A FARMER'S DIARY

by CHARLES HENRY CUSHMAN

Submitted by Max B Cushman

MARCH 1895

From Book #1 - dated at Annawan, Illinois.

01 Took colts & cow over to Taylor.

02 Went to Annawan.

03 Went over to the Block's. John had gone over to Woling's to see about getting a place to work Paid Mrs. Mumford $30.00 for her cow. Rena & Bus went home with Jack. It turned very cold before we got home.

04 Jack commenced work Went to Jim McChesnys and paid him for corn that I got last spring. Got a load of corn.

05 Went up to Perry Rose to have him mend harness but found that his house had burnt up Sunday night, went to annawan in afternoon.

06 Went to Kewanee took the carpet rags over to the weavers, paid Lay and Lyman all that I owed them.

07 Went to Annawan in fore noon and bought a seeder and ordered a binder for $120. Drove Monarch down in the afternoon and brought the seeder home.

08 Went to Kewanee, took Lydia, went to Galesburg, nice day.

09 Trimmed hedge nice warm day.

10 Sunday. Ed and Jennie was here to dinner, nice warm day

11 Trimmed hedge and cut maples. Perry Rose came and got pig. Geo Batten left a steamer.

12 Worked at hedge and maples Jim Howarth went to Iowa. We went to Annawan at night got salt.

13 Trimmed hedge Billie Eyer was here after Jack's Mare but did not get her we went to Modest's at night Joe DeBates was killed with the train, nice day but cool, snowed at night.

14 Snowed. Shaw boys was on their way to Cambridge to break their Parents will trimmed hedge

15 Trimmed hedge, snowed Aunt Mary & Carrie came at night. Lot and Myrt was here after milk.

16 Jack trimmed hedge and went to Caucus. I went to Kewanee after Lydia. Horses ran away cost me $1.00. very nice day.

17 Sunday Mother and Aunt Mary went to Church. I took them down to Aunt Kates in the afternoon. Mr & Mrs Rockyfellow, Mr D & Mrs Will Forrest & Myrtle were here in the eve. Myrt gave up an invitation to a cinch party the 23rd her birthday.

18 Went to Kewanee after clover seed, Jack trimmed hedge, he went to the dance in Annawan at night.

19 Sowed clover seed in the fore noon and Jack finished in Afternoon. I cooked kettle of feed Rena was sick with the "grip".

20 Took some fence down to fix the pasture fence hog tight. Norm came and invited up to a dance at his place. Burwell was sick with the grip so we could not go. Lydia went to town after quinine for the kids.

21 Lydia is sick in bed with the "grip". We hauled boards and throwed the hedge away from the fence so we could bug it, went to Annawan at night to have Ed Evans come out to help us bug & burn hedge tomorrow.

22 Burnt the hedge and cut stalks Lot & Will came

23 Jack cut stalks all day I was sick with a cold Lot & Will went to Kewanee, we went to Myrts cinch party had a kind of a dry time had Gertie Sutton for a partner to play cards and Lot for a pardner for supper. The wind blew terrible today.

24 Sunday stayed at home all day and doctored my cold, Will and Lot went home before dinner, the wind blew again today

25 Ed Evans came out this morning to help us out in Oats. He cut stalks this forenoon Jack & I went down to Shaws after a load of Oats 98 bu 14 lb, sowed a little while in the afternoon but the wind blew so hard I had to quit.

26 Sowed oats all day Ed & Jack cultivated all day, Mrs R brought the table and glasses home.

27 Bur started to school his first day. Worked at the oats all day. Lydia went to Annawan in after noon

28 Worked at oats, Ed and Jack went to town at night Modest came up after me to haul hogs for him tomorrow.

29 Worked at the oats I hauled a load of hogs for Modest. In afternoon I and Jack went after a load of oats 75 bu Lydia and her Mother went to Kewanee

30 Worked at oats, rained at night Ed went home through the rain

31 Sunday it rained all day a little, Jack went home in afternoon got 3 lb of butter.