Selling Potatoes
by George Holcomb • Transcribed by Betty McClave • Edited by Alex Brooks
Monday, July 20, 1846: Today I took my one horse wagon and carried nine bushels of potatoes to Pittsfield and sold them from 75 cts to one dol per bushel. I paid F. Jay Wylie 18 dollars interest money which was one year interest.
Tuesday, July 21: Today I went to Pittsfield with my one horse wagon and carried eleven bushels of potatoes and sold them from 60 cts to 75 cts per, they averaged all of 63 cts per. I engaged to a grocery up North St to fetch him ten bushels of potatoes at 60 cts per.
Wednesday: Today quite rainy and at ten o’clock it partly stopped raining and I took my one horse wagon and carried the ten bushels of potatoes to Pittsfield to Barker’s grocery that I engaged yesterday and took a note payable in six days and I left the note with brother F. Jay Wylie to collect.
Friday: This morning a few minutes past midnight I started for Troy with my one horse wagon and a load of twelve bushels of potatoes. I sold part of my load on the road going in Nassau and Sand Lake and the rest in Troy at different prices but very dull market but about the average was 56 cts per. My gate fee was 29 cts and on the way home I bated to Sand Lake to Sliter’s and paid three cts for a drink of liquor. I got home a little past twelve this evening and some rainy.
Sunday, July 26: My children went to the funeral of Hiram Shaw’s wife in Berlin to the Chapel.
Today I walked up to Kirk’s to see my rye.
Monday: Today I reaped rye on said Kirk’s land that we raised on shares, and my two sons hayed it on my Rodgers farm.