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    The country around our village was flat, except for a rise about 150 yards high to the north of the village. The rise was a gentle

slope facing south. With its rich soil and abundant sunshine, it was ideally suited to grow grapes so vineyards covered the slope for miles. There is documented evidence that the Romans had already planted grapes there, around 12 B.C. The grape vines were planted about two feet apart, running in a grid pattern up the rise and sideways across the vineyard to the borders of the lot. Footpaths were established on both sides of the vineyard and across it, dividing it into squares. Five-foot high stakes were driven into the ground next to the vine, and the vines were tied to the stakes. Vineyards were very labor intensive and needed constant care during the growing season. Vines were trimmed back to stake-height several times and tied to the stakes.

    As soon as the leaves of the vine started to develop, they had to be sprayed to protect the vine from philoxera. The treatment had to be repeated 2-3 times, depending on weather conditions. Sprayers were used consisting of a tank holding about 5 quarts of solution, with an attached pump and shoulder straps. The tanks were constructed of copper, and during storage, bacon rinds were rubbed over them to prevent corrosion. The spray solution was prepared with water, copper sulfate, and lime. Spraying vineyards was hard work, carrying the full tank up and down the slope. The spray was very fine, and if there was any wind, it blew the spray back, soaking the pump-bearers clothing and face.

    The vineyards were hoed 2-3 times during the growing season to control weeds and loosen the soil, then liquid fertilizer was spread. The last work of the year done in the vineyard was to cover the root stock with the soil removed from the rows in the

    About halfway up the slope most vineyards had huts for the watchers, mostly older men of the family who were retired, and guarded the ripening grapes against birds, animals, and pilferers. The huts were constructed of bricks and were whitewashed, with a sheet metal roof. The front end of the roof extended about six feet beyond the front wall and formed a covered patio, on the patio was a built-in fireplace covered with a cast iron sheet. The patio roof was supported at the front by posts, and as the patio faced south, vines were left to grow up to the roof for shade. The inside of the hut consisted of a single room with a built-in bed frame covered with a straw mattress.

    Most of the vineyards had at least two fruit trees - sweet cherries and peach trees. Some vineyards also had walnut trees at the lower end. They served a dual purpose - to provide deep shade for horses, and walnuts for delicious nut tarts and strudels. Some vineyards had quince or almond trees.

    As the cherries in the vineyards ripened, they drew the attention of the boys, who met at street corners in the evening to sing and banter with each other. Eventually someone suggested the boys get some of the cherries. Feed bags to carry cherries were picked up, and the boys headed to the vineyards, about a mile from the village. A shortcut footpath led to the vineyards, passing close by the cemetery. In the cemetery were many monuments, six to eight feet high, made of black or gray granite. At night it wasn’t an inviting surrounding, particularly since it was a low lying area, and often clouded with fog. As the boys approached the cemetery they slowed down and the talk slowly ceased. When they reached the middle of it, their speed increased and by the time they reached the end, they were moving briskly along. When they reached the vineyards and found a fruit bearing tree, by feel and in total darkness, they stripped the cherries from the branches, ate their fill, stuffed the feed bags and headed back. At home they hung up the feed bags to have some cherries on the next day. When they looked at the cherries in daylight, they often found them infested with worms.

    As the grapes began to ripen, the men protecting the grapes moved out to the vineyards. Every once in a while their wives would go out to bring them full meals and the comforts of home There were men at about every vineyard and they got together and wove large and small baskets and told stories to each other. They stayed at the vineyards for three to four weeks. Tomatoes, bell peppers, and onions were planted in the spring, at row ends and along foot paths, to provide ingredients for a vegetable stew popular throughout southeastern Europe, under different names. When the men moved out to the huts, they brought along a pan, salt and some bacon. When starting to make the stew, they sliced some bacon into the pan and fried it, until some fat was rendered and hot, then onions were sliced into the pan, and fried. When done, tomatoes and bell peppers were added and cooked thoroughly. That stew was very popular; it was easily made and very tasty.

    When the time came to harvest the grapes, relatives helped each other. The women moved along the rows, cutting the grapes and placing them in large baskets. The full baskets were carried to the end of the row by the men. There was a farm wagon with a large open barrel and a hand operated grape crusher over it, so the crushed grapes, with stems and skins, dripped into the barrel. When the barrel was full, it was taken home and emptied several times a day into a large vat and left there for fermentation. As kids, we looked forward to the grape harvest; we ran around eating grapes and then found a pumpkin vine and cut off a leaf stem. It made a very good drinking straw and when the grape juice in the wagon barrels reached high levels, we just kept sucking. After a while of drinking the sweet and warm juice the faces of the boys looked more and more worried until they took off to the cornfields at a gallop. When they came back most had a relaxed look on their faces, but not all of them.

    At noon, chicken goulash was served and a rest period observed, then the grape harvest continued. When the crushed grapes were sent to the village, baskets and plates of grapes were sent to the pastor and the teachers. Near sunset the grape harvesters returned from the vineyards, singing and frolicking. Supper was served by the lady of the house and a happy and busy day came to an end.

    At the bottom of the slope, the ground evened out and consisted of good soil. On many small lots, crops were planted of which only small quantities were needed. When the plants were blooming, it was a beautiful sight. There was the blue flax, dark purple clover, bright yellow sunflowers, rows of dark green potato plants with white flowers, and the slender, tall hemp.

    Many fragrant wildflowers could also be seen and smelled here. When the grapevines were blooming in late spring, you could smell them from afar. The grape blossoms had a strong, pleasant aroma, were tiny and green in color, and hard to see. Any time I passed the slope, I stopped and admired the view down the hill to the south with its colorful landscape, the fragrant air and, on clear days, the outline of the Bosnian Mountains to the south.