MARCH 1880
Mon. Mar. 1st. Cloudy and drizzly in the morn from E. F. Coon and I went to Cohen's in morn and I got six Bbls corn in ear at 50 cts. and two bu. shelled corn at his house in eve at 50. I hauled four cart loads of manure where I had potatoes last year in eve.
Tue. 2nd. Cool, dark and cloudy. Wind high from SE all day - I hauled five loads of manure on old potatoe patch in front of house and finished it at twelve and plowed it up solidly in eve. I took 2 alt pills last night. I skinned my left forefinger.
Wed. 3rd. Cloudy and high SW wind but pleasant. I plowed in my oats and finished late in eve and replowed four rows for Irish potatoes. Nellie and children went to Pa's in morning.
Thu. 4th. Dark and cloudy in morn early but brightened up at 10. Strong SW wind all day but pleasant. I harrowed my oats and trenched my four Irish potatoe rows in morn and planted them in eve.
Fri. 5th. Bright and warm high SW winds most of day. Allen Broom stayed here last night. I commenced to run two center furrows in Gate cut and plowed them all day. Nellie and children went to her Pa's in morn to cook for log rolling.
Sat. 6th. Warm, bright and high SW wind in eve. I plowed two center furrows in Gate cut and finished all but little in Cane hollow in morn. I cleaned out spring, took up some manure and took up some seed corn in eve. Nellie and children at her Pa's most of day. He had his log rolling.
Sun. 7th. Warm and bright in morn and cloudy in eve. Nellie, children and I rode to Pa's and spent day. Pa and I hunted cattle in morn and Dan, Bud and I in eve. I brought Susan heifer up here with a heifer calf late in eve.
Mon. 8th. Rained with thunder most of last night and all day today. I mended my manure bucket and put hook to dining room door, and shelled some seed corn in morn and made a plow for Willie and a tin shovel for Nellie in eve.
Tue. 9th. It rained slowly most of last night from N. Dark, cloudy and cool wind from N. I cut poles and put up thirteen panels of fence from oak back East. Nellie and children at her Pa's most of day. Her Ma is worse.
Wed. 10th. Dark, cloudy and commenced to rain at 11 and rained most of eve. I cut and split chinky pin rails and poles toward Luckett's till about 10, I parched some red pink corn in eve and put up a shelf for Nellie on west end of gallery in eve.
Thu. 11th. It misted and dropped rain all morn. Sun shined some in the eve. I cut poles and put up 12 panels of fence toward corner Oak. I had headache all day. Dan brought out some papers for me and dined here.
Fri. 12th. Warm and cloudy and showered from NW at 10 till 11. I cut poles in the morn and put up 6 panels of fence by corner in eve. Rain ran me home at 10 in morn. I had sick headache all last night.
Sat. 13th. Cool, wind from NE, sprinkled and showered most of day. I put up 6 panels fence by corner Oak and finished all by 10 in morn. Alice and Gordon came to Pa's yesterday and Alice and Clara came here at 11. I started on cart to town at 12 and got far as Neal hill and rain ran me back home.
Sun. 14th. Cool and rained from NE most of day. Nellie, children and I dined at Pa's. Mr. Sims dined there. Dan, Bud and I drove Rose cow and calf over to Pa's in morn. I got Fanny and Laura cows out of field here late in eve and found Willie's knife.
Mon. 15th. Cold and rain most of day and night. I rode to town in morn and got dress for Nellie and gal syrup from Mrs. Kothe. Gordon and Alice dined here. I hunted cattle in eve and took paper and letter to Pa's.
Tue. 16th. Cold and dark, cloudy wind from N. I saw cattle in Mr. Chambers' field in morn and went on to Ed Lewis' pasture to hunt my boar hog but didn't find him. I drove up Mr. D's Maggie cow with yearling calf. I cleaned up some of patch here in eve.
Wed. 17th. Cold and sun shone for first time since last Friday. I cut and rolled out logs on W side of patch and finished by 3 and burned all cotton stalks and some brush by Spring gate in hollow late in eve.
Thu. 18th. It sprinkled rain most of morn and rained hard late in eve from NW with wind and thunder. I cut and rolled beech and bay logs toward Spring gate in morn and I hauled three cart loads of manure on Gate cut by H ridge and plowed it under with two furrows late in eve. Jane Luckett here late.
Fri. 19th. Cold, cloudy in morn. Bright in eve. Wind from N. I plowed up W side of patch up to henhouse and 2 rows of sugar cane. I was very tired, sick and slept but little at night.
Sat. 20th. Cold, cloudy some, sun shined most of day. Wind from E. I plowed up and we planted our garden in morn. Buddy got a half bushel of meal in morn. I hoed around fruit trees (where I plowed yesterday) in eve.
Sun. 21st. It dropped rain some last night and sprinkled all day untill eve from NE. Nellie and children at her Pa's most of day. Dan came in morn. Went home with and dined there. I rode out toward Luckett's to see about fence late in eve.
Mon. 22nd. It drizzled rain most of morn but bright in eve. I plowed in NE corner of patch and finished there in eve. We had fish for dinner and Nellie sick in eve. I commenced to burn log by Spring gate. I set out some wire grass in pasture late in eve.
Tue. 23rd. Bright and pleasant, wind from NE. I plowed some between barn and Spring gate and finished all of patch by 10. Nellie and children went to her Pa's and Pa and Clara came here. I cooked my dinner. I put my whip and butter peas on house at 2 and dug up NE corner of patch in eve. I went to Mr. Sim's late in eve (hunting my pigs but didn't find them). He gave me 2 bottles of honey.
Wed. 24th. Bright and pleasant, wind from SE. I hoed around some stumps and planted all of plowed ground in patch in cotton. Finished at 4. I cleaned out spring in eve. We separated Nora and Lizzie from their calves for the first time at night.
Thu. 25th. Bright and pleasant, wind from SE. I hauled out five loads of manure on Gate cut (where I had cow peas last year) in morn and plowed it and half Cane hollow up solidly in eve. Nellie and Eliza washed, scoured and cleaned up. We burned some brush outside of cowpen late in eve. Nellie left Rena at Pa's last Tue. the 23rd.
Fri. 26th. Bright in morn but wind high from S. and cloudy in eve. I hauled out five loads of manure on Gate cut where gate was in morn. and plowed it under solidly in eve. Nellie went for Rena in eve and brought her home from Pa's.
Sat. 27th. The wind blew high from the SW all last night. It thundered in NW at daylight and wind came from there at sunrise. It rained light shower from NW at 10. I rode Julie to town in morn. Got Stutzman to sharpen my plow. I got milk and one washpan for Nellie and dress for Dixie and 3 and a half yards of pink ribbon for Clara. I hoed my potatoe and peach beds and rolled out of fence corners and fired logs NW of cowpen and hoed my pecan trees S of house and took up some manure in eve. Bright and cool, wind from NE in eve.
Sun. 28th. Clear and cool, wind from NW. Nellie, children and I dined at Pa's. Dan, Bud and I drove up Sally with a bull calf in the morn. All of us went to hear Mr. Brown preach in eve. I had sick headache all yesterday eve and last night.
Mon. 29th. Clear and pleasant, wind from N. I took three alt pills last night. I hauled out four cart loads of manure on Gate cut in morn and plowed it under solidly in eve. Dan and Bud got two bushels of seed corn here in morn.
Tue. 30th. A little cloudy but sunshine most of day. Wind from SE and pleasant. I hauled out three loads of manure on Gate cut in morn and plowed it under solidly in eve. Clara here all day.
Wed. 31st. Cloudy and rained little in morn, but bright and warm in eve. I plowed and finished Gate cut late in eve and opened ground where I had potatoes last year for late corn. Mr. Drake came by going to Mr. D's in eve.