Sowing Carrots
by George Holcomb • Transcribed by Betty McClave • Edited by Alex Brooks
Thursday, May 13, 1847: Today we drew two loads manure with both teams from home onto the Rodgers Farm, and I plowed and John and Chester got out manure. Today while over on said farm, I borrowed four dollars and 25 cts of Aaron Merrills and paid the same money to Elic Hadsell, which makes my account square with said Hadsell and today Joseph Brown came to my house and paid three dollars for two pigs for his mother. Tonight a Hancock Shaker fetched Geo P. home, he had been grafting for them two days.
Friday: On this morning the before-mentioned Hancock Shaker bargained for a sow and seven pigs and paid me the cash seventeen dollars and 25 cents and I paid him for three pounds of carrot seed at 5/6 pence per and six pence for one paper watermelon seed and my hired boy Chester went with the Shaker and drove the sow and the pigs as far as Lebanon Shakers and returned home at noon. This afternoon I began to plow sward for corn, Chester drove for me to plow sward. I took the plow that Simeon Wylie put a handle to, but a very bad handle, poor timber, I broke the handle after plowing a short time. I have not paid for putting in said handle. Mr. Aaron Merrills sowed seven bushels of oats for me and I paid him the four dollars and 25 cents I borrowed yesterday.
Sunday: Today I walked up to Johnson Brown’s and he told me his boy Chester might stay with me and work as long as I wanted for five dollars and fifty cents per month. On the way home I called to Orra Holcomb and he paid his subscription for the bell which was one dollar.
Monday: We worked on the Rodgers farm. Today Geo P. grafts for Wm. B. Maxon. Today Aaron Merrills sowed carrots to the halves on my land, digs them ¼ of an acre.
Tuesday: This forenoon we plowed and harrowed and raked off carrot ground. Towards night I walked over to Thomas Horton’s and engaged him to come tomorrow and sow my carrots, 2½ pounds on nearly one acre and took him until half past ten o’clock and I paid him 88 cts for sowing them and engaged him to make me a machine for 2½ dollars and Geo P. grafted for Ezekiel Goodrich today. This afternoon I and the boy picked up some stone in the meadow and I put up some fence.