MARCH 1900
Thu. Mar. 1st. Clear and a light freeze in morn and a cold and dry breeze from N all day but pleasant in sunshine in eve. Willie plowed Joe and Dan most of day breaking ground in old Cane hollow and in potatoe patch on roadside above there and he plowed 2 ditches there in eve and I helped him to pull dirt out of them with hoes at 1 1/4 to 2 1/2 and I worked road some with my hoe till 3 1/2 in eve and cut up wood and fed and milked. I cut down bushes in calf pasture all morn just beyond garden. Pa cleaned up in field some today. Gussie here last night and left early in morn.
Fri. 2nd. Bright and a freeze in morn but sun shined all day and pleasant in sunshine after 10 in morn. Pa cleaned up in field most of day and Willie broke ground all day with Joe and Dan. I cut down bushes and some briars in calf pasture most of day in hollow NE of gate on roadside and some N of gate. We smoked our meat yeaterday and today too.
Sat. 3rd. Bright and cool early in morn from E and pleasant after 10 in morn from SE. Willie drove Joe to Dixie's buggy early in morn and carried Miss Minnie C home. Pa cleaned up in field in morn some and walked to Clara's and back in eve. I rode Dan to town in morn and carried some red fig trees to Mr. N Cropper and I carried a sample of our peas to town but was offered only $1 per bushel and we wanted $1.25. I returned at 3 1/4 in eve and shucked corn and drew water and fed late in eve. Wiley and Rena here late in eve and they milked.
Sun. 4th. Cloudy all day and very little sunshine and pleasant with a damp S breeze. Nellie walked to Clara's in morn and Wiley went with her and carried baby but Wiley came back and he and Rena here most of day and Nellie and baby returned at 4 in eve. Mr. Sims and Dan found old wide horn's (Rose's) big red heifer in a hole near Indian field in morn and Wiley and I and Lewis and West walked there at 10 to 11 1/2 and got her out of hole and tried to get her on her feet but she couldn't stand and I walked there again at 2 to 3 in eve and carried her some feed but she only ate a little and I gave her water too. Willie and Miss Minnie returned at sunset and she staid here all night.
Mon. 5th. Cloudy and warm but a pleasant and damp breeze from S all day and sun shined dimly most of day. Pa cleaned up in orchard some in morn and in field in eve and Willie and I walked over in Sims' field, near Indian field, to see the heifer (which was found in a hole on yesterday) early in morn and Willie told Charlie Paine to kill and skin her and Willie plowed part of day in old Cane hollow with Joe and Dan and he made some ditches there. I repaired field gate by garden and big gate toward cow pen at 9 in morn to 2 in eve and helped Willie on ditches till 5 in eve. I put up 14 of our shoats in morn in calf pasture.
Tue. 6th. Bright and warm from S but some dark clouds all day, but sun shined most of day. Willie plowed out a long ditch on hillside on S side of old Cane hollow and he and I pulled dirt out of it with hoes all morn and finished it at 12 and Willie broke ground all eve in old Cane hollow with Joe and Dan and he broke a singletree in eve and put irons on a new one in eve. I worked on the new locust harrow most of eve and put all of teeth in it. Pa cleaned up in orchard today.
Wed. 7th. It rained at 5 to 8 in morn - slowly, but made it very muddy - and cloudy all day and no sun and wind from N and cool in eve but sprinkled rain some in eve. I nubbed and shelled some seed corn early in morn and packed and cut up some beech wood. Mr. Sims and Charlie Paine and Charles and Sam Woods came at 11 in morn and got 2 barrows and 1 sow shoat. Wiley and Willie hauled a cart load of brick bats from Luckett's old place in morn with Joe for Rena to put at their front door. Willie broke ground most of eve with Joe and Dan in old Cane hollow and I shaped out 3 pieces of locust timber to make a harrow for Wiley in eve. Robert James came in eve and carried Miss Minnie home - her mother is very low.
Thu. 8th. Cloudy and cool from N all morn and bright all eve and clear late in eve and at night and cool from N. Willie broke ground with Joe and Dan all morn and I cut down bushes all morn in calf pasture. Pa cleaned up in orchard today. Miss Minnie C and Willie James came at 1 in eve and Willie went to Lewis' at night and Miss Minnie stayed here at night. Willie didn't work in eve. I worked most of eve on a new locust harrow for Wiley. Rena and baby here most of eve. Ray came at sunset and got a blue sow shoat and is to work to pay for it.
Fri. 9th. Bright and some hazy clouds, but sun shined all day -and cool early in morn - but calm, and pleasant after 9 in morn. Miss Minnie and Willie James left early in morn. Ed Wells came at sunrise and got a blue sow shoat and carried home for Aunt Susie and he came back just after breakfast and got a blue barrow for himself and is to pay $1 for it. Pa cleaned up ground in orchard most of day in hollow. Willie plowed Joe and Dan most of day and broke ground in 2nd Cane hollow and he plowed out a ditch through bottom of it and I pulled dirt out of it most of day and finished it. Nellie and Dean washed in morn and Rena and baby and Wiley dined here.
Sat. 10th. Bright and cool and dry from N. Willie plowed Dan and Salome all morn and broke ground in Persimmon cut and in Pine corner and I drove Joe to our old buggy to Cohen's in morn and got some things on credit and borrowed $25 for Willie and returned at 12 1/2. I put handles on the locust harrow and finished it in eve. Pa walked to Clara's and back in eve and Willie rode Dan to town in eve and returned at dusk.
Sun. 11th. Clear and cool early in morn but sun shined warm all day and a pleasant day. Willie rode Joe to Mrs. James' in morn and returned at 11 at night. Wiley rode Goulden to his Pa's early in morn and returned late in eve. Rena and baby here most of morn and till 1 1/2 in eve and they and Nellie walked to Lewis' in eve and returned late in eve. Our cows didn't come up from field till dusk and Nellie and I milked and I carried part of milk to Wiley's.
Mon. 12th. Bright, nearly clear, and cool early in morn, but sun shined warm all day and getting dry. Pa cleaned up in field today. Willie and I began in morn to plant corn. Willie opened with Dan and Salome to A plow and I covered with Joe to harrow and I dropped some corn and Willie dropped part of time. We planted H ridge in morn in yellow boat corn, all but hilltop, which we left for a potatoe patch and we planted all eve in old Cane hollow (our native corn). Seymour borrowed our old buggy early in morn and went to Cohen's and returned at 11 1/2 and dined here and borrowed cart just after dinner and carried home 2 white shoats which we gave him.
Tue. 13th. Foggy till 9 1/2 in morn and bright balance of day, but some clouds and warm and a damp breeze from SW. Willie and I planted corn all day (as we did on yesterday). We finished old Cane hollow by 10 in morn and Cherry cut and water hole part by late in eve. Nellie and Rena washed in morn and Wiley and Rena and baby dined here. Our milk cows didn't come up from field till dusk and Wiley and I milked them.
Wed. 14th. Warm and cloudy from SW till 4 1/2 in eve and began to rain in showers then from W with some thunder and we had a heavy one at 5 and another very heavy one at 6 from N and rained some slowly through night from NE. Pa cleaned up in new SW corner in morn and walked to Clara's and back in eve and got wet. Willie and I planted corn all morn in new 2nd Cane hollow and finished there (and all of corn ground broken, about 10 acres) by 11 1/2 in morn. I hauled 3 cart loads of cow manure with Joe and put in water furrows in NE corner of orchard in eve and Willie covered it with Dan with 2 furrows and got nearly wet in rain. Rena and baby here all day helping Nellie to cook cakes for Willie's Infair(?).
Thu. 15th. Dark cloudy and chilly and rained in slow showers all morn from E of N and sleeted a little at 1 1/2 to 2 and a cold wind from E of N all day and quit raining at 3 in eve and cleared off in night. Willie drove Joe to Dixie's buggy to Mrs. James' to be married. He left here at 10 in morn but didn't return in eve. Wiley and Rena and baby and Clara here most of day and Aunt Margaret here in eve. They cooked some and iced some cakes. I packed and cut up some wood in morn and some in eve too and got nearly wet 3 times today.
Fri. 16th. Bright, nearly clear, and little frost in morn and wind cold from E of N all morn but calm all eve and pleasant. I packed and cut up good deal of beech wood from near cow pen early in morn and fixed a table in back yard by 11 and Clara and children and Seymour's family and Bob Fugler and Lewis and family and B C and Sims and Robert and Mary James all here to the Infair(?) dinner. Willie and Minnie came at 11 3/4 in morn and all left late in eve.
Sat. 17th. Bright and quite cool in morn but no frost and wind from S and pleasant in eve. I rode Joe to Cohen's in morn and returned at 12 1/2 and I hauled 3 cart loads of old rails (pieces) and split beech log from calf pasture for wood in eve. Wiley took Rena to town in morn in Dixie's buggy with Fanny mule and Dr. Murdock examined Rena and said that she had "Pliurasa" or something like it and they returned later in eve. Tigner D came early in morn with Jim mule and got our old buggy and he and Clara went to Tigner's. Leroy D came late in eve and Wiley and Rena and baby and Leroy came over after supper and Minnie sang and played on piano till 9 at night.
Sun. 18th. Cloudy and a damp SW breeze and dropped rain some till 9 1/2 and bright till 12 and began to rain at 1 and lasted till 4 1/2 in eve and quit but rained some late in night from W in hard showers with thunder. Wiley and Leroy went to their Pa's in morn and Wiley returned late in eve. Rena and baby here most of day and Bob F and Gussie D here most of day too and left late in eve. I cut up some wood early in morn and milked and fed late in eve.
Mon. 19th. It rained in thundershowers till 8 in morn from SW and cloudy till 11 and bright and sun shined all eve and warm from SW. I made a new lowells back band and covered an old horse collar with lowells and packed and cut up some wood in morn and I shucked and shelled bread corn most of eve. Willie repaired some of ditches in old Cane hollow in eve.
Tue. 20th. The wind changed to NE last night and a cool breeze from there all day but nearly clear and sun shined warm all day. Willie plowed Dan and Salome most of day breaking ground in new SW corner and Pa cleaned up in field. I drove Joe to cart to Clara's early in morn and got a full cart load of sugar cane, about 4 or 500 short and small stalks, (which they gave us) and returned at 10 in morn and I hauled out about 3 1/2 bbls of rotten cotton seed from under shed on W side of cotton house and put them in water furrows of 10 rows in NE part of orchard by 11 3/4 and I dropped the cane on the seed, but it only planted 6 long and 2 short rows and I covered with Joe to old A plow and broke up the ground there for Irish potatoes too in eve.
Wed. 21st. Bright but some hazy clouds (all day) and quite cool in morn from NE but warmer in eve and cloudy late in eve. Willie plowed Dan and Salome all day and broke ground in new SW corner and worked on a ditch there some and Pa cleaned up ground there. I drove Joe to cart to Cohen's in morn and carried 3 bus. corn for us and 1 for Wiley and exchanged for meal at the store and I got 1/2 bu of Irish potatoes on credit (I got 1/2 bu some time ago). I returned at 11 1/2 and cut some of potatoes and I harrowed the ground in NE corner of orchard and planted about 1/2 of the potatoes in eve.
Thu. 22nd. Cloudy and no sun all day and cool from E or N of E. Willie broke ground in new SW corner and fixed a ditch there all day and Pa cleaned up there. I hauled a cart load of hen manure and ashes and put on 4 long and 2 short rows in NE part of orchard where I listed on some rotten cotton seed on day before yesterday and I plowed out the rows and harrowed them and cut the last of the bushel of potatoes and planted them and finished at 3 in eve and worked on a harrow for Wiley awhile late in eve and I milked the cows (3) late in eve. We put our milk cows out of field into cow pasture on yesterday morn - the 1st time.
Fri. 23rd. It began to rain slowly just before day with an E breeze and lasted all morn and quit at 12 but a thundercloud came up from NW at 5 in eve and rained a hard one till 6 and on slowly till in night. Willie and Pa didn't work in morn but Pa cut and packed some bean sticks in eve and Willie rode his mare (Salome) to Clara's and back in eve. I worked nearly all day on a locust harrow for Wiley and got the frame put together and most of the holes bored and made some teeth out of old irons and I milked in a slow rain late in eve and fixed water gap too.
Sat. 24th. Dark cloudy all day and rained slowly all morn and most of eve and some at night and very litle wind and that from E. Pa and Willie didn't work any today but I worked all morn and till 3 in eve on a locust harrow for Wiley (on Pa's gallery) and I finished it at 3 and packed and cut up some wood and milked and fed in a slow rain and carried baby home for Rena too. Willie rode Joe to Cohen's in eve and came back by Clara's and Buddy and Gordon came with him at 5 1/4 in eve and fiddled till nearly 10 at night.
Sun. 25th. Cloudy and wet till 10 1/2 in morn and bright and nearly clear and sun shined all eve and pleasant from N. I packed and cut up some wood early in morn. Wiley and Rena and baby here most of day. Pa walked to Clara's and back in eve. I walked to Sims' in eve at 2 to 3 1/4 and borrowed a new ground plow for Willie to break 3rd Cane hollow. Lewis here late in eve awhile.
Mon. 26th. Dark cloudy all day and no sun and a damp breeze from E and began to drop rain at 2 3/4 in eve and got harder at 4 and lasted till 7 and quit. Willie rode Dan to Cohen's early in morn and got Henry Yerby to haul 1/2 ton of fertilizer by 11 1/2 in morn and Henry hauled the other half in eve. I drove Joe to cart to Sims' early in morn and carried 5 bus. of big peas and exchanged with him for 5 of his and I brought back a new ground plow and Lewis borrowed cart at 8 in morn. I sawed off bottom limbs of 1/2 of pecan trees in cut by front yard by 11 1/2 and I cleaned up some ground in 3rd Cane hollow in eve and Willie plowed there with Joe and Dan to new ground plow at 1 1/2 to 4 in eve. I got wood and milked and fed in a slow rain and got nearly wet late in eve.
Tue. 27th. It began to rain slowly just before day and lasted till 10 1/2 in morn and quit and bright and sun shined all eve but ground was very wet. Pa cleaned up in 3rd Cane hollow in eve and I cleaned up there too and Willie broke ground there at 1 to 4 and broke a cuff off end of doubletree then and we came home and I put another old one on it at 4 to 4 3/4. Joe ripped and jerked all eve. He didn't want to plow in the roots. I put 2 new boards on cart saddle and covered and padded it with lowells and moss all morn and finished it at 11 1/4 in morn. Nellie walked to Seymour's and back in eve.
Wed. 28th. Bright and cool early in morn but warmer in eve and hazy clouds most of day and sun shined dimly and calm. Willie plowed Dan and Fanny mule all day and broke ground in 3rd Cane hollow and Pa cleaned up there. I worked there till 9 3/4 in morn and came home and hauled and spread 3 cart loads of cow manure in garden by 12 with Joe and I hauled 5 or 6 more in eve and finished at 5 and packed and cut up wood and helped Wiley to milk late in eve (after sunset).
Thu. 29th. Bright, but some clouds and a gentle breeze from NW and warm all morn and till late in eve and cooler then from NW. Willie exchanged Dan for Lewis' mare mule early in morn and broke ground in 3rd Cane hollow most of day with her and Fanny. I plowed up and harrowed garden with Joe by 10 1/4 in morn and packed and cut up some wood and shucked corn before dinner and Wiley and I began and planted corn most of eve in Coon field. Wiley opened with Goulden and Salome and I covered with Joe to harrow. I sowed some of corn and Wiley sowed some.
Fri. 30th. Bright, nearly clear, and quite cool early in morn and a cool and dry breeze from W of N all day but sun shined warm all day. Willie finished breaking ground in 3rd Cane hollow by 11 in morn and carried Lewis' mule home and got Dan by 12 and he broke ground in orchard in eve with Dan and Salome. Wiley and I planted corn all day in Coon field. Wiley opened with Goulden and Salome in morn and with Goulden and Fanny mule in eve. Rena and baby here most of day.
Sat. 31st. Bright, nearly clear, and very cool early in morn and a cool and dry day from N. Willie broke ground in orchard most of morn with Dan and Salome and finished all there for corn and he drove Joe to Lewis' buggy and Minnie with him to Mrs. James' in eve. Pa packed some wood in morn and walked to Clara's and back in eve. Wiley and I planted corn most of day in Coon field. I covered with Joe in morn and Dan in eve.