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DIARYOF ALSON WARD. 80. July 1846 5. Sabbath. The day had been ..cl ear, overcast, stormy,_showery and several diff_e_rent shapes in a short time. Father,Mother and myself went to-church ·in tne morning there ·was not a large congregation together on account of the weather 6. Mr Dean, Calvin and myself spent the day in the cornfield hoeing. It was very grassy and slow getting along. Father spent a short time with us helping but the mill prevented his helping much. 7. As yesterday we worked in the cornfield finished it nearly. Mr Dean went home at night. 8. In the forenoon Calvin and myself finished the corn after which we went at the potatoes weeding them in the low ground. In the afternoon towards night Mr Wile and wife, Mrs Newcomb,Mr Ross and T. Gowecame and took tea with us. 9.:commencedrye harvest.Ward Wesley helped cradle.
10.Finished cradeling at ten oclock after which all of us went to raking and binding. It was a very hot day the thermometer standing at 100° in the shade until after five oclock P.M. Webecame nearly exhausted in the heat.
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11.Wefinished the rye stacking and all just in time to escape a shower that came up about sun set. The day was very warmbut not so warmas yesterday more air moving. 12. Sabbath. went to church all except Mother after which there came a kind of shower so as to wet everything in the wagons exposed. Mr Wile did not preach his regular sermon on account of the· confusion produced by persons leaving the house to take their teams under shelter the winds and thunder 13-19. This week has been spent getting in hay and has been fine cool weather and good hay weather except Friday and Saturday which was some rainy and overcast. Edward Free helped us until Wednesday. WardWesley until Friday middle of the afternoon. On Mondayand Wednesdaynight I went down to see Henry Sleight who is quite sick. Sabbath it was rainy and lowery and we did not go to church. 20.In the forenoon it rained and we mowedsome, In the afternoon Mary and myself went to Pokeepsie. Took tea at AbrahamSmiths. 21.Ward Wesley came on this morning and helped get our hay together there being so much rainy weather we had a larger quantity downwhich we succeeded in getting up in good order. There has been rain every day since last Friday. 22.It commencedraining last night powerfully all night and in showers during the dayCalvin and myself mowedsome during the day. · 23.It partly cleared off to day but was some overcast and rather a poor day for getting hay dry after getting shuch a thorough soaking through but we succeeded in getting some of it dry and in\ cock again.
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24.Commenceda stack the weather was rather precarious but did not rain a great deal not so much as to prevent our drawing that which we got in side yesterday. 25.Finished getting our hay in stack that has been wet and bleached some of a week the weather has been very unfavorable during the week and has made a great deal of unnecessary work opening and putting up and reopening again & again
