Day Journals of James T. Redd - April 1847

1st Th
6 bu oats

Fair cold morning the ground was frozen & large frost. . Young Bet her her first litter of pigs last night or yesterday – 9 in number – sowing oats 2 bags finished ploughing the black bottom rakeing in oats etc burning brush throwing up manure etc halled a load manure to new garden for manure for some pair trees set out 10 or a dozen sowled 37 1/2 cts worth of potatoes to Mr Ballard. . .

2nd Fr
4 bu
oats

Fair mild sowing oats 4 bushels sowed a bag of hurds grass seed in the black bottom – Dr Gouldin & Louisa came up this evening – choping around the stumps in the bottom shelling corn etc

3rd Sat.
3 bu
oats
[dog sketch] Puppy

Fair mild I went to Chiles Burg to muster – mustered had a drum & fife Dr Gouldin went down to day we dined at Mama set out some trees – in yard sowing oats 3 bu the field by the house sent Robert for my puppy to Mr Huletts. grubing etc Rosy is about 5 weeks old

4th Sun

A small shower of rain I went to Carmel Bro Harris preached & preached at Mt Airy this evening Ann William & Emily came over last night Edmond T Redd dined hear today – Thad

5th M

Fair mild I hired John to rake the oat lan Ann Emily came over this – evening I caught 2 fish

6th Tus
3 bu
oats

Rain a hard shower. thundered a good deel – rakeing in oats on the road sowed 3 bu halled a load old rails for wood set out some lettuce plants halled some fodder throwing up manure etc etc . . . . caught a pike

7th W
3 bu
oats

Fair warm day sowing oats 3 bu to day rakeing them in ploughing for oats at the lore part of the field grubing moved a fence by sheep pen fenced in the apple trees (pup got hurt

8th Th
57
oats

Fair warm working on a coalter fire got away at Mr Gouldins & Buttlers finished sowing oats this morning 1 bu sowed 57 bu in all rakeing the corn beds halling out manure by the Barn for corn

9th Fr
corn

Fair windy Commenced planting corn planted Cobbs kind the right of the parth by Dabs house listing the fallowed ground by the barn halling out manure etc caught 2 fish – 6 pike in all

10th Sat

Fair mild listing for corn by the Barn halling out manure set out 2 apple trees caught 3 fish 1 pike – Dr Gouldin came up this evening

11th Sun

Fair cool a north wind I went to Bever Dam Bro Philips preached Dr Gouldin dined at Mr Gouldins saw the cole at Hewletts

12th M
coal
Potatoes sweet

Fair mild I went to the owl tree in Hanover – finished listing on the side next to the Barn halling manure halled 2 loads to the water mellon patch sent 2 carts to the rail road for coal got a load a piece got 1 bu sweet potatoes of – Mama – Bro Sam went to the Boling Green in my gig

13th Tus

Fair cool a north win we went to Mt Airy & dined put Bro Harises bed quilt in the frame rakeing the beds in the meadow sent to the rail road for 2 loads coal put in the shop halling out manure halled a load to garden put a bushel potatoes in hot bed

14th W
corn
Potat

Fair cool rakeing the meadow commenced planting the meadow planted a row on the road in striped corn halling out manure etc Hackett had 1/2 bu potatoes coaltering the beds for corn

15th Th
Horse
[white hand sketch]

Rainy evening cool day finished planting the meadow & commenced by barn planting with Mr Butlers kind of corn I put Dickinsons Jack to Flirtilla by the season $5.00 to pay to

16th Fr
corn

Fair very cold morning the ground hard frozen frost etc planting corn by the barn passed the posimon tree. planted a full year ine row each side of the tree. Sent Joh to Mr Buttlers for 1. bu of corn set. 2 turkeys one in the pines & one turkey in the Barn - - - - - - - - - - -.

17th Sat
corn

Fair mild finished planting corn all to the manured part sent to mill for meal making some water mellon hills putting in the manure etc – ploughing in the garden – for cymblings & corn etc etc

18th Sun

Fair cold day a north win I went to Carmel Bro Fox preached Bro Harris was – there & quite sick - - - - - -

19th M
watermelon
seed

A few flakes of snow – very cold morning the ground frozen & a large- frost killed nearly all – the fruit & buds on the forest trees a good many - - halling manure to cotton patch & ploughed it. ploughing the Irish potatoe patch. halled manure to watermelon patch. planted 3 rows - - - wed over a part of my wheat that was drilled on the swamp

20th Tus

Fair warm day ploughed the cotton patch over 3 times halling manure to the garden planted a row of cymblains seed planted 2 rows of forward corn in the garden - - scattering manure by the barn Canfield got 1 peck of potatoes 31 cts - - - - - Mr Harris dined hear R W Swann & self had a sebttlement he pd me 17 cts the balance

21st W

Fair warm day ploughing for corn scattered the manure etc halling manure to the Irish & sweet potatoe patches – I went to the river fishing with Llewellyn & Thad - - - planted 2 & a piece a row, or cymbling seed Wm Swann sent for 20 bu of coal borrowed it - - - - - - - -

22nd Th

Fair windy very dry I went to Goldans Ville & voted for Tod Newton & Minor - - - - - - - - planting corn by the shop on the road checking it off halling manure to the garden and sweet potatoe patch Tom [Thrane?] passed Chester field

23rd Fr

Rain a hard shower this evening thundered a good deel. . . mending my old harness shelling corn etc finished planting corn by the barn planted about 2 bushels of seed corn – halling manure to the – garden for butter beens etc I planted butter beens at the stack 2 rows John brought the jack [male donkey] by to day – Dr Anderson sent for 5 bu of potatoes & sent me 1- bu of sweet potatoes – halled a load of wood

24th Sat

Rain a little cdy cool morning we went to T. Castle finished planting corn – cockleing the wheat [cockle is wild wheat that must be weded out] by the corn house rakeing the potatoe patch etc etc

25th Sun

Fair frost spent the day at T. Castle came home in the evening - - Ben at Mama, has the measles -

26th M
[black hand sketch]

Fair – frost I planted cotton Marthy laid up Buck Terrell came by Mr Richard Hill & Henrietta came up to – Anna, to day - - - Euodea Anderson died to day in Richmond with scarled fever [Euodia A. Anderson]

27th Tus
1/2 bu
potatoes

Fair warm sent to mill for meal & carryed corn for chop halling manure to the garden planted butter beens & cucumbers (seed bunch, commenced planting Irish potatoes Rohans 1/2 bu ploughed & raked over the patch etc

28th W
2 1/2 bu
potatoes

Fair mild planting potatoes 2 1/2 bu of Rohans putting manure in the drills halled a load – Marthy laid up Lewis Redd at Breakfast hear to day

29th Th
1 bu
potatoes

Rain commenced to night very moderately planting potatoes & finished one patch by the orchard planted 1/2 bu of large Rohans & nearly 1/2 bu of red ones ploughed a square in the garden for greens & manured it halled 5 or 6 loads manure made a cow pen ploughing a part of the sweet potatoe patch planted a row of carriots in the garden ploughing for peas

30th Fr

Fair mild halled a load of post & 2 of rails for the garden patching it up. halling manure to pea patch planted 4 rows peas put the cows in the pen on the swamp