Volume 03 Page 0137

1856 Commenced planting on Saturday 15th March (full Moon on 22d)
in this first planting our new Overseer Mr L. F. Venters says a good
deal of the Rice rots & as our Rice has much Volunteer & [light] Rice [missing text]
it he puts in 2 Bush & 8 Quarts to Acre, but in the 2d & 3d [missing text]
he will put our usual quantity viz: 2 Bush. & 2 Quarts. We this [missing text]
planted Thirty Two Acres viz: No 8 Her. = 22 Acres
[No] 13 Her. = 10 [Acres]] with [missing text]
Sowers. [missing text]

the day has been very Spring like & the evening's tide has been
let in. Our entire plantation is to be Open plant this year.
Altho' far ahead of the full Moon still there is a swell [missing text]
the River & besides we are not at all strong handed & have to
begin our work early.

April 15th 1856The Spring has been so Cool & even Cold that [missing text]
water is just being slacked down today from our 1st planting
The bugs have had a Chance to eat some of this rice, as they
only destroy rice when in the white sprout & these two squares
8 & 13 have been a month under water & most of that time in the
white Sprout. Our other Squares planted afterwards all open
are this day April 19th 1856 all looking well & the 2d planting looks better than the
first. The rats have destroyed much of our margins on square [missing text]
next to Barclay & we shall have a good deal of patching over [to]
do.

April 19th 1856. We have yet to plant 144¼ Acres in our 3d [missing text]
planting. This is the Swamp of Gowrie & Squares between Gowrie &
East Hermitage Settlements. These squares were so full of Volunteer that
I determined to skip the tides of 20th Inst & put them in as good [missing text]
as I could & plant them open, on the New Moon of 4th May. I trench [missing text]
this last planting with broad hoe (called back soding) & No 11 Gowrie
is so full of volunteer that I trench it with broad hoe & right [through]
the old stubble, Mr P Poullain gave me the idea & he has [planted]
several of his squares in that way. This winter was so very [Cold]
that the stubble burnt off remarkably well & better than I have ever
seen it. so I can trench through the old stubble & do it nicely.

May 3d 1856 Nos 8, 13 have since the warm weather Come up [missing text]
well. Finish planting this day & Commence hoeing in No 5
Gowrie. I leave Gowrie this day having been here since
November last. longer than I have ever been before, today
is cool & pleasant.

1857 Commence planting on Monday March 23d in No 9 Her. Covered
(New Moon on 25th_ 2 Bush & 3 Qts to the Acre. We have 1400 [Bbls]
Seed Rice from Cooper River, the Rates have Certainly eater much [we]
Can not afford to put more to Acre at present.
Afterwards in second planting put 2 Bush.