Maple Sugaring Time
by George Holcomb • Transcribed by Betty McClave • Edited by Alex Brooks
Friday, February 23, 1849: I chopped alders in my swamp and Geo P. went with two loads to Bartlett’s with horse team and fetched a load of wood home at night.
Saturday: I went with ox team and Geo P. with horse team, we drew two loads each to Mr. Bartlett and Ezra Sackett and Manuel Buten chopped to the halves, they chopped my two loads and Mr. Benj. Butterfield chopped the two loads that Geo P. drew on shares, in the same way as Sackett and Buten, and on this evening Geo P. rode to Lebanon to Bull’s post office and got the third letter from John F. from Cincinnati, he wrote that he intended to leave that day for New Orleans.
Monday: This morning I rode to Doctor E. Graves to inquire of him if he knew the age of Marcellus Ross but he did not.
Monday, March 12: I called to Bull’s post office and I paid him 25 cents for a paper of horse medicine called billows and tonight I commenced doctoring my horse I bought in Hoosic of John Covey.
Tuesday: This forenoon I worked on the highway with ox team and stone boat drawing dirt which worked out my highway tax and this afternoon I repaired the arch where the cauldron kettle is set.
Wednesday: This forenoon I put barrels and troughs and pails to load for making maple sugar.
Thursday: This forenoon Geo P. went up to tend to his bees on Roswell Pierce’s farm.
Friday: I this forenoon went up to James Rowley’s field and got alders for sap spouts and this afternoon I and Geo P. tapped sap trees.
Saturday: I and Geo P. tapped sap trees. We cut two chestnut logs and drew down for hog troughs.
Sunday: Towards night I took my one horse wagon and carried my wife over to brother Simeon Wylie’s to see his wife, for she is very dangerous sick, and I carried Charlotte over to watch with her. Aunt Polly and I rode up to Mr. Aaron Merrils and bargained with him for his three pail iron kettle, price 37½ cents, it was broken in two places, and fetched it home with me.
Monday: I tended chopping wood to boil sap and gathered sap and tended to boiling. This evening Geo P. took the one horse team and fetched his mother from brother Simeon’s, sister Polly continues to fail.