Diary of Jeremiah White Graves, Volume 2, Book 8

1850 June 28 & 29 cutting wheat & finished all except Lot on Branch Mrs Colemans Kit & James helped me armstead cut about 3 hours cloudy most all the week but no rain Rain here began to Plant Tobacco in Lot by Garden & Kept on planting till we finished our fresh ground, we have planted about 60.000 Hills

30 still cloudy in morning & foggy last evening Plowing corn & Broom corn

July 1st Plowing corn in Johns field & weeding down new ground Tobacco very dry weather & Hot — went to Mr Fitzgeralds yesterday after Cate, she stayed there one week, Smart Rain in evev= =ing at House but none at new ground replating our Lot by garden of Tobacco set out Tomatoe & Beet screan

2nd This morning found a young Heifer in the Cow pen dead cant tell whats the matter, Bedding Our Lot for Tobacco & weeding new ground after Scattering manure, windy & dry —

3rd weeding down Tobacco Plowing corn

4th. Finished weeding down new ground Tobacco & Plowing over corn 2 times Plowed & worked Sweet Potatoe Patch. Finished cutting wheat last week —

5. began to Lay by Corn & weeding down Big second yrs Land Tobacco clear & warm weather at this time very^hot

6 Began to cut Oats this morning This Rained all round us but not much here very warm

1850 July 8th Cutting Oats clear & Hot Fannie White carried her things away this morning - etc etc.

9 Cutting Oats Jane Plowing laying by corn On Hill Johns field - The Hottest weather now for about 5 or 6 weeks I ever saw so long The sun looks like Parching every thing Oats very sorry also wheat cant get Tobacco to live in the Hill little shower ^^Rainyesterday & we Replanted part of Our new nearly all the lot by new Barn. Mrs Colemans James cut Oats ½ day yester =day & then planted Tobacco with our folks or replanted, This morning armstead came & James went home

10 went to Mrs Colman Hired Armstead to Mr Robertson Buchanon — & also went to Mrs McCullocks Rained A fine Rain here this evening Plowing in Johns field laying by - & clearing Tobacco in seconds yrs ground

11 Planted corn in new Tobacco Lot Peas Snaps & simblings & Pumpkins Sewed Buckwheat in p^t of Lot Plowed up Turnip Patch - cloudy & like for Rain

19 A Few days ago say 17th Inst I gave Doct J. C Thompson 2 $50 notes $100 pay off Doct White a Debt Due him from Geo. McCullock Bond say about $80

1850 July 19 we have been laying by Corn all this week, have had 2 or 3 pretty Rains & we are trying to finish Laying by with Plows tomorrow worked Greens & garden to day Silling blown down shacks wheat choping & Thining Corn —— John Compton tryed this day by Mr Miller & myself for stabing & Killing Bro. 2nd June last, Committed to Jail,

20th Plowing & choping & thinging corn Did not quite get done Layinging by

21st my wife went to Mrs Hunts —

22nd A Fine Rain this morning, we are drawing Tobacco Plants to replant Our Second years ground & new ground fine weather for every thing growing

23 Rained nearly all day finished replanting Tobacco & thining Corn & cleaning off wheat yard -

24 Sent Fed to Mill 1 Bb^l. - Henry gone to Mrs Hunts to Carry her corn home she lent me balance spining ground too wet to work

29 Halling up wheat till saturday evening when it rained Hilling up Sweet Potatoe Seed Sewed big stock Turnip Seed last week got from Doct T. Cutting Oats this morning & choping part of new ground Tobacco — Expect to sew Turnip Patch to day

31 Started to Lynchg broke a wheel the other side of Lynchg had it mended Rained every day but one got in Town soon friday morning & come back to Mr Moons, & got home Saturday evening 3rd Augt

3rd Augt 1850 while we were gone to Lynchg Our folks finished weeding corn in Lot choped out new ground, done up some fencing & then went to cutting in new ground

-8th. This week we have been Halling Rails Hilling up our second yrs Land Tobacco & it has Rained nearly every day this week ground very wet., clear this morning weather remarkably hot. & Rains generally from North East. Thunder cloudy, — worked, cutting Halling Rails & shrubing fresh field.

12th cloudy this morning, choping in new ground Fed Toping at new ground - Henry & Jane Plowing Lot Tobacco back of Garden, –

13th worming over Tobacco clear warm weather

14th Plowed & Hilled up little second yrs ^Tobaccoground

16 Went to Mill 1 Bb^l Corn getting up apples

17th Beeting apples for Cider & drying Lilas child a Girl Born this morning about Sun rise, nights cool, weather dry & Hot in day

18th cloudy all day & Rained a little — cool

19th. worming succoring & toping Tobacco — Mr Whiteheads machine came saturday evening broke We have not commenced getting out our ^yet wheat

20 Getting up apples & Baling Sewed little Hog pen in Turnips — by spring —

21 Machining wheat had David & John neal A Crews & son abram Mrs Colemans Kit & James

22. Finished my own by 12 Oclock & then got out Mr Neals & moved the machine

23rd worming new ground Tobacco & choping it over this day — — A Fine rain this evening —

24 Rained a little last night, fine weather Mr Dan^l Johns has been sick at Mr Lewis for some time & Died the 22nd in night —

1850 August 24th Choping in new ground - Henry Plowing in big second yrs Land Tobacco

25th. Began to Rain last evening & last night it ^rainedtremen =dous Hard, all night ground very wet, —

26 Henry gone to mill 2 Bus wheat 1 Bbl Corn, Fed & 2 Horses at Mr Lewis Balance worming & choping new^Tobacco ground clear & little cool - wrote to Col Smith to get Harry to work for me

27 clear pretty day. worming succoring & toping new ground Tobacco, & big second yrs — Fed & my 2 Black [horses] went to Mr Lewis yesterday morning federick come back in evening & went this morning

28 Fed Still at Mr Lewis worming & succoring^Tobacco Toped all over yesterday & to day

29 getting up & Beeting apples this morning Fed Still at Mr Lewis s about wheat & my horses

30 Hilling up big second yrs Land Tobacco

31 Hilling up D^o D^o D^o cloudy & foggy this morning

Sept 1st Rained this evening warm

2. Rained very hard again last night Sent 1 Bbl Corn to Mr Peake by Mr Fitzgerald Toping worming & succoring Tobacco at new ground

3 Toping & succoring & worming Tobacco, -

4th. Sent waggon & Cart to saw mill & Grass mill ½ Bbl Corn for meal 1 Long Log for 1 Inch Plank & 1 for Hh^d Staves cloudy & like for Rain

5. Sent ½ Bbl corn & got 1 Bbl meal & carried 2 more Logs 1 Long & 1 short [This?] one for squared edged the other for flooring — 10 Inches cloudy & like for Rain finish hilling up big Second years this & began to Pull fodder in fresh ground corn, succoring new ground

6th worming & succoring new ground

7th same work Pull off boards on mountain field Barn this day ——————