The Phrase Laid By or Lay By

John B.

Well-known Member
Doesn't the phrase "Laid By" mean when they use to cultivate corn with a little 6 or 10 inch one bottom horse drawn plow and lay dirt up against the corn plants to keep the weeds out?? I've heard my mom years ago talk about this and use this phrase. She's 87 now. She also said on time her one brother was laying by corn and it was hot. The poor horse died while performing this chore she said.
 
When I was a kid we put "hillers" on the cultivator to lay by the corn on the third and final cultivation.
Many is the time I thought I would "die" before we got done from the heat.
The only consolation was the fact that I could go in third with the DC Case to speed up the operation.
Done by the Fourth most years.
 
My dad (born 1885)told me that it was common for a young boy to drive a horse pulling a cast iron mower wheel between roes of mature corn to push dirt around the stalks. This was one of the first tasks assigned to a boy to train him in handling a horse. When I was clearing a fence row with a dozer I uncovered a mower wheel with a chain attached. The man who raised boys on this farm died in 1921
 
Here in tobacco country, like others mentioned with corn, it is basically the last cultivation before the plants are become too big to cultivate without damaging them. Dirt is pushed up to tobacco at every cultivation to cover weeds and grass between plants as well as help the plants withstand winds and driving rains better and improve drainage if too wet conditions come along.
 
When Grandpa and his 6 boys got cotton laid by, they would load up and drive about 15 miles up on Chauga River and spend a week fishing. Took live chickens to eat as well as corn meal and flour. Had to park up on the ridge and walk in to Raven Rock. The rock jutted out of the mountain side and gave them a place to sleep in case of rain. They seined the river to catch fish to eat. Daddy talked about a wildcat coming into camp one night and grabbing the pan they had cooked fish in. Grandma and the 2 girls stayed home and I am sure it felt like a vacation to them to not have to cook for the men.
Wish life was that simple now. Hard work and simple pleasures.
Richard in NW SC
 
I have no idea what the correct spelling is, but it means the crop is tall enough to prevent weeds from growning. The tall crop blocks the sunlight preventing weeds form growing. Usually we cultivated 2 to 3 times for weed control. Even used a rotary hoe for the first time.
 

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