1878 ORIGINAL JOURNAL AND LEDGER HANDWRITTEN BY C. W. WHEELER, A FARMER FROM HARDWICK, MASSACHUSETTS, PROVIDING A GLIMPSE INTO FARMERS' LIFE, INCLUDING PRICES FOR LABOUR AND PRODUCTS

On offer is an original handwritten diary authored by C. W. Wheeler, containing brief records of farming operations through different seasons, with occasional mentions of weather, and track of prices for products and labour. There is a handwritten note on the endpaper: C.W. Wheelers Diary 1878. The book itself is titled "The Standard Diary" and contains almanac material, postage rates, weights and measures, festivals, etc. Wheeler was keeping cattle, growing crops, did some building and repair work for himself, and for neighbours, sometimes hiring help. In winter he was cutting and drawing woods, cutting and loading ice, shaving shingles, drawing hay, hauling manure: "Drew 9 loads of manure; 4 in lower field and 5 in big field. 24 loads in all in lower field", February 6th: "Drew 2 load logs to mill", March 6th: "Went to Collins mill for a shingle log". In March he tapped sugar and boiled sap: March 8: "Finished washing buckets", March 9: "Began to tap sugar", "Sugared off 250 lbs". From April he was plowing, and sowing seeds - wheat, potatoes, and later corns. His records are very brief and scarce, and document amount of work he and his helpers did, the time he spent doing different work, and prices. There is almost no personal information. Occasionally he provides details that he finds worth mentioning: "Yearling heifer has five teats", "Found lost calf in Newell Whitney's wood, gone 3 weeks and 4 days". The journal contains names of people for whom he did work or sold produce, and names of helpers he hired. Last several pages and endpaper contain various calculations. Book condition: good +, cover is slightly soiled and with water stains, ink is faded at few places.; Manuscript; 32mo - over 4" - 5" tall; KEYWORDS: HISTORY OF, RURAL LIFE, ECONOMY, FARMERS, FARMING, AGRICULTURE, CATTLE, CROPS, ICE HARVESTING, ICE CUTTING, MASSACHUSETTS, HANDWRITTEN, MANUSCRIPT, DOCUMENT, DIARY, JOURNAL, WOOD CUTTING, MAPLE SYRUP, SUGAR TAPPING, HARDWICK, AMERICANA, HANDWRITTEN, MANUSCRIPT, DOCUMENT, LETTER, AUTOGRAPH, WRITER, HAND WRITTEN, DOCUMENTS, SIGNED, LETTERS, MANUSCRIPTS, HISTORICAL, HOLOGRAPH, WRITERS, AUTOGRAPHS, PERSONAL, MEMOIR, MEMORIAL, AMERICANA, ANTIQUITÉ, CONTRAT, VÉLIN, DOCUMENT, MANUSCRIT, PAPIER ANTIKE, BRIEF, PERGAMENT, DOKUMENT, MANUSKRIPT, PAPIER OGGETTO D'ANTIQUARIATO, ATTO, VELINA, DOCUMENTO, MANOSCRITTO, CARTA ANTIGÜEDAD, HECHO, VITELA, DOCUMENTO, MANUSCRITO, PAPEL