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A Sophiasburgh ”8" farm 125 years ago By Gordon Crouse When the census enumerator called on James Bishop who lived at Gilbert’s Mills (just north of Bloomfield), he found him engaged in real mixed farming. This was in March, 1861, in the days when censusrecords were deposited in- the Depart‘ ment of Agriculture due to the fact that about 90 per cent of the people worked the soil. Today’s trend toward specialized and so-called ”gentlemen" farmers were as scarce as hen’s teeth then. Interestingly chickens and other fowl never appeared in lists of lives- tock in early enumera- tions. What did the census reveal? First of all, Bishop, who settled here in the 1830’s from Ireland, valued his livestock at $31,171. It con- sisted of five bulls or oxen, nine steers or heifers, eight milch cows, eight horses,’ two colts or fillies, 28 sheep, and 13 pigs. Machinery on the farm was worth $210â€"believe it or not! Produce from his one acre of’garden and orchard was worth $30. Transportation was proâ€" vided for the large family that lived in the farge frame house by two plea- Sure vehicles (carriages) worth $40 each, The family liVed near the schoolhouse and sawmill where the 24:0 we farm was located. It was laurel-i: ased by James Bishop from the Upper Canada Land Boa rd in its primitive state as a Clergy Reserve. The government had set aside certain lands during Ontario's early settlement as gifts to recognized de- nominations, chiefly Anglican and Presbyte- nan. It was sold to the Irish farmer in pounds, shill- ings, and pence, in 1846 and it was fichopped” or cleared and paid for in eight years. William A. Munro, the 1861 census enumerator for District Five, was told that the whole farm operaâ€" tion, land, stock, machinâ€" ery, and produce, was worth $6,000. In the column ”under woods" we find 78 acres, leaving 170 acres cultiâ€" vated. Fifteen acres were set aside for pasture with 154 acres under crops. It may interest present- day farmers to know what crops were grown. The fol- lowing (acreage) crops are shown: one Indian corn and 34 acres of potatoes! After all, Bishop was an Irishman! Back 125 years ago resi- dents of Prince Edward County did not rely on supermarkets to keep their larder, or pantry, full. Witness the produce James Bishop and his wife Rebecca had in store: one bushel of hers, four pounds hops, mne tons. tray, 60 pounds wool, 200 pounds maple sugar, 10 yards fulled cloth, 40 yards flannel, 350 pounds butter, and 1,800 pounds of meat! This cunslsmd of Seven barrels of pork and two barrels of beef, each weighing 200 pounds. I imagine they had enough to feed their three sons and six daughters plus produce to, take to the local market. I also imagine that Bishop was an industrious farmer and his wife was a good manager who stayed at home and looked after the needs of husband and family. She was born Rebecca Pearsall, daughter of pioneer settler John Pear- sall and his wife, Hannah Abrams, all of Sophiasâ€" burgh and formerly of the New Republic, the U.‘S.A. U3