Diary of Jeremiah White Graves, Volume 2, Book 8

1850 May 4th Finished this evening Beding up Bottoms for corn, Lila Plowing in Oats Hilling up new ground & coltering Fine growing weather uncovered & manured ^{our Plant Beds} Planted cotton yesterday etc etc —

5th Rained moderately nearly all night & to day showery warm weather my wife & F.W gone to Mrs Hunts Tobacco Plants remarkably small for the time of year

6th Rained nearly all night - again 2 or 3 thundered clouds This morning Rather cooler & cleared off - Halling out manure waggon & cart. fencing Picking Plant Beds & then for Hilling in new ground.

7 Started to Lynchg with waggon & got there 8th stayed till Thursday evening & got home Friday 10th Having rained Twice very hard while we were gone roads very bad

11 still raining we are Beding our Second yrs Land & Hilling not near done Hilling new ground & have all our flats to Plant in corn yet Tobacco Plants small & great many have not finished Planting corn & some has not Planted any yet. we have never seen such wet weather & backward Spring, very cool indeed & Thunder cloud last night as cool as it was

12th Frost last night but cant tell yet what is bit by it, quite cool indeed

13th no frost this morning tho cool, Beding fresh ground & Hilling it Fed Halling out manure only thing looks well is wheat & oats Mourning & Red has cow calves, lately - we have only 7 Lambs^{this time} to

1850 May 14th Hilling in fresh ground Halling out manure waggon & Cart Sent alse to shop this morning with Plow cloudy & like for Rain, warmer than it has been

15. began to ^Rain yesterday before 12 oclock took down our good Tobacco & Rained hard yesterday & last night, ground^wetvery can do but little spining weaving shelling corn this morning. still cloudy & Cool such a wet Spring we have never hardly seen & cool too, every thing back =ward -

16th Halled up 1 Load Tobacco & filled up Hh^d Then we went to Hilling in second yrs Land & 2 Plows in corn field Sewed calf Lot at stable in Oats —

17th. Halling out manure this morning waggon & cart Jane Plowing Balance hilling in seconds Land & trying to finish to day

18th Very col this morning Halling out manure replanting drill corn that we first planted, Hilling in new ground to day

19th cool day smart Hail at Greenfield Mr H 20th Whitsontide, Our folks but Fed at work in Lot by new Barn Plowing & scattering manure, clear & Cool this day It looks this morning Like we ^{dry weather} are going to have

21st Our corn has come up very bad & we are this day laying off & Planting over next to Orchard & Johns Spring Planted Peas Pump^kings seed & simblings

22 went to Mrs Hunts Replanted Johns field Henry Bed Potatoe Patch on Johns spring Branch & then went to Plowing corn

23 Planted Branch corn, Planted Peas Irish Potatoes & Replanted fresh ground,

1850 May 24th Fed gone to mill 1 Bbl corn, Hilling in New ground Henry coltering with 2 Horses in new ground. Plants very small yet, cool clear weather

25 fine Rain last night finished Coltering new ground, Hilling there, expect to get done in one or Two days more, Planted a few Tobacco Hills in new ground, Henry Plowing in corn field up Hh^d to day

26 went to Mrs McCullocks clear day

27 Finished Hilling Our new ground & big second yrs ground & very done all Finished at last sewing Oats On Our Flats this day & Plowed some in corn

28th Finishing Hilling this morning shearing sheep Plowing corn in Johns field clear & fair tolerable warm this morning

29 Cutting off all our new ground Tobacco Hills & Planted a few in evening after Rain

30 Planted about our new ground Took Our Tobacco all ^down we have & Pack it in prize Barn Turned out 1 Hh^d Plowing & weeding corn

31 Plowing & weeding corn in Johns field

¹⁸⁵⁰ June 1st Plowing & weeding corn quite cool this day wind from N.E

2nd A little cloudy & Cool Sunday

3rd Plowing p^s corn by Barn^next Johns spring & fresh ground. finished drill corn Hill next to Mr Lewis Plowed Sweet Potatoes & working them & cotton out.

1850 June 4th Plowing corn second time finishing Cotton & Potatoes Fed Alse & Ann gone to shop shop this morning cool ^nights

5 Started to Lynchg with waggon & while gone weeding Corn doing some little fencing & clearing Oats & wheat gone 3½ days got back Saturday 11 Oclock & went to meeting sold Hh^d Tobacco for $8= had a good Trip weather cool & dry replanted branch this day & a little shower of rain in evening

10. cleared off cool & windy - Plowing corn & weeding, Henry Plowing Bottoms, gathered Turnip seed -

11 Plowing & weeding Bottoms on branch & also Plowing in Johns field nights very cool, at this time,-

12th Finished flat land Plowing & weeding to day & weeding in Johns field finished Plowing Once & nearly Twice,

13 Sent federick to mill this morning Plowing & weeding corn in John’s field & by Barn on left side nights very cool & weather dry & Clear

14th weeding Corn & Plowing left side Path & next to Orchard in the evening it rained a little & we planted Tobacco in new ground by Plant Beds etc light season

15 warm & a little cloudy this morning Planting Tobacco in fresh ground & new ground & expect to finish the new ground & nearly finish the second yrs land to day

16th started to Court ^{stayed at Bro Stony all night}cloudy in evening

17. went to Court & was quite sick Got home by Sun set, cut off second yrs Land Hills weeding Corn & Plowing Killed Lamb & shoat etc etc etc.

1850 June 18th weeding corn & Plowing Mrs Moseley here, Fanney White married at night to Mr Ja^s M Fitzgerald

19. Weeding Corn & Plowing finished weeding corn & Hilling Lot by Garden for Tobacco & Hilling up Irish^Potatoes

20 working on Garden Harrowing corn finished prizing Tobacco this day the

21st Harrowing corn finished Garden

22nd Harrowing corn choping working corn Plowing cotton etc etc Rained in evening & we planted old Irish Potatoe Patch & here by b[?] Greeens in Tobacco late in evening

23rd warm day & springled rain in evening

24th Planting Tobacco this morning in Lot by Garden & fresh ground - warm weather about this time, -

25 Planting Tobacco in second yrs ground Plants from Mr Simpsons

26. gone after more Plants for second yrs ground, cloudy & warm, — fine growing weather ——— finished planting big second yrs ground & Catherine spiller Patch thinning cotton & replanting new ground Tobacco this evening, Cutting fresh ground wheat this evening etc

27th Rained a little last night replanting new ground Tobacco cutting wheat Began to weed new ground Tobacco at 12 oclock alse, malissa & Kitty, etc.