A FARMER'S DIARY by CHARLES HENRY CUSHMAN Submitted by Max B Cushman April-June 1901 APRIL 1901 01 Trimmed trees in yard Fleming trimmed some Hedge snowed at night about 4 inches 02 Snowed some fore noon went to Wetrichs nice afternon clear at night snow mostly gone I sowed some grass seed south of Barn 03 Fixed fence on west side of farm nice day Flemings here and cut Hedge got draft from W. Bowen 04 I went to Dexter on foot took Draft to get it cashed left 50.00 in Dexter Bank and got 50.00 cash and got a check for 35.00 of Marion Fleming for Hedge Posts it is payable at Dexter Bank I got a paper showing that the Equitable Insurance Co. has released the mortgage which they held against this farm nice day strong wind and sun to dry up mud Burr went to the Church to a supper 05 Rained all day I stayed indoors Mail Man didnt come 06 Burr and I went to Earlham bought 4 sows of John Wetrich for 38.00 he brought them today and I put them in Orchard nice day but Cloudy and awful muddy Lydia got letter from Mrs Rocky says Geneseo went no licence this spring first time in 20 years 07 Sunday All went to Mr. Wetrichs to spend the day, their little Boy was sick and Mr Wetrich went after Dr. nice clear warm day there is one snow bank on my farm yet 08 Sowed some Oats and Wheat and Cultivated some nice day Burrwells first day to Iowa school. 09 Cultivated all day nice day let Wetrich have piece ground to work he gives me half and I husk my share and he cuts his up if he chooses. 10 Cultivated and harrowed and sowed some grass seed nice day Mr Johnson here 11 Sowed and Cultivated wheat nice day to work cloudy and sprinkled some State Mutual Insurance agent there sow had 9 pigs 8 alive 12 Finished sowing and Cultivating Wheat rained some in morning and in evening Wetrich got some groceries for us Jinkins here after Hog 13 Finished harrowing wheat nice day Clear at night Sow had 8 pigs alive Monts went by to Dexter Lydia got letter from her Mother 14 Sunday Mr Wetrich here in evening I paid him for two bu potatoes 40 cts bu nice day stayed at Home, set first hen on 13 Brown Eggs 15 Went to Holderboms and got 26 bu 65 lbs of Corn, and sowed some Clover seed nice day rained at night 16 Rained most all day Jinkins got Hay 17 I went to Earlham and got Sulky plow nice day but chilly 18 Went to get some seed potatoes didnt get them, nice day, a man was buried at PennCenter he was killed by a wagon falling on him. Cleaned the yard and burned trash 19 Had Wine Plant for supper last night plowed garden got load Corn of Holderboms nice day 20 Went to Dexter got 6 bu Potatoes at 60 cts per bu nice day Wetrich harrowed stalks on field close to yard 21 Sunday Nice sunshiny day Monts here I paid him $10.00 for Sow Burr went to Sunday School and Church 22 Went and got load Oats of Hall Jinkins plowed some South of Barn nice day, Wetrich plowed some 23 Went to Dexter and got trees and took some wheat and sold it for 55 cts Drew 50.00 from Bank nice day set out trees and vines cut some potatoes to plant Nellis Harrowed stalks on South East piece 24 Planted Potatoes all day planted Early Ohios on West side of Patch and 4 rows of Ohio Juniors on East side of Patch nice day 25 Plowed all day Daisy May had a roan Bull Calf nice day Mr Lee said didnt want ground to work Mrs Frank Jinkins here 26 Plowed all day on N.W. 40 nice day strong south wind Movers stayed in Barn at night. 27 Went to Earlham got Buggie paid $6.00 for it nice day Rented 10 acres of ground to a man thats going to live in Wetrichs House he is to give me 1/2 the corn and I am to pick my 1/2 he can have 1/2 the fodder by cutting it and hauling it off he is to have the privilege of selling his 1/2 to any one he chooses after the crop is tended if he who buys complys with out contract 28 Sunday Mr Wetrichs family here and Mr Johnson nice day 29 Plowed some and planted some corn South of Barn went to Jinkins and paid Hall $10.00 for Oats and got some current bushes of them 30 Plowed sod hot windy day man here talking up Phone line past here from Dexter to Pitzer MAY 1901 01 Hot and windy turned two Cows out of Barn, Man commenced Harrowing stalks on south west 40 02 Plowed nice day Wetrich Planted 03 Plowed nice day Wetrich Planted Fruit Man here, Brown mare went lame Wetrich got 46 lbs of seed corn 04 Cultivated all day nice day tramp here at night 05 Sunday Nice day but rained nice shower went to Monts and spent day rained again at night. 06 Rained most all day. 07 Rained some Steel here to see about Seed Corn 08 Hauled some manure went to Dexter with Mont 09 Hauled manure 10 Cultivated all day nice day turned Cool at night Set a hen found a lot of Eggs and a hen setting under the Barn 11 Harrowed all day Frost last night nice day 12 Sunday Stayed at Home Frost last night nice day 13 Mont put 7 steers in pasture I harrowed all day Frost last night, Nellis here at night nice day my Birthday 41 years old 14 Nellis put 5 steers in pasture at 65 Cts per month Harrowed fore noon nice day Planted after noon 15 Planted all day nice day 16 Rained last night went to Wetrichs and got about a peck of seed corn and finished Planting after noon Lydia got some letters from home nice day 17 Cleaned up around the yard nice day harrowed Corn after noon 18 Finished harrowing my Corn went to Dexter after noon drew money on Draft I got from E. Mapes amount $3.50 nice Hot day 19 Sunday Nice day I Salted steers in west pasture I went to Mr Lakes after noon 20 Went to Monts nice day 21 Chopped wood nice day 22 Sowed grass seed fixed Bridge nice day 23 Fixed Bridge peeled trees nice day Sprinkled some got nummber of two Calves from Springfield 24 Hauled rail fence up for wood rained some 25 Went to Dexter Guss Holder came here I paid him $16.00 for Corn nice day Cool N. wind went to Witrichs at night their Girl has Pendicetis Lydia got letter mrom Mrs Rocky 26 Frost this morning Cool N. Wind Mr. Bosley here for me to go after Dr. we went to Dexter after Sloan Monts Boy has the Scaarlet Fever nice day 27 I went to Dexter got Mower and Rake and got 4 bu Potatoes of Mr. Boils nice day 28 Replanted Corn nice day put Rake together 29 Worked road nice day 30 Went to Dexter nice day Congor and Ramsey spoke to the people 31 Worked on road nice day Steel here to see about pasture JUNE 1901 01 Helped Witrich shell Corn in fore noon and helped Neal Swain saw wood after noon, got a load of Corn of Neal of 24.40 nice day Steel put 3 Cows in pasture 02 Sunday Lydia went to Church Johnson here rained some 03 Plowed Corn all day nice day Lydia went to Dexter got some Chicken feed 04 Rained this morning plowed Corn after noon 05 Plowed after noon rained last night 06 Plowed Corn all day nice day Downey Greene and Earley here 07 Plowed Corn fore noon went Dexter after noon then went to Caucus in evening nice day Black Jersey had Red heifer Calf 08 Finished plowing Corn first time and plowed potatoes nice day Mrs. Lake, Mrs Atherton and Miss McClintock here 09 Sunday Lydia and Burr went to Church Childrens Day Big rain Dora Wetrich here funeral at Church 10 Trimmed Hedge all day wet 11 Plowed Corn nice day 12 Plowed Corn all day nice day. Lydia went to Junkins with Mrs Lake at night No 2 School went by to practice 13 Plowed Corn all day heavy Dew nice day Les went to DesMoines Lydia went to Wetrichs 14 Went to Dexter nice day 15 Went to Picknick nice day 16 Sunday Went to S.S. Convention 17 Plowed Corn rained at night finished Plowing Corn second time, Lydia got letter from Ella 18 Cut trees picked Cherries nice day 19 Fixed fence rained some 20 Trimmed Hedge mowed weeds, shut Pigs up, Cloudy and Hot 21 Tinkered around Home Burr went to Monts nice day 22 To town fore noon helped Neal plow Corn after noon nice Hot day showered around night 23 Sunday nice Sunshiny day 24 Commenced laying Corn by nice day 25 Plowed Corn all day nice day 26 Plowed Corn nice day Johnson Plowed 1/4 day in Neals place 27 Plowed Corn Neal Plowed 3/4 day finished Plowing nice Hot day 28 I plowed Corn for Neal Hot day 29 Plowed Corn 1/2 day for Neal he gave me Check for 40.00 for the west piece of Hay hot day we all went to Dexter after noon got Eugene a wagon 30 Sunday Picked Raspberries all day Pearly Wetrick here
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