MARCH 1895
Fri. Mar. 1st. It began to rain slowly from SW at sunrise and lasted all day and part of night. The wind changed to NW at 3 in eve and blew high and cold balance of eve and most of night. I drove up Rose from toward Coon place with a red heifer calf early in morn. I shucked and selected some seed corn by 10 1/2 and I put a tall door to old cotton house (on W side of old barn) and made a stable of it in eve by 3 1/2. Dan here in eve awhile. I got nearly wet getting wood and feeding late in eve in rain.
Sat. 2nd. Clear and a cold N of W wind all day but not cold enough to freeze and pleasant in eve. Willie and I finished splitting board timber (red oak) 2 lengths down in cow pasture by 11 1/2 and we hauled all of it, 3 cartloads and 2 of wood in eve with Hattie. Pa got some wood (packed it) in morn and walked to Clara's in eve. Sims hauled locust posts and rails here and put in orchard to repair line fence with 2 wagons in morn.
Sun. 3rd. A freeze and white frost in morn but wind from SW and good deal warmer in eve and some clouds. I walked to Sims' early in morn. Bud and Wiley D here all day and Beau C here all eve. All of us home all day.
Mon. 4th. It sprinkled and misted rain from NW till 9 1/2 in morn and clear and cool from N balance of day. I sawed all of red oak bolts in two by 10 1/2 in morn and Willie rived them by 12 and Pa got some rafters and plate for shed on W side of new barn in morn and Pa and I put up posts and plate and rafters of shed in eve and cut and split and packed up 2 cuts of lathing from N of orchard late in eve and Willie covered last 3 courses on barn on W side in eve.
Tue. 5th. Bright, a white frost in morn, but a beautiful and pleasant day. Pa, Willie and I put lathing and boards on shed on W side of new barn and finished it by 2 1/2 in eve and ceiled some of the cracks late in eve. I rode Hattie down in Elmwood field from 4 to 5 1/2 in eve and found Kate with a red bull calf and drove them home. Jim Parker came and got some cane in morn. He paid me $1 for it before Christmas.
Wed. 6th. Cloudy and warmer but bright most of day. Pa, Willie and I worked on wire fence (line fence) E of here all day putting in new locust posts and we got as far as large bay on NE side of orchard. We began at SE corner of yard. Nellie, Dixie and Rena washed in morn. I had a dull headache part of last night and this morn but it left me just after dinner.
Thu. 7th. Cloudy and began to rain in thundershowers from W or S of W at 9 in morn and lasted till 1 and bright and warm in eve. Pa, Willie and I worked on wire fence NE of orchard till 9 and rain stopped us then and we worked there all eve and finished putting in new posts to NE corner and we put stakes and rails at bottom from SE corner of yard to little gate at NE corner of yard. I patched 2 old horse collars at 9 in morn till 1 1/2 in eve while it was raining.
Fri. 8th. Bright and cool from NW all day. Dixie and Rena drove up Neat from cow pasture with a red heifer calf in morn and our little blue sow gave birth to 5 pigs last night in calf pasture. Pa, Willie and I cut and split some lathing N of orchard and ceiled N end of new barn all morn and Pa and Willie ceiled and finished both gable ends of it in eve. Nellie and I drove Hattie to Cohen's in eve and Nellie stopped at Mrs. Johnson's. We returned 3/4 of an hour by sun.
Sat. 9th. Bright and cool. Willie rode Joe to Sims' early in morn and got 2 bu. McGehee oats at 75 cts. per bu. and he made a hoe handle and Pa finished a little wagon for Clara's little boy in morn. I hauled 7 cartloads of cow manure and spread over garden by 11 in morn and I plowed it up and patched for Irish potatoes in NE corner of orchard in eve with Hattie. Wiley D here to supper.
Sun. 10th. Cloudy but bright and a damp S wind all day and sprinkled rain some in eve and wind pretty high from S at night and rained some through the night. Dixie and Rena drove Hattie and Nellie went in buggy with Gussie to Donegal church in morn and returned at 3 and Wiley D with them. Gordon and Tigner dined here and Dan and Bud here in eve.
Mon. 11th. It misted and sprinkled rain early in morn but quit at 7 and cloudy some and quite warm from SW all day but bright after 9 in morn. Pa, Willie and I split rails in new SW corner in marsh all morn and we planted our Irish potatoes in NE corner of orchard in eve. Brother Bishop came at 1 and here till 4. Clara and her children here in eve. The white sow which I gave to Clara gave birth to 7 pigs last night in cow pasture (chesters).
Tue. 12th. Cloudy and warm and damp SW breeze in morn and rained a hard one from W with thunder at 1 1/2 to 2 1/2 in eve and bright late in eve. Willie and I plowed up ground in Gate cut for oats most of morn with Hattie and Joe and I sowed oats over all plowed in morn and I harrowed all but our land just after dinner and rain stopped me. I had a dull headache all day and went to bed before night and vomited some through night and slept but little.
Wed. 13th. Bright and warm from SW. My headache got better early in morn but didn't leave me till late in eve. Pa and Willie split rails in 2nd Cane hollow most of day. I helped them in morn and I stripped 850 stalks of cane for Mr. Sims on NW side of orchard in eve. I owe him 2000 stalks which he paid for in January last.
Thu. 14th. It thundered and rained from W last night and rained slowly from 8 1/2 in morn till 2 in eve and bright and warm. I stripped seed cane for Sims till 8 1/2 in morn and most if eve and got 2000 (all) stripped by 5 in eve. I put up a shudder (old cotton house shudder) in new barn at 10 to 12 in morn. Bristol brought me 1 bu. whip peas in eve and I paid him in meat. Willie rode Hattie part of morn and all eve hunting Joe and didn't find him but he came up at sunset.
Fri. 15th. Cloudy and drizzled rain from SW most of morn and bright in eve. Bud and Prince came at 9 to 10 and carried away their sow and 6 pigs which I gave them. I stripped cane most of day and finished 1000 for Gussie by late in eve. Pa and Willie split and packed out rails most of day in 2nd Cane hollow. The wind changed to N late in eve and I put more cane fodder over all of Sims' and Gussie's cane late in eve at sunset.
Sat. 16th. Cloudy and chilly from N and sprinkled and drizzled in slow showers in morn and wind chilly from N. Pa, Willie and I set some poles and fixed wire fence on N side of orchard till 9 1/2 and I packed and cut up wood till 10 1/2. I drove Hattie to old buggy to Cohen's in eve and carried 1 hen and some eggs to Mrs. Johnson and sold 6 doz. eggs to Mrs. J. and 4 to Cohen and returned at 4.
Sun. 17th. Bright, a little frost and a slight cold N wind but not cold enough to hurt fruit. Wind from NE in morn but pleasant in eve. Gussie and Sims here in morn awhile. I sent Willie to Cohen's late in eve and exchanged 2 settings of eggs.
Mon. 18th. Frost in morn but wind from S and warmer and dark cloudy in eve. Willie plowed Hattie and Joe most of day in Gate cut. We finished planting our oats there by 10 in morn and Willie broke ground solidly for corn on SW corner balance of day. Pa clearing up ground in SW corner. I stripped cane on W side of old cow pen corner after 10 in morn and balance of day. Gussie hauled away his 1000 of cane in 4 loads in morn and Sims hauled away 3 loads of his 2000 in eve.
Tue. 19th. Cloudy and a damp wind from S all day and blew up and rained a hard shower from NW at 11 at night. Willie and I hauled rails all morn and till 4 in eve from Pine corner and put some by new barn and most of them on roadside. We hauled with Hattie and Joe and Lewis' wagon. Pa put up fence around new barn all day and finished there. Willie broke ground in Gate cut with Hattie and Joe at 4 to 6 in eve and I finished stripping last of cane late in eve.
Wed. 20th. Bright and wind high and quite cool from W of N all day. Pa threshed stalks in field most of day. Willie and I put Dick in plow with Hattie (1st time) early in morn and Willie plowed them all morn in Gate cut and I plowed Joe (1st time single) there by H ridge and broke up short rows there by 9 and harrowed all of Gate cut (plowed for corn) once to row with Joe by 12. Willie and I planted boat corn (some of it dent corn) there all eve. I opened with Hattie and Willie sowed corn and covered with Joe to harrow. We planted all of SW part of Gate cut below that planted in oats by late in eve.
Thu. 21st. Bright and a frost and very cold SE wind in morn but not cold enough to kill the fruit. Bright and cloudy late in morn and warmer from SE. Willie and I planted boat corn in Gate cut (by H ridge) most of morn. Willie plowed Joe and Dick balance of day in Gate cut on upper side with 4 furrows. I found cows in pasture early in morn and Pa worked clearing up at ditch and branch (calf pasture fence). I hauled cow manure and put on cut by H ridge by 11 1/2 in morn and hauled out 7 loads in eve in orchard for trees -1/2 load to each tree. I finished E and W side. Dixie and Rena drove up Lily with a heifer calf in eve.
Fri. 22nd. Bright and pleasant wind from SW. Willie plowed Joe and Dick all day breaking ground in H ridge cut in Pine corner. I broke up all of cut by front gate on E side but 6 rows in morn with Hattie running 6 furrows and I drove her to cart to Cohen's in eve and got a bbl. flour. Pa clearing on sides of 2nd Cane hollow all today and yesterday eve. Nellie and Rena walked to Clara's in eve.
Sat. 23rd. Cloudy and a damp S breeze all day and sprinkled rain in eve at 2 1/2 to 4 1/2. Willie plowed Joe and Dick in Pine corner all morn breaking ground. Pa worked fence out down the hill about 10 or 15 ft. from SE corner of garden nearly to road in morn. I hauled 6 loads cow manure in morn by 10 and put around trees in cut by front gate on W side and finished that and I broke up the 6 rows on E side of front gate left from yesterday and 3 or 4 rows on W side by 11 1/2. I plowed there most of eve (Hattie) and broke all but 8 rows. Dan here awhile in eve.
Sun. 24th. Bright and pleasant from S but cloudy some all day. Bud and Wiley D here all day and Beau C here most of eve. I walked in cow pasture in eve to see about grass and Nellie and Lewis and family walked to Clara's in eve.
Mon. 25th. Bright and warm from E. Willie plowed Joe and Dick all day in Pine corner breaking ground and Pa moved out fence on line from garden to road and some on roadside most of morn. I helped him about 1 1/2 hours in morn early and I finished breaking cut by front gate on W side and little patch beyond road by 11 3/4 with Hattie and I harrowed all cut by front gate on both sides and little patch beyond and some in Pine corner with Hattie in eve (once to row). Pa cleared in 2nd Cane hollow on edges in eve. Jim McGraw and Leroy D came with a wagon and got about 500 cane at sunset.
Tue. 26th. Clear and pleasant and getting dry. Pa cut corn stalks in Cherry cut and Water hole corner today. Willie plowed Joe and Dick all morn and broke ground in new SW corner and I harrowed Pine corner and on down in new ground on hill and till I caught up with Willie at 10 in morn and I shot a large woods rat in new cotton house at 10 1/2 and I planted little patch by road in corn by 12 and Willie and I planted all of cut by front gate on both sides in corn in eve. Willie covered with Joe and got his foot hooked with Singletree. Mrs. Baker came home from Stuart's today and here in eve with Cousin Mary and children.
Wed. 27th. Clear and pleasant and wind from SW and dry. Pa cleared ground all day. Willie plowed Joe and Dick and I plowed Hattie in morn in new SW corner breaking ground and Willie and I and planted corn all eve in Pine corner. We began on NE side (at persimmon cut). I opened with Hattie and Willie sowed corn and covered with Joe to harrow.
Thu. 28th. Clear, a little cool early in morn but sun shined warm and a dry S of W breeze all day. Pa cleared off ground all day in Cane hollow. Willie plowed Joe and Dick about 1 1/2 hours in new SW corner early in morn and quit there and plowed on upper side of Cherry cut balance of morn breaking ground. I plowed Hattie all morn in new SW corner breaking ground. Willie and I planted corn all eve in Pine corner with Hattie and Joe and got all planted to lower side of old turnip ground. Hattie had thimps yesterday and had them more today. Mrs. Baker and Nellie walked to Clara's in eve.
Fri. 29th. Foggy till 9 in morn and warm and bright balance of day from SW and dry. Willie plowed Joe and Dick in morn in Cherry cut breaking ground and I plowed about 1 1/2 in new SW corner breaking ground and got to log ground part and I harrowed all broken there by 11 and Willie and I planted corn there all eve with Hattie and Joe and Pa planted there with hoe where we couldn't plow all eve. Bro. Bishop and Mrs. Baker here all night.
Sat. 30th. Warm and cloudy from SW and began to rain slowly from there at 9 1/4 in morn and lasted all eve and part of night-just enough to wet ground well and needed too. Willie and I planted corn in new SW corner till 9 3/4 with Hattie and Joe and finished all broken (to log ground part) and we got nearly wet. Bishop walked in field with us but came back and left at 9 (or 8 1/2). Nellie and Mrs. Baker and Tigner D walked to Primm's in morn and didn't get back on account of rain. We did nothing in eve but get wood and feed.
Sun. 31st. Cloudy and misted and sprinkled rain some in morn till 11 1/4 and bright all eve and warm and rained some in night in thundershowers. I drove Hattie to old buggy and led Joe to Primm's at 8 to 11 3/4 in morn and brought Nellie and Mrs. Baker and Tigner home. Dan and W D and Mrs. B dined here and Mrs. B. here at night again.