A FARMER'S DIARY

by CHARLES HENRY CUSHMAN

Submitted by Max B Cushman

 MARCH 1896

01  Sunday  Thawed  Steve come down and stayed awhile

02  Trimmed Hedge fore noon  drove Jacks mare in after noon  Arthur Spencer come and got his mare, went to Annawan after noon  went up to Johnnys at night  warm day  thawed

03 Went to Kewanee paid $2.00 for fixing harness paid 2.50 for shoes at Crain's renewed note at Bank for 90 days paid 1.75 interest, Irve brought clover seed out for me Jack took his Gray mare Home to sell at sale, snowed all day turned cold at night Mother went to Galesburgh to see Anna

04  Hauled load for Johnny to Annawan, got five chairs and some single trees  Arthur Spencer paid me ten dollars and fifty cents  Jim Steve and Jack came Home with me  nice warm day  did not get car loaded  Johnny went Home with Irve

05  Helped Johnny load Car, Jack hauled load for Conklin and hauled load of 71 bu of Oats from Johnnys down here worth 16 cents per bu  Johnny left two sows for me to sell I paid 1.50 at livery stable for Johnny  rained all day, Steve brought a horse here for me to sell for Johnny

06 Went to Annawan and got two Sows that Johnny left they weighed 710 lb then went up to Conklins and got 14 Chickens they weighed 63 lb at 6 cts per lb paid Steve 3.80 that they came to, and kept the Chickens Irve Jim and Sadie came down at night Cloudy day

07 Went after load of coal paid for it went to Rockys paid 1.20 for Gobler Jack went to town warm day muddy Jim Knox went Home in morning

08 Sunday Warm and muddy J.Rocky and wife was here Jack and Steve went over to Irves

09 Jack commenced work at 22 per Month We trimmed hedge all day Lydia took Burr to School and took Steve over to Fathers Jack went to Annawan at night

10  Went to Kewanee got 2 plows and pulverizer and gave note of 52 dollars payable June 1st without interest if paid when due took note to Bank against Johnny and me due March 15th $453 chilly day

11 Shelled seed corn all day about 12 bu cold spit snow all day, Andrew came

12  Jack trimmed Hedge I went to Annawan  took plow to get fixed;, got beams for corn plow  Jack went Home at night Andy went over to Fathers  steady cold

13 Went to Galesburgh with Andy nice day

14  Came Home from Galesburgh  Cloudy and cold  snowed at night

15  Sunday  Hurb Norton came and bought Johnnys two Sows at 4 cts per lb

16 Trimmed Hedge fore non took Andy to Annawan afternon Johnny Batten was here to buy Johnnys sows Lydia went to Eyres after two Roosters nice warm day

17 Worked at Hedge some Hurb Norton came and got wo sows paid me 28.40 Bill Eyre came and got 11 bu potatoes paid 3.85 I paid Jack 2.00 I owed him warm day Jack went to Kewanee

18 Trimmed Hedge a little scoured plows and put Pulverizer together bred Maud snowed and rained all day, got pig from Stone yesterday to serve my Sow she took him all right

19  Jack took two hen Turkeys down Home and took one of our Goblers to town and sold it for 10 cts per lb and it weighed 17 lb  took Stones pig Home  chilly windy day

20  Trimmed hedge all day C.Eyre got load of Willows nice warm day

21 Took load of Oats to Mineral had 48 bu and got 16 cts per bu then came to Annawan to the Caucus Lydia took Ella Home and Jack hauled Wood for Father, I sent 28 Dollars to Johnny Cloudy sprinkled some

22 Sunday nice day Jack went Home

23  Jack trimmed hedge fore noon  I went to Joe Piles and got 25 bu coal, after noon we burnt brush  Billy Eyer came at night and said his aunt Almira was dead  Jack went to his lodge  nice warm day

24 Bugged Hedge F. Vanker helped he charged 1.25 I got one dollar of Jack and I owe Fred 25 cts yet, Jack went to town at night Myrtle sewed for Lydia nice day strong wind in South

25 I sowed grass seed Jack went to his Aunts funeral Lydia went to Church to sing nice day

26  Burned hedge in  fore noon and we plowed after noon  Lydia went up to tell Harry to come to work.  I went to Annawan at night and got plow of Odena for $15  paid Fred Vanhecker 25 cts that I owed him

27 Harry commenced work for $22.00 per month we all plowed all day Mother and Steve came over and took Burr home with them, windy day blew up rain at night paid Jack one Dollar that I borrowed of him

28  Plowed some fore noon  rained some plowed all after noon Lydia went to Annawan afternoon  Jack and Harry went to town at night

29  Sunday  Ed was here and got 6 1/2 bu of potdatoes at 35 cts per bu  came to $2.25  Harry and Jack both went Home  Steve brought Burrwell home from Fathers  Leonesa came up awhile  nice warm day.  Poet Heaps stopped on his way to Church and left a letter from Ina  paid Steve 5.00 for Johnny which  makes $8.80 I have paid him for Johnny  owe him 6.20 yet

30 Plowed all day with 3 teams Nell brought Steve over nice warm day

31  Plowed, harrowed some stalks, Lydia took Steve to the train  She got a letter from Sadie  nice day cool wind  Jack went home at night  neighbors sowing Oats  first I  have seen sowing this year