I was watching some TV the other day and found a series called "The Victorian Farm". It's about the team finding an old Victorian Farm where most of the old implements were still there. So the series follows three historians as they spend a year working on the farm just the way the old Victorian farmers would have lived.
In the first part they mentioned that they based a lot of the series on "The Book of the Farm" as it was the best account of how to run a farm in these old times. They also mentioned that at this period there was a revolution going on in farming where new technology was being used.
I enjoy exploring ways that our ancestors lived in there old days so searched for and found the book. And so I have actually make two copies of it available. The first edition from from 1852 in three volumes and the fourth edition from 1889 in six volumes. The period between the two publications saw a huge change in the method of farming so both editions are well worth reading.
In the first part of the series they mention that while farm life is covered hardly any mention was made of the role of the farmers wife who would have made the meals and likely looked after the chickens and perhaps even milked the cow. They did however refer to a book which they thought most farmers wives would have used for recipes. I have thus also found a copy of this book and included it on the page. The book is...
MODERN COOKERY IN ALL ITS BEANCHES:
EMBRACING A SERIES OF PLAIN AND SIMPLE INSTRUCTIONS TO PRIVATE FAMILIES AND OTHERS, FOR THE CAREFUL AND JUDICIOUS PREPARATION OF EVERY VARIETY OF FOOD AS DRAWN FROM PRACTICAL OBSERVATION AND EXPERIENCE. BY MISS ELIZA ACTON,
WITH DIRECTIONS FOR SETTING OUT AND ORNAMENTING THE TABLE, CARVING, RELATIVE DUTIES OF MISTRESS AND MAID, Etc., Etc. (1860)
Again in the first part of the series the farmer's wife is shown preserving fruit, pickling, and also showing how the cooking range was restored and used. We also get to see the early use of farm machinery and some old method of creating cider.
And so if you can find this TV series to watch I'd highly recommend it. The books I found are made available as pdf files and can be found at http://www.electricscotland.com/agriculture/farm.htm
Alastair
In the first part they mentioned that they based a lot of the series on "The Book of the Farm" as it was the best account of how to run a farm in these old times. They also mentioned that at this period there was a revolution going on in farming where new technology was being used.
I enjoy exploring ways that our ancestors lived in there old days so searched for and found the book. And so I have actually make two copies of it available. The first edition from from 1852 in three volumes and the fourth edition from 1889 in six volumes. The period between the two publications saw a huge change in the method of farming so both editions are well worth reading.
In the first part of the series they mention that while farm life is covered hardly any mention was made of the role of the farmers wife who would have made the meals and likely looked after the chickens and perhaps even milked the cow. They did however refer to a book which they thought most farmers wives would have used for recipes. I have thus also found a copy of this book and included it on the page. The book is...
MODERN COOKERY IN ALL ITS BEANCHES:
EMBRACING A SERIES OF PLAIN AND SIMPLE INSTRUCTIONS TO PRIVATE FAMILIES AND OTHERS, FOR THE CAREFUL AND JUDICIOUS PREPARATION OF EVERY VARIETY OF FOOD AS DRAWN FROM PRACTICAL OBSERVATION AND EXPERIENCE. BY MISS ELIZA ACTON,
WITH DIRECTIONS FOR SETTING OUT AND ORNAMENTING THE TABLE, CARVING, RELATIVE DUTIES OF MISTRESS AND MAID, Etc., Etc. (1860)
Again in the first part of the series the farmer's wife is shown preserving fruit, pickling, and also showing how the cooking range was restored and used. We also get to see the early use of farm machinery and some old method of creating cider.
And so if you can find this TV series to watch I'd highly recommend it. The books I found are made available as pdf files and can be found at http://www.electricscotland.com/agriculture/farm.htm
Alastair
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