The following chapter is on the Iowa History Site. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ STORIES OF IOWA FOR BOYS AND GIRLS CHAPTER XXVI EARNING A LIVING Earning a living in pioneer times was not an easy task. Before a crop could be put in, the tough prairie sod had to be broken. This was done with a huge breaking plow drawn by five or six yoke of oxen. Such a plow cut shallow furrows about twenty-four inches wide. To plant the first crop of corn, the pioneer farmer used an ax to cut gashes in the sod two or three feet apart. Then he dropped about four kernels of corn into each gash, and a child or a man following after covered the corn with a hoe. Crows often pulled up the young sprouts of corn to get the kernel at the root. Boys and girls had to chase the crows away by screaming at them or by beating on pans. The corn was gathered in the fall with the husks on and piled in the barn to dry. Later, a "husking bee," a party for husking corn, brought the neighbors together for fun as well as work. After the first crop had been gathered, the field was plowed again and the sod was broken up into finer particles. It was then possible to mark out the field with a stick or by a marker drawn by a horse. Lines were thus made across the field three feet apart in each direction. At the place where the lines crossed kernels of corn were dropped and covered by hand. Often the whole family - father, mother, boys and girls - would help to plant corn. Wheat and oats were sown by hand. Back and forth across the black loam walked the sower, with a bag slung from his shoulder and his right arm swinging back and forth scattering the seed evenly. Debbie Clough Gerischer