Jerry Apps's Blog, page 5

Grow Your Own Grape Vine

 

Spring has been so, so slow in coming this year, with winter sticking around for a brief look nearly every week of this April, which is supposed to be a spring month.

One thing I remembered every spring for the 50 years I’ve had it, is to prune my Concord Grape vine that snakes around the split rail fence in front of my house.  The main vine is about the size of my wrist, and had I not severely pruned it every year, I have no idea how long the vines—there are several off shoots from the mother vine—would be.

Early on, someone showed me how to prune grapes.  To the passerby, once I’ve finished pruning, it appears that I have killed the vine.  Not so.  Severe pruning wakes it up and causes it send forth new growth, more each year with a new crop of grapes.

I’ve taught my son-in-law, Paul, how to do the pruning, which he did for me this year.  As he was pruning, he said “I’ve heard that it’s possible to grow a new vine from these cuttings.”

            “Yup, I’ve heard that too,” I said.  “Want to try it?”  Here is how he described what he did:

“Several of the new growth vines that I removed from your grapevine, I cut the vine so there were at least several growth nodes on each piece.   I bundled the cut vines together and placed then in an old plastic milk jug filled with peat moss. After watering. I placed them in the shade. I expect to see roots and buds in four weeks”

I did some further reading and learned that starting grape vines from cuttings requires patience.  It may take three years before the new vine will produce grapes. Concord grapes make just the best grape jelly.  What’s three years to wait for such a treat?

The Old Timer Says: Want to try something new?  How about starting a grape vine from a cutting?

WHERE TO BUY MY BOOKS:

You can buy my books at your local bookstore. order online from bookshop.org, or purchase from the Friends of the Patterson Memorial Library in Wild Rose—a fundraiser for them. Phone: 920-622-3835 for prices and ordering, or contact the librarian: barnard@wildroselibrary.
Patterson Memorial Library
500 Division Street
Wild Rose, WI 54984.
www.wildroselibrary.org

If you live in the western part of the state, stop at Ruth’s home town, Westby, visit Dregne’s.  and look at their great selection of my books. Order a book from them by calling 1-877-634-4414. They will be happy to help you.  If you live in northcentral Wisconsin, stop at the Janke bookstore in Wausau (phone 715-845-9648).  They have a large selection of my books. 

 

 

Remembering Arbor Day

 

April is the month for Arbor Day.  What I remember about Arbor Day was how special the day was at the Chain O’ Lake one-room country school that I attended for eight years.  Arbor Day, originally devoted to tree planting, meant outdoor clean up day at our school.  On a day in late April, we raked the lawn, picked up the downed tree branches and generally cleaned up the about an acre of land that was our schoolyard.

When the raking was finished, with our teacher, we walked the half mile or so to the lake after which our school was named.  We walked all the way around the lake, looking for frogs, wild ducks, maybe a Canada goose, but mostly enjoying walking by the lake with all of its special smells and sights.  It was a memorable introduction to spring.

When we got back to the school, the teacher started a bonfire with the dead leaves we had raked, and we roasted marshmallows.  What a wonderful afternoon it was.

Arbor Day has an interesting history, tracing back to Nebraska in 1872.  At the time there were few trees in Nebraska and settlers arriving from the East and Midwest longed for trees. A newspaper editor, J. Sterling Morton was a advocate for tree planting.  He became secretary for the Nebraska Territory and proposed a tree planting day he called Arbor Day for April 10, 1874.  Arbor day, tree planting, became a prominent tradition for schools.

Today, Arbor Day is celebrated in all 50 states—the actual date depending on the best tree planting weather.  The last Friday in April became the common date.  Nebraska City, Nebraska is the official birthplace of Arbor Day.

We didn’t plant any trees at our school on Arbor Day, but we were reminded of the importance of the day with our special celebration.

THE OLD TIMER SAYS: Remember Arbor Day. Plant a tree.

WHERE TO BUY MY BOOKS:

You can buy my books at your local bookstore. order online from bookshop.org, or purchase from the Friends of the Patterson Memorial Library in Wild Rose—a fundraiser for them. Phone: 920-622-3835 for prices and ordering, or contact the librarian: barnard@wildroselibrary.
Patterson Memorial Library
500 Division Street
Wild Rose, WI 54984.
www.wildroselibrary.org

If you live in the western part of the state, stop at Ruth’s home town, Westby, visit Dregne’s.  and look at their great selection of my books. Order a book from them by calling 1-877-634-4414. They will be happy to help you.  If you live in northcentral Wisconsin, stop at the Janke bookstore in Wausau (phone 715-845-9648).  They have a large selection of my books. 

 

Crocus--Showing Us The Way to Spring Natasha Kassulke photo

 

Crocus—Showing us the Way to Spring    Natasha Kassulke photo.

Some rain.   A little snow that covers the ground, but not enough to shovel.  A hint of sunshine and lots of thick, gray clouds.  A warm breeze, not often.  A cold wind from the north, too often.  This is spring in the north. Spring in Wisconsin. I suffer through April, not knowing what will come next, not knowing how I should prepare, if prepare at all.  I remember it similar to the many Aprils I have experienced over the years.

And then I see it, peaking through the drab brown of last fall’s leaves.  A flash of yellow—but only when the sun is shining for it apparently, like the rest of us, doesn’t care much for gloomy and dark.  I’m talking about those little yellow flowers, one of the first flowers to come out in spring.  A beautiful yellow crocus.  A brave little flower with quite a story—I looked it up.

Crocus flowers can be found in southern Europe, central China, the Middle East and Africa. There are 80 different species of crocus and they all belong to the iris family.  They will grow in forests, open areas, and in my front yard. 

And they are old.  Very old. The history of crocus flowers dates back thousands of years. Some of the earliest references to the crocus flower come from Bronze Age Greece, about 3,500 years ago as well as ancient Egypt.

For many people the crocus flower symbolizes rebirth, innocence, joy, and new-beginnings.  For me it means that yes, spring has not forgotten us living in the north.  It is on its way, led by a little yellow flower that is not afraid to peek out from beneath its blanket of leaves. Willing to appear before the tulips and daffodils.  Let’s give a round of applause to the crocus.

THE OLD TIMER SAYS: The little, yellow crocus flower is a reminder that yes, spring is on its way.

WHERE TO BUY MY BOOKS:

You can buy my books at your local bookstore. order online from bookshop.org, or purchase from the Friends of the Patterson Memorial Library in Wild Rose—a fundraiser for them. Phone: 920-622-3835 for prices and ordering, or contact the librarian: barnard@wildroselibrary.
Patterson Memorial Library
500 Division Street
Wild Rose, WI 54984.
www.wildroselibrary.org

If you live in the western part of the state, stop at Ruth’s home town, Westby, visit Dregne’s.  and look at their great selection of my books. Order a book from them by calling 1-877-634-4414. They will be happy to help you.  If you live in northcentral Wisconsin, stop at the Janke bookstore in Wausau (phone 715-845-9648).  They have a large selection of my books. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Searching for Spring Steve Apps Photo

 

When I was in grade school, we all learned this little ditty: “March comes in like a lion and goes out like a lamb.”  And most of the time the ditty proved true.  But guess what, I am writing this on the last day of March and it is snowing.  Snowing hard.  Accumulating on the tree branches and grassy areas, making travel difficult.  A real bummer for those who are patiently waiting for spring.

I am one of those who is waiting. I so much enjoy standing in one of my woodlots at Roshara this time of the year and merely looking, listening, smelling—feeling for the changing of the seasons.

Here is a little something I wrote in my journal:

            Spring is a fickle season in the North.  It’s not sure if it should appear, or perhaps it’s cautious and afraid after being gone for so many months.  It peeks around the corner a bit, some days even comes out into the yard to play.  But then, like a shy child, it retreats into the shadows and winter returns yet one more time.  Spring in the South is more forward, more self-confident.  It shows its face in late February or March and stays—mostly.

Spring is my second most liked month of the seasons in the North.  Autumn comes first.  For me spring is a season of promise, of expectation, of hope.  My dad, always the optimist, often said when I had a bad day, “Tomorrow will be better.”  After a long, cold and snowy winter on the farm, his words “Everything will be better when spring rolls around.”

Spring often came in fits and starts—a warm day or two, then snow and cold, followed by another warm day. When I complained to my dad that spring seemed to never come.  His words, “It always comes.”  And he was right.

THE OLD TIMER SAYS:  Waiting for spring sometimes requires considerable patience.

WHERE TO BUY MY BOOKS:

You can buy my books at your local bookstore. order online from bookshop.org, or purchase from the Friends of the Patterson Memorial Library in Wild Rose—a fundraiser for them. Phone: 920-622-3835 for prices and ordering, or contact the librarian: barnard@wildroselibrary.
Patterson Memorial Library
500 Division Street
Wild Rose, WI 54984.
www.wildroselibrary.org

If you live in the western part of the state, stop at Ruth’s home town, Westby, visit Dregne’s.  and look at their great selection of my books. Order a book from them by calling 1-877-634-4414. They will be happy to help you.  If you live in northcentral Wisconsin, stop at the Janke bookstore in Wausau (phone 715-845-9648).  They have a large selection of my books. 

 

 

 

 

 

Planting Tomato Seeds

 

We were a day late.  My mother, an avid gardener, always started her tomato seeds on St. Patrick’s Day, March 17. She said it was a day for recognizing green—and thus a proper day for planting tomato seeds she had saved from the previous year’s crop. She did not buy the seeds.

My daughter-in-law, Natasha and I planted our tomato seeds on March 18.  It has been an annual event for us.  For those who might be interested, we started the following varieties: Steak Sandwich Hybrid (a 10 oz tomato ready 70 days from transplanting in the garden), Big Beef Hybrid (large red, ready 73 days from transplanting), Early Girl Hybrid (medium large, ready 57 days from transplanting), Fourth of July Hybrid, (4 oz fruits ready 49 days from transplanting), Better Boy Hybrid ( large red fruit, ready 75 days from transplanting), Wisconsin 55  (large red, 75 days from transplanting), Super Sweet 100 Hybrid (a cherry tomato ready about 70 days from transplanting.

We planted 72 seeds (seven varieties)  with harvest dates ranging from 49 days (Fourth of July Hybrid) to 75 days for Better Boy Hybrid,  Our plan is to have fresh tomatoes from early July until frost in the fall.

We germinate the seeds in a germination flat.  As soon as the little plants come up, I put the flat under a grow light where they remain for several weeks. We then transplant them into little fiber pots and keep them outside where they “toughen in” before we plant them in our farm garden. We transplant the fiber pots directly into the garden soil.

I have never gotten over the fun of watching a tiny tomato seed grow into a plant that is four feet tall and taller and hangs heavy with beautiful red tomatoes.  It’s one of nature’s miracles.  I’m reminded of it all as I enjoy a bowl of Ruth’s tomato soap on a cold winter day.

THE OLD TIMER SAYS:  Starting tomato seeds is one of the rites of spring.

WHERE TO BUY MY BOOKS:

You can buy my books at your local bookstore including my book, GARDEN WISDOM. order online from bookshop.org, or purchase from the Friends of the Patterson Memorial Library in Wild Rose—a fundraiser for them. Phone: 920-622-3835 for prices and ordering, or contact the librarian: barnard@wildroselibrary.
Patterson Memorial Library
500 Division Street
Wild Rose, WI 54984.
www.wildroselibrary.org

If you live in the western part of the state, stop at Ruth’s home town, Westby, visit Dregne’s.  and look at their great selection of my books. Order a book from them by calling 1-877-634-4414. They will be happy to help you.  If you live in northcentral Wisconsin, stop at the Janke bookstore in Wausau (phone 715-845-9648).  They have a large selection of my books. 

 

 

 

 

 

Memories of Spring Break

This is the time of the year for spring break.  When the schools and colleges shut their doors for a week so students and teachers can regroup after a long winter of classes and study.  A popular activity for college students is to trek off to a Florida beach for week of sun and fun away from the snow and cold. 

I remember so well my first year of college (1951-1952), and how I looked forward to spring break.  No going to Florida—I had neither interest nor the money to do that.  I looked forward to a week on the home farm.  I’ll fess up now—as many people who know me are aware;  My heart has always been in the country, and likely will always be.  I couldn’t wait for spring break, which in those days was mid-April.  I looked forward to hearing the meadowlarks and the mourning doves, and seeing bluebirds and robins. I couldn’t wait to smell newly turned soil, as this was the week when I crawled on our Farmall H tractor and disked and smooth dragged the fields prior to planting oats.

Today, I can still remember the cool mornings, after I helped my dad with the morning milking, ate a big breakfast, and then headed out to the shed for the tractor and a day of having the warm sun on my back while I drove up and back on the twenty-acre field that soon would be oats.   No sound of sirens, no traffic sounds.  Just the steady drone of the tractor.

After a week of “farming,” I was ready to return to the “big city” refreshed, and ready to endure several more weeks of classes and study before the semester ended, and I could return to the farm for the summer.

THE OLD TIMER SAYS:  Once a farm boy, always a farm boy.

WHERE TO BUY MY BOOKS:

You can buy my books at your local bookstore, order online from bookshop.org, or purchase from the Friends of the Patterson Memorial Library in Wild Rose—a fundraiser for them. Phone: 920-622-3835 for prices and ordering, or contact the librarian: barnard@wildroselibrary.
Patterson Memorial Library
500 Division Street
Wild Rose, WI 54984.
www.wildroselibrary.org

If you live in the western part of the state, stop at Ruth’s home town, Westby, visit Dregne’s.  and look at their great selection of my books. Order a book from them by calling 1-877-634-4414. They will be happy to help you.  If you live in northcentral Wisconsin, stop at the Janke bookstore in Wausau (phone 715-845-9648).  They have a large selection of my books. 

 

 

 

 

 

Farm Auctions: A Sad Time.

 

The coming of spring meant the coming of farm auctions when I when I was a kid. There were many auctions as small family farms closed down, one after the other.  It was a sad time in the country.  In was also a sad time for the small villages that depended on these farms for their livelihood.

Especially after World War II, farming changed--tractors replaced horses, electricity replaced lamps and lanterns.  Get big or get out was the message of the day.  In the neighborhood where I grew up there was a small family dairy farm about every half mile.  I remember them well: Bill Miller, Allen Davis, Andrew Nelson, Griff Davis, Arlan Handrich, Joe Hudziak,

Charlie George, Bill Witt (my grandfather), Frank Kolka, Jesse DeWitt, and McKinley Jenks.

            On a chilly spring day, in 1965, my dad sold our small herd of registered Holsteins at an auction.   It was a sad day, for dad had worked since the 1920s to develop and improve his dairy herd.  Now he saw them, one after the other, sold.  That evening, when I walked with dad from the barn to house, he was crying.  I had never seen him cry before.

            My dad and mother lived on the home farm until 1973, when they had another auction.  This time the farm machinery, household goods, and feed were sold.  The auction bill also noted a category for “Antiques and Collectibles.” Most of these items the folks used every day; they were more than antiques to them.  A Farmall C tractor was on the list. Also, several horse- drawn machines—a dump rake, a two-row corn planter, a potato digger and a hay loader.  I knew each item, knew it well, knew the stories connected to it.

            It was a tough time, for me, for my brothers, and especially for my dad and mom.  Farming was so much more than making a living, it was a way of life.  The farm auction closed the door on a way of living—so important, but too often ignored.

THE OLD TIMER SAYS:  Never forgot the importance of the small family farm to the history of this country.

WHERE TO BUY MY BOOKS:

You can buy my books at your local bookstore, order online from bookshop.org, or purchase from the Friends of the Patterson Memorial Library in Wild Rose—a fundraiser for them. Phone: 920-622-3835 for prices and ordering, or contact the librarian: barnard@wildroselibrary.
Patterson Memorial Library
500 Division Street
Wild Rose, WI 54984.
www.wildroselibrary.org

If you live in the western part of the state, stop at Ruth’s home town, Westby, visit Dregne’s.  and look at their great selection of my books. Order a book from them by calling 1-877-634-4414. They will be happy to help you.  If you live in northcentral Wisconsin, stop at the Janke bookstore in Wausau (phone 715-845-9648).  They have a large selection of my books. 

 

 

 

More Cookstove Memories Photo by Susan Apps Bodilly

 

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My recent article about the old woodburning cookstove triggered many memories of these old stoves beyond cooking meals and baking bread. During the long, cold winter months, readers remembered that those old stoves had multiple uses.  A couple readers commented that they knew of little pre-mature babies placed in a cookstove’s oven to keep them warm. This was a new and great story for me.

When we got electricity on the home farm in 1947, my mother decided that maybe she should look at one of those new, modern at time, combination woodburning and bottled gas ranges, similar to the one pictured above.  Now she could cook during the hot days of summer without starting the woodburning side of the stove, but cook on the bottled gas side.  In winter she used the wood burning side of the stove, as it not only did the cooking and baking but warmed the kitchen.

When my wife and I bought Roshara in 1966, the farm we own now, we discussed what kind of a cookstove we should buy.  We had electricity, but no indoor plumbing in the old granary that we were working hard to make livable.

I learned about a used combination wood and gas burning cookstove, the one pictured above.  It had been used for maybe 20 years. We bought it for $40.00.  My dad thought it was an enormous price to pay for a used cookstove. It took five of us to carry it into the cabin—one cast-iron heavy beast—but oh, such a good stove. It works as well today as it did 56 years ago.  It warms our kitchen, and cooks our meals.  It provides wonderful memories of when I was a kid, doing my home work by the old woodburning stove.

THE OLD TIMER SAYS:  Like an old friend, our woodburning cookstove helps keep memories alive.

WHERE TO BUY MY BOOKS:

You can buy my books at your local bookstore, order online from bookshop.org, or purchase from the Friends of the Patterson Memorial Library in Wild Rose—a fundraiser for them. Phone: 920-622-3835 for prices and ordering, or contact the librarian: barnard@wildroselibrary.
Patterson Memorial Library
500 Division Street
Wild Rose, WI 54984.
www.wildroselibrary.org

If you live in the western part of the state, stop at Ruth’s home town, Westby, visit Dregne’s.  and look at their great selection of my books. Order a book from them by calling 1-877-634-4414. They will be happy to help you.  If you live in northcentral Wisconsin, stop at the Janke bookstore in Wausau (phone 715-845-9648).  They have a large selection of my books. 

 

 

 

Learning From Winter Jerry Apps photo

 

In 1956, I was in the army, stationed at Fort Eustis, Virginia, which is a few miles from Williamsburg.  I arrived there in January and the first thing I noticed was—they had no winter.  I saw a fellow washing his car.  Unheard of in Wisconsin in January.

            As strange as it may sound, I found myself missing winter.  I liked skiing and snow-shoeing.  I liked ice fishing.  I liked being outside on a snowy day, when big snowflakes were falling.  I missed the subtle sound as they fell.  I missed how beautiful the countryside was all dressed in white. I missed all of that in Fort Eustis, Virginia, while I wore an army uniform.

            Many years later I wrote a book titled THE QUIET SEASON: REMEMBERING COUNTRY WINTERS. PBS Wisconsin produced an hour-long documentary based on the book, titled FARM WINTER.  In the book and the TV show I talked  about winter, and its positive points.

            Here is a bit from the introduction to the book: “Over the years I have come to appreciate and even enjoy northern winters.  But I’ve also learned that there is more to winter than snow and ice and bitter cold.  Winter has shaped me in ways that go deeper than I am even aware.  Living through a real winter—a northern winter—affects how we think, influences what we believe is important, and causes us to relate to other people in a particular way.”

In the last chapter of the book I wrote, “Of all the seasons, winter is the most striking and most influential on the lives of the people who experience it. . . winter is more than cold and snow, frozen water pipes, slippery road, and dark and dreary days.

THE OLD TIMER SAYS: Think about it. There is much to be learned from a Wisconsin winter.

WHERE TO BUY MY BOOKS:

You can buy my books, including THE QUIET SEASON, at your local bookstore, order online from bookshop.org, or purchase from the Friends of the Patterson Memorial Library in Wild Rose—a fundraiser for them. Phone: 920-622-3835 for prices and ordering, or contact the librarian: barnard@wildroselibrary.
Patterson Memorial Library
500 Division Street
Wild Rose, WI 54984.
www.wildroselibrary.org

If you live in the western part of the state, stop at Ruth’s home town, Westby, visit Dregne’s.  and look at their great selection of my books. Order a book from them by calling 1-877-634-4414. They will be happy to help you.  If you live in northcentral Wisconsin, stop at the Janke bookstore in Wausau (phone 715-845-9648).  They have a large selection of my books. 

 

 

 

 

Valentine's Day

 

       Jerry Apps Photo

            Valentine’s Day at the country school that I attended was special.  We were generally in the middle of a long, cold and snowy winter.  And we all needed a break.  The country school Valentine’s party was the break we needed.  It began around 2:00 p.m. on February 14 as I recall.  The mother’s were invited. They had to walk, of course, some of them more than a mile. We all walked to school in those days.

            A big box, decorated with red and white hearts stood on the teacher’s desk.  Each student had a valentine for every student.  And every student had a card for the teacher.  We couldn’t wait to see the valentines that we knew were in that box.

            The mothers brought cakes and cookies.  Our teacher made Kool-Aid.  We enjoyed the treats as we waited for the distribution of the valentines.  Usually an eight-grader had the honor of passing out the cards. The cards we received were similar to ones pictured here.  What we looked for is for some special hand-written notes on our cards, especially when we were in the upper grades and boys and girls began noticing each other.  It was a special day. It helped to shorten winter.  Once Valentine’s Day arrived, we knew that spring must be waiting just around the corner. 

            Valentine’s Day is named after St. Valentine and began being celebrated as a “day of romance” in about the 14th century. Another story says that a fellow named Valentine was in jail, and had fallen in love with the jailer’s daughter.  He wrote a “Valentine” to her before he died. Supposedly, Pope Gelasius declared the day of his death as St. Valentine’s Day.  This was in the 5thcentury.

THE OLD TIMER SAYS: Valentine’s Day—a day to take a break from winter. Remember your Valentine.

WHERE TO BUY MY BOOKS:

You can buy my books at your local bookstore, order online from bookshop.org, or purchase from the Friends of the Patterson Memorial Library in Wild Rose—a fundraiser for them. Phone: 920-622-3835 for prices and ordering, or contact the librarian: barnard@wildroselibrary.
Patterson Memorial Library
500 Division Street
Wild Rose, WI 54984.
www.wildroselibrary.org

If you live in the western part of the state, stop at Ruth’s home town, Westby, visit Dregne’s.  and look at their great selection of my books. Order a book from them by calling 1-877-634-4414. They will be happy to help you.  If you live in northcentral Wisconsin, stop at the Janke bookstore in Wausau (phone 715-845-9648).  They have a large selection of my books.