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Black Eyed Peas, Cornbread and Collards
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Black Eyed Peas, Cornbread and Collards


Sep 2, 2020, 6:35 PM

I added the cornbread and collards to the title to take up space and whet your appetite for some gourmet food. This story is about to young boys and their desire to have a small garden.

I was about ten years of age and my older brother about 12 when this story happened in the early 1930's.We lived in a small town in North Florida and our property covered about one-third of a city block. We had a chicken yard where there were about 50 chickens, mostly hens. We had plenty of eggs and there was always a hen for roasting. At the back of the property was a large area covered with grass and weeds which we had to mow on a regular basis.

My brother and I was digging in this area one day when we though it would be nice if we had a small garden. We asked our Dad if we could plant a garden and he was in total agreement. He probably thought this would help keep us out of trouble. He hired a local man to come and plow a small area with his mule and turn plow. Plowing was quite easy because the soil mas mostly sand. My brother and I took iron rakes and prepared the plowed area for a garden.

We had not yet decided what we wanted to plant but we remembered our Mother had a large bag of black eyed peas in the pantry. We were not aware of getting special seed from a seed store so we got our Mother's supply. that bag of peas were enough to plant almost the entire plowed area. The soil was so poor it probably would not produce two burps to the acre and we did not include fertilizer. The location of the garden was a long way from the nearest spigot and not once did we water the garden. When the peas began to germinate I believe we must have had 100% germination. As the pea vines grew, there were also weeds and grass intermingled with the peas. We figured any hand cultivation was too much work so we let the weeds and grass remain. Fortunately, we had several good rains during the growing season so the peas, weeds and grass were growing like kudzu.

Eventually, the peas began to bloom and all signs pointed to a bumper crop. When the peas became mature, we didn't have a bumper crop, we had a super bumper crop. Everyone who saw our pea patch though my brother and I were super gardeners. Grocery store peas for seeds, no fertilizer, no additional watering and no cultivation made for a beautiful pea patch. The pea vines were so healthy they were shading out the weeds and grass.

My brother and I picked peas every day and we were beginning to think we were having black eyed peas for every meal. On a poor day we would pick a bushel and other days two or three bushels. We had peas all over our back porch. We asked our Dad what were we going to do with all of those peas and he suggested we share them with our neighbors. About two years earlier we had received a red wagon for Christmas so we loaded up the wagon and began delivering black eyed peas all over the neighborhood. We maintained this delivery service until we eventually ran out of peas.

I had a small garden spot at my former residence here in Clemson. The soil was better than what we had in Florida. I used certified seed, fertilizer and watered the garden regularly, but those peas never did as well as those I had as a ten year old.

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Are you saying Joe21 that Clemson soil isn’t worth a Coot (meant hoot)?!


Sep 2, 2020, 6:44 PM

LoL..good story!

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Re: Are you saying Joe21 that Clemson soil isn’t worth a Coot (meant hoot)?!


Sep 2, 2020, 6:49 PM

No Bill. I'm saying that sometimes nature is smarter than humans.

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My ONE attempt at a suburban garden did not go nearly as


Sep 2, 2020, 6:59 PM

well as your early one, either. I planted 4 things. Tomatoes, corn, cucumbers, and yellow squash.

EVERY SINGLE tow mater that dared show up on those plants succumbed to blossom end rot.

The corn stalks grew straight and proud, producing fine cobs, but with hardly any corn attached.

The cukes (which I detest) and the yeller squashes thrived. I learned yeller squashes are in fact, quite prolific growers.

But, all in all, it was enough of a disappointment that I awarded myself a Brown Thumb, and retired from gardening. :(

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Re: My ONE attempt at a suburban garden did not go nearly as


Sep 2, 2020, 7:14 PM

Ah, the days of yesteryear Joe. I wish we could all go back. But we can't and I have to deal with nut grass !!

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Re: My ONE attempt at a suburban garden did not go nearly as


Sep 2, 2020, 8:32 PM

I've always heard the best way to deal with nut grass is to move away and leave it.

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Re: Black Eyed Peas, Cornbread and Collards


Sep 2, 2020, 7:31 PM

I know what you mean by the "grocery store" seeds. My father was a true believer that those beans/peas would not sprout because they had been "scalded". I set out to prove him wrong one day and planted half a bag of pinto beans in a small garden I had made in the back of our yard. The garden was for the sole purpose of making myself available to the neighbor's very hot 15-year old daughter...who was also my classmate. Anyway, those pintos grew like crazy. Let me tell you something...you haven't lived until you have cooked and tasted "fresh" pinto beans. So much better than those that are dried, and will cook in 20 minutes.

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Re: Black Eyed Peas, Cornbread and Collards


Sep 2, 2020, 7:43 PM

I love reading your stories. Thanks for sharing.

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the peas are like children...


Sep 2, 2020, 8:02 PM

you coddle them too much and the grow up weak.

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Re: Black Eyed Peas, Cornbread and Collards


Sep 2, 2020, 8:51 PM

Love the story about the peas. When I was coming up we planted a very old pea called Red Hull Shinney. They were very prolific and tasty, if any one still has this seed or knows anyone that does please reply.........

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Re: Black Eyed Peas, Cornbread and Collards


Sep 2, 2020, 9:16 PM

When I read the subject line all I could think was Happy New Year!

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Re: Black Eyed Peas, Cornbread and Collards


Sep 3, 2020, 1:52 AM

Peas are tough as nails. Good story. "Bless yore pea pickin' heart."

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Re: Black Eyed Peas, Cornbread and Collards


Sep 3, 2020, 3:43 AM

You should add back meat and the dessert of pecan pie. Do not forget the ice tea.

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