Diary of Jeremiah White Graves, Volume 2, Book 9

1855 Feby 8th Hung up the last Killing of of Pork say the 6 Hogs one more yet to Hung up sleet this morning raining a little Federick shoemaking for Cate & Jacob Henry Jordan & sandy making Brooms alse etc spining very cold weather, 2 Lambs to this day

13 Malling Halling leaves in Corn field & Halling rails round Corn fields, cleaning Out Stables & Jacob & myself finished prize she[d] cloudy & like for rain, weather cool — Filled up the Ice House 1st of this week,-

14 took Down Tobacco to strip filed up straw racks. Halled up Oats, went to Rice etc -

15. Malling & Halling wood from mountain went to Mr. Pannills for Mrs Hunt she paid one $2⁰⁰

16 Expect to send to Mill this day Sent 1 Log for Hh^d staves 9½ feet long -- Rained all night the 13th Inst. one Lamb Dead, Sent 8 Bushels Corn for meal to day

20 Yesterday very Cold & windy, burnt & sewed plant Bed with Mr Crews in his new ground Henry & Jordan malling till 12 Oclock & then plowing alse & claiborne fencing

21st This is a pretty day - Halling Rails malling & fencing Halled out Straw to day manure & wood this day

22 Fine day. Finished new ground fence this day Halling rails & leaves in corn field

25 went to See Mr Fitzgerald he is & has been complaining ever Since last fall very Cold windy weather cant Plow about this time — Have made new ground fence next to Crews & Halled out good many rails & have something like 8 or 10,000 left after fencing in the ground

26 Rolling Logs to day & did not quite finish

27. Finished rolling Logs & then Halled out & have finished Halling rails around Corn field

1855 Feby 28th Chink Logs Heaps to burn Halling out rails & wood & nearly done the rails this Day we have covered & sowed over our plant Beds malling & cutting wood etc, Henry is at work on Garden etc- nearly done getting rails out of new ground,- all our Lambs say 2 Come Soon is Dead.

March 1st Working on Garden Cutting wood & malling & Halling out & began to Rake leaves etc

2nd Henry gone to Mill 10 lbs Bus Corn for meal 8 Hoes, 3 to Lay 3 to strap & 2 to sharpen Carried 2 Colter sometime ago & will bring them back Car^d 3 Plows McCormicks to fix etc 2 Gimblets to fix - & Get Palings If possible etc

4 went to chalk Plowing fencing corn field fence fixing Garden & etc

6 fencing Plowing & Getting shingles & in the evening began to Rain & we set Log heaps on fire

7. Fine Rain, striping Tobacco this morning Log heaps nearly all went out

8th Halling out Logs Rolling Mr Crews & Jacobs Logs Plowing Cotton Patch scat =tering leaves to Plow in Halled one stack fodder out of fresh field fine weather

9th Began to coller in new ground Plowing for corn raking et etc Planted Irish Potatoes by Turnip Patch

10th Plowing for Corn Hester broke the lines & broke away from Sandy & Pompey & Run away. Nannie went to Mr Jno D Hunts

12th Treading Oats Halling wood Set Logs Heaps on fire, & began to rain in the evening Thundered & at night it rained all night quite cool -

13 Striped Tobacco in new barn back of Garden all day

14th Striped there again & expect to finish

15 & 16 Striping in ^old prize barn got it all down we have been striping Tobacco ever Since Monday evening Rained the whole week nearly no oats sewed yet here, ground very wet & cold ––

1855 March 28. Sewing Oats last week & this week & Plowing in second years ground & Hilling Collering in new ground very Cold & windy - Sewing Oats to day at mountain field expect to get out another stack of Oats to day to sew

28th Sewed 32½ Bushels ^{Began to} ––Hilling in new ground Planted Balance of Irish Potatoe Patch yesterday & covered it with leaves yesterday ground too hard frozen of mornings to Plow any where sewing Oats Cold & windy, weather Was from N W.

The 20th March 1855 Settled with the McCullock Legatees & paid Out all money on hand as Comm^r Exer of Jer & E McCullock & Interest as pr statements in Bag fine weather this day 20th Mar

30th Fine Day finished sewing Oats Bushing Sent Henry to Yates Mill 8 Bus. Corn Sent Mrs Hunts shoe Yates Vinegar & after Plank & Palings etc this day Sent Sandy to Rices after molasses Jordan Bushing^Oats Balance Hilling etc etc

31 Sandy got no molasses at Rices, Plowing for Corn. Broke Fillmore to Plow etc etc nearly broke Our new ground Once. we have made 5 or 6,000 new ground hills besides one p^s of fresh ground at stony point Halled out of Crews new about a week ago Hewed Logs & also Logs for shoemaking shop,- cleared off & windy this morning weather getting dry Rose & Milly has both Fine Bull calves about a week old to day we have 14 Lambs alive to this day

1855 April 1st A Fine clear day Windy Cate got her chin & neck burnt the past week & to day Kate & Jacob from Home Jacob gone to green field & Kate to Ja^sM Harris ––

6th Finished striping Tobacco & Bulk down all my Lugs nearly or quite Plowing for Corn at 12 Oclock Beautiful Rain moderate weather —

9 Easter Holliday cloudy & like for Rain Nearly half done Hilling Our new ground Got a good Deal of Corn Land to break up yet,- Finished Breaking our Corn Land 1855

14 Finished Sewing Oats at Mr Neals yesterday Plowed up a p^s for corn & p^t of Garden for him Plowed on Branch & Patches to day Planted Irish Potatoe seed Come from Fannies, cloudy & like for Rain Mr Evans has finished Ditching Mr Mullens Set up 2 Hh^ds — & we are Hilling in new ground Fed Coltered nearly ½ day for Jacob ———————

16 Jacob & myself went to Court Plowing fresh ground for Corn & Tobacco Hilling & Coltering in new ground fine day —

17 Same work & finished Coltering new ground Halling rails for Mr Crews Fed Picked leaves off Plant above House Beding up & listing Branch & bottoms for corn

18 Finished Bedding & listing in evening & went to Laying off for corn Hilling in new ground not quite done

19th Began to Plant Corn laying off etc Fine warm weather yesterday we altered marked etc^Hogsour Calves some days ago Jacob Laying off to day - Sandy in House

1855 april 20th wind Blew tremendous hard great damage done by fire up at Pattersons & down about S. T Millers & McHaneys, we are planting Corn on hill next to Orchard, etc –

21st Planted our flat Land Corn to day & the fresh ground next to orchard fine day a little Cooler Nannie ^{to Mrs Hunts}gone Broke Fillmore in seeding Oats to Plow Last wednesday Mr Tucker altered our shoats about 20 in number

22nd Sunday School Commenced fine day

23. Planting Corn left side of Path by middle Barn & Planted Corn field Snaps as follows white Short on Bran^ch Rice Beans fresh ground next to orchard a few speckled this side of branch beyond clems House,Some come from Mrs Hunts in bottom tho other side of middle barn & by Barn & bars, & the old Turnip Patch place planted speckled Sort; fine weather quite dry ¬–

24. Expect to get done to day by clems House & fresh ground, Snaps of the Speckled sort in fresh ground; Finished Planting Corn to day –

25. Halling out manure, finished Hilling up new ground collering up fresh ground & hilling at mountain Layed off Mr Neals Corn ground yesterday & Bedded Pumpkin & Potatoe Patch etc went to Mrs Glasses sale

26 Halling out manure shelling Corn Sent Jordan to mill in evening 8½ Bushels Corn for meal quite cool this morning Hester & Mr. Faris’s Jack this day

26th of april 1855. Halling out manure