ENPages
1854 Monday the 9 Jany
The snow fell to the depth of 7 or 8 in Saturday night and it is verry cold this morning the thermometer stands at 8 deg
Tuesday 10 Jany
Halled ICE to day M Cuthrell and Dr Wiseman helped us we did not quite fill the house
Saturday 14th Jany
Turned warme on Wensday and rained all day melted all the snow cleared of Friday morning quite mild we made fence around the Academy lot on Friday
Saturday the 21 Jany 1854
been a cold and rainy week done nothing but get fire wood and make a little fence George is sick this week with mumps Foster sick also lost 5 days work this week
Saturday 28th Jany 1854
quite cold and disagreable weather not done much this week but get fire wood
Saturday 4 Feby 1854
It has not rained any this week and we have been halling leaves & fire wood John Luser thrashed our Rye and seed oats the weather is cold but not severe quite fine for winter weather we made 83 Bushels of Rye
Saturday the 11 Feby
Been wet & cold most of the week cleaned up our Rye & oats halled fire wood & done little [??] Dan sick all the week
Monday the 13 Feby
Commenced sowing oats in the Apple orchard to day & finished the orchard Rained at night & stopped us from sowing oats until the ground dries off
Friday the 17 Feby 1854
quite cool to day we killed 12 small hogs that weighed 1303 lbs it has rained several days this week
Teusday 21 Feby 1854
Started north to buy goods quite cool and the ground too wet to plow
Thursday the 16 March
Returned from teh north last night and found the hands on the farm had finished sowing oats about the 10th and nearly done plowing the field by the shop for corn They sowed one Acre of oats to contend for the premium on oats they sowed them on the lot wehre we raised our premium crop of corn they plowed the ground & harrowed it then sowed 3 Bu of oats and plowed & harrowed it in
Friday the 24th March
Commenced harrowing and listing our corn land we follow after the first furrow with a two horse subsoil cutter in the botton of the first furrow making the two furrows about 12 in deep we then run more furrows & make a ridge the last week has been fine weather and we have been halling manure on our premium Acre for corn we halled last Dec 100 loads of Branch much & Rich earth on it and this week we have halled 60 loeas of stable manure and spread it over it we intend plowing it to morrow
Saturday 25 March
Plowed Agriculture lot about 8 in Deep with Turn plow and then followed with 2 subsoil plowed about 8 in Deep we planted our Irish potatoes to day It is verry cold the fround being frozen & I fear that wheat is injured & fruit all killed
Thursday the 30 March 1854
COMMENCED PLANTING CORN south of the meadow Below Blacksmith Shop it has Been verry cold for Three days nearly all the fruit is killed & the wheat looks yellow like it might be injured by the frost there was plent of Ice half an inch thick
Friday 31 March
Finished planting corn in the [??] it rained some last night and it is some warmer but rather cool yet for the season commenced planting corn in the cassel plantation to day and putting manure in the hills but rained in the evening and we stoped
Monday the 3rd April
Verry cold this morning Ground Froze hard Thermometer at 23 deg see the Buds Fruit & vegetation killed and wheat & oats injured badly We plowed to day i nthe corner of the Cassel Field breaking up some poor land to plant oregon peas on & for the negroes some corn patches The Gray mare Foaled a mare more mule colt to day it is rather small but limbs look strong new goods in store
Saturday 8th April
The weather moderated on Wensday and we planted corn at the cassel place and finished yesterday planting at the cassel place we manured about 8 Acres in the hill with manure from the cassel Barn and some rotten Tan Bark from the Tan yare in All about 50 waggon loads we commenced listing in the field by BlkSmith Shop to day we also plowed over the premium Acre today with Two mules to a scater plow weather quite warm
Moday th 10 April 1854
Comenced planting corn in pump field and putting manure on the hills Sent the Gray to Huntsville to day Put her to Puryears Jack
Saturday the 15 April
Planted corn in the pump field until Friday night when it rained and stoped us we have put manure in the hills of all we have planted in that field. The [southel?] heifer had a calf yesterday
Monday the 17th April 1854
This being Easter monday it rained all night Saturday night & moderately all day on Sunday until in the Evening it commenced hailing and snowing & the ground is covered this morning one inch deep in snow with Icicles hanging to the Eves of the house & on the trees Therm 33 old Polly Beaton cow had a calf yesterday it continued to snow until 12 oclock & then cleared off cold
Wenday the 19th April 19th
Big frost this morning the ground froze & ice plenty Ther 30 I sowed some white clover & Lucerne seed at the old Barn in a lot of half an acre Also at the new barn sowed 1/4 of an acre in red clover & Lucerne seed for mowing off for the horses
Saturday 22 April 1854
Been too wet to plow until today We plowed up our Acre to plant in premium corn & planted a part of it
Monday 24 April Finished planting premium Acre of corn Ive planted it 3 feet apart in a dril and expect to lave a stalk every 11 inches in the row we put 20 waggon loads of manure in the drills before we planted it & then droped the corn on it & covered with the plow We have put 80=4 horse loads of stable manur on it & 106 loads of rich earth or swamp mud in all 186 loads
of manure we plowed & harrowed it four times before planting we Broke it up 8 in Deep & subsoiled it 8 in more I expect to make 165 Bu of corn if I do not I quit trying for premiums on corn
Teusday the 25 April
Finished planting our corn crop to day but I fear the rains of last week has baked the ground so hard that it cannot come up we are putting manure on the Hills
Thursday 27 April 1854
Finished Halling manure on our corn hill had nearly enough to manure all of the pump field in the hill Sent 17 head of Dry cattle to the Pastures in Germany the grass is tolerable good down there on the hood pasture the Etcheson pasture is verry bare yet In the after noon we had a Severe STORM of wind & Rain from the South West it Blowed a great deal of fence and trees it will take one day to put our fences up again it did rain verry much but was the hardes wind I have ever seen Blow
Monday the 1st May 1854
Verry cold this morning a Large Frost killed nearly all the corn that had come up Beans Potatoes & the leaves on the Tenderest trees Ther at 31 Degs We replanted corn in the morning and then commenced breaking out middles at the Cassel place and planting peas in the middle of the row we put 12 or 14 peas in a place
Saturday the 6 May
Sheared our Sheep yesterday & to day we have 52 old sheep & 17 Lambs 69 in all we got 120 lbs wool off of the 52 old sheep Too Dry to plow we are replanting corn it comes up verry bad General Muster yesterday at Mocksville