Diary of Jeremiah White Graves, Volume 3, Book 2

1870 June 16 Putting Guano on Corn to day & then Come up a hard rain & its not Covered up, Keatts Plowing on Branch to day throwed ground in middle of the Row & then turned it back next to corn 2 furrow ground very wet replanting Tobacco in lot Rained again about night

17 Nat left this morning not a word said Sam gone to Mill 3 Bus. for himself & 2½ Bus for - meal Replanting Tobacco this morning still Cloudy firing Tobacco

1870 June 18th Charles Weeding Guanoed corn Plowed yesterday Keatts Harrowing Lot Tobacco Wed Some Tobacco in lot finished harrowing it Finished Plowing fresh ground & weeding that, I went to Mr Banks this evening no rain to day

19th Stayed at home all day - Sunday- tolerable day cloudy but no rain

20th Charles here this morning Keatts Plowing Potatoes & corn by Smiths shop, Killed 1 lamb

21st Worked Sweet Potatoes & corn in Garden this morning & went to cutting wheat up above Corn, then after went to fresh field — to cutting wheat cutting there Charles cutting

22nd Finished Cutting Wheat except below ^oldprize Barn not ripe enough, Plowing in corn after 12 oclock sent Charles up to Richards to help him this evening

23rd Plowing & Weeding corn this day Charles gone from here cutting wheat out clear day Keatts could not bridle Morey after he finished worked his cotton had to get Rich^d & Charles to Cath Catch her, & most night before he plowed any after 12^Oclock

24th Plowed & weeding soon Isbel helping clear Hot day this Sewed Guano broad cast on corn next to old orchard Boughs Phosp hate of lime 1 bag & some Peruvian Mrs Wyatt came here to Cook for a Month

25 Sam My cattle sheep Hogs made lines cut wheat & went to shop for to get Buggy weeding & Plowing

corn clear fair weather Mary James here

26 Sunday clear Hot day — Mary James here ^{all night} I started to Hollins Institute after Alice, & got back Thursday Friday evening

July 1st Friday I got home they house been plowing & weeding corn finished corn & working new ground Tobacco Charles Lovelace came here Tuesday 28th June to work till Friday 2 hours by sun & Isbel Came Thursday morning & is here this evening no rain here yet fine rains most of this week about Mount Airy none here yet

2 Working in new ground but did not get done big side, Keatts Plowing corn & Tobacco Fine Rain this evening about 3 oclock Chas

3rd Cloudy & foggy this morning

4th Cloudy & misting rain, Keatts Plowing Corn in Garden Cowpen on Hill & Grains Caroline in new ground working Tobacco Halled up last Stack Oats this evening Cloudy all day this day- & like for rain

5th Bees swarmed twice I went to Shop in evening Keatts Plowing Corn & Peas & evening worked his Own vegatables Rich^d came down but could not hive bees & afterwards Sam & my self hive them, 2 swarms,

6th Raining a little this morning Keatts work^{ing with Hoe to day} Raining in evening fine shower

7 Rained to day while I was at shop, weeding down lot Tobacco Mariah helping

8th Finished working lot Tobacco by 12 oclock Went to Halling up wheat to day @ 12 oclock Andrew Wyatt began to work here this morning @ 9¢ per day fair good day Caroline choping in Garden & in corn to day

9th Halling up wheat out of fresh field finished

1870 July 11th Cutting Oats Hired Edmond Tucker Hobson Patrick & Charles Miller to cut Oats & Jennings Neal to tye up Oats Sam Shocking Oats, Cloudy this morning

12th Cutting Oats again this morning same hands except Mr J Neal Isbel Came & took his place to day & nearly finished all ripe

13 Halling up fresh & nealy done plowed finish ground Tobacco yesterday evening Rained a little Shower Keatts plowing Branch Corn & in corner next to woods Doron Hunt Came home from school this morning Sam Plowing fresh ground corn

14 Keatts Plowing Corn & nearly done laying by

15th Plowing his Cotton my Cotton & little in corn Carroline choping in branch & back of shop

16th Shelling Corn Sam gone to Mill for me & him 2 turns for me 4½ Bus & 1 for him 2½ Bus Keatts & Caroline Working Tobacco in new ground Charles Miller Cutting Hay 2 days halling up this evening put Hay in House stable loft Put up one shock on Branch this evening Rained a little shower about 12 oclock

17th Very Hot day no air stiring hardly

18th Still Hot & rained a pretty shower after 12 oclock Plowing new ground Tobacco & Hilling it up Aunt Isbel here to day

19th Aunt Isbel here to Hilling up new ground Tobacco, Very Hot weather James Doron Started to ^{school again}

20th Aunt Isbel here to day & this morning finished new ground Tobacco Hilling up Lot & then at the House Very Warm yet Mariah Miller here to day Hilling up Tobacco Keatts Plowing Tobacco in Lot

21st finishing Plowing & Hilling up Lot Tobacco 22nd Halling Manure on Turnip Patch, Caroline Working Cotton Patch

1870 July 22 I carried a log to Yates & my Waggon for him to fix but he was not at home

23rd Foggy We are at Work on tobacco in new prize Barn, Packing down, Toped Over Our fresh ground & new ground Tobacco Caroline in House Rained a pretty shower Sam helped us Pack Tobacco to day Ben & Lewis too

24th Rained a lite Shower last nigh,t cloudy to day

25 Cloudy this morning my old Sho Sow Cant walk Plowing Turnip Patch this morning soon then Halled my Sow to the House & put her in Pen with Boar - 26th Stayed at home day

26th Thrashed Our wheat Hired Charles Miller Hobson Patrick Alex Patrick & Isbel Miller Paid them mean 40¢ 3 of them & Isbel 25¢

27th Carried Machine to Hiram Lains Keatts worming tobacco over & working in ^Tobacco Began to Stack Oats at 12 oclock Doron gone to Creasys for Rich^d very Warm & Hot

28 ^{Put up 3 stacks this evening}Halling & Stacking Oats to day Put up 5 stacks more making 8th. 1 more to^{put up}

29th Fair dry weather finished stacking Our Oats except stack not dry enough

30 Fine shower rain in night I went to machine at old place & shop had my Horse & mules shod Keatts Halling rails till 12 oclock then fencing in Truck Patches Sam went round fence

31st Fine weather for every thing

August 1st. Wiping & greasing tobacco taking off mould to day Halled my Hogs to Pasture except 1 Pig put in Pasture 14 in all & put 2 in Pen to fatten to Kill, Keatts going to Mil,l this evening, Rained this morning

3rd Loading waggon to Start to Lynchg tomorrow Morning with Tobacco. Sent to Lynchg to Bag Wool weighing 14½ Bag Halled etc Keatts went off at 12 oclock & not come back here [nig]ht,

1870 August 4th. Keatts toping Tobacco till 12 oclock digging Potatoes little while put out 86 sticks Tobacco to day all day I went up to Mr Creasys left my sp[??]ts there I reckon Richard Started to Lynchg with all the Tobacco in old prize & new prize Barn, did not Rain to day

5th Cloudy this morning Keatts Plowing Turnip Patch Soon Doran & Ben gone to Lynchg

6th Sunning Tobacco & Packed it down in new prize Barn Keatts Chopping in fresh ground Tobacco & succoring Some the first topings. Richard come back from Lynchg at night

7th. I went to Prayer meeting this evening

8th Cloudy this morning Keatts in Tobacco ground fresh ground choping

9th Saml Plowing Keatts topping over to day & succoring some

10th Toped over our Tobacco yesterday made Cowpen in fresh field - etc I went to Mr Hunts place Mr Creasys & Home Rained twice

11th. Worked on Road to day Sewed Turnip Patch in evening fixed up fence Plowed in Tobacco Some Cloudy & warm Ben gone to Post Office Wrote to Wm J Mustain

12 Plowing Lot Tobacco & Working it

13th. Finished Plowing lot & begin with Hoes Richard Packing tobacco in Box with Keatts & Charles Cloudy most of this week

14th All of us Richard & Sallie & all went to meeting Strait Store I went Saturday Rained Beautifully this evening after ^{home from meeting} we got

15th Cloudy & Rained last night & this morning ^{now raining} Driping nearly all day worked some in Tobacco Fanned out 10¾ ^Buspicks wheat. Shelling about 1 Barrel Corn Still driping - & driping a little all night

16th. Still driping Keatts gone after our big waggon fixed by Mr Yates & sent the little one to fix Loading Waggon for Lynchg this evening—