Letters From the Front

Dated: March 1, 1917

Dear Father:

In your letter you asked about French farming. Actually my chances for seeing them at work have been few, on account of it being winter, when the fields are unworkable. The style of living of farmers here is different from ours. Instead of living on their farms they all live in villages, and traveling across country is like a trip across the prairie, as you travel 2 to 3 miles without seeing a house. Moreover, the land is rarely fenced, and with few trees is almost impossible to notice were a field begins or ends. The chief crop is sugar beets and these are kept from frost by making piles in the field, and covering them, first with straw, and then with 3 or 4 inches of earth. The machinery they use is rather crude. The plows are of solid metal and weigh heavy. There are few binders, while I have only noticed one reaper. The grain last year was evidently good, as the wheat I see in the barns is long in straw and the heads well filled. It is also stacked in the fields.

Houses and barns are usually built together, forming a courtyard with the barns next to the street. Nearly all are so built, the barn next to the road, for the Frenchman doesn't believe in wasting room. The barns are small as a rule, and are either made of brick or mud. The houses are also unimposing, and are usually of brick, with a mud coating, and then painted white. They are generally two rooms in size and the floors tiled, and as a result are cold and draughty. Their stoves are small with a heating part built somewhat like a Québec heater. A small oven or water boiler is built in behind them. Fuel is slack coal, which is dear, so they burn it to a fine ash. Incidentally they have taught us how to get the stuff to burn. We were always using the lump coal, as the fine stuff put our fire and, but we were shown how by pouring water on it first the stuff burns well. As far as I can find out coal costs about $12 a ton. A low attic and a tiled roof completes the house. The furniture is plain and generally of oak. Chairs are everywhere, for a Frenchman doesn't consider his house furnished unless he has at least 10 chairs kicking around the kitchen. While the house is clean, the manure pile is always right in front of the door, with the livestock, to improve the view.

Their horses are large - big boned and over 16 hands. They are strong walkers and are generally even tempered. The peasant likes white horses, so that color predominates. A few cows, fed on straw and linseed cake, and the usual supply of pigs, completes the establishment. Hens are a paying proposition as eggs cost us 8 to 10 cents apiece, and these are better to be fried in your presence.

Prices for produce have, I suppose, gone up with the war, but some things are still cheap. Candy in the shape of chocolates, is about double the price in Canada, while cakes are only a little higher. Bread costs more and is dark in color. On the other hand, I went down to a barber the other day and had a haircut for 3 sous.

The roads here are wonderful - wide and hard. They keep them constantly in repair, and have the roads sunk below the level. In that way they are of especial benefit in war times, as the high sides give cover to the traffic and make it harder for Fritz to spot movements from his planes.

Watson