In the Shade of the Resting Tree

Sometime when you are traveling across the rural part of the country where there is ordinarily a goodly number of trees you might watch the fields as you pass by. If you look closely you might notice a large tree standing in the midst of many of them. Those trees are not there by accident or through some oversight of the farmer. They are a holdover from the days when the land was tilled by teams of horses or mules. Back in the countryside of my youth we called them resting trees.

            They were left there on purpose back in the days when farmwork was done by teams. Their purpose was to provide shade and rest for the animals when the farmer took a break for meals or to repair equipment. He would unhook the animals from the machinery and lead them to the shade where they were provided feed and water. It was important to properly care for and rest the draft animals just as a modern farmer would service his tractor on a regular basis.

            Many years ago my Uncle Melvin farmed about a quarter section (160 acres) and almost all of his fields were in sight of the farmhouse. Around noon Aunt Ala would place a white dish towel on the roof of the house as a signal for him to come in for dinner (in those days our noon meal was called dinner not lunch). He would unhitch the team, lead them to the shade of the resting tree where he staked them out before watering them and putting a feedbag of oats on each mule. Then he would walk to the house where he would eat and nap for an hour or so during the heat of the day before returning to the field. He would also let the team take a “blow” or rest under the tree sometime during the hot afternoon because they were going to be out there working until close to sundown. That was pretty much the routine for field work during those days.

            Not long ago I had reason to be back in that part of the country and went by his old place. Sure enough the resting tree was still standing in the middle of the field. When I walked out there to check it out I found the ground littered with bits of harness, some old broken plow shares, and other bits and pieces of what had once been farm machinery. It brought to mind some vivid memories of a time gone by and made me wonder if by chance someone might discover those same items sometime in the future would they have the slightest clue what took place there so many years ago in the shade of the resting tree.