the
Great or Walking Wheel.
Mrs. Wenger has five spinning wheels. The most
primitive one is the Drop Spindle which is used for linen,
wool or cotton. The old Wool Wheel was originated in 1200
and used widely in India. Mrs. Wenger has a Canadian
Wool Wheel. The first spinning wheel, as we know it, dates
back to 1540. It is the Saxony Spinning Wheel. It gets its
name from Saxony, a province in Germany. It is used for
flax or wool. The Hume spinning wheel is common in this
area because they were made locally and they are of the
Saxony type. The one Mrs. Wenger is using now is a
reproduction and was made in Sweden. She uses it more
than her other wheels. She also has an old Saxony wheel
which her cousin is using. Back about 1840 the Irish people
made Corner Spinning Wheels so they could be pushed
into toe comer so as not to take as much space in the
room. This wheel is also known as a Castle or a Cottage
Spinning Wheel. It is used for flax fiber. Hie most cum
bersome one is the very large one known as the Waslking
Wheel, Great Wheel or the Jersey Wheel. It is very old. It
is used to make yam from any kind of animal combings
such as wool, alpaca, llama, Angora cats and dog hair.
The hair has to be one and a half inches long.
In toe early Colonial days almost all the families had
spinning wheels but most of toe weaving was done by
itinerant weavers. All toe girls and boys were taught to
spin at six years of age and they had to grow their own
flax. It was mandatory by law for each family to grow
their own flax and to have their own sheep to produce their
own wool. Mrs. Wenger believes in this philosophy “I’m
for teaching people to work.”
Mrs. Wenger has two looms. The large one is used to
make yard goods, drapery material, rugs, bureau and
neck scarfs. Mrs. Wenger has made place mats, table
runners and bureau scarfs for her own use and is going to
make an afghan on it. You can use it for flax, wool, cotton
and man-made fibers. The other loom is called a Tape
Loom. It is used to make such items as men’s suspenders,
shoe strings, decorative tape and tape which is used for
such purposes as draw strings for garments.'
Speaking of flax. Although Mrs. Wenger grew some one
year in toe corner of toe garden, it is seldom seen growing
in these parts. It is grown in toe Dakotas and toe plain
states but most of that is used for linseed oil and used in
paint making or for cattle feed. Countries like Germany,
Belgium or Ireland grow it. Most of toe flax used to spin
into linen around here comes from Belgium.
Flax is grown and handled differently from most crops.
Briefly, it is sown in April, broadcast method, and har
vested in August or when the lower leaves start to yellow.
When it is harvested, it is pulled so as not to break toe
fibers. It is then made into bundles, about half toe size of a
sheaf of wheat, and left to dry until September. The
bundles are set on end in a shed or if you have a small
quantity it can be laid out on a wire over trestles.
When it is processed, the first process is to rett it.
Retting means soaking in water for a period of time to
condition the flax so toe fibers can be separated from toe
straw. It is then dried again. Then it is dried over a flax
brake. After that it is scutched with a scutching knife.
That is to discard the straw and chaff. It is then combed
with the heckling combs to remove any remaining straw
or chaff and to straighten'toe fibers. It is then ready to
spin. However, it must first be formed into a strict.
Mrs. Wenger grows broom corn, bends it over and cures
.it then makes her own brooms on a broom machine. These
were the brooms first used in America. Flat brooms came
(Continued on Page 43|
by
Mrs.
Charles
McSparran
Farm Feature
Writer