Petit has ploughed the
Knob field abt. 30. as. Franklin's 26. as.
Page has ploughed the Chapel ridge. 40 as.
Mountn. field 40. as.
Farm Book, page 54
by Thomas Jefferson
by Thomas Jefferson
Diary
1796.
Jan. 1.
Mar.
24.
all the provender for cattle is out at
Monticello this day.
Apr. 26.
There has been a most extraordinary drought through the whole spring to this
time.
The seeds sown for a long time past have not sprouted. copious rains now
fall for 36. hours, gentle at first, heavy at last.
30.
the weather is become very cold. a great frost in the neighborhood.
May. 1.
The first blossom I see of red clover.
5.
began to cut clover to feed.
6.
Iris lays in with a boy Joyce.
10.
began to sow peas.
June 1.
Lucy lies in with a boy. Zachery.
6.
began to cut clover for hay.
14.
finished cutting clover.
Ned's Jenny lies in with a boy.
James.
23.
the White pea beginning to blossom.
Diary of harvest.
| acres | stacks | one oxcart of 4. or 6. oxen which did little. | |||||
| June 23. | East field | 35 | 100. | 3.b | 2. carts of 3. mules each. | ||
| 25. | Riverfield. | 40 | 65. | 1. cart with 4. horses. | |||
| 28 | Poggio new grd. | 8 | 40.b. | a waggon aided 4. days. | |||
| 29 | Trinagle | 30 | 63. | ||||
| Pantops | |||||||
| 30. | Culpeper | 7 | 27. | 4.b. |
July 2. we stopped our ploughs; the pickers up not keeping up with cutters. |
||
| July 1. | Springfield | 16 | 48 | tho 18. movers had been fixed on &
furnished with 27. scythes. yeth the wheat was so heavy for the most part that we had not had more than 13. or 14. mowers cutting on an everage. |
|||
| 2. | Smith's | 48 | 74. | ||||
| 4. | High field | 32 | 72 | ||||
| 5. | Slate field | ||||||
| . | Long field | 55 | 70 | ||||
| 7. | Middlefield | abt. 20. | 27 | ||||
| 300 | 546 | +135.6 | 13. cutters x 12 day+ 156.
which gives near 2. as. a day for each cutter, supposing 300. acres. |
July 9.
sowed Buckwheat at
Monticello.
Aug. 18.
Scilla has a child born.
22.
our Threshing machine begins to work at the River field.
Nov. 23.
on this day a very severe spell of weather set in. on the 23d. it was at the
freezing point. 24th. at 23. 25th at 21. 26th at 12. other
indispensible work had prevented the digging our potatoes, & tho' the earth was remarkeably dry (for it had not rained since the middle
of Octob.) the whole were lost by freezing.
17.
We finished sowing our 3d. field of wheat over the river (Dry field). May
wheat the 4th. which should have been in wheat, we thought better to put into
rye.
Dec. 10.
we finish sowing our 3d. field of wheat on this side of the river (Ridge
field). May wheat. our 4th. (Brodenfeild) which should have been in wheat, is
to be in rye. concluded with George that we will keep 12.
breeding sows here. children born at
Bedford this year. Hanah
(Dinah's) Aug. a girl
(Suck's) a girl (Abby's)
Nace (Maria's Aug.
ploughing days have been this year as follows.
Jan. 6.
Feb. 15.
Mar. 20.
Apr. 25.
May. 17.
June 19.
July 23.
Aug. 24.
Sep. 20.
Nov. 24.
Dec. 10. = 212.
List of tools at
Monticello &
Tufton. given by Hugh Petit
Nov. 96. 18. hoes. 5. axes. 10. reaphooks. 6. large
ploughs. 8.small ploughs. 8. pr chain traces. 3.
oxchains. 1.toothed harrow.