County of sign: Swain County
Location of sign: US-441 (Newfound Gap Rd.), Mountain Farm Museum, N. of Cherokee
Phone: 865-436-7318
Marker erected by: Great Smokey Mountains National park; National Park Service, U.S. Department of the Interior
The Garden
Gardens produce fresh food as well food to preserve and varied in size depending on the needs of a family. Before home conning came into widespread use, pickling and drying were the primary methods of preserving foods. Some garden produce, like potatoes, turnips and cabbage, stored well for the winter if protected from freezing.
Plants like lettuce, turnips, mustard, and cabbage, that could tolerate cool weather, made it possible to grow some fresh "greens" throughout much of the year.
Wild greens, berries, nuts and a variety of other forest plants also provided food for families.
gardens
"The family garden was normally located close to the house as a matter of convenience, and was usually enclosed by a fence to protect it from livestock. Unlike larger agricultural fields which were often abandoned as they became less productive, it was not unusual for gardens to be planted in the same spot for generations. This was possible because manure could easily be hauled from the barn and spread on the garden to help keep the soil productive year after year.
"Gardens not only produced vegetables to be eaten fresh, but also food to be preserved for the winter. Before home-canning became widespread, the most common methods for food preservation wre drying and pickling.
Some foods, like potatoes, turnips, and cabbage, stored well for winter use if protected from freezing.
"With early and late plantings of crops that could tolerate cool weather, like lettuce, turnips, and cabbage, gardens could produce fresh foods through much of the year. In addition to the food they grew, many families also gathered a wide variety of food from the forest, including wild greens, fruits, nuts, and berries." ~ Text by Tom Robbins, for Great Smoky Mountain Association & Nationals Park Service
fences
'"Horse-high, hog-tight, and bull-strong" was the saying often used to describe the requirements of a good fence. Before the days of stock laws, grazing livestock was allowed to range free through the mountains. Fences were used more for keeping livestock out of gardens, fields and yards than keeping animals confined.
"One of the most common fences in the Southern mountains was the split rail fence. A rail fence could take a number of forms, but the most popular was the "snake" (or "zig-zag") fence. Although this type of fence seems wasteful due to the number of rails required, it did have advantages. Since the rails were stacked end-on-end at an angle, the fence was self-supporting and did not require posts. This was important in areas where rocky ground could make post hole digging nearly impossible. This type fence was also portable. It was relatively easy to dismantle and move as the boundaries of fields changed.
"A more permanent type of wooden fence, used most often around yards and gardens, was the palen (or picket) fence. The palens were hand-rived, or split, from blocks of wood using a froe and mallet.
"Stone fences were also found in the mountains, but were often the result of clearing land for cultivation. Additionally, stone walls were sometimes constructed as part of a terracing system to help level a hillside field. One advantage of stone fences was that the building material did not rot." ~ Text by Tom Robbins, for Great Smoky Mountain Association & Nationals Park Service.