JULY 1888
Sun. July 1st. Bright and warm till 4 in eve and thundershowers passed around and rained enough to run here from NE. None of us went to Sunday School. All home all morn. Nellie, Dixie and Rena walked to Mr. D Chambers and Willie and I to Pa's in eve.
Mon. 2nd. Bright and warm all day from S and no rain but thundered far off all eve. I drove old J to cart to Cohen's in morn and got some things and paid for all except for sack of oats which I got on credit. I returned at 10. I drew up slip ground on roadside all eve and finished all except 3 pieces of rows. Willie and Rena went to school today.
Tue. 3rd. Bright and very warm most of day. A cloud came up from SE at 4 to 5 in eve but only dropped here. I plowed out cotton mids till 11 with old J. I finished all on H ridge and plowed some on hilltop of Persimmon cut by Cherry stump. I put a new bbl in spring at 1 to 3 and drew up the 3 pieces of slip ground by road and hoed 9 rows of cotton on W side of new ground and finished that side in eve. Willie and Rena went to school today.
Wed. 4th. Bright and warm all morn and a cloud came up at 1 to 2 from SE but only dropped here and cloudy all eve. I plowed out middles in Persimmon cut of cotton till 11 and hoed 7 rows of my old potatoes on poor hilltop of Cherry cut next to persimmon tree in eve. They are lost in grass not having been scraped yet. Tom Netterville brought us 2 pds butter in eve.
Thu. 5th. Bright and warm till 11 and we had a good hard shower at 11 to 12 from SE and much needed. Cloudy all eve. I plowed out cotton middles till 11. I finished Persimmon cut by 8 and plowed in Willie's cotton and whip peas on poor E end of Cherry cut till 11. I set out potatoevines all eve and finished patch by roadside where I had oats by late in eve.
Fri. 6th. Bright and warm - no rain. I finished plowing out middle in Willie's cotton and whip peas on poor E end of Cherry cut and watermelon patch hollow in 1 1/2 hrs after breakfast and plowed all of cotton on W side of new ground with 4 furrows (2nd time) and plowed 4 rows of sugar cane with 6 furrows by 11 1/2. I scraped 9 1/2 rows of slips by roadside in eve. Nellie and Dixie washed in eve. Willie and Rena went to school all week.
Sat. 7th. Bright and warm - thundered a good deal but not near. No rain here. I plowed in new ground till 10 1/2 in morn and finished sugar cane and plowed some of cotton on E side of it. Willie and I tried to get up old Matt at 1 1/2 to 2 1/2 but couldn't. I hoed 2 1/2 rows of slips by roadside and finished scraping the 12 rows of oldest slips there in eve. Dan and Gussie here a while in eve.
Sun. 8th. Bright and warm most of day and no rain. None of us went to Sunday School. Dixie rode Minnie and Gus rode Salome to chapel in morn. Nellie and Willie went to Lewis' at 8 1/2 to 10 1/2 in morn. All of us walked to schoolhouse in eve and Mr. Sadler preached there. We returned before sunset.
Mon. 9th. Bright and warm most of day - a cloud passed around S from W at 1 to 2 and rained enough to run here. I barred off all of cotton in NE corner of new ground (2nd time) by 8 1/2 in morn and plowed up 15 rows of ground by front gate on E side (where chickens took up peas) for slips and drew up 6 rows by 11 1/4 and 5 in eve and set them out in vines (all the 11 ). Tom Chambers came late in eve and got some figs and peaches.
Tue. 10th. Bright and warm and thundershowers passed around most of eve but didn't rain here. I drew up and set out the last of 4 rows in potatoevines by front gate by 9 1/2 and plowed out the 12 rows of slips by roadside with 4 furrows (which I scraped last week) and 7 rows of old potatoes too by 11. I carried some peaches to Mr. Sims and got some papers and went on to Allen Cearly's to hire hands at 1 to 3 and hoed cotton in NE corner of new ground balance of eve. I had pain in left side of my head all day and in right side all night.
Wed. 11th. Bright and warm and thundershowers passed around at 12 to 2. Sprinkled here at 1 1/2. I laid down most of morn and suffered with headache and vomiting and got better at 11 1/2. I had Eliza Banyun and 5 other hands hilling cotton for me all day. Nellie and I drove old J to buggy and went to Mr. Green Morris' funeral at 2 to 8 in eve. Mattie M and Lucy McGraw came home with Willie and Rena and here all night.
Thu. 12th. Bright and very warm most of day - thundered and showered SE of here in eve. I harrowed between cotton rows on H ridge - twice to middle - most of morn. Eliza Banyun and 4 other hands hilled cotton for me on H ridge and finished that cut and last of my cotton except little in new ground by 10 1/2 in morn and I paid them $4.25 for 6 hands on yesterday and 5 today - at rate of 50 cts each. I hoed cotton in new ground most of eve.
Fri. 13th. Bright and very warm - thundered and showered in SE in eve - not very far off. I drove old J in buggy to Cohen's in morn and carried them some figs and peaches and got some things which I paid for and paid $6 on account. I returned at 11 3/4. I fixed our bedstead putting a lock in on rail. I made a pig pen in eve. Willie and I picked some whip peas (the first) late in eve to feed on.
Sat. 14th. Bright and very warm most of day - thundered and showered in SE in eve not far off. I gathered some figs for Lewis and Mary to take to Uncle Gus's and gathered some figs for Nellie to preserve by 8 in morn and hoed cotton in new ground till 10. I fixed a bridle in eve and Rena and I took Salome to Dewberry cut to pick some whip peas and she broke loose and came home. Seymour robbed our beehive after dark.
Sun. 15th. Bright and very warm - thundered and threatened rain some (but none here) in eve. None of us went to Sunday School. Willie and Dixie went to Mr. B Chambers in morn. Nellie and I squeezed out the honey taken last night - 3 1/2 gals raw - early in morn. Mary and Cousin Amarintha came at 11 1/2 and Nellie, Rena and I went to Pa's in eve with them. We got home before sunset.
Mon. 16th. Bright and very warm and dry - thundered and showered SE of here most of eve. I drove old J to town in buggy and left it at Benedict's shop for repairs in morn. I got some things at Schaefer's and returned at 11 1/2. Tom C got some figs at 12. I hoed cotton in new ground most of eve. Willie and I caught a boar shoat in orchard in eve late and put it in pen.
Tue. 17th. Bright and very warm all morn and a dark cloud passed around N of here from E at 12 but only dropped here and another late in eve and rained a little at dusk. I hoed cotton in new ground most of morn. Mr. Sims came at 8 in morn and got some peaches to preserve and sent Paine at 12 and got the pig which I penned on yesterday. I picked some whip peas at 1 1/2 to 3 and hoed cotton in new ground till 5 1/2 and cloud stopped me. Nellie walked to Pa's in eve and carried a dress to Ma which Nellie made and gave her.
Wed. 18th. Bright and very warm till 1 and we had a good soaking rain at 2 to 4 from E - much needed. I hauled out 5 full cartloads of cow manure and put in water furrows of slip potatoes on roadside where I had oats by 11 1/4. Tom Netterville here from 10 1/2 to 5 1/2 in eve. Fayette Bentley got some potatoe vines late in eve.
Thu. 19th. Bright and warm most of morn and thundered and showered around most of eve but only sprinkled here. I set out all of gaps in slip patch on roadside and scraped all of short rows there by 11 1/4. I picked some dry peas in Dewberry cut at 2 to 3 1/2 and hoed cotton in new ground balance of eve. Andrew Porter caught his boar (I think) in morn which has been getting in my new ground for more than a week at night.
Fri. 20th. Bright and cool N wind and no signs of rain today. I scraped all morn and finished slip patch by roadside by 11 1/4. I began a lowells halter bridle and sewed on it at 1 to 2 1/2. I finished hoeing last of new ground cotton at 2 1/2 to 5 in eve. Willie and I caught Van colt and led him home from cow pasture late in eve. Willie and Rena went to school all week.
Sat. 21st. Clear and pleasant from N and no signs of rain. I plowed all slip potatoes (on roadside about 2/3 of patch and the last of it) with 4 furrows with old J in morn by 8 1/2 and hilled part of it with hoe drawing up both sides of rows by 11 1/4. Dan here all day. Nellie made some peach preserves in morn. I finished my halter bridle at 1 1/2 to 3 3/4 in eve and didn't work any.
Sun. 22nd. Bright and pleasant from N. I walked to Mr. Sims' early in morn and carried some peaches and got some papers. Nellie and Rena went to her Pa's in morn and Willie, Gus and I here all day. George Fugler here in eve. Dixie went to Mr. D Chamber's yesterday eve and to Mr. W Chamber's today and came home late in eve.
Mon. 23rd. Bright and warm and showered around some in eve but none here. I harrowed all of H ridge of cotton - twice between rows (laying by) - by 11 in morn. I picked some dry peas in Dewberry cut at 2 to 3 1/2 and harrowed all of NE side of new ground cotton and part of cane twice between rows laying by in eve. Dan came in morn and cut a white oak toward Coon place and made some posts for a flower garden. Willie and Rena went to school.
Tue. 24th. Bright and quite warm most of day - it showered around some late in eve but none here. I finished cane and cotton harrowing twice between rows in new ground - all but little on W side which was too large early in morn and harrowed in Persimmon cut laying by till 11. Dan finished making white oak into posts by 11 and cut some little oaks in SW corner of our field for pickets in eve. Bud here all day.
Wed. 25th. Bright and quite warm and showered out E and NE and SE of here - not far off - at 1 to 4 but none here. I finished harrowing Persimmon cut of cotton twice between rows. I picked some dry peas in Dewberry cut at 2 to 4 and hilled 4 pieces of rows of slips by roadside and Tom Netterville came at 4 1/2 and bothered me. Dan got out timber for flower garden most of day in back of field.
Thu. 26th. Bright and very warm till 1 and showered around and rained enough to run here at 1 1/2. I harrowed Willie's cotton on poor NE end of Cherry cut and watermelon patch hollow by 8 1/2. Dan and I hauled 2 cartloads of posts and picket timber from toward Coon place by 11 and we hauled 3 cartloads of timber from back of our field in eve. Willie and I picked some dry peas in Dewberry cut late in eve.
Fri. 27th. Bright and warm most of day. It rained E and NE of here in eve but only dropped here. I marked some pigs for Sims early in morn and hauled 2 cartloads of picket timbers and finished by 10. Dan rived pickets most of day. I rode Hunter to Cohen's in eve at 2 to 6 and carried some figs and got some things on credit - $2.15. It rained a good shower at store just after I got there.
Sat. 28th. Bright and very warm - thundered and showered in NE and SE in eve but none here. I hilled 4 parts of rows of slips on roadside and finished that patch by 8 in morn. I bought 2 pigs from Capt. Carter for $2 and marked them and put them in a pen. I scraped 4 1/2 rows of slips by front gate on E side by 10 1/2 and quit. I helped Dan to set posts for flower garden at 2 to 4 and picked 2 sacks of peas in Dewberry cut at 4 1/2 to 6 in eve.
Sun. 29th. Bright and warm till 2 1/2 in eve and we had a good soaking rain at 3 1/2 to 5 1/2 and much needed. None of us went to Sunday School except Dixie. She went with Lewis and they went on to Uncle Gus's and returned at dark. Jack here a while in eve.
Mon. 30th. Bright and quite warm and no rain. I scraped part of slips by front gate on E side and finished all but 4 rows by 11 in morn and helped Dan on flower garden some in morn and most of eve. He put up more than half of pickets today. Willie and I picked some whip peas in Dewberry cut to feed on late in eve. I had a dull headache all eve in right side.
Tue. 31st. Bright most of day and very warm and thundered and showered NE, NW and SE of here in eve. I suffered all last night and began to vomit at 1 in morn and lasted till 11. I ate something at 11 1/4 and got up at 12 1/2 but felt badly and head ached all eve. Willie and I picked some peas in Dewberry cut late in eve. Dan finished flower garden at 9 1/2 in morn and went back home then. Nellie and Dixie cooked and looked for Mrs Baker and Mattie C in eve but they didn't come.