Jack-In-The-Pulpit

The Jack-in-the-pulpit, also known as Indian turnip, is a plant flowering from April to June in moist woods, by streams, and in marshy meadows. The flowers are hidden inside the cylindrical structure call the "Jack".  Each leaf has three segments. (You can see this well in the top picture.) The three leaf segments gave rise to the scientific name Arisaema triphyllum (tri- three). The spathe or "pulpit" is just a modified leaf from which the Jack (spadix) extends. The spadix is inside with the true flowers. The spadix produces a mushroom-like odor attracting an insect called the "fungus fly". These flies are attracted to the plant and assist in transferring pollen for fertilization.

A Jack-in-the-pulpit can either be male or female, not both as with many plants. A male plant has tiny thread-like yellow to brown anthers at the base of the spadix. Female plants produce a cluster of tiny green berries inside the Jack. In the fall the berries turn red and are great food for birds. One very interesting fact about the Jack is that a plant can change sex from year to year depending on how much food it has stored in the corm (taproot) during a growing period. If the growing season was poor, it will be male the next year. If the plant stored a good deal of food in the taproot, the next year it will be female.

The Jack-in-the-pulpit is in the arum family. The word, "arum", means fire. The Jack gets that name because of needle-like crystals found in the tubers. The tubers have a peppery taste and can cause a burning sensation if eaten raw. This can be eliminated by cooking or drying.  Native American gathered the taproots and ate them as a vegetable but only after cooked or dried- never raw.

Poke Salad (Phytolacca americana)

Years ago people had to make the most of the food that was available to them. Pokeweed, better known as "poke salad", was one of those plants that grew wild around fence rows and barns. Most parts of the pokeweed had toxic chemicals in it but could be eaten if cooked properly.

It was best to pick the poke salad when tender and young, about 6-8 inches tall. The roots were never eaten as they were more poisonous. When picked early the leaves and stems were less toxic. People usually cooked it a couple of times (pouring off the water each time it was boiled) to remove some of the toxic chemicals. The third time it was boiled and then cooked until tender. Sometimes scrambled eggs were added or little green onions. Poke salad was beneficial because it was rich in iron and vitamin C.

Poke salad has reddish color stems and can grow as tall as 12 feet tall. The white flowers it produces develop into hanging clusters of purple to black berries. We were always told the berries were poisonous too, however, it didn't stop us from mixing them in our mud pies. We also made homemade play dough from salt and flour using poke berries as our dye. The early colonists also used the ripe berries as a dye.

Native Americans used a herbal remedy made from pokeweed for a heart stimulant, for treating cancer, rheumatism, itching, and syphillis. Common country folk used it as a laxative. Today scientists are studying pokeweed as a source of possible chemicals for the treatment of diseases.
From the American cancer website we discovered that researchers have identified a protein called PAP (pokeweed antiviral protein) that has shown anti-tumor effects in mice. Test-tube studies have also shown that PAP demonstrates action against herpes and HIV. So far there have been no clinical trials using PAP on humans. This plant ,some consider a weed and some consider a food source, may one day provide important drugs for all of mankind.

Hay-Fork

This hay-fork was bought and installed in the ridge of a new barn built by James David McCoy around 1910. The hay-fork was used to move loose hay from a hay wagon to a haystack in the loft of the barn.  It used a fork device, ropes and pulleys and a wooden rail to move hay.

A wagon of loose hay was driven into the barn. Then a rope lowered the metal fork into the hay. A tripping device extended forks into the hay enabling you to lift the entire load, if the hay was properly stacked on the wagon. A pulley system was used to lift the hay to the loft.  The trolley then rode along the rail. When the hay was in the right location, a string attached to a small tripping device pulled the forks back in, releasing the hay. This type of operation was used before the advent of hay-balers.

The hay-fork now hangs in our sunroom as a reminder of my family's past history on this land. I salvaged it out of the barn just before my uncle demolished it. The barn had deteriorated to the extent that it was no longer structurally sound.  I stored it for years hoping to one day find a use for it. And I did. Every time I look at it, I am reminded of my heritage. It also makes a great conversation piece for visitors to our home.

Ox Yoke

This ox yoke hangs on the wall going from our sunroom to the kitchen. It is a constant reminder of my grandfather, John McCoy, who bought a team of oxen in 1936 to log a Tupelo tree swamp that TVA was going to force him to sell. He wanted to cut the timber before the sale because the TVA flooding would kill the trees. 

He had plenty of mule teams, but they did not work well in the swamps because their hooves were round and would sink into the mud and create a suction. Whereas, an ox has two toes that spread apart when they put their feet down. When they lifted their hoof the toes came together. That made the hoof smaller, breaking the suction, and allowing them to withdraw their hoof from the mud. This allowed them to work in wet and muddy terrain.

In the bottom picture are two ox shoes. They were shod, like horses and mules, in order to protect their hooves and give them more traction.

Oxeye Daisy

This white-and-yellow Daisy is a common sight on roadsides, and in meadows and pastures. It has no medicinal use and is not considered a weed but can be an invasive species, especially in pastures. The plants often crowd out pasture grasses. Oxeye daisies form spreading colonies up to three feet tall with flowers about 1-2 inches in size. You will see it blooming throughout the summer months.

This species, also called the "day's eye", can make dairy farmers very unhappy. If eaten by cows it can produce a not so pleasant flavor to the milk- even though cattle typically do not like to eat it due to the offensive taste. The daisy was introduced to North America form Europe.

Everyone may not agree that the oxeye daisy is a beneficial plant, but you cannot ignore its beauty. This pen and ink drawing of a jersey cow in the midst of oxeye daisies is available for $40.00.

Spiderwort

Recently a very interesting characteristics of the Spiderwort has been observed by Japanese scientists at Kyoto University. Spiderworts have show experimental evidence suggesting that they can detect radiation not detected by scientific instruments. This biological sensitivity may indicate a serious use for the plants other than just enjoying their beauty. Notice the stamens in the center of the flower (yellow tops). In the presence of radiation the blue or blue-purple stems of the stamens turn pink. The same change has also been observed in the presence of chemical pollution.

Spiderworts get their name as a result of viewing them from above. From above the whole plant resembles a large "spider". The flower forms the "body" and the leaves make the "legs".
When the stem if broken, sap emerges forming slimy filaments resembling a spider's web. This is also where it gets the nickname, "Cow Slobber".

Flowers of the Spiderwort are about the size of a nickel. Spiderworts are monocots having long narrow leaves with parallel veins. The flower petals of monocots occur in threes or multiples of three. Flowering occurs form April to July. You can find them in wooded borders, thickets, meadows, and
roadsides.

The Cherokee Indians used the plant to make a tea for female problems and as a laxative. The Lakota used the flowers to make paint, hence the nickname, "Indian Paint". Crushing the leaves made a good treatment for insect bites and stings.

This plant is also a favorite for biology teachers. They have large chromosomes that are well suited to the study of cells. It is also very easy to see the flowing cytoplasm and nucleus with a microscope.

Old Pigs

When the weather turned cold in the fall and a cold frosty morn arrived, it was hog killing time. With no refrigeration the meat temperatures had to remain cool until the meat was cured. Hogs were killed when they were 300-500 pounds. They were fattened on slop (food scraps) and corn.

Pigs were the main source of meat for country people. Almost all of the hog could be used by the family. The hams and middlings (bacon) were salted and then smoked. Sausage was made from the scraps and sometimes the shoulders. The tenderloin was eaten fresh as were the organs. The fat from the pig was rendered into lard to be used for cooking. When the fat was rendered to liquid form it was poured into "tin lard stands (5 gallon lard buckets). The solids that remained were called cracklings and were eaten fresh or added to cornbread. Chittlings were made from the intestines after they were stripped and washed clean. The head, feet and tail were made into souse meat. The tongue was boiled with fresh back bones. The brain was usually scrambled with eggs the morning after killing and served with the fresh sausage. As the old saying goes, "Everything was used but the squeal".

This pen and ink drawing of the country pig is 10 inches by 12 inches and prints are available for $40.00

Indian Pink

Indian pink was very abundant in the southern part of the United States until around 1830 when it almost became extinct due to over harvesting.  The native Americans had found that the root, though poisonous, was a cure for worms in humans, especially roundworms. This treatment was often unpleasant and produced serious side effect, but soon American pharmacists as well as European physicians began to use the plant. The Creeks and Cherokees sold the plant in great quantities for cash. Fortunately, doctors became concerned with side effects- dizziness, rapid heartbeat, vision problems, and convulsions. Finally the use of Indian Pink was discontinued by the 1920's.

Indian pink (Spigelia marilandica) produces trumpet-shaped flowers, red on the outside and yellow inside. They grow in clumps and bloom from March to June. In nature they are usually found in moist woods and along stream beds but grow well in gardens. The flowering season can be extended by removing the withered flowers from the plant. Hummingbirds enjoy the nectar from the flowers and also aid in the process of pollination.

Pointed Blue-eyed Grass

The flower of the pointed blue-eyed grass (Sisyrinchium angustifolium)is about the size of a dime. The small blue or violet-blue flowers have a yellow center with points on the end. You will find them blooming from May to July. Their habitats are meadows, low woods, and shores. Even though the flowers are very small, the plant has features of the Iris family and is not a grass. The green seed pods below the flower will produce and release small black seeds.

Hummingbird Haven

This year our hummingbirds arrived on the first day of April.  We had already put out our feeders in anticipation of their arrival. Many of the same birds come back each year. We know this because if the feeders are not in place, the birds will hover at the window and look in as if to say, "Where's lunch?".  By the end of summer we may have as many as 20-25 birds. We will fill 4 feeders once a day during the time of greatest demand.

Hummingbirds burn a great deal of calories each day, feeding about 4 times every hour. They take in the nectar through their tubular tongues.  At night their body functions, such as heart rate and breathing, slows down to about 5% of the daytime function. Some hummingbirds migrate 2,000 miles from the breeding sites to their wintering home.

Do not feed hummingbirds honey mixed with water. There bodies cannot digest honey. They will eat it but will eventually die.  Homemade feeding solution can be made from 1 part white sugar to 4-5 parts warm water. (The warm water helps the sugar to completely dissolve.) Keep your feeders clean by rinsing them with vinegar and hot water. If ants are attracted to your feeders, coat the line used to hang the feeder with vegetable oil. This prevents them from climbing down to the feeder.

Male hummingbirds are very territorial. If the males begin to fight add more feeders.

Great Horned Owl

These night hunters take crows and turkeys off their roost and an occasional chicken out of the hen house. However, their main diet is the field mouse. Those of us living in the country appreciate their appetite for mice, as it is a constant battle keeping them out of home and barns on the farm.

In some Indian cultures the great horned owl was associated with death. Hearing the owl for several nights warned of a coming death. The Cherokee Indians placed owl feathers in water and bathed their children's eyes to keep them awake for all night ceremonies.

This particular owl is a great horned owl. They are the largest species in the area and migrate through the southeast during winter months. This drawing in pen and ink is available for $30.00 for a 6" by 8" print.

Ole Tom's Grave

This little inset in our rail fence is the marker of the grave of Thomas Atkerson and his child. As the story was told by my grandmother, Eula McCoy, Tom and his child died of a fever. His wife sold the land to Theodore McCoy for a horse and saddle in the early 1850's. They buried the two next to the house place. We have found evidence of the house beside the grave. His wife then took the horse and left never to return.

We have never been able to verify this story, however, there definitely is a grave, and we preserved the site in respect of "Ole Tom". The hill on which our house is located has always been called "The Tom Hill".

International Dogwood Festival

We have our art set-up this weekend in Winchester, TN for the International Dogwood Festival! Great weather for an outdoor festival. Lots of food, vendors, and music. Tomorrow night, May 3rd, the Charlie Daniels band will be performing on the square. No charge for entering the festival or watching the concert. Now that is a deal for Charlie Daniels fans.