MARCH 1904
Tue. Mar. 1st. Cloudy and warm in morn and rained in little fine sprinkles at 9 1/2 to 10 1/2 in morn and bright balance of day from SW. Willie and Howard and Hannah planted corn all day (our first). Willie opened with mule and Hannah drilled corn and Howard covered with Joe to harrow. They planted Cherry cut and E end of Gate cut in boatcorn and balance of Gate cut and hilltop of H ridge in our native corn. I let William Walker have 300 of cane for $2.25 early in morn and I got some wood and shucked some corn by 11 1/4 and lay on kitchen gallery till 12. I patched up some of calf pasture fence by cowpen at 1 1/2 to 2 3/4 in eve and rode Frilby in Elmwood field and found our hogs (3) and 1 of William Walker's in branch near Sims' old water gap and tolled them home and put them in calf pasture by late in eve. Carmell was up today but had a little fever in eve and Marion had some too in night and I was very feverish and achy late in eve and at night and coughed good deal through the night but slept some.
Wed. 2nd. Warm and cloudy from SW but bright most of day and dry and no rain today. Willie and Howard and Hannah planted corn today, as on yesterday, and finished H ridge and part of Sims' corner by late in eve - all of first planting. I rode Frilby to Ogden's store early in morn and got a bottle of quinnine and 1/2 bu Irish potatoes and 2 qts. onion sets and some bean and squash seed and 25 cts rice and a galvanized bucket and I planted the onion sets and some beans in garden and some tomatoe seed too by 2 3/4 in eve and cleaned off some ground in old cowpen corner for an Irish potatoe patch and fed and helped Minnie to milk late in eve. Carmell and Marion and I are all better of our colds today. I stopped taking Quaker tonic today and I felt better in eve. I have been taking it for about 3 weeks.
Thu. 3rd. Warm and cloudy from SW early in morn but wind and clouds changed to NW at 9 in morn and sprinkled rain a little then and bright till 12 and a dark cloud came up from NW at 12 and wind blew hard and sprinkled rain some from W of N at 12 to 4 in eve and quit and cleared off after dark and chilly all eve and night too. Willie plowed up some ground in old cowpen corner for Irish potatoees early in morn and Howard and I got some wood and water for Hannah to wash and Willie and Howard hauled out cow manure most of day from both cowpens and put in 1 load piles just E of hayhouse where we had potatoees last year. I cut and planted Irish potatoes most of morn in old cowpen corner and planted all of ground broken and had potatoes enough left to plant about 3 rows more. I got good deal of wood and drew water in eve and found a hen in old road S of here killed by a hawk and set the trap on it late in eve. Willie and I milked late in eve.
Fri. 4th. Clear and cold enough for a wet cloth to freeze early in morn but a breeze from E and good deal warmer in eve. Willie and Howard hauled out manure from old cowpen with mule all day and put it in one load piles on ground E of hayhouse and they finished all except stable manure. I patched up cowpen wire fence at hayhouse early in morn and plowed up 4 rows on hillside in orchard with Joe and planted them in Irish potatoes by 11 1/2 in morn. I got wood and water and fed and helped Willie to milk in eve. Young Kitty brought up a calf (a heifer one) about 3 days old early in morn and we put them in stable at hayhouse. I had some fever most of day and at night with cold and sweat some late at night and I coughed good deal at night.
Sat. 5th. Bright but cloudy some with a damp and cool breeze from SE all day and we had a big rain at 1 to 3 in night with some rolling thunder. Howard spread the manure on potatoe ground E of hayhouse with a hoe in morn and Willie plowed there all day with Joe and Ella and plowed under all of manure broadcast. I cut down a plum thicket out there by 10 in morn and sat in house by fire at 10 1/2 to 12 with fever and chilliness and felt better in eve and at night. I got wood and water and fed and helped to milk in eve and I set out 2 little pear trees in hollow in orchard. The steel trap which I set on a hen in old road 2 days' ago caught an eagle hawk this eve. Bernice staid here last night.
Sun. 6th. Bright, nearly clear, and a cool breeze from NW but smokey some most of day. Willie rode Frilby to Clara's and back in morn. Wiley went to his Pa's today and Rena and her 2 children here most of day. West dined here and Willie went to SS with him in eve. I walked in cow pasture and drove home Joe and Ella in eve and got wood and water and fed and helped Willie to milk late in eve. I was feverish and achy late in eve and at night but slept pretty well.
Mon. 7th. Bright, nearly clear, and cool from NW. Willie and Howard cleaned up ground in SW corner in morn and Howard again in eve and Willie broke ground there in eve with Joe and Ella. I hauled poles and short locust stakes from beyond road (SE of here) all morn with Joe and cart to repair fence from garden to water gap and I finished all of them. I got wood and water and fed and helped Minnie to milk in eve. I was feverish only a little today and at night and rested pretty well but coughed a good deal in night.
Tue. 8th. Bright, nearly clear, and cool and pleasant from NW. Willie broke ground in SW corner most of day with Joe and mule. Howard and Hannah threshed peas most of day at hayhouse and put the hulls in wagon there and Willie hauled them to barn late in eve. They threshed about 20 bus. of clean ones or enough to make that many. I repaired fence in cowpen today all morn and at 2 1/2 in eve to 4 1/2 putting in some new stakes and rails at bottom to make it calf proof and finished it at 4 1/2 in eve. I walked to schoolhouse at 1 to 2 1/2 in eve to try to get a school teacher. Miss Jenny Jeter quit some time ago and Lewis and Ed Ogden and Wiley and Buddy met there too.
Wed. 9th. Bright, nearly clear, and quite cool early in morn but a breeze from S all day and warmer in eve. Willie broke ground in SW corner today as on yesterday and Howard and Hannah threshed peas today as on yesterday and got about 20 bus. again. I worked on wire fence from yard to cowpen today putting new stakes at bottom and tying then to posts with wire and put in a few more rails and I got wood and water and fed and helped Minnie to milk late in eve. I slept well at night.
Thu. 10th. Bright but some clouds in morn and a little breeze from SW and dark cloudy most of eve and sprinkled rain some in eve and in night and thundered and lightened in NW most of night. Willie broke ground in SW corner today as on yesterday and Howard and Hannah threshed peas today as on yesterday. I worked on fence between yard and cowpen and some between garden and barn all morn and I got wood and water and helped Minnie to milk in eve.
Fri. 11th. Bright and warm and very little breeze today and no rain in sight. Willie broke ground with Joe and mule in locust ground at back of our field today. Hannah washed in morn and Howard and I got wood and water for her. I patched up some of calf pasture fence and cut down some bushes in plum thicket on H ridge in morn and I made a new box and set a hen in it in potatoe house and got wood and water and helped Minnie to milk in eve.
Sat. 12th. Bright, but cloudy some, and warmer from SW. Willie broke ground with Joe and mule in morn and he rode Frilby to town in eve and returned at dark. Howard cleaned up ground E of fig orchard in morn. I cut down bushes in plum thicket on H ridge in morn and let Charlie Banford have 175 of cane at 9 1/2 in morn. Rena and her 2 children here today and Wiley dined here too. I patched a pair of old pants in eve and got wood and water and helped Minnie to milk. Nellie and Carmell staid at Wiley's at night.
Sun. 13th. Bright and warm from SW till 3 in eve and clouded up then and rained in thundershowers from W with a breeze from NW at 5 to 6 1/2 in eve and turned cool and cleared off after night. Willie rode Frilby to Clara's for mail early in morn and Tigner came back with him at 10 1/2 in morn and Willie and Minnie and Tigner walked to SS in eve. I walked to Wiley's and back in morn. Nellie and Carmell came home from Wileys' just after dinner and Rena and her 2 children came too. Willie and I milked in rain late in eve but didn't get wet.
Mon. 14th. Clear and quite cool early in morn and a breeze from NE most of day but a pleasant day. Willie and Howard and I planted some sugar cane in 2nd Cane hollow in morn. I hauled it in 3 1/2 cartloads with Joe and Howard dropped it and Willie plowed it under with Ella and we finished it by 10 3/4 in morn and I hauled 3 cartloads of wood from in orchard beyond cowpen corner by 12. Willie broke ground with Joe and mule in eve and Howard cleaned up ground.
Tue. 15th. Clear and a little frost in morn but a calm and pleasant day. Howard and Hannah threshed peas all morn and finished last of them. Willie broke ground with Joe and mule all morn in field and he broke ground in NE corner of orchard all eve. I cut some low limbs from 6 pecan trees in cowpen corner and cut some bushes and briars there and rolled out 3 bay logs in morn and I burned some cane fodder and took down old bean arbor in orchard in eve.
Wed. 16th. Bright and quite cool early in morn but a breeze from S and a pleasant day. Howard cleaned up ground out E of fig orchard today and Hannah washed in morn and I got wood and water for washing early in morn. I cut and burned okra stalks in orchard and leveled some ground in cowpen corner with hoe where cane was ricked till 11 1/2. Willie broke ground in orchard all morn with Joe and mule and finished there and he broke ground out E of hayhouse all eve. I set 2 hens in eve and got wood and water and helped Minnie to milk. Nellie and Carmell walked to Lewis' in eve.
Thu. 17th. Warm and cloudy and a damp S breeze all morn and a thundercloud came up from NW at 12 and we had a hard rain with some hail and thunder and wind at 1 and rained in little thundershowers in eve from W - a big fall of water in all - and quit at 6 in eve. Willie broke ground out E of here all morn and Howard cleaned up ground there and I hoed over all of garden but a little in morn. We didn't work in eve. I got wood and water and Willie and I milked in rain late in eve but didn't get wet and we put nearly all of our dry cattle into cow pasture late in eve.
Fri. 18th. Cloudy and warm and damp but sun shined some and dropped rain some in eve and at night. Willie and Howard worked on wire fence around cow pasture some in morn. We put our cattle in there in morn and some of them late on yesterday eve. Willie rode Frilby to town in eve to get Dr. Magruder to come out to see Wiley - he had a chill and fever today and on yesterday and on Wed. too but Willie didn't see the Dr. I fixed a manure pen in cowpen and I took up good deal of manure there in morn and I walked to Wiley's and got wood and water and fed and milked in eve and Willie helped me to milk. Howard rode Joe to Cohen's in eve. Nellie and Carmell at Wiley's all eve and came home at sunset.
Sat. 19th. Bright but cloudy some all day and sun dried ground good deal today - a damp breeze from S and warm. Willie rode Frilby to Ogden's in morn and he and Minnie drove Joe to town in eve and returned just before sunset. Dr. Magruder came out to see Wiley in morn and Wiley missed fever today. I fixed the legs of an old sewing machine on 2 blocks and made 2 flower stands for Nellie early in morn and got some wood. I walked to Wiley's early in eve and got some wood for them and I got wood and water and fed and milked (7 cows) by dusk. Nellie and Carmell walked to Wiley's late in eve and staid all night.
Sun. 20th. Warm and cloudy and a damp S breeze early in morn and rained around in thundershowers from SW at 8 to 10 in morn and a little here and we had a big one from NW at 10 3/4 to 12 and bright till 3 in eve and rained around some late in eve and sprinkled some here. Dan and Buddy and Gordon and little Bud here at 8 3/4 to 10 in morn. Nellie and Carmell at Wiley's till in eve. None of us went to SS in eve. Wiley missed fever again today and seems better but still in bed. I walked there at 1 1/2 to 3 1/4 in eve.
Mon. 21st. Warm and cloudy and misted rain little till 9 1/2 in morn and bright and sunshine balance of day and quite warm but a good S breeze. Howard deadened trees in Sims' corner in morn and Willie rode Frilby to Cohen's in morn and engaged our peas to him at $1.00 per bushel by measure and I winnowed peas at hayhouse most of morn - about 17 or 18 bushels - and Howard drove Ella and Jack to wagon and carried 21 1/2 bu to Cohen in eve and Willie rode Frilby and went too and they returned before sunset. Willie and Howard walked to Lewis' late in eve and drove our guernsey bull home from there and we put him in cow pasture. I walked to Wiley's and got some stove wood there in eve and got wood and water here and Minnie and I milked.
Tue. 22nd. Warm and cloudy and damp from S till 11 in morn and sun shined all eve and quite warm but a good W of S breeze all day. Willie rode Frilby and Howard drove Ella and Jack to wagon to Cohen's in morn and carried 22 bu peas and last of them to sell and they returned at 12 and hauled out all of our stable manure and put in piles on hilltop of Persimmon cut for potatoes in eve with mules and wagon. I walked in cow pasture and got Joe by 9 in morn and I hauled 2 cartloads of wood from field by 11 3/4 and I washed out a molasses bbl (which Willie got in morn) early after dinner and walked to Wiley's and carried some red potatoes and milk and got wood and water and helped Willie to milk late in eve.
Wed. 23rd. A thundercloud came up from W at 6 1/2 in morn and rained slowly here at 6 1/2 to 9 1/2 in morn and bright and warm balance of day from SW. Willie and Howard took molasses out of an old barrel on kitchen gallery and put it in a nearly new barrel, which Willie got from Cohen's on yesterday, early in morn - while it was raining - and put it in potatoe house late in eve. Willie and Howard worked at wire fence just on E side of orchard some in morn and Howard worked there most of eve. Andrew Porter came at 11 1/4 and castrated Sandy colt just after dinner. Willie and I rode Joe and Frilby and hunted 1 head of our cattle and 5 of Wiley's in eve but didn't find them but Wiley did and drove them up just as we returned late in eve and put them in cow pasture.
Thu. 24th. Warm and cloudy from SW but bright and sun shined all day after 9 in morn and no rain today. Howard cleaned off ground out E of fig orchard all day and Willie broke new ground there all morn with Ella to A plow and he broke old ground there in eve with Joe and mule. I hauled 3 cartloads of wood, mostly locust, from Sims' corner beyond road in morn. I got wood and water for Hannah to wash early in morn. I got wood and water and fed and milked all of our cows but 1 (Willie milked Jersey) late in eve.
Fri. 25th. Warm and cloudy till 9 1/2 in morn and bright balance of day from S and wind blew all day from there and no rain in sight. Howard cleaned up ground SE of hayhouse in Sims' corner beyond road and Willie broke ground there with Joe and Goulden all morn. Wiley and Ray drove Ella and Jack to town in morn and carrried some peas to M and C. I hoed over all our garden by 11 1/2 in morn. We planted corn in eve. Willie opened with Goulden and I sowed corn and Howard covered with Joe to harrow. We planted orchard and part of old Cane hollow. Willie and I milked late in eve.
Sat. 26th. Warm and cloudy some from SW all morn and a slow thundercloud came up from NW at 12 and rained a little shower here at 12 1/2 to 2 and rained on in little showers most of eve and cool from N and rained a hard one at 5 1/4 to 6 1/4 in eve and quit at dusk. Willie and Howard and I planted corn till 11 1/2 in morn (with Joe and Goulden) in old Cane hollow and in water hole cut and in Pine corner and finished last of our corn. Wiley rode Frilby and Ray drove Ella and Jack to wagon and carried last of his peas to town and sold them in morn. Bernice here today and Nellie and Carmell went home with her late in eve to stay all night. Willie and I got nearly wet milking late in eve.
Sun. 27th. Bright, nearly clear, and cool from N all day but pleasant in sunshine after 9 in morn. Willie rode Frilby to Clara's and back in morn. I walked to Wiley's in morn and Nellie and Carmell and Rena and her children came back with me and Wiley came on afterward and all dined here. Wiley and Minnie and Carmell walked to SS in eve and Willie rode Frilby and drove some cows and horses out of our field - they were biting off our corn. I walked in cow pasture and salted all of our cattle and drove up Joe and Ella at 4 to 5 in eve and Willie and I milked late in eve.
Mon. 28th. Bright, nearly clear, and a little frost in morn but not cold enough to kill vegetation and a cool and pleasant day with wind from N. Willie broke ground in Sims' corner just beyond road all morn and till 2 1/2 in eve with Joe and mule and he broke his doubletree then and he rebedded some ground on hilltop of Persimmon cut balance of eve with Joe for potatoes. Howard and I spread the stable manure there in water furrows by 9 1/2 in morn and Howard cleaned up in Cane hollow in Sims' corner till 12 and rode his mare to town to get medicine for Hannah in eve. I made a poplar hoe handle and put in my hoe at 10 to 11 1/2 in morn and I got some yam seed and got wood and water and fed and helped Willie to milk in eve.
Tue. 29th. Bright and cool early in morn and cloudy some all day and a damp SE breeze but sun shined most of day and pleasant. Willie broke ground in Sims' corner most of morn and broke another doubletree at 11 1/4 and quit then. Howard cleaned up new ground in Sims corner in morn and broke ground in SW corner all eve with Joe and mule. Willie planted some watermelons there in eve and helped me to plant yams on hilltop of Persimmon cut awhile. I planted yams there all day and we finished planted yams by 5 1/4 in eve and milked late in eve. Hannah planted some potatoes for herself on NE corner of Cherry cut in eve.
Wed. 30th. Cloudy and warm and a damp S breeze all morn and bright in eve from S. Howard broke ground in SW corner all day with Joe and mule. Willie and I planted some Reds on hilltop of Persimmon cut in morn and finished them and last of our patch by 10 1/4 in morn and Willie cleaned up ground out E of fig orchard balance of day and I picked some seed potatoes out of rotten ones at potatoe house balance of day. They gave me a birthday dinner today and Wiley and family all dined here and Howard and Hannah too. Lewis came just after dinner and got some yam seed and Wiley got some Red - little Bud and Luther some potatoe seed too mostly Queens and Reds. I planted the 7 (first) rows on upper side of our potatoe patch in deep yellow yams on yesterday.
Thu. 31st. Warm and cloudy from SW all day but bright and sun shined most of day. Howard broke ground in SW corner with Joe and mule all day and Willie cleaned up new ground in Cane hollow in Sims' corner all day. I picked all of rotten potatoes out of eating ones in potatoee house by 9 1/2 in morn and I hoed up some ground in hollow in orchard to plant some okra till 11 3/4 and awhile in eve too. I planted some butter and pole beans in orchard in old bean patch in eve too and got wood and water and fed and helped Willie to milk. Lewis got some Red potatoes early in morn and Rose got 1/2 bu on credit in eve.