and ground the grain. In about an hour from the time the grain was standing in the field she had a well baked cake made of the flour. An-

other mill was built in the South Shore Settlement. One of my uncles

built a mill at North Lake.

I enjoyed going to the grist mill. It was a noisy mealy place but I liked to see the machinery going. I liked shelled oats. The oats were dried in a kiln and then shelled. The little clean kernels tasted like peanuts. The miller who was my cousin, let me fill my pockets with this delicious nutty-tasting grain. Many of the settlers had to carry the grain on their backs several miles to the mill. For several years after they had mills, they had no roads or carriages. They were a strong, hardy people. One man who had caught a large number of herring wanted to preserve some, but he had no barrel or salt. He . walked ten miles, bought a barrel and a bushel of salt, and carried them home.

H uskin g Barley

Husking barley was, in part, a neighbourhood industry, and was often made a pleasant social affair. We had a mortar in which the barley was husked; this was made by gouging a bowl-shaped hole in the side of a large log; the log was first squared with a broad-axe and short legs put under it. The bowl was near one end so the husker , could sit on the log when at work, as one sits on a horse when riding. ‘ The barley was prepared for husking by drying it thoroughly in a . screen above the stove, or near the fireplace. It was then put into the bowl in the log, in such quantities at a time as the bowl could contain, '5 and moistened with warm water and then pounded with a maul—a 5 large wooden hammer—until all the husk was peeled off it. It was then dried and the husks fanned out leaving the pure pearl barley. This added to soup made it very delicious and healthful. The neigh- , bour women frequently came to husk their barley in our mortar. One ; of my brothers and I usually did the husking for them, while they 5.; chatted over a cup of tea with mother. This was very agreeable to i all, and established friendly and enjoyable social relations among the families.

48