"New ground"

[CUZ]

We have a field on the place that Dad always called the "Harry new ground", as in, put the hay out on the Harry new ground. Since we have folks from all over on the boards, I was wondering how wide-spread this term was.
The following story will explain what the old folks around here mean when they say "new ground."
One of my great-uncles (Martin) moved (probably about 1912ish) over on one of his uncle's places and cleared the woods off of an area of his place. (In those days the custom was if you cleared a section (an acre or more) of land (making "new ground") you could live on the place rent-free for two years and keep the income off of the new ground during those two years.) Well, Martin's Uncle died and he had to deal with the son-in-law, big dispute, hard feelings, he had to move back home and lost out on his work on the "Martin new ground."
Anyway, I digress, any of you folks familiar with the term? It means something different in your part of the country/world?

Thanks,
Cuz

 

[backhoeboogie]

I have never heard that terminology in my life time (that I remember). I have been around a lot of ranches and rachers. "Venturing into new territory" and "plowing new grounds" are quite common.

I have heard some pretty wild tales and I have heard some pretty explicit terms too that I'll never forget.

 

[CUZ]

Thanks BHB for your response.

I kind of figured that the term would be unfamiliar in the part of the country where the Great Plains are. I know from studying history in school many moons ago that Lincoln's family had to clear land to farm on, so I sorta thought this might be a little more widespread than just around here.

Thanks
Cuz

 

[stocky]

"New Ground" is a common term among older people around here. There are no better tasting tomatoes than "new ground tomatoes". This whole area was cleared a few acres at a time in the 30's 40's and 50's by people who would move onto a few acres, put up a shack and cut some trees and put out tomatoes to sell to the canning factory or strawberries to ship or cane to make molasses. People would clear a few acres and after 2 or 3 summers, the ground would be leached out and they would move on. For tomatoes, they would leave some trees scattered around and when they were fully leaved out, they would deaden them and the dead leaves would provide shade for the tomato plants for the hot summer. People at that time never bought land, they would pay the back taxes, the land would be theirs and then they would leave and let it go back to the county for taxes when they were through with it. So, the term "new ground" applied to this practice.