Frank Seger’s Diary on a Connecticut Farm, May, 1915

Tuesday, May 4, 1915 40 Above. Cloudy & coolish. Started to plant potatoes. I marked out & dug holes & dropped them 3 feet apart. I finished Cleaned up the Barn in the After noon. Heman ploughed in the Spring lots green Saard then he took the milk with Both horses. go to Bags of Horse feed.

Wednesday, May 5, 1915 42 Above. Cloudy & some rain Bill white washed all day. Boys got load of Hay at the Old Barn I took the milk with the Oxen. Got load of feed then took children to school with Old Peet. Came back. heman went to ploughing fore dinner. Boys Cleaned out Barn

Thursday, May 6, 1915 50 Above. Clear & nice. Heman ploughed greensaard used Old Dick a little while.. finished up planting potatoes fore dinner. Lewis cleaned out the Barn Bill & I shot to rocks in the uper meadow. Drew off some. I took the milk with Old Peet. Lewis, Heman, Lucy went to Jennings.

Friday, May 7, 1915 48 Above. Clouds. Some blowing up storm. Heman plowed green Saard & took the milk with Old Peet. Roscoe Drove the horse Back. Heman Stayed to Lymans on a visit. Bill & I Blasted & Drew off rocks all day. Lewis Cleaned Out the Barn & done up the chores.

Saturday, May 8, 1915 52 Above. rain in the morning early. Clearing off in the fore noon.Lewis & Bill Cleared out the Silo. Heman ploughed green saard I blasted 4 rocks in the upper meadow then Bill, Lewis & my self drew off rocks. I ploughed a little piece of green saard in the upper meadow.

Sunday, May 9. 1915 50 Above. Clear & very nice day. Heman went down to Symes for a visit. Lucy & Jim went for a ride I went up to Bromica to see Rubin Wolf. Stoped to James [?] on way back. Bill & Heman Cleaned out the Barn. I took the milk with Old Incker [?] then I burnt heap of [?] [trees?]

Monday, May 10, 1915 34 Above. Clear & nice all day. Heman Plowed Green Saard. I planted Garden all day. Beans Peas Onions Cleaned out the hen house white washed it. Bill & Lewis Cleaned out the Barn. Went over in the granny lot got Some Bean poles. then he sharpened them & stuck them & ect.

Tuesday, May 11, 1915 38 Above. Clear & nice. Heman harrowed up to Comestock Lot. Lewis Plowed up to Ed. lot & cleaned out the Barn & ect. Bill read went down to Liman Darling & helped him. plant corn. I wnet to New Milford to see the Cattle Sale. I think they brought good prices. Had sandwiches pie cake & cookie.

Wednesday, May 12, 1915 50 Above. Clear & nice, Clouding up at night. Rain in the evening. Heman Harrowed in the Comestock lot, Lewis Ploughed in the Edwards lot in the fore noon. Bill & I fixed fence in fore noon. I harrowed the gardens after noon then planted some sweet corn. Bill dug up grass.

Thursday, May 13, 1915 40 Above. Clear & warm. Heman finished Harrowing up at Comestocks. Bill & Lewis went to Hpag place to get Old Cow Bue then went up to ComStocks, picking off stone in the fore noon with Old Dick with oxen in after noon. I ploughed green saard in Spring lot. Heman harrowed some.

Friday, May 14, 1915 38 Above. Clear & Cool. I washed off Dan, leg & belly with salt water then went to the foot of the hill with Rags & Rubbers traded with Old Honist John for tin ware. Lewis & Bill screened some Corn then put some chip [?] dirt in the holes in uper meadow. Heman took the milk.

Saturday, May 15, 1915 34 Above. Clear & cool all Day. Very near a frost think there was some in places. Heman plowed in the uper meadow with new plow. Bill & Lewis planted Comestock lot to field corn I marked out the little plice & planted it put in 5 hundred of posfate, Boys done Chores.

Sunday, May 16, 1915 Clear & cold. Heavy frost in some places. _______cut beans off. Heman was__[illegible].

Monday, May 17, 1915 36 Above. Cloudy & rain Some. Bill & I went up to the ridge get to Barposts & fixed fence, Came back Sprouted potatoes cleaned out the Celar. Heman took the Children to school. Finished plowing uper meadow in after noon. I plowed the garden. Bill & Lewis drew out Munare in the after noon. I took the milk.

Tuesday, May 18, 1915 33 Above. Clear & Cool all Day. I made box ___ for Turkey. Heman Harrowed in Spring Lot. Bill & I Drew Chunks of the Lot took all the forenoon. Joe Stillson came along I gave him check for Heman __ $16.46 etc. Bill & I cur Down 4 poles & drew them to the Night Lot & fix that up.

Wednesday, May 19, 1915 34 above. Clear & cold. Cool all day Heman finished harrowing in the Spring lot, the Harrowed the upper meadow peices. Bill & I took the Calfs up to Shoves tared up some Corn then took Chip Dirt up to the upper meadow put in the poles then Bill & Lewis took out to Load of munare in the garden lot.

Thursday, May 20, 191538 Above. Clear & nice most of the day. Cloudy toward night. Heman harrowed the Edwards lot. Lewis Bill & I put phosphate on the potatoes then I marked out 3 ---- of corn then I planted the Green Saard in the up meadow. Lewis & Bill planted the Spring Lot and the piece in uper meadow.

Friday, May 21, 191540 above. Clear & cold rain some. Started to draw munare but rain broke off then Boys seeded[?] some corn then shelled some Corn for the Horses [?]. I took the Children to school. Came back cleaned out the Shop & stratened out things looked better. I took the milk. Brought back Children &ect.

Saturday, May 22, 191550 above. Cloudy & warm. Drew out munare with both teams in the fore noon, one team after noon and cleaned out ditch in the west meadow this forenoon had dam Job then plowed with Dick & Peet in after noon garden lot. Heman went with the milk half of the night.

Sunday, May 23, 191545 avove. Clear & cool. I went up Beebe Place to see cattle all are looking good. Shot one woodchuck. Corn sprouted some. Heman went ouver to Walt Jennings all day. Lewis went a woodchucking. Lucy went over to Jennings Jim came Back with her in evening. I took the milk. Shove came down and got 2 qts milk.

Monday, May 24, 191550 above. Cloudy & Showery all day. Picked up five Load of old boards & rubbish put them in garden Lot set fire to it. Heman harrowed in the Edwards lot in fore noon plowed some in garden lot after noon. Bill & Lewis drew out some munare. I stired up the fire in garden lot put on some green brush.

Tuesday, May 25, 191540 above. Clear & very nice day. I plowed n garden forenoon, Lewis & Bill picked off chunks. Heman finished harrowing in Ed. forenoon. plowed in afternoon. I marked out five acres in Ed. lot after noon then took the milk. Lewis & Bill planted corn afternoon. Jim came over in the Evening.

Wedesday, May 26, 191550 above. Cloudy rain nasty & murky all the afternoon. I took the Children to School. Heman plowed in the garden lot fore noon. Bill & Lewis planted in the Ed. lot fore noon. Heman went with the milk. Brought up Roscoe Lewis & I done the Chores & milking. Could not find the Cows but found them at last.

Thursday, May 27, 191532 above. Dam Cold. Froze the ground up in the Edwards lot. first I ever planted Corn ground froze wind Blew all night, kept off frost. Heman plowed in the garden lot. Lewis planted corn in the fore noon & drew rocks off the garden lot. Dimonyted 4 Rocks just at night.

Friday, May 28, 191538 above. Cool & partly cloudy. Lewis & I took Rocks off the garden lot in the fore noon then I plowed in afternoon then took milk with old Beet. Heman Plowed inn the garden Lot took Load of wood & 3 clothes posts to Mrs. Slosson in the fore non. Old Bill came back at night & Ect.

Saturday, May 29, 191532 Avove. Clear & cold in the morning. Heman plowed in the garden lot some then took the milk with Dan. Lewis & Bill picked off stone up to Hollan place in the fore noon then shelled corn. I went to Sound Beach [Bridgeport] to see McConnell. Could not do much with him. Mother came Down after me in the Eve.

Sunday, May 30, 191536 above. Partly cloudy most of the day. I took the milk with old Peet. Trachion Engine came up the mountain today. Boys & all hands had to see it and monkey around with it all Day. Heman went to Lake Waramaug with Simes Children. Lucy went off rammimg somewheres & Ect.

Monday, May 31, 191534 above. Clear & very nice day. Bill & I Started make fence in the granny lot. Got some posts back of the barn in woods. Bill cut Load of wood for Dwight. Heman plowed in the garden lot fore noon then he & Roscoe went to Decoration. Lucy & Nellie went to vilage afternoon. I took the milk.