My Turn Worst Sound On A Cotton Farm Had Its Benefits
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rowing up on a hands, both men and women — but mainly women — small West Tenn- to chop cotton for the day. The workers usually stayed essee cotton farm, together in the field and seemed to chop with such I remember many ease and accuracy with a rhythm of its own as they good and bad experienc- strolled down the row. With one easy quick lick of the es. I was born and raised in hoe, they cut out the perfect spacing to thin the plants one of those big white frame in the solid stand of cotton and chopped the grass or two-story houses with my weeds that grew around the saved plants. Occasionally, they would stop and lean on their hoe brother and me sleeping handles to finish a sentence in a conversation or a joke upstairs. In the summertime, it was punch line. In watching them, it really didn’t seem like Lee usually so hot that we slept they were doing much hard work at all. Todd or tried to sleep with just the Whereas, with me, no field work was easy. It was a bare minimum of clothes on constant struggle to keep up with the other workers. and all the windows open. Since our bed was next However, that was most vital for me to do to reap the to a window, along about daybreak it would cool off benefits of hearing the news and gossip, being enterenough to finally get some comfortable sleep. tained by their jokes and stories, and finding out what However, about the time when things were getting each had planned for the coming weekend. halfway pleasant, I can still remember being rudely I also learned what each one had “accomplished” awakened in the cool morning breeze by the horri- either on Saturday night or at church on Sunday of the ble sound of my father standing below the window previous weekend. Hearing about Saturday nights was next to our bed sharpmuch better and more “In the field with the other hands ening my hoe to be used educational than hearthat day to chop cotton. what happened at chopping cotton was the main place ing What a greeting for the Sunday church. new day! It had to be the So growing up workI heard the local gossip and news.” worst sound, ever. ing in the cotton fields Since my brother was older, he got to drive the had its unpleasant moments but also some good times. Oliver 70 tractor, and before that, during the war Being awakened in the morning by my father sharpenyears, he drove the steel wheel John Deere B. But me ing my hoe to chop cotton that day was not one of the being the younger, I ended up having to plow with the good experiences. However, hearing about Saturday mule or join the other “hands” chopping cotton. Boy, nights from the field hands almost made it worthwas I glad when my brother finally went to college, while. and I was promoted to tractor driving. Some people seem to long for the “good old times” After I was up and going for the day, chopping cot- in whatever they are currently doing. However, my ton was not the worst job in the world for me. Picking father always said, “The people who say that must not cotton held that distinction, and I cannot think of any have grown up in the place and time I did, because the situation or condition that would alter my feelings present times are my good old times.” about it. Despite the hot sun and the hot ground on So be it for those cotton experiences from back my bare feet, chopping cotton was bearable. At least I when. Both good and bad times are fun to remember thought so at the time. and talk about. But with modern equipment, chemiIn the field with the other hands chopping cotton cals and technology in present-day cotton production, was the main place I heard the local gossip and news. I those “good old days of the past” are best to remain was entertained with all kinds of jokes and stories that just that — in the past. I otherwise never would have heard under most any circumstance and where I received a lot of my “extra— Lee Todd curricular” education. Germantown, Tennessee Each day, my father would go into town and get wleet@aol.com Cotton Farming’s back page is devoted to telling unusual “farm tales” or timely stories from across the Cotton Belt. Now it’s your turn. If you’ve got an interesting story to tell, send a short summary to csmith@onegrower.com. We look forward to hearing from you.
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COTTON FARMING | JULY 2021
COTTONFARMING.COM
