Spring Arrives: Plowing and Planting
by George Holcomb • Transcribed by Betty McClave • Edited by Alex Brook
Friday, March 31, 1848: I chopped wood to the door today. John F. rode to Hoosic to Mr. Powers and I let him have one dollar to send to Powers and have him send his trunk to Troy to Pearl’s and today Geo P. went to Lebanon, I sent one dol and 12 cts and bought a new ax to Gays and Pierce’s store.
Saturday, April 1: We chopped wood to the door.
Tuesday: Today I took my one horse wagon and carried my wife to Jerry Vary’s on a visit and walked down to Zebulon Simmons to town meeting. Squ Leland Sheldon was elected for Supervisor on the Democratic ticket and the Whigs got the rest of the town officers or some Democrats were elected on the Whig ticket by the name of anti-rent. I took dinner and supper to Jerry Vary’s and spent the afternoon there. Today I paid John O. Bly one shilling for a Universalist Almanac Companion.
Saturday: This afternoon I took my two horse wagon and carried Mr. Zedediah Barnes 15 bushels of carrots at 31 cts per and carried him my one horse wagon wheels to new fellows at one dollar per wheel. Today John F. plowed with the ox team and side hill plow for H.P. Wylie in the way of changing works
Monday: This evening we sorted apples for market and tonight we kept a young man that was getting subscribers for Agriculture paper and he paid 1/6 pence for lodging and breakfast.
Tuesday: Today Chauncey Baldwin is done boarding with us and John F. took a team and carried him and his trunk to Lebanon.
Wednesday: This morning I carried Mr. J. Russel’s kettle home that we had to boil sap and we got out manure in the south meadow and plowed a little sward. Towards night Geo P. took the one horse wagon and went to Lebanon, he carried butter and lard to Gay’s and Pierce’s store and traded it for groceries. They gave 19 cts per pound for butter and ten cts per for lard.
Saturday: I went to Lebanon near the gate to John Adams and paid 75 cts for one bushel early black potatoes and Mr. Wheeler I paid 18 cts for a peck of kidney potatoes and then I came to Reuben Barker’s and paid three dol and 50 cts for seven bushels potatoes, five bushels of them were the Mercers and two bushels are the round white early from the Mohawk.