Trading Turnips
by George Holcomb • Transcribed by Betty McClave • Edited by Alex Brooks
Saturday October 24, 1846: I cleared out the cider house for making cider and Mr. Russel made cider and this week Patrick the Irishman continued to work for me ditching.
Sunday: Today Patrick Masterson left us, I paid him up in full according to contract which was five dollars and 19 cts. On this evening I and my whole family went to the school house in our district to meeting. A Methodist preached from Canaan, his name is Pease.
Monday: We pulled and cut turnips, and this afternoon John F took the one horse wagon and rode to Lebanon and got a coat and vest cut to the tailor Jervins that I paid him in turnips the other day, and this evening I rode over to my Rodgers farm after our ditching tools.
Tuesday: We pulled turnips and drew them to our cider house but did not cut the tops off. Today Mr. Manuel Buten helped us pull turnips and took his pay in turnips which was two bushels, and this afternoon Geo P went to Philander Hatch’s raising a shed that had blown down.
Thursday: We dug and cut and carried in carrots into the celler, 45 bushels of them.
Friday: Today I took my one horse wagon and carried two bushels of turnips to Tyler Ayers and he credits me fifty cts on account for mending shoes, and I sold Mr. Henry Platt one bushel of turnips for cash 25 cts, and I sold to Henry Cranston’s store half a bushel turnips for one pound ginger, and I carried Henry Lapum one half bushel of turnips, which pays him up for the barn shovel I got the other day.