Saltmarsh Haying
This poster is a reproduction of a watercolour painting by Nova Scotia Museum artist Azor Vienneau which depicts saltmarsh haying on an Acadian farm in the early 1700s. Details of the painting are closely based on both archaeological and historical evidence. Archaeologists recently discovered evidence of two farm houses with out-buildings like the ones in the background of this scene on the upper Belleisle marsh in Annapolis County, Nova Scotia.
Take a closer lookWhy did Acadian farmers harvest and stack hay? Look for the dyke in the picture; where is the ocean? Look at how the hay is piled on log platforms called staddles. Why didn't the Acadians simply build their haystacks on the ground? What are the long skinny poles on the hay staddles used for? |
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