MAY 1901
Wed. May 1st. Clear, and calm, and cool early in morn but sun shined warm in eve. Willie and Jim hoed corn all day in Luckett field and I barred off corn there all day with Joe in middle part. Rena was sick in bed yesterday and today with sore throat and fever and Nellie was at Wiley's most of day and I was there at 1 1/4 to 2 1/4. Pa cut weeds in yard some today and yesterday too. Willie rode Dan to Belleview late in eve (after sunset) and engaged some hands to hoe corn.
Thu. 2nd. Clear and cool early in morn but warm in eve and dry. I barred off corn all day in lower part of Luckett field with Joe and Jim barred off there with Dan in SW corner and Willie and Eliza Banyan and Mahalah Mabry and Leah Grammison hoed corn there all day and George B and 2 boys hoed in eve. Pa hoed around some fruit trees in yard in morn and walked to Clara's and back in eve. Rena seems better today and is up. Nellie there all morn and brought Bernice home with her at 12 3/4.
Fri. 3rd. Bright, and sun shined most of day, but some clouds and cool early in morn but warm in eve and dry. Jim and I barred off cotton with Joe and Dan in Luckett field on this side of branch (below hill) most of day and Willie and hands hoed corn there all day - 7 hands in morn and 5 in eve. Pa cut weeds in yard today. Bernice here most of day. Rena is better and up today.
Sat. 4th. Cloudy some all morn and looked like rain but bright and dry and warm all eve. Jim and I barred off corn all morn and till 5 in eve on both sides of branch in Luckett field and finished all there and last of our corn and Willie and hands hoed corn there all day and didn't quite finish hoeing all. B C came in buggy for Nellie in morn and she didn't come back at night. Wiley rode Goulden to Cohen's in eve and got some coffee and 1 lb tobacco for us and Rena and Bernice here most of eve.
Sun. 5th. Bright, and cool early in morn, and some clouds and pleasant and dry from SW balance of day (after 9 in morn). Nellie came home from B C's in morn. Dixie gave birth to a son on yesterday eve. I walked to Wiley's in morn (after packing some wood) and Bernice came back with me and Wiley and Rena came on here too and all here till late in eve. We had a dewberry pie for dinner, our first. I walked in cow pasture and saw all the cattle in eve.
Mon. 6th. Bright, but some clouds all day, and cool early in morn but warm after 9 in morn and a breeze from SW and thundered in W and NW some in eve. Jim went to Wiley's early in morn and borrowed Wiley's harrow and harrowed corn middles all day in Luckett field with Dan and I harrowed corn middles in Gate cut and on NE corner of Persimmon cut with Joe all morn - twice to row. Willie hoed corn in Luckett field all morn and rode Joe to town in eve and got a bottle of whiskey for Pa - he is sick in bed. I fixed a clevis on my harrow at 2 to 3 1/2 in eve and burned off part of my tomato patch in hollow E of Persimmon cut. The brush didn't burn well and I had to pile them.
Tue. 7th. Bright, but some clouds, and thundered in SE early in morn and looked like rain all morn but bright and dry from NW all eve. Willie finished hoeing corn in Luckett field in morn and last of our corn and he replanted corn there in wet place all eve. Jim harrowed corn middles all day in Luckett field with Dan and I harrowed most of day in Persimmon and Cherry cuts with Joe, twice to row. Pa seems better today but still in bed.
Wed. 8th. Bright, and cool in morn early, and dry from W all day. Jim harrowed corn middles all day in Luckett field with Dan and Willie replanted corn there all morn and was sick and didn't work in eve. I harrowed corn middles with Joe in fence row cut and in Pine corner till 10 3/4 in morn and finished all of corn in home field and I harrowed some poor ground on S side of Gate cut (twice to row) for whip peas and pinder in eve and finished it at 5 and came home sick and vomited up some dewberry pie which I ate for dinner and Nellie and Willie and I were sick all night.
Thu. 9th. Bright, nearly clear, and cool and dry from NW. Jim harrowed corn middles all day in Luckett field with Dan. Willie and I and Nellie sick all day and night too. I scraped 5 short rows of yams in Gate cut early in morn but was too sick to work and came home at 8 and vomited some at 9 1/2 and lay down part of day. I packed and cut up some wood in eve. Rena and Bernice came early in eve and stayed here all night. My bowels ran off late in eve and at night.
Fri. 10th. Bright and cool early in morn and dry from NW. Jim harrowed corn middles in Luckett field with Dan till 4 1/2 in eve and finished there and last of our corn middles. Willie and Nellie and I sick all day and night too with diarrhea and feverishness. I hauled 2 cart loads of oak wood from NW of Wiley's in eve. Rena and Bernice here last night and today but went home late in eve. Dean washed here most of day.
Sat. 11th. Cloudy early in morn but bright and dry from W and SW most of day. Willie and Nellie and I still sick but better in eve. Willie and Jim planted some whip peas on poor S part of Gate cut by 8 1/2 in morn and Jim rode Dan to Cohen's at 9 to 12 in morn and got 1 bu meal and 2 plow points on credit. I lay down part of morn and some in eve. My bowels still running off but my stomach better today and Willie and Nellie too in eve. I burned some of brush in hollow on E side of Persimmon cut in eve for a tomatoe patch.
Sun. 12th. Foggy early in morn but bright and warm from W most of day. Nellie and Willie and I all better today and able to eat some. Wiley and Rena and Bernice here most of day and Cousins Tom and Gus came at 9 1/2 in morn and here till late in eve. Tom dined at Lewis' and Lewis and West here part of eve and Seymour and family here most of eve and Buddy and Gordon part of eve.
Mon. 13th. Bright and warm and dry from W. Jim barred off cotton on hilltop of H ridge in morn and didn't work in eve - he was sick - and Willie planted some pinders on poor S side of Gate cut early in morn and scraped cotton on H ridge balance of day. I began early in morn and plowed boat corn most of day on E end of Gate cut laying it by with Joe.
Tue. 14th. Bright and warm and very dry from W and thundered in E and NE most of eve far off. I plowed corn in SW part of Gate cut and barred off our yam patch on NW part of Gate cut today with Joe and I finished all of corn and potatoes too in Gate cut by late in eve. Willie scraped yams in Gate cut all day behind barring off. Jim sick and didn't work today and went home in eve. Lila and Edna here all day (or most of it) and Nellie worked on dresses for them.
Wed. 15th. Bright and warm and dry. Willie finished scraping our potatoes in Gate cut and hoed over all of our planted cane in orchard in morn and he scraped cotton on H ridge all eve. Jim came home at 1 and barred off cotton on H ridge with Dan in eve and finished there and barred off a little in old Cane hollow late in eve. I plowed corn most of day with Joe (sowing peas ahead of plowing). I plowed the old watermelon patch on NE corner of Cherry cut early in morn and plowed balance of day in Persimmon cut.
Thu. 16th. Bright and warm and dry but a pleasant breeze from S most of day. Jim barred off cotton with Dan in old Cane hollow most of day and finished there late in eve and barred a little in 2nd Cane hollow late in eve. Willie scraped cotton all day on H ridge. I plowed out our potatoe patch (in Gate cut) with 4 furrows by 11 in morn to prevent drought from killing them for the ground was very dry and they have just been barred off and scraped, although but few of them are up and I plowed corn on hilltop of Persimmon and Cherry cuts balance of day after 11 in morn. Beauty gave birth to a white back bull calf on last night in cow pen.
Fri. 17th. Bright and warm and dry but a pleasant SW breeze most of day and thundered in a cloud (in sight) in NW late in eve. Willie scraped cotton all day on H ridge and in old Cane hollow and Jim barred off all day with Dan in 2nd Cane hollow and in lower part of pine corner. I began in hollow and got nearly out to Persimmon cut.
Sat. 18th. Bright and warm and dry but a pleasant breeze from SW and no rain in sight today. Wiley and Willie and I and Jim and Doug castrated 4 bull yearlings for us and 3 for Wiley early in morn and Willie and Jim scraped cotton in old Cane hollow at 8 to 12 and I plowed corn in Pine corner at 8 to 11 1/4 and finished Persimmon cut and all of this home field is plowed but about 2 acres in Cherry cut. We didn't work in eve but cut an elm for honey NW of orchard. Wiley took the honey and got a large pan full of it.
Sun. 19th. Cloudy some all morn and a damp breeze from SW and began to rain around at 12 1/4 and began to rain here at 3 in little thunder showers and lasted till 7 1/2 and a good rain in all and very much needed for it has been 3 weeks since we had any rain. I walked to Wiley's in morn and Bernice came back with me and Wiley dined here too. Rena is sick with diarrhea today. Wiley rode Dan to town at 6 3/4 to 9 1/4 at night and got Dr. L.W. Magruder, Jr. to come out and Minnie gave birth to a daughter at 11:40 at night.
Mon. 20th. Cloudy and damp all day and dropped rain some in morn and some in eve and cool all eve and night from NE. Willie and Jim rode Dan and mule to Sims' Quarters and got Joe early in morn (he got out of cow pasture on yesterday) and Willie rode Dan to town in morn and I plowed Joe and Jim plowed mule in corn on upper side of Cherry cut most of morn and Willie plowed mule and Jim plowed Dan and I Joe most of eve in Cherry cut. I sowed peas (2 bu) most of eve and finished sowing most of that cut but Willie and Jim didn't finish plowing all. Rena and Bernice here most of day and Wiley and Doug dined here too.
Tue. 21st. Cloudy and cool early in morn from NE and bright and pleasant after 8 in morn. I rode Joe early in morn and found old Neat near Coon spring with a red bull calf but it was too young to drive home then and I walked there late in eve and drove them home. I carried 2 bu of big peas to Luckett field early in morn and sowed most of them and came back to Cherry cut and got my plow and Willie and Jim finished plowing corn on W side of Cherry cut by 8 1/2 in morn and we plowed corn balance of day in Luckett field on upper side of main body. I sowed peas ahead of plowing and plowed some too and Willie molded with mule and Jim broke out middles. Pa walked to Clara's in morn and returned in eve.
Wed. 22nd. Bright, nearly clear, and quite cool early in morn, but wind from SW and warmer in eve with some clouds late in eve. Willie and Jim and I plowed corn most of day in Luckett field in main body, as on yesterday.
Thu. 23rd. Bright and pleasant from SW. Willie and Jim and I plowed corn in S and SW part of Luckett field all day (as on yesterday) and finished all to Bristoe's ground on branch.
Fri. 24th. Bright and warm but some clouds from SW and dropped rain at dusk. Willie and Jim and I plowed corn on this side of branch in Luckett field all morn and Jim plowed there in eve (with mule) and Willie rode Dan to town in eve and got Dr. Magruder to come out to see baby, she is sick and the Dr. came late in eve. I drove Joe to Wiley's old buggy to Cohen's at 3 to 6 1/4 in eve.
Sat. 25th. Cloudy and warm early in morn and showered around some in sight at 9 to 12 but none here and cool in eve from NE but bright and dark cloudy late in eve and misted rain at dusk and till 9 at night and cool too. Willie and Jim and I plowed corn all day in Luckett field on this side of branch in morn and on other side in eve. We left some poor corn on this side and plowed in best corn on other side in eve. Beauty cow didn't come home to her calf, which is about 10 days old last night and we found her in a hole with her neck broken near Wiley's early in morn and I got old Neat to suckle Beauty's calf late in eve. Neat's calf is nearly a week old. Pa walked to Clara's in morn and returned in eve. Mrs. James and Willie came in eve and went to Seymour's to stay all night.
Sun. 26th. Bright, nearly clear, and a very cool wind from NE or E of N but sun shined all day and pleasant in sunshine. I packed and cut up some wood early in morn and grabbled some Irish potatoes in orchard and walked to Wiley's and Rena and Bernice came back with me and here most of day and Mrs. James and Annabel here too at 8 in morn till 4 in eve. Wiley went to his Pa's in morn. I walked in cow pasture and saw the cattle at 2 to 3 in eve. Willie's mule has foot evil in her other fore foot (it began on yesterday eve).
Mon. 27th. Clear and quite cool early in morn but pleasant after 9 in morn and a cool breeze from N and dry. Willie sowed peas in corn on branch in Luckett field (some on each side) part of day and he went over corn there with hoe balance of day and he finished sowing all of corn in peas and went over best corn on both sides of branch by late in eve. Jim and I plowed corn there all day with Joe and Dan. The mule is too lame to work. We finished plowing all of corn beyond branch by 12 and most of that on this side in eve.
Tue. 28th. Bright and cool and dry from NW. Willie and Jim scraped cotton all day in old Cane hollow and I plowed corn in Luckett field till 10 1/2 in morn on this side of branch with Joe and finished laying by last of our corn and I barred off cotton on hilltop of Luckett field till 11 3/4 and I hoed over all of garden in eve but the NW corner where the peas and onions are growing.
Wed. 29th. Bright and cool early in morn but warm in eve and dry -wind from SW and cloudy late in eve and a thundershower passed around N of here from W at dusk and not far off. Willie and Jim scraped cotton all day in old Cane hollow and in 2nd Cane hollow and I barred off cotton with Joe most of day. I finished all in Luckett field (hilltop) by 11 1/4 and I barred off in bottoms in SW corner in eve which is almost lost in burs.
Thu. 30th. Bright, but cloudy some, and warm and a good breeze from S most of day and dropped rain early in morn but dry after 9 in morn. Willie and Jim and Rose and Net scraped cotton all day in 2nd Cane hollow and water hole part and some in lower part of Pine corner and I barred off cotton most of day with Joe in SW corner and some little in 3rd Cane hollow.
Fri. 31st. Warm and cloudy and very little sunshine in morn and thundershowers passed around from daylight till 11 1/2 but only dropped here several times and bright and hot at 12 to 5 in eve and clouded up at 5 and we had a good shower from W at 6 1/4 to 6 3/4 with some thunder and we had another at 8 at night - a pretty good rain in all and much needed. Willie and Jim and Aunt Susan and Net scraped cotton till 6 in eve in SW corner and Rose scraped too in eve. I barred off cotton all morn in SW corner and in 3rd Cane hollow and I cut down sprouts in 3rd Cane hollow with an ax in eve. Ida and her 3 children came in morn and here till in eve.