When we first moved to Myton the property was completely fenced with an inner fence enclosing the area where the house is located. There were three gates, a small one on the south side or in front of the house and two on the north side of the house. One of these two gates on the north was a large double gate opening into the barn and the area north of the house. Then, there was another small gate opening into the area where the house is located. The land to the west is where we kept our live stock. I don’t remember a lawn any where on the property. The first summer we were there it seems that dad tried to grow watermelons on the ground east of the house. Then the following year we decided to plant a lawn. As you well know there is a lot of work that goes into the preparation for a new lawn. First you work the ground to develop a good seed bed. Then after you sow the lawn seed, so as to help maintain the moisture for the seed to germinate, we covered the area with straw. Then you need to keep the planted area wet by frequently watering with the hose until the small grass seed germinates and sends its root down into the soil. Well we had gone through this process and the grass was beginning to show green shoots above the straw cover. Things were going well and our potential lawn was looking nice.
In those days, out of necessity many people kept a few live stock especially a milk cow. We were no different. I don’t remember how many cows we had at that time but I do remember we had old Black. She was a good sized holstein, that filled a fourteen quart bucket at each milking. She had on her head what I would call a perfect set of horns and was a smart old gal.
Before I become the family cow herder we had what I called the town herder. It was a young man by the name of Joe Tanner. Each morning he would start picking up animals in old town and work south picking up people’s cows, who wanted him to herd their cows, as he went. I think our animals were his last pick up before he drove them into the vacant areas south of town to graze.
As it turned out Joe was human and due to neglect of duty or something he let that herd of cows get away from his kind care and keeping. In other words, he lost them. Well old Black took command of the herd and led them, all of them, back to our place, and with her perfect horn she opened the south gate and led that bunch of animals, and there was not just a few, onto our new straw covered wet lawn. I’m sure you have heard of sheep foot rollers; well we had cow foot rollers. There was four cow feet on each animal. It seemed like for years there was these deep hoof tracks all over our new lawn.
In those days, out of necessity many people kept a few live stock especially a milk cow. We were no different. I don’t remember how many cows we had at that time but I do remember we had old Black. She was a good sized holstein, that filled a fourteen quart bucket at each milking. She had on her head what I would call a perfect set of horns and was a smart old gal.
Before I become the family cow herder we had what I called the town herder. It was a young man by the name of Joe Tanner. Each morning he would start picking up animals in old town and work south picking up people’s cows, who wanted him to herd their cows, as he went. I think our animals were his last pick up before he drove them into the vacant areas south of town to graze.
As it turned out Joe was human and due to neglect of duty or something he let that herd of cows get away from his kind care and keeping. In other words, he lost them. Well old Black took command of the herd and led them, all of them, back to our place, and with her perfect horn she opened the south gate and led that bunch of animals, and there was not just a few, onto our new straw covered wet lawn. I’m sure you have heard of sheep foot rollers; well we had cow foot rollers. There was four cow feet on each animal. It seemed like for years there was these deep hoof tracks all over our new lawn.
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