I have one almost identical to this on Rosemary Church Road about 7 miles from Metter Ga., on my parent’s and Grandparent’s farm. (You can see it from the road; this is near to where Rosemary Ch. Rd. intersects the Portal Hwy.) I have often wondered: since so many of these barns were covered in green asphalt and strips, if someone may have traveled around applying this treatment. It seems illogical that so many different farmers in varying locations would come up with almost identical coverings. Just a thought. Thanks for sharing a part of our history. I always loved tobacco season, though of course it was hard work, it usually meant “good money” for the year.
To the untrained eye, this is just a rickety tobacco barn. To me I see a twenty-footer. There were sixteen footers as well. The Twenties were booger bears to hang. First of all you are straddled as far as humanly possible between 2 x 4 ‘s and reaching way down to have the first sticks handed up to you. They were heavy and first thing in the morning, covered with dew. (If first crop ( there were generally six, seven, or even eight croppings in a season), then they were sand lugs as well {sand’s going to fall in your face} imagine that with the stinging tar and nicotine.) You really get the full effect as you do the second, third, and finally bottom tier. Oh, yeah. And my son doesn’t think I had to work as a boy. The poor farmer had to get up several times during the night to make sure no stick had fallen below on to a burner. Although they were covered with metal basket-like affairs, one could lose his barn and that crop to fire.
Sampie,
In Jeff Davis County, I too hung many barns such as this one. Since the leaves were filled with sand that “rained” down on those in the barn, hanging sand lugs was always a dirty terrible job and taking them out was as bad. Many barns are now gone and those left in poor repair. It is a shame that more are not saved. Even though no one with good sense now days can logically argue for tobacco use, we don’t need to ignore our history and our culture in South Georgia. Saving our history in no way gives approval to the “evil” of tobacco usage.
From a public health perspective, I suppose the disappearance of these is cause for celebration; but they were everywhere back in the ’60s when I was young, and I can’t help feeling nostalgic when i see one. A bygone era.
I have one almost identical to this on Rosemary Church Road about 7 miles from Metter Ga., on my parent’s and Grandparent’s farm. (You can see it from the road; this is near to where Rosemary Ch. Rd. intersects the Portal Hwy.) I have often wondered: since so many of these barns were covered in green asphalt and strips, if someone may have traveled around applying this treatment. It seems illogical that so many different farmers in varying locations would come up with almost identical coverings. Just a thought. Thanks for sharing a part of our history. I always loved tobacco season, though of course it was hard work, it usually meant “good money” for the year.
To the untrained eye, this is just a rickety tobacco barn. To me I see a twenty-footer. There were sixteen footers as well. The Twenties were booger bears to hang. First of all you are straddled as far as humanly possible between 2 x 4 ‘s and reaching way down to have the first sticks handed up to you. They were heavy and first thing in the morning, covered with dew. (If first crop ( there were generally six, seven, or even eight croppings in a season), then they were sand lugs as well {sand’s going to fall in your face} imagine that with the stinging tar and nicotine.) You really get the full effect as you do the second, third, and finally bottom tier. Oh, yeah. And my son doesn’t think I had to work as a boy. The poor farmer had to get up several times during the night to make sure no stick had fallen below on to a burner. Although they were covered with metal basket-like affairs, one could lose his barn and that crop to fire.
Sampie,
In Jeff Davis County, I too hung many barns such as this one. Since the leaves were filled with sand that “rained” down on those in the barn, hanging sand lugs was always a dirty terrible job and taking them out was as bad. Many barns are now gone and those left in poor repair. It is a shame that more are not saved. Even though no one with good sense now days can logically argue for tobacco use, we don’t need to ignore our history and our culture in South Georgia. Saving our history in no way gives approval to the “evil” of tobacco usage.
From a public health perspective, I suppose the disappearance of these is cause for celebration; but they were everywhere back in the ’60s when I was young, and I can’t help feeling nostalgic when i see one. A bygone era.
They’re one of the most important emblems of rural Southern life in the 20th century, and they are disappearing rapidly.