Diary of Jeremiah White Graves, Volume 3, Book 5

1874 April 23rd Ed Dews malling [rails] this morning clearing off Weather moderate 24th Cutting logs over at Mountain Spring where we are going to [tend] Tobacco - began to rain about 2 oclock I went to Saml Callard to Mount Airy & Jacob it rained all the way as I came home 25th Raining nearly the whole & quite cool Wind still from [N E] & raw Ed [B??] up some corn Rained till about night 26 Cleared off this morning tolerable soon ground drying some this evening. 27 Toby Edmond Tucker Jack Jones & Coleman Hubbard came here this morning & help roll some logs over at Mountain Spring, & some Dogs came here last night & Kill 1 Lamb & 3 of my sheep & worried the ram very & bit & tore him very much & like to have Killed all I had Ed went to caultering at Mountain Spring this evening very pretty day for business 28th Ed & Jimmy Plowing at Mountain Spring This day I have rented to Coleman Hubbard my young she [B??] for $10 in corn Tobacco or any thing I have or may make at reasonable price 29th Rained last night nearly all night This morning snowed & Rained & Turned cold Very cool all this day & cleared off 10 or 11 oclock & I went to Starkeys Mr [????] & to see Mr Keatts 30th Sent Jimmy to mill 1 Bus corn for me meal Sent Martin Smith 2 Bushels Ed Sent 2 bags for meal to [?alls] clear cool morning Very windy yesterday covered Plant Bed last 1874 May 1st Beautiful day began to Plant corn by Edmond House Hitched Nelly to the Plow Planting she works very well indeed like she has been Plowing before & Coleman Hubbard had Ben working my [steer] my steer [wheat] he rented Plowing & Plowed very well, weather moderate clear day pretty

1874 May 1st All the fruit nearly is [Debt] I think 2 Planting corn on Hill by Eds House Plowing for corn below House till 12 oclock & then Planted all this was Bedded 3 I went to Strait Stone Meeting House to see about Sunday School Cloudy 4 Raining this morning manured Plant Bed on Johns Branch this morning [??] quite cool rain, Still cloudy & almost cold enough Sunday Monday & to day for Snow 5th Cloudy & like for Snow quite cool & windy I have not [sent] Seen as cold a Spring since 1834 Then it was as wet but not as Cold, We have to get wood as regular as Winter My Dog Watch is very Poorly & will not live but a little while I think [Pete] sow corn from Mrs Wyatt in big with my shoats, Cleared of last night 6th Beautiful morning we are Plowing for corn again there has been several very cool & Rainy day almost winter this morning moderate weather Nelly Plowing for corn - cleared off 7 pretty morning Plowing for corn this morning Mr Davis here yesterday who bought some of the Land of Mr B Innings who as [????] for IR Jennings Hunts Est has an [Execution] against I took off Brush off the Plant Bed above house & scattered Plaster over it myself weather moderate to day Nelly Plowing to day. Running 3 Plows pt of yesterday & to day - [wrote] to Majr [Rieley] & Capt Wm M Treadway Jr ^{about this time} 8th Planting corn till 12 oclock rolled in [Plaster] & Guano & put copperass in it all we planted to day weather very good for Planting corn 9th Plowing for Tobacco & corn raking up manure Planting Out nearly all our [crops] of Greens Hired [1/2] this day yesterday to work in Garden, Planted corn & snaps in Garden & Some Broom Corn [Seed], Planted Some Pump kins & Snaps in corn field --

1874 To and (this phrase ceossed off) May 11 Sent Jimmy to Millers Mill carried 11 Bushels Wheat made here for flour for Mr G A Creasey & Bro. 2 Barrels the Bbls I got of Mr Creasey - Ed Plowing Martin Coltering on Branch with Steers this morning 12th Planting corn this morning above road to [?????]. I am going J R Whiteheads 13th Returned at night had my my mare shod Finishing Planting fresh ground opposite Wheat. & then [listing] field above Granary for [corn] this evening [?] weather warmer then went to [listing] for corn above Granary 14th Listing there again this morning till 10 or 11 oclock Commenced Rained. [????] more or less all the evening [???t] Mrs [Mooding] my waggon Body & she at. 15 Finished listing that ps yesterday this evening We planted Greens & finished planting cabbage plants Went to Wm Q Powers got my [mfis] shoe mended. Rained again This evening Bedded up my little cotton Patch by [this] Irish Potatoe Patch cloudy & like for rain 16 Rained in the evening Planted Greens 17th I went to Sundy School & Mr Plunket [P???????] 18 Listing Planting Corn above granary by Eds House. & finished planting all but the flat land on Branch which we are bedding up to day. to plant as soon as we can 19th Bedding flat on Branch for corn Mr Matt herly gone to see Mr Higgins about [toll] wheat 20 Planting corn on Branch this day likely for [Rains] Rained a [????] very cool Rain Mr N.C. [Miller] here to day finished planting corn to day [on] Branch rained in evening 21 Coltering in new ground carried 11 Bus my wife sick & took some medicine about this time wheat to Millers Mill for flour the two [made] is sold for $9.00 - carried Mr Epperson 1/2 Bus Irish Potatoes - 22 Plowing Irish Potatoe Patch Coltering in [??] Very cool clear day

1874 May 22 Sent Jimmy to Yates Mill 2 Bus corn for us meal 2 Bus Do for Martin lent 4 Bushels for Ed for meal very cool for last May Nannie Sick this morning & gone to Bed & very cold 23rd Coltering & cleaning off fresh ground above Granary quite cool yet corn comes up very slow every thing is behind time [f???s] has eat the Tobacco plants generally & some has not finished planting corn yet 24th Cloudy & like for rain weather moderate 24th I expect to go to Sunday School to day 25 Monday Hitched & worked Nellie to my Bugg drove her to Mount Airy quite cool 26 quite cool this morning coltering & cleaning up in fresh ground above House clear morning a cool morning for the time of year. 27 Ed & Martin Coltering Mr Wright came here about 11 oclock gone to Martins over on the mountain to get Boards for Spring House [T???llen] Wyatt left for awhile as she is poorly 28 Mr James Wright & son finished soon this morning covering Spring House & [????] Ed & Martin Plowing Martin in new ground Ed Turning over before dining room door clear pretty day cool nights My Dog Watch dyed the 27th May 1874 29 replanting corn to day by Eds House Nannie fixed some ground & planted some [beets] & Tomatoes which I am afraid will [die] 30th Bedding & fixing before dining room door On Branch & some in fresh ground next to corn for Tobacco Hilling &C; dry & Hot weather Mot & her children came here yesterday friday 1874 June 1st Waggon & Cart Hauling out manure this morning on Lot at new Barn this morning very warm Did not get done Hauling out manure June 2nd finished Hauling out of stables & began to Haul out of Farm Pen yesterday very cool This morning wind from N E - clear 3rd began to Plow in our corn by Eds House this day cloudy & drizzling [warm] some little to day Martin Weeding & chopping in corn after Plows. 4th June 1874 Began to Draw & [Plant] Tobacco [this] before Dining room Door & [????] Joining corn in fresh ground --

1874 June 4th Cleared off & quite Hot [Well] we expect finish little ps planting Tobacco above Granary this evening, gone to Plowing & weeding [corn] Picked & manure Plant Beds this morning - 5 Plowing & weeding corn I carried 8 & 1 pick wheat to day to make us flour to get it in Millers Bushels this day week Raining a little this evening 6 Scattering manure by new Barn & Plowing it up & Martin & Jimmy replanting corn in fresh ground opposit wheat cloudy till about 12 oclock cleared off, like for rain to night, very fine rain here last night ground very wet all day this day 7 I went to Sunday School 8 Finished Plowing lot by new Barn & Harrow -ed it fixed little lot by [bee] House to plant Tobacco - Planted Beets Tomatoe Plants & [some] Hubbard cut clover this day Potatoe [slips] Nannie went to Neales Coleman 9th Replanting corn over the road towards Mr Templetons above Granary & on Branch Ed fixed little Lot by [bee] House & Bedded it Plowing above road, in corn Hauled up 2 good Loads of clover Hay to day 10 Plowing at Martins yesterday [evening] & gone there again this morning to fix Land for Corn Hilling little lot by [bee] House Thermometer upwards 90 to day weeding corn by shop to day cloudy this evening I am Sick myself all day this day 11th Rained last night this morning sent Jimmy to Yates Mill 1 Bus corn for us meal Ed 2 Bags corn Martin 2 1/2 Bushels lent [him] Fixing ground above Granary to plant Tobacco Sent Jimmy to Millers Mill. got 1 Barrel flour 90 [lbs] in Bag Second rate & [Grudgenous] & [B????] 13th Finished Hauling [p??] by [Bens] of fresh ground & planted it