Diary: Robert Hartshorne Miller, 1866-1870

4^th mo 1867

3^rd 2 I now commence my diary again, which I have so long neglected and am going try and keep it up, if I possibly can. To day I took Buthas calf, up to Ashton to go to town by the hawlings river market wagon. Bob and Father mendid the garden fence, and we all made a hotbed and other small jobs. Weather elegant and clear. I stopped school yesterday, having gone to Miss Mary for six months. I liked her very much as a teacher, and as a lady also.

3^rd 3 This morning Father Bob & self started to sow clover seed but could not continue it long as the wind blew to hard. We then went to work on the hot bed and finished it. Father went up store in evening. Bob worked on the potato cave. I mendid the garden fence. Aunt Carry went down in the stage this morning. Mother went to Uncle Charls with Aunt Hannah. Another elegant day

6^th 4 Father Bob and self have been at work on the potato cave all day, in the morning we took the top off of it. We have gotten over a hundrid bushels meashured up. a good many of them are frozen. Clear as a bell.

4^th mo 1867

6^th 5 Alban Bob and self worked at the potatoes in the morning. Father helped us in the eve we finished them there are about there hundred bushels in all they are all middle sized. I plowed half of the garden this evening. I[t] rained a little while this morning the rest of the day was clear.

7^th 6 Father at store B. and self plowed half of truck patch. Evening we raked up the front yard Mother helped us. Clear.

1^st 7 Sister and my self went to meeting on horse back. I went from there to see Willy Hartshorn who came home yesterday. had a very nice time.

2^nd 8 Father and Mother went to Baltimore this morning. Bob and self sowed clover seed hawled stone off of the wheat field in eve & hawled brush out of the orchard. took Billy up to Uncle Charles after tea for him to use awhile. Clear.

3^rd 9 Bob and self sowed clover seed until 10 AM. then shelled 6 bushels of corn which I took down to the mill on my way after Father & Mother. No rain but clowdy most the day.

4^th mo 1867

4^th 10 Bob and self sowed clover seed and mendid the garden pailings hawled brush out of the orchard. Father at the store. Clowdy all day but no rain

5^th 11 Bob and self meshered up potatoes in the cellar. In evening Father and little boys layed off the potato ground. B & self meshered fifty bushels " for Mr Cashel and twenty five for Jack Harding. Lady [fresh?] Went to the reading circle in the evening heard of Mr Richardsons death. Clear

6^th 12 Father Bob and self worked in the garden all day. Sold thirty bushels ^potatoes to Mr Barcroft B. got a load of saw dust for the ice house. Pleasant.

7^th 13 Went to the store with Father after some things met Willy Hartshorne who came down here. Sold 50 bushels of potatoes to Jim Bond ^and @ 60 c paid me cash. planted some potatoes in truck patch. Bob planted potatoes in his garden. We played the rest of the afternoon. Clear

1^st 14 Mother Father Sister went to meeting Willy and I s[t]ayed at home all day. Clear.

4^th mo 1867

2^nd 15 Willy went home. Father went store. Bob & self cleaned up the cabbage bed hawled stone off the truck patch. In evening got poles for the truck patch raspberries, set posts to nail them too. I went up to Edward Thomase's in evening after Sister etc. Clowdy.

3^rd 16 Father at store Bob and self meshered up potatoes in the cellar sold 40 bushels to a man who lives in Bladinsburg @ 70 c/ paid cash 28$. In evenin[]g cleaned out the cellar. Father took the bale off pine poles for the raspberries etc. Rained most the morning, cleaned off middle of the day.

4^th 17 Bob and self hawled stones off of my field this morn. Father fixed the raspberries John Cook commenced plowing today. B. & self grubbed some bushes and draged off logs out of my field in eve. Turned all the cattle out today forth second time. An elegant day.

5^th 18 I worked on the road this morning with John Cook. Bob worked in the truck patch. In evening J. Cook plowed. B & self picked up stones Father planted out an asparagus bed. My ground is coming in elegant order, hardly need harrowing Bright and sunshiny all day. not a clowed to be seen all day.

4^th mo 1867

6^th 19 Father my self and Bob sowed clover seed half of the morning, then B & self hawled stones until dinner, after which we mulched the asparagus and cleaned the strawberry bed. Father Mother & Sister went to Uncle Henry Stablers spent the afternoon. Clear in morning. clowdy in eve.

7^th 20 All hands at work in the garden planted salsify parsnips Snap beans etc in evening Bob & self plantid out a water mellon bed Went to a lecture delivered by Edward Farquhau on Modes of progress. Bright ^{Evan here half a day.}

1^st 21 Clear.

2^nd 22 Bob and self cleaned up the fense row between us and Uncle Asa's. Father at store. Sam commenced plowing the front field. Killed a large snake in orchard this morn. Beautifully clear.

3^rd 23 We picked up stones in the field back of Bobs house in morning fixed up the fense round the pasture field in eve. Father at the store all day. Clear most of the day, but preparing for rain

4^th 24 Rained most all day I went to the mill after sawdust and some boards to make a rubber which I did in the eve also got bone from ^{the bonemill.}