Jeremiah White Graves Diaries

1854 april 3rd Turning out Lug Hh^d Morning clear cold weather

4th Plowing for corn at mountain field etc Coltering in new ground & Hilling — Expect to Start to Lynchg with Hh^d Lugs tomorrow morning ———————— Hester had her second colt a she by Buldocus Harveys Horse on Monday night 3rd April 1854 which we Call ^Nette Siley^Nette Finished plowing at mountain field for corn Plowing ^{th Sewed flax Patch}in fresh ground finished there to day ^ ^{Jacob P Graves went to mount airy this day to live with Adams & Mr Ward} 11th made trip to Lynchg in 3½ days sold Lugs at 5.50 - weighed nearly 1100 neat finished Hilling little new ground & now Hilling the other new ground Plowing at Stony point for corn & Tobacco Henry Coltering & Harrowing in fresh ground for Corn I halled 1704 lbs from Lynchg for Messrs Adams & Ward @ 4⁵¢ very cold this day - & dry Jacob went to live with Mr Tho^s T Adams At Mount Airy the 6th day of April 1854 engaged for 3 yrs from that time for the 1st Year $50 second $60 - 3rd $80 – Sewed flax about the 1st april 1854

15th Striping Tobacco in fresh ground barn

16 April 1854 It Rained hailed & Snowed & very cold & windy- wind from N E. Kitty Laid up & most all on the plantation have bad Colds & complaining, - have not planted any corn yet, Planted Sweet Potatoe Patch last Friday planted between 2 & 3 Bushels Tobacco plants some Killed & some about as Large as Dollars etc - sewed over mountain Bed last week —

17th Snowed all night & snowing yet, Snow 5 or 6 Inches Deep Cold yet - Winters morning, etc etc

1854 april 17th very disagreeable morning for Court, I cant go dreadfull night on stock of every description, etc etc Kitty rather better this morning tho sick yet

18. Still Cold Sent for Doct Thompson for Kitty he did not come yesterday Sent again this morning^19th Snow on the ground yet. Heavy frost. Tobacco Plants nearly all Kill –

19th Heavy frost this morning — I did go to Court & Come back same day Carried Report of Comm^dr of Division of Jer. McCullock Est. by Patrick Grasty & Dickenson —

20 went to Store to day to Adams & Ward Finished Coltering over new ground about finished breaking up corn ground listing p^s this way in fresh ground for Corn will begin to Plant corn this evening at old House place at Stony point,

21nd Expect to uncover & Pick Plant Bed above House this mooring, then planting Corn again at stony pint etc Harrowing & listing in ^{fresh ground}

22. went to Meeting Mr Mason not there,fine weather etc Kitty better, not quite done planting corn at Stony pint —

23 went to see Capt Gilbert & also to Mrs Hunts to day rained Coming home Fanny here & Mr Fitzgerald - fine weather

24 Finished planting at Stony pint & began in fresh field Jordan complaing to day tho Harrowing for

25 Jordan Sick this morning Planting corn in fresh field between the Ditches Fed gone to Mill 6 Bus. Corn for meal 2 Bushels wheat for me —

26 Lent Mr Crews Henry Clay to go to mill Planted Pepper^{in Plant Bed}& watermellons in Potatoe Patch etc etc fine weather warm —

23rd May 1854 weeding Corn Plowing & prizing Second Rate of late planting with lugs- dry season to plant Tobacco – Mr Henry Smith here this morning to get Shingles - A C Sick, & has been for a week

-27 Planted all Our Tobacco except part of our Lot by prize Barn & little Guanoed Lot at Stony pint & bottoms in fresh field Weeding & Plowing Corn in fresh field nearly done Plowing it,- prized seconds of Tobacco made on new ground & got all the Seconds down, in prizing order - finished planting greens & Pumpkins etc etc not much rain this week tho cloudy all week nearly no Swarms of Bees this Spring yet Fanny White here this evening clear & cool

29 - Turned Out Hh^d Seconds & Loaded for Lynchg Plowing at mountain field

20. Plowing at mountain field & weeding Corn cloudy & like for Rain

31 Henry started for Lynchg 2 Hh^d 1 of Lugs & seconds & 1 Hh^d Seconds Sandy gone with him,- gave him $2:00 he to return Balance above 7/6 Weeding corn & cotton & Peas, Raining this morning

June 1st Replanting Tobacco & Beding Lot.

— 2 - Weeding corn & Bushed Oats & in the evening we Planted Our Lot by prize Barn clear & cool put out our good Tobacco new ground out of Prize Barn,Jordan Harrowing Cotton by work shop.

3.4 5. 6 7. 8. Warm & dry till yesterday light shower of Rain & then Turned Cool Tobacco plants dying in the Beds & thats is planted is Dying very much Sheared Sheep yesterday 8th Plowing & weeding Corn at Stony pint Finished at mountain yesterday prizing 1 fine 1 good & 1 second rate Tobacco

1854 June 9th Very cool this morning weeding corn & Plowing at Stony pint etc etc Wed Out Cotton nearly, done

10 - Finished Plowing over corn Peas Cotton & Potatoes & also finished weeding Corn

11 Rained last night & to day again a fine Rain, replanting Tobacco, very much missing Lots 3rd yrs ground & new ground, fine weather took Down fine Tobacco, this season Tobacco plants very much dryed up in Beds tho I hope we have plenty yet —

12 Replanted Tobacco all day & did not quite get done,-

13 Picking Plant Beds gone to Mill 7 Bus Corn, & now prizing fine Tobacco put more Tobacco out to Sun this morning very Hot weather Seasonable, =Fanny White went home yesterday

22 Finished prizing Tobacco began to Cut wheat thined Corn Laying by on fresh field with Plows & Hoes chint Bugs Killing Corn next to wheat in Owens Clearing weeding down Tobacco in fresh ground 2 pretty showers yesterday & this morning we are choping up Lot Hills & cutting off Hills in fresh field Henry Started for Lynchg this morning 2 Hh^d 1 second rate 1 good

23rd Cutting wheat & Rye Mr Harris’s Sam got here about 3 Oclock in evening

24, Cutting wheat,- ^{nearly done}Henry Returned from Lynchg nearly 3 days gone –

28 Laying & finished mountain field Corn Haled up Lot wheat & Rye yesterday Sewed Peas this day in fresh ground

1854 Sept 26. Peggy has been Sick nearly a week Doct Thompson Called Twice or 3 times to See her we are stacking Our Tops & firing tobacco & finished stacking this this evening -

27. Finished Roof of Barn nearly - Jordan halling wood, Balance worming & succoring till 12 Ocl then started to Cutting Lot & Guanoed Lot & new ground ground, nearly cured old prize Barn Tobacco, We are weaning Netty at this time, cloudy & like for Rain - Children Stop going to school this day —

1854 Oct 28 From 27th Sept till this day I went to Orange & Louisa Carr^d Kate Kate while I was gone they finished Our Tobacco & began to Sew wheat & we have nearly finished all except the Tobacco Lot by old prize barn, got up all of mountain field Corn & began & got up 6 Loads from Stony pint, this day it rained nearly all day. we are shelling Corn firing Tobacco etc etc - Turned a little cooler — Mr Crews bro^t me 87 lbs fodder instead of any Oats which was due me last Spring

6 Novr Shucking Corn & shoemaking,- Housing Corn etc - Abram little Henry claiborne & Lowry had their Caps this day. Clementina Kitty Lila Sandy Claiborne & Lowry had Blankets this day quite Cool & Rained Saturday nearly all day David Miller very Sick my Leg sore I did not got to Sunday School yesterday —

11th We have been Halling up corn for Several days this week between Ditches in fresh field, have not near got down yet, began to Rain last night Rained all night & continues this morning very wet & warm, finished making our Shoes to day