IMH 75:2 201

"Chronicles of Upper Burnet" (1)

1881

Tuesday, May 3rd

A cool partly cloudy day again. Father again tackled the
harrow and after some changing around got it to suit him. We
put it on a small patch just below the garden. After harrowing
the stalks down I plowed it. That portion next the cow-stable
was hard and made big clods but the new implement scratched
the clods mostly out of existence at least on top. It was noon
when I got that patch done. After dinner assisted by Alvin I
plowed and harrowed the garden. The plow would'n't scour any
better than it used to but the ground broke up generally very
mellow. That done I made twenty-two hills without putting any
"fertilizers" in them and planted in them some watermelon
seeds. I made the hills about three inches high. Mother and
Alvin cleansed the habilments of the household and Alvin
scraped manfully at his whitewash job Wat was here a mo­
ment this forenoon on business.

Teaching notes; Plowing is seldom done today although it was common in the 1880's
through the 1970's . Today most ground is "broken" by tools that go into the ground
about 8"- 12" which requires some pretty hefty tractors. In the 1880's plowing was
done with either horse drawn plow of this design or one like this sulky plow that
was manufactured by John Deere and other companies

Scouring was done by the soil action against the plow and made the plow shiny and
easier to pull through the unplowed ground.