This month’s post only features 1873. It was a busy time on Ebenezer’s farm. They got the wheat field planted which involved plowing, ashing, sowing, and harrowing. The corn had been planted in May and by early June there was work to do to kill grubs and hoe. It took them three days to hoe the corn field. The May 26 entry reveals that they were sharing horses with their neighbor and using a mechanized “horse hoe” for at least some of the work.

On one hot, 90F day, Ebenezer found it challenging to be out in the field. Toward the end of the month, he was working out in the fields at night. It is clear he was grateful for rain and mentioned how a “smart shower” was “most acceptable to the dry fields.”

At the end of the month, a peddlar came around to settle up an open account–Mrs. Brown owed him $1 for pills she had purchased.

Ebenezer Brown, June 1873

4 Cloudy warm and a little sprinkling of rain a number of times.

Charles worked on the road with Reuben Davis the Highway Surveyor and others with the oxen & cart this forenoon.

5 June 1873 Thursday

Very warm..a smart shower of Rain at about sunset which is most acceptable to the dry fields. Grass had begun to wither in some places–

I & Charles have ashed and sowed & harrowed 1 acre of Buck (Indian) wheat at the upper part of the mowing lot this forenoon…p.m. I am killing worms (grubs) in the corn field and Charles is carting manure on to the School House lot for Indian wheat

7 Warm & clear sun in the forenoon; Showers of Rain in the afternoon

I cut down the Elm tree near the sugar house & when nearly cut off a gust of wind took it the wrong way & down it come onto the patch of sweet corn & the sweet apple tree and me considerable labor & perplexity

9 Cool, clear & pleasant thro the day. I carried Ellen to the Plain to her school this morning–got the colt shod at Cushmans Shop–new shoes forward and my old shoes hind ware–I paid cash for same one dollar & ten cents

Paid Carrie Boardman 35 cents for Ms. B & Marys subscription for the Bible Society

Charles has been plowing & taking logs to Booths mill and bringing lumber home.

The blacksmith shop and sawmill were at the confluence of Charles Brown Brook and Blood Brook, above Moore Lane.

The 1870 Industrial census shows that Booth’s sawmill had one circular saw, powered by a sawmill. He produced 100,000 feet of lumber a year:

10 A very warm sunny day. I went to Hanover N.H. this forenoon carried some Butter and with it got at Cloughs store some codfish tea & white sugar…Butter 25 cents per lb

Paid at Olds Store

2 balls cotton .20

one rope .23

11 Smart Rain this morning at 3 O Clock quite a quantity of water fell

Very hot most of the day–Charles went a fishing this forenoon & caught a large string of fine trout

18 Cool & clear sunshine–

I carried Mary to the Plain after dinner We have finished hoeing corn for the first hoeing.

19 June 1873 Thursday

A very hot sunny day. Ther 90

I am planting beans in the corn field in the west lot–Charles is weeding the turnips there–the weather is so hot that it is tedious to work in the middle of the day

21 Cool and sunshine. I am at work in the garden a.m. and p.m. I brot up 2 loads of chips and a load of sand from the Brook.

Family Pills the Pill Pedler that left a dollars worth of pills here about a year ago called today and Mrs. Brown paid him one dollar for said pills and did not allow him to leave any more pills.

25 Hot Sunny day.

Charles and G.M. Slack have hoed our potato piece up in the mowing lot & the little piece of corn in west lot. They put our colt beside his horse for the first time he was harnessed with another horse and he worked fairly. I have been at work in the garden.

26 Cool morning. Hot dusty day. very dry.

Commencement day at Hanover N.H.

Charles is at work at G.M. Slacks hoeing corn and our red colt is with him at work on the horse hoe with Mr. Sacks horse.

27 Cool morning…a clear hot day. We are having very cool nights almost cold and very hot days.  Charles with the red colt worked for G.M. Slack hoeing till 4 p.m….I hoed in the corn field–just at night.

28 A very hot sunny day. We are hoeing corn.

29 Hot sunshine today. Rome did not come home.

30 Warm and cloudy this morn. Quite a smart little rain at 8 this morning but not enough to make puddles of water in the roads…I carried Ellen to the plain to her school and brot Anna Brigham up to her school in this district and worked in the garden–Charles hoed turnips and some hemlock timber.