Diary of Jeremiah White Graves, Volume 3, Book 7

1876 May 21 Sunday. Stayed at Home all day

" " 22 Peter came home tolerable soon This morning Edmond & Nannie planted Out my yam slips my little Patch out of Our Hot Bed except 8 African ^{from Mr Lains}about 40, yams in my little Patch & 1 first Row by Cotton Edmond Hauling out manure in lot by old prise barn & rain come up yesterday & This day Small Peter done but little ^beforeafter ^{Peter 8 days planting Corn I pay half $1}12 Oclock Picked both of plant Bed him & Edmd & Picked out Bed on John's Branch I went over to Jordans & bot a little p^t of Jordans & Martins Beds, I give Jordan $3 & he is to get Guano as M W & F. order written to them for it I gave Martin $4. all marked or staked off & I put Plaster on this morning Jimmie coltering in new ground Nannie worked for me till 12 oclock & then forked up manure looks like rain again Nannie Dews got some Tomatoes to Plant out this evening & perhaps some beets too. Peter was 8 days planting corn put Guano & Plaster on all of it & 2/3 sack Plaster_{got from Mr Creasey & Bro. M^t Airy}

23rd Coltering & Hilling in new ground & at night Began to plant Tobacco & Planted 6 Rows 8 for 900 Plants replanted Tomatoe Plants Peter Cutting till 12 oclock & then went to Plowing Corn Edmd scattering manure & Plowing it in this morning then Coltering in new ground & Hilling Nannie & Wm Pulling Cockle out of wheat my wife & miss Frankie Pulled out cockle yesterday quite cool nearly all day

24 Very Cool last night Edmd & Jimmie in new new ground Nannie & W^m Picking Cockle out of wheat Peter Plowing corn quite cool yet tho quite cool enough for frost Nannie & Miss Frankie Shuck snaps & worked them, I have been ^bad off with Rheumatism for two or three months feel a little better to day quite cool in shade

1876 May 25 Sent Jimmie to Yates Mill 2 bags for E Dews 2½ Bushels for me 2 Bushels for Peter Adams lent Edmond & his gang in new ground Coltering & Hilling Peter Plowing his corn in lot above garden ^{finished it} Jimmie got his meal got back by 12 ^{Oclock I went to mount airy & got back by _{11 Oclock & got some [ca?]}} We shoot a Gun over all our plant beds every morning for 2 morning & will do it all the ^week to keep flies off them they say thats good

26 Peter Plowing corn Edmd Coltering & Hilling^{Rain stoped him this morning} Peter in Shop mending manure fork Edmd replanting Potatoes yams & Red for me Still cloudy & like for more Rain Planted over ^{2000 Hills}

27 Edmond Planted ^{in new ground got for J. & M} yesterday over 2000 Hills Hilling & Coltering new ground Peter Plowing ^Tobacco_Corn cloudy & like for Rain this morning

28th. Raining this morning weather moderate & fine growing weather we planted every ^thing but replanting Greens, Rained in evening.

29th. clear this morning ground weather ^{wet to plough}

30 Clear this morning Edmond Tucker worked here yesterday evening yesterday worked in Garden Onions planted snaps, worked snaps, Miss Frankie Hilled up by shuck pen Planted some corn snaps Potatoe slips replanted Irish Potatoes & Tomato Peter & his wife replanted corn in fresh ground yesterday Edmond Hilling & planting Tobacco 2 Rows this morning Nearly finished Hauling manure out of Farm pen ^{& stable} yesterday, he manured Tobacco plants yesterday

31. Peter Plowing his corn his wife replanting ^{Lot above Garden} Scattering & Plowing in manure in Lot to day Majr Yates here last night assessing or valuing property Cloudy & likely for rain this morning Kelley Wyatt has got 7 very pretty Pigs this morning Mr Tucker come to Load with Tobacco for Lynchg between 8 & 10 clock went to Edmd Tuckers & Martins Smiths got their 4 or 500 lbs come back & we load him Lowry Graves' 1st ^seconds & then Lowrys Lugs his good an[d] ^Sends Tierce

1876 May 31. then my Seconds from Creek next my lugs from Creek then edmonds Dews & my Seconds here then Edm^d & my Lugs last on Top, Edmond Tuckers Seconds & Lugs put in waggon 1st then Martins Smiths next to Edm^d Tuckers, then my own made Seconds & Lugs then Edm^d Dews & mine made Seconds & Lugs last on Top in waggon Edm^d Dews Hauling stacks out of Prise Barn putting on Lot, Peter Plowing Plowed my Peas. June 1st Thursday Edm^d Kate & W^m replanted Lot Corn the other side of drain in old prise Barn Lot Jimmie plowing in manure Peter about over his Corn over once with Colter 2 furrows in Row. he Peter has ^replanted his worst fine growing weather I went to M^t Airy after Papers etc Nanny Buck worked Corn & snaps in Garden & trim down my Sweet Potatoes by Turnip ^[Settled?]Patch

2nd. Peter Plowing his Corn over 2nd time Edm^d Replanting his over mightly missing in his fresh ^{3rd June}ground very much missing indeed - Jimmie Bedding Some over next to Jordens for Corn

3rd June Peter Plowing Corn Edmond replanting Corn in 2 Swarms Bees to this day very large ones 1 29th May & 1 this day & doing well

4th. June ^Whitsunday cloudy & like for Rain & did begin to Rain about 9 Oclock in morning & Rained hard for 3 or four hours & then stoped, looks like rain again this evening Peter loss ½ day yes= terday I went to mount ^{Bot 2 Boxes at W Fitzgeralds}airy yesterday & Mr Tuckers Jacob did not send me any Pills or Braid, Mr Tucker Carried out Tobacco to Lynchg got his pay & did not bring any statement for any Tobacco or any thing but my salt & runlet with brandy in it I wrote to Lee Taylor Brothers to Sell & Send check to whitehead & Fitzgerald & Mr Tucker had all the statements sent to them too - so he said Load weighed 1500 lbs as he said & L & T & Bro paid him for Hauling it, Edmond Finished replanted fresh ground

5 Whitsentide Monday Jimmy & W^m. replanted Tob^a what we have planted Peter done nothing our Tobacco plants grow very fast have replanted what we have planted about 7000 Hills

6th May [June] Replanting Corn fixing Tobacco land Peter two Plowing - Fair day I went to whitehead & Fitzgeralds after Statements for Sale of ^{for our Lugs etc} got nothing for our Lugs & seconds hardly fair cool day

7 Peter Plowing ^Corn Peter set Corn yesterday Edmond has some replanting Corn to day

[lost in margin] 8 - Peter finished Plowing Second time in big field Edmond finished Hilling old field to day @ 12 Oclock picked Plant Bed next to Martha Neals Edmond Just began to Plow over ^corn my Corn & Garden Jimmie Plowed yesterday & this morning

9th Edmond Plowing lot by Corn house, & Jimmie began yesterday Thursday Peter Hauling out manure on Lot by new Barn Kate & W^m Replanting corn on right side Path to Stoney pint & expect to finish by 12 Oclock or before Nannie help work in Garden & weed corn & hilling up Potatoes irish I worked the Greens mostly myself Jim them yesterday Sent W^m to day to Mill with 1½ Bushels Corn for meal 1 for me & got it

10 Edmond & Jimmie Plowing Corn Peter & his wife Hilling by new Barn this morning clear pretty morning Peter went from home

11th. I went to S S. meeting yesterday & to day Mott Graves Ora & Nannie Came with her last Friday she went to meeting Sunday & in the evening She went Home dry & Hot this day

12th. edmond & Jimmie planting Corn soon this ^morning Pittsy^a Plowing in Lot above Garden, I am very poorly myself Miss Frankie been sick Nearly all of last week but has got about n[ow] Sent by Mr W^m Tucker my Tierce of Tobacco made on SS Creek 4 to 600 lbs weight the evening

13 Hauled stack fodder this morning cloudy Edm^d Jimmie & Peter all Plowing Corn Edm^d & Jimmie in Big field Peter in fresh ground –

1876 Wednesday 14th. Edm^d & Jimmie & Peter Plowing Edm^d had Some Hilling & Cutting Bushes to day ^{in new ground}

15th. Edm^d Jimmie & Peter Plowing till 12 Oclock then we went to cutting wheat in Johns field-- & finished there this morning & cutting till 11 Oclock to day & Edmond & Jimmie went to Plowing & Peter going with waggon up to Jerrys after Guano Lime Plaster etc - for us. -- weather dry plants fine in my Beds now wants rain badly Mr Moses & cate here yesterday & went home in the evening. Peter Adams carries Sallies Piano up to Mr Wm H Peakes by Sallies request & going on to Jeres after Guano Lime & Plaster etc Edmond and Jimmie Plowing corn

16th no rain yet tolerable clear this morning Edmond & Jimmie Plowing corn over next to Edmond Tuckers Peter gone after Guano Plaster & Lime etc. Thank my Master Our Garden looks very well greens snaps etc etc Templetons cows in my pasture to Bull It has been cloudy nearly all this week but very little rain Peter came home about 1 or 2 oclo[ck] Brot Bbl Lime 1 Bag Plaster Bag Guano for Peter drisling Rain a little sometimes

17th. And Cate sent us one Bb^l flour which Peter Bro^t. & some water water melon seed still cloudy and drisling rain some times Peter going away today to meeting Raining smartly this morning. Edmond & Jimmie went to plowing in big field

18th I went to Mr John F Patricks to see him he has been sick for a long time & I went to Sunday School this day. It rained tremendous hard 3 or showers yesterday till about night tho we planted but little tobacco planted Tob pretty day this day Henry Templeton with others

19th Planted Tobacco all the hills we have wheat Ripe ground very wet, Cutting wheat this evening Peter helping Edmond this evening