Diary of Jeremiah White Graves, Volume 2, Book 4

27th Hilling & Coltering in new ground

28. D^o D^o - 29 This evening Planted flat Land in corn - branch & old meadows

30. Hilling & collering in new ground Henry preparing Johns branch^{or Tobacco}for corn

May 1st weather dry. Tobacco plants small Hilling in new ground — Lila leg yet sore & she does but little

2 Rained last night & some to day but ground not wet yet uncovered mountain Plant Bed, - ^3rd & manured, preparing ground for cotton etc - to day Hilling in new ground Mourning had her calve last April 1847

3rd Planted Cotton & Greens in one square Garden Planted mellons etc in cotton ^PatchPatch Henry Plowing on branch etc etc

7th Finished Hilling new ground this day weather dry & cool very bad on wheat Oats & corn to come up, etc etc. frost last night, -

8 Hilling in second yrs ground Cloudy this evening & about night began to Rain

9. Cloudy & Raining this morning little

10 prizing good Tobacco at this time 10 Rainy warm weather we took down all of our Tobacco

11 Hilling in second yrs ground making ready to Plant greens & Peas etc this evening —, simblings

12 Plowing & Hilling second yrs ground Prizing good Tobacco —

13 Cool Windy & Rainy prizing Tobacco

14 prizing Tobacco & shoemaking & spining

15. nearly done prizing. Hilling in second yrs ground finished to day. yet cool & Windy, setting by fire like winter.

1847 May 22nd Hilled on Johns branch & finished replanting corn & cut of part of new ground Hills this week & went to Lynchg in 3 days with our waggon. 23rd Raining & quite wet We planted a little Tobacco on 22nd, corn & Cotton Coming up well weather now warm & seasonable,

25. Sent Fed on Horse to mill

29. Sent D^o to Mill in Cart 2 Barrels corn

1847 June 1st Rained a little last night, weeding & Plowing corn, Henry & Fed Plowing for Tobacco this, made two trips Lynchg lately with waggon in 3 day each sold Lugs for 2.25 good, 4.40 & 4.50 made short crop 3 or 4000 lbs

2nd 2 Plows in Corn. Miss Fishers & balance of our Hands hilling on branch for Tob^a

3rd Same sort of work to day Rained the 3rd at night fine season

4 Cutting off second years ground Hills & this Day finished planting new ground & second years ground also got some Tobacco plants from Mr. Shields, -

5th planting Tobacco this morning & planted all except lott & part of branch Johns branch planted this morning plowing & thining corn this evening after planting Irish Potatoe Patch on Johns branch - put Lady Jane to Richardsons Horse orphan boy at $4, leap[?] 5 the season & $6 for a colt

6 cloudy & damp 7. Rained last night, Thining corn this morning & drawing Tobacco plants,

1847 June 8th Planted Lot this day Plowing Potatoes Greens corn etc in garden Cotton & Peas Patch this day & then for corn field, all truck Patches wed

11th Finished planting Tobacco 10th yesterday Plowing & weeding corn - drilled This morning replanting Tobacco, fine Rain last night ground quite wet wheat & oats Greens & Potatoes look nice

12 Lady Jane takes the season, Plowing & weeding flat Land Corn about this time very season able weather 13th Rained again & it has been Raining for most of June tho quite moderate when not Raining we can work the Land as yet somewhere

14th Replanted Lot & fresh ground Tobacco

15 Weather very cool indeed & fair weeding & Plowing Johns field at this time begin to Lay by fresh ground adjoining new ground this day 2 Plows Lila & Henry

16 Weather cool & like for Rain finished John’s field plowing second time weeding corn yet, sewed Pea Patch & in corn field.

17 Laying by fresh ground corn & weeding corn 18 Finished fresh ground 19th Harrowed branch & weeding corn very seasonable

21. Replanted Tobacco choped bushes & thined over fresh ground, - finished weeding corn & began to weed Tobacco in new ground - Hilling up greens

22nd Laying by drilled corn at home wed Johns branch Tobacco & Potatoes

23 Replanted branch Tobacco Laying by corn, Fed gone after scythe & Cradle alse to the shop etc etc etc etc

1847 June 23rd Plowing Sweet Potatoes Peas & Cotton Patch this day — — —

26. Thursday & friday cloudy & Rainy Laying by corn when wet Raining Fed shoemaking balance weeding new ground Tobacco, Plowing in Johns field - clear this morning

28 Fine growing weather began to cut wheat saturday evening & this morning Plowing in corn field & Hilling Sweet Potatoes & then for cutting wheat etc in fresh ground 29th Laying by corn ^29thnext to orchard, & weeding down second yrs ground, - tremendous Rain this evening

30 ground full wet to wet cut some wheat to day & Plowed some —

July 1st Plowing next to orchard & weeding seconds yrs Tobacco Land weather cool at night & mornings

2nd & 3rd. Laying by big field & lot Tobacco & cutting wheat etc etc

5 Hilling up cotton weeding Lot Tobacco nearly done laying buy Corn

8. Not quite done Laying by Corn. Hilling up Sweet Pottoes, — fixing Turnip Patch Raining this evening —

9 Raining this morning & it rained very hard last evening — weather warm, Fed shoemaking alse & Ann shelling Corn Jane & Lila spining, Henry gone to shop

10 Henry gone to mill with 2 Bb^ls Corn, Balance Grubing in new ground Rained for several days hard & ground very wet

12 Cutting wheat about this time

20 Cutting Oats & Finished this day — got up most of our wheat Saturday 17. Tobacco all very bad off wet & Grass

1847 July 20 Weather fair & warm Mr Henry ^Smith helped us cut our wheat & oats = stack our wheat & Put it Granary about this time, -

24 For the last 3 or 4 days we have been Plowing up Our Branch Tobacco & finished this evening Just before night — Lady Jane took the Horse all the whole season & have p^d $5 as pr Rec^t —

26 Sewed Turnip seed in p^t Lot next to ^stable Plowed it & now Hilling it up Plowing second years ground Tobacco.

27 Fine Rain last night. Hilling & Plowing second yrs Tobacco Land

28 Last night & this morning very cool & we are setting by fire Finished Hilling up second yrs Tobacco this morning & then Hilling new^ground clear & cool this morning

29. Stacking Oats this day & Hilling up new ground Tobacco, about middle July very hard Rain here & some Hail & not far off a tremendous Hail Large as Hen Eggs & perhaps some Larger

31 Finished Hilling up new ground & second yrs land & balance of Lot by Henry’s house & Sewed Turnip seed Choped out Garden & Hilled up Peas & Choped out cotton Finished stacking Oats yesterday. Now making water furrows on branch & Hilling up Tobacco etc

Augt 1st Fine Rain this day (Sunday)

" 2 Sewed Turnip Patch worked Johns branch Tobacco & 1 hand toping^{all day}

3 Raining, we are at work on branch

4 Raining Sent 2 Bus Corn to mill worming & succoring Tobacco