MARCH 1901
Fri. Mar. 1st. We had a big rain last night and bright and cool from NW in morn and clear in eve and at night. Willie and Jim worked on Elmwood pasture wire fence most of day and Pa in SW corner. I daubed mud on outside of Pa's chimney most of morn and finished it at 11 1/4 and I carried 1/2 doz bananas to Bernice by 12. Rena seems better today. I cut some bushes on SW corner of Gate cut and finished there. Robert James came late in eve and here all night.
Sat. 2nd. Clear and cool early in morn and a calm and beautiful day. Willie and Jim worked on Elmwood wire fence in morn and Willie put together an old A plow in eve. Pa cleaned off ground in morn and walked to Clara's and back in eve. I hauled wood all day from NW of Wiley's - mostly oak. I hauled 3 cart loads in morn and 2 in eve with Joe.
Sun. 3rd. Bright, nearly clear, and cool early in morn but a breeze from SW all day and a pleasant day. I walked to Wiley's at 9 in morn and took Bernice to creek and Mrs. Chambers and Miss Lucy came there and on to Wiley's with us at 10 and B C and Dixie and Rubie came there then too. Clara and Tigner came here at 10 1/4 and they and Willie and Minnie walked to Wiley's in eve. Joe Miller and Cousin Sallie and little Sallie stopped here at 4 1/4 in eve on way home from Lewis'. Rena seems to be improving but still in bed.
Mon. 4th. Cloudy some but bright and sun shined most of day and pleasant with a SW breeze all day and wind changed to NW at dark. Jim broke ground in Pine corner and Persimmon cut all day with Dan and mule (middles) and Pa cleaned up in field and Willie and I planted all of cow pen corner in sugar cane and little corner in NE part of orchard too and didn't quite finish. Willie opened ground with 1 furrow and broke up ground for cane with Joe. Nellie and Bernice here awhile late in eve. Rena seems better.
Tue. 5th. Clear and dry and a cold N wind all day. Wiley drove mare mule and his young mule to Lewis' wagon and hauled all of his part of cane (3 cart loads in morn and 3 in eve) to Coon field and Willie and Doug planted all of it by late in eve. Jim broke middles in Cherry cut with Dan and Goulden. I raked dirt off cane ricks and stripped cane most of day and helped Wiley to load. Gordon and Tigner came in eve and brought 2 1/4 bu corn and they shelled the same of seed corn out of our barn. Rena seems to be improving but still in bed and Nellie still there.
Wed. 6th. Clear and cold and dry - a freeze in morn and ice in shade most of day - and wind from N. Jim broke middles all day in Gate cut most of day. Willie cleaned up in back of field in morn and he plowed ground for Irish potatoes in NE part of orchard and he and I planted 7 rows of sugar cane there and he plowed up garden too in eve. I hauled 7 cart loads of cow manure and spread on the ground for Irish potatoes in morn with Joe. I had a dull headache and cold in my head and throat and was feverish all day and night too.
Thu. 7th. Clear in morn and a freeze but wind from SE and warmer in eve and some little clouds. Pa sat in house most of day and Willie and Jim threshed peas all day and threshed out about 6 bbls
(rough) and I cut and planted Irish potatoes most of day and finished all but 4 short rows. My cold and headache seemed a little better today. Rena sat up some today and yesterday too.
Fri. 8th. Dark cloudy and a damp SE wind all day and rained in little showers at 6 1/2 to 8 in eve and some little in night. Willie and Jim plowed all day in Luckett field breaking ground and Pa sat about house most of day complaining of his side where he hurt it in falling down. I finished planting Irish potatoes in orchard early in morn and I planted peas and onions and lettuce and radishes and 3 short rows of Irish potatoes in garden balance of day.
Sat. 9th. Dark cloudy all day and a damp wind from W of S and wind pretty high most of eve and early part of night and began to rain in slow showers at dusk and we had a heavy rain at 10 at night with some little thunder and hard wind from NW. Pa walked to Clara's in morn and returned in eve. Jim broke ground in SW corner in morn and Willie cleaned up in new ground at back of field. I drove Joe to cart to Cohen's in morn and carried 2 1/2 bu of corn and exchanged for meal at store and I got 1/2 bbl flour for Wiley (on credit) and some coffee and other things which I paid for and I got 8 lbs coffee and some other things for us which I paid for. I carried Wiley's things to his house and got home at 12 1/4. Gussie here at 12 1/2 to 4 1/2 in eve.
Sun. 10th. Bright, nearly clear, and a cool and dry wind from N of W but pleasant in sunshine. Willie and Minnie walked to Clara's in morn and returned at sunset. I walked to Wiley's early in morn and on to Lewis' and Bernice went with me and she came on here with me at 11 and I baked some potatoes and boiled some eggs and made some coffee for our dinner (and Pa's too). Nellie came at 12 1/4 and she and Bernice went back to Wiley's at 4 in eve.
Mon. 11th. Bright, nearly clear, in morn and cool but some clouds in eve and warmer from S. Pa cleaned up ground in field most of day and Willie and Jim and I planted corn most of day (our first). Jim opened ground with Dan and mule to A plow (1 time to row) and I drilled corn and Willie covered with Joe to harrow. We planted 1 pk of yellow boat corn in Gate cut and part of cut in our own corn and we left ground there on NW part of cut for a sweet potatoe patch. We planted corn in Cherry cut in eve. I came home in eve at 4 1/2 to do up work here. I had a little fever and a dull headache all day with my cold and at night too.
Tue. 12th. Cloudy all day and a damp breeze from S but sun shined some and pleasant. Willie and Jim and I planted corn most of day in Cherry cut and Persimmon cut and Pine corner and we finished our field late in eve and Willie and Jim planted some in Luckett field late in eve. Pa cleaned up ground in field today. My cold seems better today - without headache and fever today. Nellie and Bernice here in eve.
Wed. 13th. It sprinkled rain some last night and bright and cool today from N. Pa watched buzzards away from our big "bobtail" sow all day in calf pasture. She gave birth to 11 pigs today but lay on 2 of them and killed them. Willie and Jim and I planted corn all day in Luckett field. I came home in eve in time to do up work here. Nellie and Bernice here awhile in eve. Dean washed here in morn.
Thu. 14th. Bright, nearly clear, and cool and dry from N of W. Pa watched sow and pigs most of day. Willie and Jim and I planted corn all day in Luckett field on lower side and in SW corner.
Fri. 15th. Bright, nearly clear, and quite cool all day with a dry NW wind all day but not quite cold enough for a frost in morn. Pa stayed about house most of day and he cut some bean sticks in old road and packed to orchard. Willie and Jim and I planted corn all day in Luckett field in SW corner and on branch on this side.
Sat. 16th. Clear, and a freeze in morn, and a breeze from N all day and cold in shade all day but pleasant and sun shined after 10 in morn. Willie and Jim and I planted corn on this side of branch in Luckett field in morn and Buddy found our young Rose cow in a hole at 10 in morn and we got her out at 11. Willie and Jim drove the mare mule to Wiley's buggy to Cohen's and on to town in eve and returned just after sunset. I drove Joe to cart to Seymour's at 2 to 3 1/4 in eve and carried some potatoes and got his hand mill and brought back to grind hominy for chickens and I ground about 1/2 pk and cut up wood and fed and milked.
Sun. 17th. Clear - a frost and light freeze in morn - but a breeze from S of W most of day and pleasant after 10 in morn and dry. I drove Joe to buggy to Wiley's at 9 to 10 in morn and brought Rena and Bernice here and Nellie and Wiley walked and came and all here till 4 in eve and all went back to Wiley's. Lewis and Cousin Mary and all of children but West and Lila here in eve and Dan too.
Mon. 18th. Cloudy some, but bright, and a damp breeze from SW all day and night too. Pa cut and packed poles from old road to make a bean arbor in orchard most of day. Willie and Jim and I planted corn all day on branch in Luckett field. We finished this side of branch at 11 1/4 in morn and all of other side but a little in eve. Wiley went to town in morn and saw Dr. Magruder, Jr. and he came out in eve to see Rena. She is up but weak and not improving fast enough. Nellie and Bernice dined here and Nellie stayed home at night for first time in a long time.
Tue. 19th. Cloudy and warm but a damp SW wind all morn and began to rain in little showers at 11 3/4 and came up from NW at 1 1/2 and we had a heavy rain with some thunder and a little wind then, and rained slowly most of eve and a washing rain in all. Willie and Jim finished planting corn in Luckett field beyond branch (and last of our corn) in one hour early in morn and Willie broke new ground by Cap's old house (where it stood) and Jim listed ground in SW corner till 12. Pa got poles for his bean arbor in morn and I cut down 3 dead oaks and cut them up into wood in 3rd Cane hollow and packed wood out to road, most of morn. I cut up wood and milked and fed in rain in eve.
Wed. 20th. Bright, nearly clear, and a very cool wind from NW. Ground very wet early in morn but dried up good deal by evening. Willie and Jim cut some trees in morn and both listed ground in SW corner all eve. Pa got poles for a bean arbor today. I worked road some with my hoe from big road to locust thicket early in morn, and I hauled 4 cart loads of wood from locust thicket by 11 1/4 in morn with Joe and I got the cart in a hole by Sims' wire fence but I got out without breaking anything. I cut down 2 dead oaks and cut them up in 3rd Cane hollow (and last of them) and burned up some brush there in eve.
Thu. 21st. Clear, and a white frost and slight freeze in morn, but wind from SW and pleasant after 10 in morn. Willie broke ground in 3rd new Cane hollow and Jim broke out middles in SW corner today. Pa worked om his bean arbor today and I cut down part of thicket E of Persimmon cut in hollow most of day for tomatoes and watermelon patch.
Fri. 22nd. Cloudy, but bright most of day, and a damp wind from S all day and thundered in W late in eve and began to rain in little showers at dusk and rained on through night in thunder showers and we had a flood of water at 3 in morn from SW with a hard wind and some hail and little thunder. Pa worked at his bean arbor today and Willie broke ground in 3rd new Cane hollow in morn and rode Joe to funeral of Sam Haines' wife in eve. Jim broke middles in SW corner all day. I cut down part of thicket E of Persimmon cut most of day for watermelons and tomatoes. Wiley and Nellie drove mare mule to town in eve and returned nearly an hour before sunset.
Sat. 23rd. Cloudy some, and misted rain a little till 10 in morn, and bright and pleasant from SW balance of day. Willie and Jim cleaned off in new ground at back of our field all morn and I packed and cut up some wood and caried a basket of pine straw in calf pasture and made a dry bed for old sow. The rain and hail last night chilled the little pigs but they were all right by eve. Nellie and Bernice and I walked to Sims' at 1 1/4 to 2 1/2 in eve and got some sweet olive sprouts and Wiley brought some corn and I helped him to grind it on hand mill for his chickens.
Sun. 24th. Dark cloudy and a damp breeze from SW and misted rain a little at 8 1/2 in morn and bright and warm after 9 1/2 in morn. Nellie walked to Wiley's and on to B C's in morn and returned late in eve. Willie and I put all of our dry cattle into cow pasture early in morn. I walked to Wiley's in morn and Bernice and I walked to creek and back by 10 3/4 and I got home at 11 1/4. Gordon dined here. Pa at Clara's all day.
Mon. 25th. Cloudy and warm and dropped rain a little at 8 in morn and a little breeze from NW and bright and pleasant in eve. Willie broke ground in 3rd Cane hollow and made a ditch in bottom of it and I helped him to draw dirt out of it with my hoe in eve and Jim broke ground in 2nd Cane hollow today. Wiley and I patched up wire fence on cow pasture on creek in morn. Pa sat about house most of day.
Tue. 26th. Clear, and quite cool early in morn, and calm and pleasant in eve. Willie and Jim broke ground in 2nd and 3rd Cane hollows and water hole cut today. I cut down corn stalks in old Cane hollow and finished there by 9 in morn and I cut bushes in hollow E of Persimmon cut (around huckleberry trees) till 11 1/4 but didn't finish there. I dropped corn for Wiley most of eve. Wiley began to plant his first in eve. Doug opened with Goulden and I sowed corn and Wiley covered with Doug's mare to harrow - we began at field gate.
Wed. 27th. Clear, and quite cool early in morn but wind from SW and a beautiful and pleasant day. Willie and Jim broke ground in old Cane hollow today and I helped Wiley to plant corn - we cut and rolled out an old fallen oak in SW corner of Coon field in eve. I had a dull headache in morn but it left me in eve.
Thu. 28th. Cloudy in morn but clear and calm and warm in eve. Willie and Jim broke ground today - some in orchard and some in Luckett field on hilltop and I dropped corn for Wiley most of day -we finished in SW corner of his field and middle cut in morn and we planted on W side of ditch by creek in eve. Rena and Bernice here most of day. Pa went to town in eve with Lewis and got 3 bottles of Hood's Sar for himself.
Fri. 29th. Bright but some clouds and a damp wind from S all day and high at 12 to 3 1/2 in eve and we had a little thundershower at 4 1/2 and another at 6 1/2 and some little rain at night. Willie barred off sugar cane and broke some ground in orchard in morn and Jim broke some in orchard too and they cleaned off new ground at back of field in eve till 4 1/2. I helped Wiley to plant corn beyond ditch in morn and we finished his corn by 11 in morn and Bernice came home with me at 11 3/4. I hauled 3 cart loads of oak wood from back of our field by 4 in eve with Joe.
Sat. 30th. Cloudy and warm and damp and dropped rain some in morn and bright and cooler in eve from E of N. Willie and Jim cleaned off new ground at back of field all morn and I scraped dirt off sugar cane in old cow pen corner most of morn and got about 2/3 of there done. I cut up wood and shelled some butterbeans to plant in eve (about one quart).
Sun. 31st. Cloudy and cool from NE all day and night too. Lewis here awhile in morn and Wiley and Rena and Bernice here most of day and we had a birthday dinner (for me).