Big Crop
Two farmers were always kidding one another about the size of their crops or livestock. One of them had a particularly good watermelon crop, and he told his son to go over to the other’s house and borrow his crosscut saw to cut one of the melons with. After a while the boy came back and said, “He said he would be glad to loan you his saw but that he is using it now to saw open one of his cantaloupes.”
—Loyal Jones – Curing the Cross-Eyed Mule
I love the story because it reminds me of some folks I know that like to go on and tease about everything.
I’ve never had to worry about needing a big knife, much less a crosscut saw, to cut the watermelons and cantaloupes we grow. They have always been on the small side. I’m aiming to plant at least a couple of watermelons down at the big garden this year. I’m hoping the extra sunshine will really help them grow.
Last night’s video: A People and Their Quilts 15.
Tipper
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We’re gonna plant cantaloupe this yr. I really hope they do good. And of course watermelon to. I’m getting so excited biut the garden. Today is the first day we have had warm weather in a few days. It so nice outside. I fixing to go pick some more Redbuds to make Jelly. People are wanting to buy this next batch I make. It is a little tart but so good on toast.
My pap (grandfather) was always trying to get a clever joke on everyone. (For example, my brother had been out of town for an extended period and I was left to look after and feed his horse. One day pap said I should call him and tell him his horse’s head was hung and I couldn’t do anything for him. When or if he arrived I could say well it is hung ….it’s hung on his shoulders.)
Now to the point.
He and my grandmother (nannie) always put out a huge garden. They took pride in what they grew and it showed. That particular year his sweet corn was a disappointment. It only got about waist high before it tasseled out. The garden was between our house and his and if I was out working he would come to help and vice versa. I saw him coming as I was working on cleaning and servicing my car but I just pretended to not see. When he got close, I turned and acted startled. I said “Pap don’t slip up on a man that way”. He said “I didn’t slip up on you.” Then I sprung the joke. “Well” I said ,”it must have been that tall corn that hid you till you got up close.” His grin was a mile wide. He liked a good joke no matter who it was on , including himself. He just said with that wide grin, “who would have thought, my own grandson making fun of my corn.”
I love watermelon and hubby loves cantaloupe. We have never had much luck in growing them. . One year, we grew one tiny cantaloupe and it tasted really good…according to hubby. I am not a fan.
Funny short story! Thanks for sharing.
What a funny story about the farmers crop’s of water melons and cantaloupes. My husband has Never had much luck with them. We always had a small garden when in Mid State Missouri. Here in Southern Mississippi nada. Not our crop. I’ll just watch for the sales on produce or truck farmers. Good luck with all your melons. I love both kinds. Love to all. Hugs for Little bit. Hope y’all are getting some rest.
For the first time ever, my husband grew some pretty big delicious watermelons last year. We didn’t quite need a saw, though. Mama and Daddy were some of the best gardeners ever especially delicious cantalope (daddy called them mushmelons). I don’t know what it’s called in Appalachia but Daddy raised “truck patches” . I finally realized “truck” meant “garden truck” . Then I read that it’s called that because the produce was usually carried to sale on a truck.
Growing up in a farming family, I sure heard my share of stories about all kinds of crops. If I went with Daddy to the store, it wasn’t unusual to see at least of couple of the local farmers stopping by just to chat a spell or pick up something. There was one farmer whether it be his tobacco, corn, watermelons, cantaloupes or anything else he grew, HIS was always the biggest and best or so he thought. I knew at home we had large watermelons because Daddy had gotten some out of the garden and I also knew they were so heavy I couldn’t lift them. That particular day that farmer kept on about his watermelons so one of the other men told him to go home and bring one to the store. His face turned red, and he made up some tale about how they were still growing in the field and were not ready yet which everyone else’s were ready for selling and eating. Well, according to Daddy, he never brought one to the store or mentioned his watermelons again. He was a good man, but I always will always remember the watermelon story.
Thank you, Tipper, for last night’s wonderful video. Love seeing the quilts but the stories are even more special.
Mom told a story about a big watermelon she grew on a sandy bank by the creek a little after she was married. She watched it daily with plans to enter it in the county fair later that summer. One day she found it missing and blamed it on someone she had bragged to who came sneaking down the creek. She told that story for 50 years. The word big is used to describe more than crops where I grew up. A big job, big storm, big paycheck, and even a big-feeling person is a common language in eastern KY.
We’re trying to grow watermelons for the first time this year. We bought Sugar Baby seeds. My father-in-law used to grow watermelons and would always present me with one, knowing that I love them above nearly all other foods. He enjoyed seeing how much I enjoyed his gift.
I LOVE watermelons and as a young person spending time with my Grandparents in NE MS I sure did get to enjoy some of the best tasting watermelons. I remember going uptown on a Saturday and there would always be farmers parked with their truck beds full of watermelons around the court square. They would cut a plug out for a customer, if they asked, and they could taste the goodness right there. My Father grew some yellow meated ones; I preferred the red – can’t remember the names just know how delicious they tasted:)
Tipper, I usually read your blog on my desk top and usually check out the Presley Girls videos too. Yesterday, I noticed Corie had a few videos I hadn’t had time to see and I thought I would just wait and look at it last night on my television. I smiled when I saw her and Austin picking out lights and cabinet handles. Corie we picked out the same ceiling lights and cabinet handles you did when we built our home. But I loved the original cabinet handles more and when you cleaned them up – oh my they looked so much better than the ones at the store. I did so enjoy her last video too! Corie does a great job teaching scripture, I would say she has a gift for teaching. God bless ya all!
I’ve got a crosscut here so old that it has lost all it’s teeth. I only keep it around for in case I need to cut some hot butter.
I think I might invest in a bandsaw mill on a trailer so I can go around and cut up watermelons fer people’s picnics this summer. “How do you want that? I can do slabs, rift cut or quartersawn!”
Hope you get some big melons, Tipper. I remember Charleston Grays from childhood. I only found out the name in recent years. I have not seen one in a long time. I suspect most people would consider them too big now because they best fit large gatherings like church dinners, family reunions, and special events. We’ve gone the other way with personal-size things. I do well to grow any at all so I don’t think about size much.
Ron I mentioned in my early comment that the Charleston Gray was my favorite . My farmer friend I mention grows 3 or 4 different varieties, one of them will be Charleston Gray. He said it was also his favorite. Seeds are easy to find but if I will give you enough to plant a few hills if you want them. Another old time watermelon you don’t hear about anymore is Congo, I believe it would get bigger than the Charleston Gray.
I jist ain’t b’lievin no tall tales about watermelons and punkins in the mountains growin so big take you need a crosscut to cut one open. With only a half a day of sunshine at best they jist won’t grow that big. Now cabbages are a ‘nother story. I’m not going to inflate this but I’ve seen cabbages that wouldn’t fit in a bushel basket. To beat it all they’ll split themselves open for you. No Knife Necessary!
I love the good-natured ribbing! I am going to miss the quilt histories as you said the book is almost finished, I really liked yesterday’s reading. I especially liked the hand tied one as you do Tipper. They were all so beautiful, but the heartwarming story was so special. I am praying that Granny is doing well.
I pray for you and all the family. Katie and baby Ira, Courie and baby and Austin, you and Mat.
Have a great weekend. God bless you and yours.
Ruth if you enjoy good natured ribbing you would love me. Just this week I pestered one my lifelong friends into going to a luncheon the boys of my senior class were having. (52years). I told him he would help me out, if he came I wouldn’t be the ugliest one there.
I’ve never been a fan of watermelon or cantaloupe, sadly (bc I want to love them, I try it often hoping I will.) Anyway, around here in, E Central IL, Indiana cantaloupes are always the sought after cantaloupe. I’m always curious what they have, just a short distance away, causing the IN cantaloupe to be preferred, is it better famers, more sand in the soil, hills to grow on, etc?? PS….. yesterday my son got the 2 1/2 yr old grandbaby to say “granddeddy’s Kubota”……don’t blink Tipper bc your little Ira will be saying that all too soon!! It was so darn cute!!!! He says all three syllables of Kubota, precisely……needless to say, Granddeddy loved it, bc he’s so proud of his new tractor!
It’s like the unending biggest fish and buck stories in Michigan. Just about everyone has such stories to tell, and they are always quite wonderful to hear!
After retirement, I worked part time in grocery stores. In the produce department we had a “watermelon knife.” It had two handles and was about 16 inches long. We only used it for cutting melons in half or quarters. It was deemed “dangerous” and trashed. It could easily decapitate a chicken. Anyway, I rescued it. People get a real kick out of it . . .
That sure is a funny story.
I tried growing watermelon last year, but they didn’t survive to be anything. Now, I did have one cantaloupe plant survive and it spread through the whole raised bed. It finally made three cantaloupe, but I wasn’t sure they were good because they only got to the size of a softball. I brought them inside and cut them just to check. They were THE best cantaloupe I’ve ever tasted. I’m definitely doing those again. My husband made a plastic covered enclosure for them so they would be warm enough. We don’t get hot enough for some stuff.
I’m trying some Sugar Baby watermelons again. I love watermelon so much.
That was a pretty good one I must say! Just think of the breadth of such melons! Lol. I think part of being a hillbilly can be swapping tall tales with a smidgeon of truth sprinkled in! Then there are true tales that sound tall, but are stranger than lies! It’s good you’ve got chain saws to slice the tomatoes I see coming from your garden as well as other big produce! It’s warming up so who can believe it either? Lol 25 degrees to 75 degrees in 24 hours sounds tall but it’s true. It’s happened here. Gotta go-Sasquatch is at the door with breakfast! -really y’all she is and her ugly younguns too!!!My oh My!!! Lol Blessings and love to you all and hugs to granny and the sweetest baby ever!!!
In ag class about 1959 one of my classmates made the statement, “If you want to walk through Daddy’s corn patch a noon you’d have to tote a lantern.”
For about three years when I was in my teens we grew 90 acres of watermelons. It was hard work and required much “hands on” attention. After the vines began to run, they would have to be hoed rather than plowed. Of course, each one had to be handled from the vine to the truck. We grew mostly Jubilees but did grow some Charleston Greys. A few years ago I grew some “Sugar Babies” variety of melons in my garden. They were some of the sweetest and best tasting Watermelons I have ever eaten. I believe I bought the seeds on Ebay. Keep in mind that watermelons can be planted until June the 15th and still reach maturity here in northwest Alabama and similar environs.
I heard of a farmer growing his watermelons on a hillside and one getting so big it broke loose from the vine and rolled down the hill into a creek and busted causing the creek to flood. When I was growing up it was common to see 50-75 lb watermelons. My farmer friend grew some a few years back named Truck Busters, some of them would weigh over 100 lbs. We need to sit Tipper down and see what she could do with one of them! During this same time he grew some very large cantaloupes that were big as soccer balls but I don’t remember their name. I ate one of them but didn’t think it was very sweet. My favorite watermelon is the Charleston Gray and the Athena cantaloupe. I have grew watermelons and cantaloupes in the past but now the deer are such a problem I no longer try. Another one of my friend has a saying about people that thinks everything they have or do is always better than anyone else. He says they think their nickel is always shiner than yours. 35 degrees and frost with a feel like temp of 29 degrees this morning, but in the mid 60’s and sunny this afternoon.
I really enjoyed this comment, Randy. You always have such interesting things to add. I can’t imagine watermelons that big. Wow!