Seasons played an important part in early times. Every family had a small apple orchard, which had to be trimmed and cared for in the spring. ground had to be prepared for planting, the almanac furnishing the proper information. The women were busy housecleaning, preparing food and getting clothes ready for the hot weather. Late spring and early summer were busy times for the women as housecleaning was their major task. they would take up the homemade rag carpet from all the rooms, The wooden floors were scrubbed every inch on hands and knees with hot water and homemade lye soap. The rugs and carpets were usually hung on rope lines between two trees and cleaned with carpet beaters. The beaters were quite efficient but they required plenty of arm muscle. Whenthe floors were dry the carpets was careful replace and nailed all around the edges to keep it in place. Sometimes straw was placed under the carpet for added wrmth and insulation. The mattresses would be opened and the oat straw in them removed and replaced with fresh clean straw. Oat straw was used because it had no beards like rye or barley straw.. Most families had a least one feather mattress. This consisted of heavy ticking stuffed full of feathers. Goose feathers, or rather the down of young geese, made thebest mattress but chicken feathers were used extensively. To the old timers there is nothing more comfortable than a good goosedown mattress. Pillows were always filled with goosedown. Modern mattress are wonderful, but there is nothing that can compare with a good feather filled pillow for it is sofe and ready conforms to the shape of one's head. originally beds were equipped with cords stretched in a least two directions acrossthe bed to hold the mattress. This is taken from Windham Township Wyoming Co. Pa 1787-1977 [email protected]