Diary of Jeremiah White Graves, Volume 3, Book 3

14th July fine Rains about this evening but now hire - Kate & Jerry here to day - Jerry went meeting Kate did not I went to meeting & S School 15th cloudy this morning Hilling up fresh ground Sam working his Branch Tobacco with [ho???] 16th I went to Court & back this day left Nannies Breast pin for Guthrie to mend finished fresh ground Tobacco hilling up Sam Stacked some oats & finished hilling his branch Tobacco & we are hilling up my branch Tobacco. this day 17th Robt Tucker here Hilling up branch Tobacco & Finished & finished Stacking Oats. Sam Roper sick to day Tommy put up one Stack oats for me & one for Sam Roper chopping & cleaning off Big Ditch & little one 18. Same work this morning Tom Talbot cutting Hay cutting down weeds Bushels &C, & we expect to ship out Tobacco Just as Soon as we can finish on branch & our oats, & bring up Hay - began to Strip Tobacco this day little Shower rain about night Mr Banks came here to day [????] & chopping corn 19th Striping Tobacco till evening & got too dry & we very dry weather at this time, every thing is suffering -- 20th Myself Nannie & Mrs Wyatt went to meeting Strait Stone Mr Booker did not come 21st I went to Sunday School Mr Booker Came & he gave us a lecture in the morning to Sunday School in the morning & then preached a Surmon and it rained a little while we were at the church about night there came up a cloud & it rained 1 1/2 hours or more in the night hard & this morning the ground is miry Plowed up Turnip [Patch] replanting Tobacco in fresh ground & lot this morning Weather clear & little windy, 22nd Finished striping Tobacco replanted [fresh] ground & Lot this morning -- 23rd Rubbing mould off Tobacco & Packing [d?] Packing fine in Box replanted Tobacco on [br?] Branch

1872 July 23rd Fanned out 2 1/2 Bushels wheat for Jacob & sent it to him Doron here & Nannie & [Leon] went to Mrs. Colemans yesterday in Buggy. Packing down Tobacco tolerable Hot weather 24th Finished taking down & [Bulking] our Tobacco this morning Finished striped striping Monday now Plowing & working our Lot Tobacco cloudy [cloudy] & like for rain very warm (the word cloudy on this line is stricken) 25. Ben Sick & Lewis but little account Sam has been Sick & looks like he dont want to do any thing Andrew looks like he cant work & does very little even when I am there, Tommy never Knows any thing & dont Know where any [thing] Tho he may See it Several times in the day & it appears all the hands that works out is trying themselves to See how little they can do in the way of work Polly Patrick & Spencer Hilling up Tobacco in Lot [???] 12 oclock [Spencer] went to cutting & cleaning up on Branch ps [th??????] for this days work. Finished Plowing lot & some Halling up Lot 26 I have made a Bargain with Spencer Patrick to cut Grub & clean up Branch from crop fence up to Spring & I am to give him $3 for it $1.25 he is to trade out in clothes or something else Finishing Hilling up Lot this morning. Tom & Andrew began to Top Tobacco to day 27 Plowed on Branch yesterday Spencer Patrick worked Friday & to day till 12 oclock Sam began to fence last evening & they all are fencing to day. Tom & Andrew fencing from the [crook] of fence next to woods where fence comes [thro] the woods Sam Ben & Lewis fencing from the drain [thro] field above fresh ground thro the woods where Tom & Andrew commences, clear morning I am going to shop to day & P.O. 28th. I went to Sunday School rained a little 29th Fencing around corn field, shelled corn

1872 July 29th sent Ben to Mill Tom Talbot 2 1/2 [&] Bus corn for meal Went off last Saturday Morning without my consent & staid till Monday morning & I told him If he would not promise he would not do so any [more] & would attend to his business I would dismiss him he said he would not promise to stay at home & attend to his business I told him I had no use for [?] & he went off from here, Hot & dry -- 30th Fencing around corn field next to Stone [???nt] 31st I went to Jacobs yesterday & Mount Airy & to Mr. Millers & he is not going to [stell] any fruit at all We are fencing to day Martin here very warm weather made up Fence thro [Piney] field & fixed Draw Bars August 1st This day Sam Roper is gone somewhere he is not at home Andrew Ben & Lewis [worm] & saw 2 of my shoats, expect to send for 1 of them Rained a little this evening [laid] the dust 2nd Sam came home & said he had been tryed to Top Tobacco in morning & could not & did not do any thing We went after Cedat trough Edmond Dug for me fixed Cedar Press & got up & [Beet] nearly one press [full] & Halled stack of old Oats & put in Granary sent Sam after Shoat at Mr [Ma????] 3rd August this morning & got it very Hot & dry Toping Tobacco Spencer here Plowing in Garden & Tobacco & helping me Top Tobacco on Branch I have been Toping in fresh ground nearly [???] day to 12 oclock & after Dinner finished on flat [???] 4. Went to Sunday School to day -- 5. I went to Mount Airy after Oil for Machine &C. got home by Dinner - Andrew worming Tobacco in finish ground Sam working Tobacco on Branch & Toping Rained some in evening

1872 Aug 5th Rained a little in evening & fixed [dryers] in evening still cloudy & like for rain 6th Still cloudy & Raining a little & about1/2 after 8 oclock in morning began to rain hard & is still raining & likely to rain all day Fine Rain Jacob Graves here & fanned out & carried home all his wheat. We halling leaves [fencing] 7. fencing a little in morning Getting up press full of apples I went to Edmonds & wanted to to get Robt but could not do it - 8th Toping & wormong & succorring Tobacco Sam & me both I am going to carry log to the mill to day & get meal & [Plank &C - 9th A little [foggy] Toping Tobacco this morning little to do on Branch Topping worming & succoring & some Toping & worming in Lot. & we are over in a little over a day fine growing weather Sam & all work together this time going over Our Tobacco, [salted] my cattle on road next to Mr Lewis's 6 of them to gether, carried 1 Log to Mr Yates mill good heart Log 11 feet long for 3/4 Plank 10th My wife & myself wet to S S Meeting Mott & Fan [?] ney Moses at S Stone meeting House Mott & her [Sist] Mattie came here & Fannie went to Mr Monroes Mott is to be Baptised this morning at 10 oclock [11th] by Bro P. M. Reeves Pastor, Mott Baptised few there all Strait Stone Church invited up to Edge Hill they Say fine meeting there, after Mott was Baptised I went Edge Hill. My wife [Jerry] & Mott came to my not much excitement at Edge Hill 2 they is conveted at Edge Hill Miss Hubbard & some body else, Jerry & Mott went Home very warm & dry weather now 12 Finishing Plowing over Lot this morning & working & chopping in Lot. Put on Tobacco in Lot from apple Tree up to the Barn Plaster Guano Whans around the Plants on the Hill

1872 Augt 13th Finished working over Tobacco Lot yesterday putting dirt on & Hilling up in Lot clear & dry & very Hot me & Ben going [after] waggon at Branch [tr??] this morning Hired Moses Miller till X to work [in] plantation am to give him $8. for 2 months If he makes a good trip with my waggon to Lynchg [am to give him] If not $8 for next (am to give him on this line is crossed off) month & $7 a month till X Toping worming & succoouring Tobacco & finished nearly -- 14th Loading waggon & started to Lynchg with all our Tobacco this day 15 Fencing & began to Rain & rained Thursday night & Friday it rained sure enough and I was in all coming from Lynchg after [Selling] our last Tobacco road fine to Lynchg very muddy & rainy back 16th rained nearly all day 17 waggon & myself got home Poured down raining here ground very wet 18 I went to Sunday School no body there all gone to Edge Hill again meeting held on [there] for 2 weeks good many Sunday School Scholars professed religion, meeting there broke up so I have [heard] rained again this evening. 10th Clear day Cleaning out [drains] this morning 1 Lamb Killed 2 more crippled my [Bill] Sheep Killed & believe Mr Templetons old Dog Killed them I went up & shot him as Mrs Templeton said she smelt sheep about him & some of our folks Says they saw one of Mr Lewis's Dogs down on the branch [Toping] worming & (the word Toping on this line was struck out) succoring Lot to day very Hot- day 20th worming Toping & succoring Tobacco began to Plow for wheat 2 Horses in [fresh] ground Mr Thos J Lovelace here, clear day mostly till late rained a few drops. - 21st Toping worming & succoring on Branch & Plowing 22. Toping worming Tobacco in fresh ground finished plowing at fresh ground made [????] works Fanned out wheat worming Toping [???]