MARCH 1885
Sun. Mar. 1st. It began to rain slowly from west just before day and lasted till late in eve. Wind cold from N after 9 in morn. None of us went to SS. I stayed in house most of morn. I rode down in Elmwood and Mrs. J's fields and drove up Hester and little Sue and put them in Mr. Sims' pasture with our cattle and Emma and her calf late in eve.
Mon. 2nd. Bright, a white frost in morn, pleasant in eve. I put up gap in Mr. D's fence toward Coon place at daylight in Mr. Sims' pasture. I took down line of fence from front to Spring gate and put up new stakes and put boards on them by 12 and put up the fence and finished it by 4 in eve and dug holes and set 7 garden posts late in eve.
Tue. 3rd. Bright, frost in morn and chilly but warm in eve, and cloudy some from SW. I planted all of sugar cane and finished it by 12. Ma here all day. Bud came with her at 9 1/2 and he went back at 10. Willie and I cut about 12 garden rails and hauled all that are cut, about 48, in 3 loads on cart in eve.
Wed. 4th. It began to rain slowly from NE just before day and lasted till 1. I threshed out 1/2 bu of cow peas at 7 1/2 to 9 and sat in house most of time after till 12. I dug holes and set 12 garden posts and fixed up the old g-gate and hung it for new g in eve. Lewis here late in eve.
Thu. 5th. Bright and chilly in morn - wind from N. Willie and I walked around in Mr. Sims' pasture early after breakfast and fixed water gaps to keep our cattle in there. I dug 13 post holes and set the posts and finished setting all garden posts by 12. Nellie rode Julia to Pa's in eve. I winnowed and measured up 4 bus. cow peas for Mr. Sims at 1 to 2 and Dixie and I put up all of garden railings but panels in eve. I took 2 of Dunlap's pills and a dose of quinine before day (at 2 1/2 in morn).
Fri. 6th. Bright and cool - chilly and a little frost in morn. I took the 4 bus. cow peas to Mr. Sims early in morn (which he bought and paid me 4 dollars for on last Sat) and he returned the bu. line that he borrowed some time ago and I gave Dick 1/2 bu. I opened all of cut of ground by front gate on E side of our road at 9 to 10 1/2 with 2 center furrows in old water furrow and broke it up solidly with 6 furrows and finished all that cut but about 7 rows on top of hill by late in eve. Peter Ventress came at 10 1/2 and I told him that he ought to be at work. I had dull headache from 10 in morn all day. Bud ate supper here and borrowed my pistol.
Sat. 7th. Bright and quite cool in morn. It clouded up from N and drizzled rain little at 2 to 4 1/2 in eve but cleared up again late in eve. I had severe headache all last night and vomited some and couldn't sleep. I stayed in bed and slept some at sunrise and got up at 8 and plowed from 8 1/2 to 11 and finished the 7 rows on east side of our road and broke up 5 rows on west side. Dan got 3 p'ks of seed potatoes at 11 3/4. Willie and I went on cart to Cohen's in eve and waited for ---- and got a bbl of meal and 6 pds pork and 1/2 bu salt on credit and got 1 sack of corn, 3 1/7 bus., at 74 cts. per bu. or $2.35, and 3 pds coffee, 1 water bucket, 25 cts., and 1/2 pd powder, 3 pds shot and 1 box caps and 4 1/2 pds lard and paid for all of them. We returned at dusk. The headache left me early in eve.
Sun. 8th. Bright and cold, frost in morn, and high NW wind all day. Dixie rode old J and I rode young J to SS and Willie walked and he stopped at Mr. D's for dinner. Lewis sick with rising on his neck. Clara here all day. Bud came from SS and here till late in eve. Beau C here late in eve and at night till 9.
Mon. 9th. Bright and cold, frost and a very slight freeze in morn. Willie and I took cart early to Pa's and I took a load of Ozine seed to Pa. We hauled out 3 loads and put in field just NE of house by 2 1/2 in eve and hauled out 1 load and put on cut by Hope Dower by 4 and Willie, Rena and I came home just before sunset.
Tue. 10th. Bright and cold early in morn, a white frost and slight freeze, and warmer in eve. I rode early to Pa's and we hauled out 1 load of cotton seed and put on cut by Hope Dower and finished at 9 1/2 in morn. I brought back a load of seed and got back by 11 1/4. Willie was up at Mr. Sims' all day with Beverly. Mr. Sims went to New Orleans last Monday. I mixed some mortar for chickens at 1 and Nellie and Dixie and Rena packed pickets and I nailed up nearly 1/2 the garden pickets by sunset and was very tired.
Wed. 11th. Bright but cloudy some and warmer, wind from SW. I hauled out nearly a cart load of cotton seed and spread on poor end of Gate cut (from top of hill). I put them in old water furrow and covered all of them by 9 1/2 with 2 furrows and broke out middles with 4 furrows till 12, from hilltop down to rows which run around toward bars. I hauled 14 rails (new oak) on cart from SW corner of pasture to garden and put up for railing. I put up 6 pannels and finished all railing and nailed on 4 pannels of pickets by sunset.
Thu. 12th. Bright most of day but some dark clouds and wind from SW and warmer and thundered in west late in eve. I hauled out about 1/2 cart load of seed and spread on poor end of Gate cut and covered them with 2 furrows and plowed out all mids where I put seed yesterday (down to where I began this morn) with 4 furrows by 12. Seymour and I put all of Coon cattle in Mr. Sims' pasture through ours early in morn. I nailed up 12 pannels of pickets and finished our new garden by 5 in eve. Bev Sims sent us 12 Robins yesterday eve and Nellie sent him a Coke at 1 by Willie.
Fri. 13th. The weather changed to cool from N without rain. Bright and pleasant from N today. I plowed up all of new garden solidly in morn by 10 and Nellie and Dixie and children planted part of it. I cut down fence row and took down old fence from SE corner of new garden to old beech log by 12 and Dixie helped me to put up fence there in eve and we finished fence from garden to beech log (14 pannels) by late in eve. Bev Sims here in eve.
Sat. 14th. Clear and pleasant in morn and cloudy and damp S wind in eve. I took down some of old fence between new garden and road and cleaned out fence row and hauled some old rails from corner of garden and put up 10 pannels of fence by 11. Nellie and Rena walked to Pa's at 9 to 12. Willie rode old J and I rode young Julia to town in eve and I got 5 pkgs. of garden seeds from R and W and 1 p'k of potatoes from Lindenmayer and 2 qts. onion sets from Mayer and 4 loaves bread and 3 spools thread and I got 2 linen collars for myself from Hart and paid for all.
Sun. 15th. It began to rain a slow gentle rain at 12 last night and lasted till 10 today, just enough to wet the ground well, and it was much needed - wind cool from N in eve and cloudy. None of us went to SS. I stayed in house most of morn. Willie and I walked down to Lucky's at 1 1/2 to 3 and Nellie and Dixie and children and I walked to Mr. D's at 3 1/4 to 6 in eve.
Mon. 16th. Clear and cool, frost in morn. I harrowed over all of cut by front gate on east side of our road and all of ground broken up on poor end of Gate cut (about 1 acre) running once on a row by 8 1/2 in morn and took down about 11 pannels of old fence out where our road goes into big road and cleaned out fence row and hauled some rails from here by front gate late in eve and finished repairing fence to corner by oat patch and patched up a little of it beyond there by sunset. Nellie and Dixie worked in garden most of day.
Tue. 17th. Bright and pleasant - a beautiful day. Wind from S and cloudy little late in eve. I listed all of cut of ground by front gate next to new garden and plowed out nearly 1/2 of middles in it by 12 with 4 furrows. I opened cut of ground on east side of our road with 2 furrows and sowed it in corn in drill and covered it with harrow by sunset and was very tired. Dixie and Rena went to Clara's in eve. Jack borrowed my Sims' harrow at 1 1/2.
Wed. 18th. Bright and nearly cold enough to freeze in morn - wind cold from N. I plowed out balance of middles (nearly 1/2) in cut of ground by front gate next to garden with 4 furrows and finished breaking it by 10 and harrowed it over and planted 8 rows of corn there by 12 and finished planting it in corn by 4 1/2 in eve and plowed up 6 rows of ground in orchard N of cow pen - 3 for Irish and 3 for sweet potatoes late in eve. I let Lewis have a bu of seed corn at 1 and gave him a coon hide.
Thu. 19th. Bright and quite cool - wind from west. I plowed up ground on poor SE corner of Persimmon cut till 12 and planted all broken up in eve in yellow broken corn. I broke up the ground with 6 furrows and opened with 2 and sowed corn in drill and covered with harrow. I had a dull headache in right side all eve. Nellie and Dixie planted the 7 rows that I broke up in orchard yesterday eve - 4 in Irish and 3 in sweet potatoes in morn. Willie took my new plow share to Mr. Sims and got it sharpened at 8 to 9 1/2.
Fri. 20th. Bright and quite cool most of day. Warmer and cloudy late in eve. I had a headache from 1 yesterday eve to 3 this eve but not bad enough to throw up. I broke up ground on poor SE corner of Persimmon cut with 6 furrows and finished that corner by 10 and broke up 8 rows just W of Cherry stump on top of hill in Persimmon cut by 12 and I planted all of ground broken in morn in corn in eve. Alice and Gordon here most of day.
Sat. 21st. It began to rain after midnight and rained in slow showers till daylight and then hard for an hour and quit and began at 9 1/2 again and rained hard in a heavy rain with thunder and some little wind from NW and quit raining at 2 in eve. I stayed in house most of morn. Lewis came at 2 1/2. Willie and I went and fixed Mr. Sims' pasture water gaps in eve and he came by here and into his pasture and back by here late in eve.
Sun. 22nd. Cloudy and cold wind from N and very chilly. Dixie and Rena went by Mr. D's and on to SS. Nellie and Willie walked and waded creek just below Walker branch and went to Pa's and Dixie and Rena went there from SS. I rode Julia (old) by Mr. Sims' to cross Nellie and Willie over creek but they waded and I rode on to Surgett place and saw Henry Ward about getting 5 bbls of cotton seed from him and got home at 11. I cooked my dinner and walked all over Mr. Sims' pasture hunting Sue cow at 1 to 2 1/2 but didn't find her. I rode by Mr. Sims' and over to Dick's and crossed Nellie and Dixie and children over creek late in eve.
Mon. 23rd. Clear and very cold early in morn - a freeze and white frost - and ice didn't thaw till late in eve. I took cart to Henry Ward's and left it and led Julia on to Cohen's and got some coffee, meat and matches on credit and came back to Henry Ward's and got 5 bbls cotton seed from him for one dollar and paid all but 5 cts. of it. I got home at 10 3/4 and bedded out some sweet potatoes in corner of fig orchard by 12. I broke up ground with 6 furrows in Persimmon cut around Cherry stump at 1 to 5 in eve and Nellie and Dixie and children and I got the Coon cattle in our pasture by sunset in eve.
Tue. 24th. Cloudy and damp chilly SE wind all day. I put Lottie cow in pasture with Mary (the Coon cow) early in morn and we milked Mary first time late in eve. I broke up ground in Persimmon cut just east of Cherry stump in long rows with 6 furrows from 8 in morn to 12. Nellie sent a hen and 11 chicks to Clara by Willie and Rena at 1 to 2 1/2 and Nellie and Dixie hunted Sue cow in Mr. Sims' pasture in eve but didn't find her. I planted corn all eve and planted all of ground that I broke yesterday eve and this morn in Persimmon cut but 6 rows.
Wed. 25th. It began to rain in slow showers at 3 in morn and lasted till 5 1/2 and quit till 6 1/2 and rained in slow sprinkles till 10 1/2 and then in hard showers till late in night. I chopped around large Gum tree by cow pen to kill it early in morn and broke up ground in Persimmon cut by little persimmon tree with 6 furrows at 7 1/2 to 10 3/4 in morn and rain stopped me then. I sat in house most of eve.
Thu. 26th. Cloudy, smoky, and drizzly some all day and warmer and very wet weather. Willie and I worked on brush part of pasture fence and fixed all of it from water gap to Mr. D's fence and cut a bay tree for cows in pasture by 12. I took down about ten panels of pasture fence on roadside where it joins Mr. D's fence and put up 10 panels new by late in eve.
Fri. 27th. We had a blow up from NW just before day with thunder, some little hail and little wind and a heavy rain which only lasted a few minutes - bright and warm from SW after 11. I cleaned out spring and took down all of pasture fence on roadside from where I fixed yesterday eve to where I fixed last year by bars and cleaned out fence row and built a new fence (about 16 panels) and finished it by 3 3/4 in eve. I rode old Julia by Mr. D's and over creek by Graves' place and saw Mattie Belle but didn't see her colt. I rode up the creek hunting Sue cow - she has been missing for a week but didn't find her. I came home by Mr. Sims' just at sunset.
Sat. 28th. It thundered in W and NW and dark cloudy all morn and rained a long heavy rain in W and NW at 1 to 3 with good deal of thunder and showered on till after dark and wind cold from N at night. I hauled some green oak rails from pasture by bars for cart body and hauled 2 cart loads of old rails (pieces) for wood at 7 to 8 1/2 and sawed off ends of fence rails below old cow pen where I am going to make a new pen by 10 1/2 and sawed a piece of plank for Nellie for lamp stand. Willie walked and I rode Julia and we crossed creek below Walker branch and started to Pa's for Sue cow but turned back and got to Clarissa's old house and stayed till after hardest part of rain and got home at 3 1/2. Lewis brought the lamp stand (which he made) at 4 1/2 to 5 1/2 in eve.
Sun. 29th. Clear and quite cool early - wind from N. Dixie rode old Julia and I rode young J and Willie walked to SS. Nellie and Rena stayed home. Beau Chambers came home with us and here till sunset. I rode old J and Seymour Gus and Willie walked to Pa's and brought Sue cow and calf home by Mr. D's late in eve.
Mon. 30th. Bright and cool - some clouds - wind from east. I broke up about 15 rows east of little persimmon tree and finished that cut by 9 in morn and began then and finished planting last of Persimmon cut in corn by late in eve and planted a few short rows on poor end of Gate cut late in eve. I opened with 2 furrows, sowed corn and ran harrow twice to row on nearly all of that. I planted today. Aunt Tilda and Bill dined here today.
Tue. 31st. Bright and pleasant - wind from SE. I broke up ground on poor end of Gate cut in circle with 6 furrows and got down to within 3 rows of short straight rows in bottom by 12. I planted corn in eve above where I plowed in morn.