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"Four Seasons" handkerchief, Great Britain, ca. 1820s. Accession number G1971-1445. ice skating plowing and planting harvesting wheat harvest dance milking cows scything a field

Handkerchief: "Four Seasons"

This silk handkerchief was made in Great Britain in the 1820s. The central medallion depicts four women as the seasons standing on a globe. The borders of the handkerchief illustrate a variety of activities appropriate to the seasons: milking cows, plowing and planting, a harvest dance, two harvesting scenes, and skating.

Agricultural work was highly seasonal. In winter and early spring, farmers prepared the land for planting. They ditched fields for proper drainage and fenced them to prevent livestock from trampling the crops. During summer growing season, weeding was a constant chore. In autumn, the harvesting was the primary task. The year was filled with backbreaking physical labor.

In Virginia, tobacco was the primary cash crop, but corn and wheat were also grown.Corn was a staple food for Virginians and the tops and blades of the corn plants provided fodder for livestock. Farmers planted corn in spring after the last frost. With good weather, both crops grew well, were harvested in autumn, and stored in corncribs for later use. Extra corn and wheat from the annual harvest was also sold for profit.

Even after the crops were harvested in the autumn, life remained busy on Virginia farms. People gathered and preserved fruits and vegetables for use throughout the winter, pressed apples into cider, stored root vegetables, and cut down trees to clear fields and to provide firewood and lumber. Farmers split firewood and allowed it to season for the following year. They repaired buildings and tools. They gathered free-ranging cattle and hogs from the woods and marshes to butcher, usually in December when it was cold enough to safely process meat. Some of the meat was eaten immediately but most was salted and smoked to preserve it for future consumption. They could also sell excess meat for additional family income.

Middling-sort farmer’s wives not only bore and raised their children and helped in the fields, but also cooked, washed, sewed, and tended garden for the household. Maintaining the household and procuring and preparing foods were never ending demands. The work was also physically difficult. In a middling-sort household younger children would help with chores such as stacking and bringing in firewood, preparing some foods, hauling water, weeding, and tending animals.

To see a larger version of the entire handkerchief, click on the center of the image. To view details of each scene around the edge of the handkerchief, click on the individual scenes (NOTE: A total of six details can be viewed.)