June 5, 1894 thru June 6, 1894

If you follow Bert's diary regularly, you can skip this paragraph. I will not be transcribing each entry since most of Bert's diary is pretty clear. You can read the original more easily by clicking on the image above to view a larger version. I will be including this paragraph, or something similar in each entry so that new readers will know they can click the image to enlarge it for easier reading. Also, there will be some links to the right of the page with relevant information that may be of interest. My notes will include the basics of what Bert talks about each day, along with my own personal thoughts, research, information gleaned from past or future entries, etc. If you have information or suggestions that may help my research, please e-mail me ..... especially with input on Bert's coded entries?

Tuesday, June 5, 1894 --- Another rainy day, but Bert and Russell did more plowing and dragging on Milo Dye's place preparing fields for planting potatoes. Bert had earlier borrowed the marking tool for laying out the ground for proper spacing of the seed potato pieces. Bert did some marking in the afternoon, and spent some time cutting up the seed potatoes. Chores in the evening of course.

Wednesday, June 6, 1894 --- With help from the two Bardeen boys, Bert and Russell dropped and covered potato pieces on the land they had prepared at Milo Dye's place - Russell's father. Bert left in the afternoon to begin preparing ground on S. G. Avery's place for planting more potatoes.

Potatoes were a big crop in New York State around this time. It does seem a bit late to be planting the potatoes, but when you consider the wide variety of things that needed planting in the spring, and the fact that it all had to be done by hand or with horse drawn equipment, scheduling the various crops must have been quite a task... especially when you factor in all the rain that has been falling the past couple of weeks! Also, the hills around Naples, NY are at a pretty good altitude, with a surprisingly short growing season - late frost in the spring, and early frost in the fall!

June 3, 1894 thru June 4, 1894

If you follow Bert's diary regularly, you can skip this paragraph. I will not be transcribing each entry since most of Bert's diary is pretty clear. You can read the original more easily by clicking on the image above to view a larger version. I will be including this paragraph, or something similar in each entry so that new readers will know they can click the image to enlarge it for easier reading. Also, there will be some links to the right of the page with relevant information that may be of interest. My notes will include the basics of what Bert talks about each day, along with my own personal thoughts, research, information gleaned from past or future entries, etc. If you have information or suggestions that may help my research, please e-mail me ..... especially with input on Bert's coded entries?

Sunday, June 3, 1894 --- Bert declares it a nice day (for a change) and he and his brother Herman went over to J.A.Clark's woods to look for hawks and crows, but "did not find any." Bert went over to visit E. Hayner, and then went back home to the Dye place where he works and lives. Rain again Sunday night.

Monday, June 4, 1894 --- Chores as usual in the morning, and some rain again. Bert and Russell did some plowing on Milo Dye's place in the morning, and in the afternoon, Bert plowed some more, while Russell dragged the plowed land from the morning's work. When Bert went to get the cows to bring them in for evening milking, they ran away from him, and he and Fanny "ran them to beat Grant". Another of his fairly regular expressions about something "to beat Grant". I remember him talking about snow flying to beat Grant back in February.

June 1, 1894 thru June 2, 1894

If you follow Bert's diary regularly, you can skip this paragraph. I will not be transcribing each entry since most of Bert's diary is pretty clear. You can read the original more easily by clicking on the image above to view a larger version. I will be including this paragraph, or something similar in each entry so that new readers will know they can click the image to enlarge it for easier reading. Also, there will be some links to the right of the page with relevant information that may be of interest. My notes will include the basics of what Bert talks about each day, along with my own personal thoughts, research, information gleaned from past or future entries, etc. If you have information or suggestions that may help my research, please e-mail me ..... especially with input on Bert's coded entries?

Friday, June 1, 1894 --- Another rainy day - quite a stretch of rainy days. Another day of watching it rain. In the afternoon Russell and Bert hauled some fence posts, and went over to Milo Dye's place to pick stone off a field. Chores morning and evening as always.

Saturday, June 2, 1894 --- Another rainy day, with chores. Bert fixed his harness, and "sewed a line" for Russell. Bert went over to his brother Herman's place to spend the night.

May 30, 1894 thru May 31, 1894

If you follow Bert's diary regularly, you can skip this paragraph. I will not be transcribing each entry since most of Bert's diary is pretty clear. You can read the original more easily by clicking on the image above to view a larger version. I will be including this paragraph, or something similar in each entry so that new readers will know they can click the image to enlarge it for easier reading. Also, there will be some links to the right of the page with relevant information that may be of interest. My notes will include the basics of what Bert talks about each day, along with my own personal thoughts, research, information gleaned from past or future entries, etc. If you have information or suggestions that may help my research, please e-mail me ..... especially with input on Bert's coded entries?

Wednesday, May 30, 1894 --- Chores as usual, and then spent a rainy day drawing loads of manure. Russell went over to "his folks" - Milo Dye's place - and finished plowing the field for corn. Bert "drawed dung" and watched it rain. "my head is still ailing"

Thursday, May 31, 1894 --- Another rainy day - chores - then he "turned the cows out" and watched it rain till eleven AM. Bert then "dug liveforever" till noon. (Live forever is a variety of Sedum which must have been a problem on the farm? -- The forever plant (Sedum purpureum), also known as the "live forever," is a showy evergreen plant of the Sedum genus, which is poisonous if ingested.) Bert had dinner around noon, and then spent the afternoon "tearing patent fence to pieces". He then seems to have sharpened at least some of the pieces to use for fence posts?

"my head continues to ail"

May 28, 1894 thru May 29, 1894

If you follow Bert's diary regularly, you can skip this paragraph. I will not be transcribing each entry since most of Bert's diary is pretty clear. You can read the original more easily by clicking on the image above to view a larger version. I will be including this paragraph, or something similar in each entry so that new readers will know they can click the image to enlarge it for easier reading. Also, there will be some links to the right of the page with relevant information that may be of interest. My notes will include the basics of what Bert talks about each day, along with my own personal thoughts, research, information gleaned from past or future entries, etc. If you have information or suggestions that may help my research, please e-mail me ..... especially with input on Bert's coded entries?

Monday, May 28, 1894 --- Rained all forenoon. Bert "turned out the cows" and sat in the barn a while before going up to E. Hayners to borrow a "scrue driver". He used the screw driver to "turn a door around". In the afternoon, Bert got a load of hay from Milo Dye's place. They then drew two loads of stone, and a load of rotten fence rails. They then took Milo Dye a load of firewood. Snow in the afternoon. Bert is still sick.

Tuesday, May 19, 1894 --- Some rain today. Bert did chores as always, and then went over to E. Hayner's place to get Russell's potato marker..... a device drawn behind a horse to make marks that allow the proper spacing of the potato pieces when planting potatoes. Bert then went over to Milo Dye's place and plowed land for planting corn. One of the horses lost a shoe that had just been put on the day before. The plowed until "half past six". They had dinner at Milo's place, and then went back home to do the evening chores. Bert is still sick - "grunting and coughing".

May 26, 1894 thru May 27, 1894

If you follow Bert's diary regularly, you can skip this paragraph. I will not be transcribing each entry since most of Bert's diary is pretty clear. You can read the original more easily by clicking on the image above to view a larger version. I will be including this paragraph, or something similar in each entry so that new readers will know they can click the image to enlarge it for easier reading. Also, there will be some links to the right of the page with relevant information that may be of interest. My notes will include the basics of what Bert talks about each day, along with my own personal thoughts, research, information gleaned from past or future entries, etc. If you have information or suggestions that may help my research, please e-mail me ..... especially with input on Bert's coded entries?

Saturday, May 26, 1894 --- Bert reports a nice day with a little rain. Russell plowed all day, and Bert "drawed manure". Bert then went over to visit his brother Herman, and stayed the night.

Sunday, May 27, 1894 --- Bert came back home to help with the chores, got his breakfast, and then went to visit the Hilers. He then went over to Milo Dyes place for dinner - then back home to help with the evening chores. "Rained a little"

May 24, 1894 thru May 25, 1894

If you follow Bert's diary regularly, you can skip this paragraph. I will not be transcribing each entry since most of Bert's diary is pretty clear. You can read the original more easily by clicking on the image above to view a larger version. I will be including this paragraph, or something similar in each entry so that new readers will know they can click the image to enlarge it for easier reading. Also, there will be some links to the right of the page with relevant information that may be of interest. My notes will include the basics of what Bert talks about each day, along with my own personal thoughts, research, information gleaned from past or future entries, etc. If you have information or suggestions that may help my research, please e-mail me ..... especially with input on Bert's coded entries?

Thursday, May 24, 1894 --- Another rainy day! Bert does the chores, and then makes 10 potato crates. Ten potato crates does not sound like very many, but remember there were no power tools, and they may have actually made their own boards from logs cut on the land? Bert then helped "set three hens". Setting hens was a process of finding "broody" hens ( hens interested in sitting on eggs to hatch them), and then placing fertilized eggs under them and waiting around 21 days! "Broody" hens will tend to remain on the nest instead of leaving after laying eggs. They also make a clucking noise instead of cackling?

Sometimes a hen will stop laying and instead will focus on the incubation of eggs, a state that is commonly known as going broody. A broody chicken will sit fast on the nest, and protest or peck in defense if disturbed or removed, and will rarely leave the nest to eat, drink, or dust bathe.

I love Bert's addition of sketches sometimes!

Bert then writes ----

"Rain, rain, rain, rain" and
"My head has hurt to beat Eli"

Friday, May 25, 1894 --- Another rainy day! Bert spends the morning digging out stones from the fields. He sits around the house and watches it rain till the middle of the afternoon, and then goes out to draw the stones he dug out.

"bought two tie pins at ten cents apiece"

I wonder if a peddler came by or if he went to Naples or Ingleside? My guess is that a peddler was in the area, since he does not mention any trip.

May 22, 1894 thru May 23, 1894

If you follow Bert's diary regularly, you can skip this paragraph. I will not be transcribing each entry since most of Bert's diary is pretty clear. You can read the original more easily by clicking on the image above to view a larger version. I will be including this paragraph, or something similar in each entry so that new readers will know they can click the image to enlarge it for easier reading. Also, there will be some links to the right of the page with relevant information that may be of interest. My notes will include the basics of what Bert talks about each day, along with my own personal thoughts, research, information gleaned from past or future entries, etc. If you have information or suggestions that may help my research, please e-mail me ..... especially with input on Bert's coded entries?

Tuesday, May 22, 1894 --- Bert declares it a "fair day" without rain and after doing the chores, he helped "put up a grist" for Russell to take to Naples to be milled. "Putting up a grist" was cleaning up grain to get rid of chaff and other extraneous stuff before grinding the grain for flour or animal feed. Grist is the word used for the cleaned grain. Bert then "drawed stone" off one of the fields - probably using the stone boat they made the other day. He then fixed a fence on "the ten acres", and then did more stone removal! Bert reports some improvement in his health .... "this forenoon my head hurt to beat all, but this afternoon I have felt a little better".

Wednesday, May 23, 1894 --- A rainy day again, and Bert sat in the house and stood around the barn till noon. In the afternoon he made potato crates and went over to Milo Dye's place to haul a load of manure. Had supper and did the evening chores. "I am feeling a little better tonight."

May 20, 1894 thru May 21, 1894

If you follow Bert's diary regularly, you can skip this paragraph. I will not be transcribing each entry since most of Bert's diary is pretty clear. You can read the original more easily by clicking on the image above to view a larger version. I will be including this paragraph, or something similar in each entry so that new readers will know they can click the image to enlarge it for easier reading. Also, there will be some links to the right of the page with relevant information that may be of interest. My notes will include the basics of what Bert talks about each day, along with my own personal thoughts, research, information gleaned from past or future entries, etc. If you have information or suggestions that may help my research, please e-mail me ..... especially with input on Bert's coded entries?

Sunday, May 20, 1894 --- Rains all day, but since it is Sunday, no work time lost. Bert sits around the house for the morning, and then around noon, he hitches up a buggy and goes to Ingleside to see the Doctor. He pays 30 cents for some medicine. He then comes home for dinner and then goes to visit E. Hayner. He then comes back home and helps with chores..... "still grunting", so after feeling a bit better yesterday, he is back to ill enough that he went to the Doctor.

Monday, May 21, 1894 --- It rains all day again, and Bert and Russell make a "scow". (note: Since they haul stones later in the day, I would guess that they made a flat bottomed wooden boat shaped implement to skid stones out of the fields. Stones are way too heavy to put very many into a wagon - too hard to lift that high, and the weight would likely break the wheels, etc., thus a flat skid like affair that could be just slid along on the ground. These were often called "stone boats" - see picture below - ends are curved up a bit to slide more easily over the ground, just like the curved end of a boat slides easily over the water.)
Bert did the evening chores, and Russell took some groceries over to his parents place.... probably things he got in Naples earlier. Bert reports he is "still grunting", so the medicine is not very fast acting?

May 18, 1894 thru May 19, 1894

If you follow Bert's diary regularly, you can skip this paragraph. I will not be transcribing each entry since most of Bert's diary is pretty clear. You can read the original more easily by clicking on the image above to view a larger version. I will be including this paragraph, or something similar in each entry so that new readers will know they can click the image to enlarge it for easier reading. Also, there will be some links to the right of the page with relevant information that may be of interest. My notes will include the basics of what Bert talks about each day, along with my own personal thoughts, research, information gleaned from past or future entries, etc. If you have information or suggestions that may help my research, please e-mail me ..... especially with input on Bert's coded entries?

Friday, May 18, 1894 --- Bert reports a hot morning. He drew 10 loads of manure and fixed his buggy. "It rained this afternoon to beat grant". Another use of that "to beat Grant" phrase. He does write that "I am feeling a little better today". First report of not feeling bad in several weeks?

Saturday, May 19, 1894 ---- Bert reports standing around a lot due to some heavy rain! He does help butcher 6 hens and they cleaned seed barley and oats. This would be separating out weed seeds as much as possible. He went down to Milo Dye's place to get some eggs for Russell to take to Naples to sell or possibly barter? Then "I sit in the house" till chore time.

Note: After the reunion on August 13th, Dad and I drove by the location of Russell Dye's place, and Milo Dye's place.

Click here for a map of the area with little numbered flags at the locations - 19 = Milo Dye's place, and 22 = Russell Dye's place

Pictures of Russell Dye's home and barn below as they look today.

May 16, 1894 thru May 17, 1894

If you follow Bert's diary regularly, you can skip this paragraph. I will not be transcribing each entry since most of Bert's diary is pretty clear. You can read the original more easily by clicking on the image above to view a larger version. I will be including this paragraph, or something similar in each entry so that new readers will know they can click the image to enlarge it for easier reading. Also, there will be some links to the right of the page with relevant information that may be of interest. My notes will include the basics of what Bert talks about each day, along with my own personal thoughts, research, information gleaned from past or future entries, etc. If you have information or suggestions that may help my research, please e-mail me ..... especially with input on Bert's coded entries?

Wednesday, May 16, 1894 --- Frost for the second night in a row! Bert is still "ailing and grunting", but he managed to cut some seed potatoes for planting, and covered some of the potatoes planted yesterday. He also helped draw five loads of manure. He mentions his headache again - again using the phrase "my head has ached to beat Grant".

Thursday, May 17, 1894 --- Bert and Russell finished plowing ground for planting barley, and he goes down to Sheldon Fisher's place and borrowed his drag. He and Russell dragged the potato patch at Mr. Avery's place three times, and then did the chores. Bert says "it thunders and lightens (sic) and threatons (sic) rane (sic)" Once again he reports still being sick.... "I am still grunting."

May 14, 1894 thru May 15, 1894

If you follow Bert's diary regularly, you can skip this paragraph. I will not be transcribing each entry since most of Bert's diary is pretty clear. You can read the original more easily by clicking on the image above to view a larger version. I will be including this paragraph, or something similar in each entry so that new readers will know they can click the image to enlarge it for easier reading. Also, there will be some links to the right of the page with relevant information that may be of interest. My notes will include the basics of what Bert talks about each day, along with my own personal thoughts, research, information gleaned from past or future entries, etc. If you have information or suggestions that may help my research, please e-mail me ..... especially with input on Bert's coded entries?

Monday, May 14, 1894 --- Bert continues to fight his illness. He reports that his head "ached to beat Grant". I think I remember him using this phrase before, but I can't track down what this might refer to? Russ and Bert continued preparing fields for planting, and Russell went to his father's place to get seed potatoes.

Tuesday, May 15, 1894 --- Another day of headache, and Bert says he "barked and caughed (sic) all day". Bert marked a field for planting potatoes. (Probably digging shallow furrows to "drop" the potato pieces into at the proper distance apart) George Spiers and one of the Bardeen boys worked dropping the potato pieces. Bert and Russell cut more potatoes, and covered the potato pieces that were dropped earlier. Russell went back over to his father's place to get more potatoes. Bert reports that it went below freezing last night.

May 12, 1894 thru May 13, 1894

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Saturday, May 12, 1894 --- Bert spent the morning cultivating the hops one way. I presume this involved sort of plowing the ground between the hop hills which are usually fairly far apart to let in light... often up to 8 feet apart. Russell rolled some of the oats planted this week on Milo Dye's land. They had lunch at Russell Dye's place, and then both dragged and planted oats for the afternoon - finishing planting all the oats. Bert ends with "i still continus caugh and grunt" (sic)

Sunday, May 13, 1894 --- Bert reports a headache all day, but as usual, even though it is Sunday, Bert keeps busy! Bert helps with the necessary chores, and then works on making a cover for his buggy (the reason for purchasing the thread a few days ago?). He also did something on his "cart" and took his "farewell ride in it". ( Bert seems to write "hite bed" on my cart - perhaps he raised the bed/floor?) After finishing the cover for the buggy, Bert and his brother Herman (my great grandfather) put the buggy together, and then Bert went visiting to S.C. Fisher's place, and over to Milo Dye's for dinner, before returning home to Russell Dye's place to help with the evening chores.

May 10, 1894 thru May 11, 1894

If you follow Bert's diary regularly, you can skip this paragraph. I will not be transcribing each entry since most of Bert's diary is pretty clear. You can read the original more easily by clicking on the image above to view a larger version. I will be including this paragraph, or something similar in each entry so that new readers will know they can click the image to enlarge it for easier reading. Also, there will be some links to the right of the page with relevant information that may be of interest. My notes will include the basics of what Bert talks about each day, along with my own personal thoughts, research, information gleaned from past or future entries, etc. If you have information or suggestions that may help my research, please e-mail me ..... especially with input on Bert's coded entries?

Thursday, May 10, 1894 --- Another day of being sick for Bert, but he went on working anyway! He dragged all day in the sheep pasture on Russell's place while Russell drilled oats on 6 acres of land at his father's place - Milo Dye's. Another windy day.

Friday, May 11, 1894 --- Bert declares it a nice cool day, but says he continues to grunt and cough. Bert dragged all day, and Russell did some dragging, but mostly drilled oats. Bert helped with chores as usual, and declared himself "tired almost out to night".

May 8, 1894 thru May 9, 1894

If you follow Bert's diary regularly, you can skip this paragraph. I will not be transcribing each entry since most of Bert's diary is pretty clear. You can read the original more easily by clicking on the image above to view a larger version. I will be including this paragraph, or something similar in each entry so that new readers will know they can click the image to enlarge it for easier reading. Also, there will be some links to the right of the page with relevant information that may be of interest. My notes will include the basics of what Bert talks about each day, along with my own personal thoughts, research, information gleaned from past or future entries, etc. If you have information or suggestions that may help my research, please e-mail me ..... especially with input on Bert's coded entries?

Tuesday, May 8, 1894 --- Bert declares it a "nice day to work a team". Bert and Russell went down to Milo Dye's place and plowed two acres of stubble - probably last years corn field? Bert declares that "I am still on the sick list, got very neigh bushed twice today"

Wednesday, May 9, 1894 --- Russell and Bert plowed more land at Milo Dye's place, and each dragged six acres. Bert says "I am still grunting, but I am feeling a little better, but I got pritty (sic) tired twice today. I'm interested that Bert can count how many times he got tired?

May 6, 1894 thru May 7, 1894

If you follow Bert's diary regularly, you can skip this paragraph. I will not be transcribing each entry since most of Bert's diary is pretty clear. You can read the original more easily by clicking on the image above to view a larger version. I will be including this paragraph, or something similar in each entry so that new readers will know they can click the image to enlarge it for easier reading. Also, there will be some links to the right of the page with relevant information that may be of interest. My notes will include the basics of what Bert talks about each day, along with my own personal thoughts, research, information gleaned from past or future entries, etc. If you have information or suggestions that may help my research, please e-mail me ..... especially with input on Bert's coded entries?

Sunday, May 6, 1894 --- Bert helped with the chores, and then went to Ingleside to buy a spool of thread for five cents, and "ten cents worth of something else". (I'm guessing the "something else" may have been something of an alcoholic nature? I'm sort of surprised he didn't use his code here? Maybe something to treat his cold?) He visited the Hilers on the way back home, and then went back home to the Dyes to help with the chores. Looks like a day off meant not plowing, dragging, etc. but of course the animals must be cared for even on the Sabbath! He comments that it "blew lather to shave", and that "i am about sick with a cold".

Monday, May 7, 1894 --- "i plowed all day and got tired twice" "the wind blew forty miles a minute" Bert used these same two weather phrases back in January He went up to E. Hayners and got a bottle of medicine - not sure if the medicine was from E. Hayner, or if these are separate events? As always - helped with the chores.

May 4, 1894 thru May 5, 1894

If you follow Bert's diary regularly, you can skip this paragraph. I will not be transcribing each entry since most of Bert's diary is pretty clear. You can read the original more easily by clicking on the image above to view a larger version. I will be including this paragraph, or something similar in each entry so that new readers will know they can click the image to enlarge it for easier reading. Also, there will be some links to the right of the page with relevant information that may be of interest. My notes will include the basics of what Bert talks about each day, along with my own personal thoughts, research, information gleaned from past or future entries, etc. If you have information or suggestions that may help my research, please e-mail me ..... especially with input on Bert's coded entries?

Friday, May 4, 1894 --- Not much extra info today - Bert and Russell drag and drill oats all day until about half past six in the evening. Bert does report that his illness is getting worse.

Saturday, May 5, 1894 --- Bert went over to E. Hayners and got a "rooler" (sic) owned by the Dye family. He then "rooled" six acres of the planted oats by 15 minutes after 10AM. A pretty good morning's work! I'm interested that what looks like another of Bert's spelling errors - "rooler" equals "roller" might be correct? I note that the title on the following picture I found of a horse drawn "rooler". Rollers / Roolers were used in road construction, packing down soil around newly planted seeds, and for packing snow on roads in the winter for a better surface for sleighs.

Bert then came home and plowed until noon, and Russell finished drilling oats at Averys. In the afternoon Bert and Russell both plowed the old sheep pasture. Bert seems to have done a lot of hard work considering he is feeling so bad --- "still worse my throat is so "soar" (sic) can't grunt".

May 2, 1894 thru May 3, 1894

If you follow Bert's diary regularly, you can skip this paragraph. I will not be transcribing each entry since most of Bert's diary is pretty clear. You can read the original more easily by clicking on the image above to view a larger version. I will be including this paragraph, or something similar in each entry so that new readers will know they can click the image to enlarge it for easier reading. Also, there will be some links to the right of the page with relevant information that may be of interest. My notes will include the basics of what Bert talks about each day, along with my own personal thoughts, research, information gleaned from past or future entries, etc. If you have information or suggestions that may help my research, please e-mail me ..... especially with input on Bert's coded entries?

Wednesday, May 2, 1894 --- Bert declares it "a cool nice day to drag", and indeed he spends the day dragging - about 7 acres in the forenoon. Russell does the sowing with the drill. In the afternoon both Russell and Bert dragged a field at S. C. Avery's place. The day ends with chores of course.

Thursday, May 3, 1894 --- A hot day, and Bert went to Milo Dye's place and got 15 bushels of seed oats to sow on the Avery place. Presumably Russell sowed these oats, and Bert spent the rest of the day dragging. Bert reports that he "commenced to grunt". I presume this to be a sign of some sort of medical problem. A medical dictionary defines grunting as abnormal, short, deep, hoarse sounds in exhalation that often accompany severe chest pain. The grunt occurs because the glottis briefly stops the flow of air, halting the movement of the lungs and their surrounding or supporting structures. Grunting is most often heard in a person who has pneumonia, pulmonary edema, or fractured or bruised ribs. Given his symptoms described over the next few days, I would guess he had pneumonia or a severe cold?

Bert's codes are a bit hard to decifer? He tends to spell badly anyway, and there may be some additional errors in his use of his code? Our earlier deciphering of 19.8.9.20 as s.h.i.t seemed to fit nicely in an entry about hauling manure, so a straight substitution code - A=1, b=2, etc. seems right.

18.21.19.13.15?.12.12, 13.15.5.15.4.25.5
rusmoll m oeo dye ???????

I assume this code translates to Russell Moses Dye - Bert's employer.

Bert then reports that R. Moses Dye took the old sow off. A sow is a female pig, and the second code here translates well --- 20.15 2.15.1.18 --- to boar. This would refer to taking the sow to visit a male pig at somebody else's farm for breeding purposes. The smaller three or four number code makes no sense to me -- 19.14.2.8 ---- snbh

Any help with reading these numbers or with decoding options will be appreciated!

April 31 thru May 1, 1894

If you follow Bert's diary regularly, you can skip this paragraph. I will not be transcribing each entry since most of Bert's diary is pretty clear. You can read the original more easily by clicking on the image above to view a larger version. I will be including this paragraph, or something similar in each entry so that new readers will know they can click the image to enlarge it for easier reading. Also, there will be some links to the right of the page with relevant information that may be of interest. My notes will include the basics of what Bert talks about each day, along with my own personal thoughts, research, information gleaned from past or future entries, etc. If you have information or suggestions that may help my research, please e-mail me.

Monday, April 31, 1894 --- "A warm nice day". Russell and Zette with to Naples to shop and get the grain milled. Bert helped them load up the grain to take to the mill in Naples, and then he hitched up and got "ten loads of 19.8.9.20 manure" from Milo Dye's place.

Bert inserts the first of several "coded" entries here... 19.8.9.20. I have noticed a number of coded entries in the diary, but this is the first one I've run into as I go through the year blogging about his diary entries. I started with a simple number for letter of the alphabet substitution. For ease I started with 1 for A, 2 for B, 3 for C, etc. After a couple of minutes of reciting the alphabet and counting on my fingers I came up with it! (blogger's note - it took me about 5 minutes to stop laughing here) H = 8th letter, I - 9th letter..... S and T come right together also at number 19 and 20!

He then went to Mr. Avery's farm and got the spring drag and the drill. Mr. Avery lived in Ingleside, and was a blacksmith, and had probably done some repairs on these two essential pieces of farm equipment.

The drag would be pulled by horses over the plowed soil to break up the soil into finer pieces.
There were many types of drills that were invented and manufactured. Generally, the grain drill was pulled by horses and allowed a space for a rider. A grain box was used to hold a supply of seeds to be planted. The planting mechanism included tubes through which the grain fell into furrows made by discs or shoes attached to the bottom of the drill.
Tuesday, May 1, 1894 --- They prepared the north field at Milo Dye's place with the drag, and then sowed oats. Bert then notes that Elmer Bardeen arrived at Russell Dye's place on a bicycle. In those days it would have been one of those high wheel "penny farthing" style bicycles. They would have been quite rare at the time, especially in hilly country like the Italy Valley area south of Naples at the base of the Finger Lakes!

April 29 thru April 30, 1894

If you follow Bert's diary regularly, you can skip this paragraph. I will not be transcribing each entry since most of Bert's diary is pretty clear. You can read the original more easily by clicking on the image above to view a larger version. I will be including this paragraph, or something similar in each entry so that new readers will know they can click the image to enlarge it for easier reading. Also, there will be some links to the right of the page with relevant information that may be of interest. My notes will include the basics of what Bert talks about each day, along with my own personal thoughts, research, information gleaned from past or future entries, etc. If you have information or suggestions that may help my research, please e-mail me.

Saturday, April 29, 1894 --- Chores as usual. They did some plowing until it began to rain very hard for the rest of the day. That left time for a few odd jobs like cleaning up corn stalks left after the cows finished the good parts, and "putting up a grist" - cleaning grain ready to go to the mill for grinding into cattle feed, or maybe flour for cooking? Otherwise it was lunch, combined with sitting in the house, and standing in the barn - watching it rain! Bert then went over to his brother Herman's house to stay the night.

Sunday, April 30, 1894 --- Bert just spent the day with Herman and family - "got up at six o'clock this morning. a fine morning and a nice day"

April 26 thru April 27, 1894

If you follow Bert's diary regularly, you can skip this paragraph. I will not be transcribing each entry since most of Bert's diary is pretty clear. You can read the original more easily by clicking on the image above to view a larger version. I will be including this paragraph, or something similar in each entry so that new readers will know they can click the image to enlarge it for easier reading. Also, there will be some links to the right of the page with relevant information that may be of interest. My notes will include the basics of what Bert talks about each day, along with my own personal thoughts, research, information gleaned from past or future entries, etc. If you have information or suggestions that may help my research, please e-mail me.

Thursday, April 26th, 1894 --- Bert comments that he started wearing "lether" (sic) boots today, and also saw the first "warty toad". I presume these events both mark the arrival of spring? Or at least the arrival of dryer weather? Bert plowed all day, and Russell plowed most of the day. Plowing requires at least partially dried out soil - very hard to plow mud! -- another sign of spring. Chores of course. Bert comments - " a nice day and it was hot part of the time"

Friday, April 27th, 1894 --- Bert notes some more signs of spring - the first Martins, Swallows, and the first potato bugs! I love Bert's odd drawings that he adds once in a while.
Russell and Bert finished plowing the north field. W.E. Clute came by and bought 6 pigs at $2.00 a "hed" (sic), and Pa - John Babcock - came by and bought 50 fence posts at 5 cents each. Russell and Zette went to visit a neighbor - "the Aldens" ??? Can't make out the name for sure. Bert finishes --- " it is now 10 o'clock and i think i will go to bed"

April 24 thru April 25, 1894

If you follow Bert's diary regularly, you can skip this paragraph. I will not be transcribing each entry since most of Bert's diary is pretty clear. You can read the original more easily by clicking on the image above to view a larger version. I will be including this paragraph, or something similar in each entry so that new readers will know they can click the image to enlarge it for easier reading. Also, there will be some links to the right of the page with relevant information that may be of interest. My notes will include the basics of what Bert talks about each day, along with my own personal thoughts, research, information gleaned from past or future entries, etc. If you have information or suggestions that may help my research, please e-mail me.

Monday, April 24, 1894 --- Chores as always, with rain all morning and some of the afternoon. Bert went up to E. Haynerr's, and helped "change" some oats. (not sure what that means?) Bert then took Ned down to Milo Dye's for him to go to L. D. Foxes funeral. I think Ned is one of the horses. Bert evidently stayed at Milo Dye's place, and "picked over seed potatoes" until Milo got back home. He then came back home to Russell Dye's place and he and Rus went down to Mr. Avery's place and got a load of oat straw.

Tuesday, April 25, 1894 ---- A nice bright sunny day, and Bert and Russell pick stone all morning and part of the afternoon. They then packed up 8 bushels of good potatoes, and Russell took them to Naples to sell. Bert set up hop poles till night, and then did the chores. (I almost thought chores weren't going to be mentioned today?)

Side note - I've gotten a great book on the history of growing hops in the US, and am very excited about it. I've just started reading it, but have already discovered that for a while, this part of New York State was the main hop growing region of the US. (Eastern finger lakes region east to the foot hills of the Catskills) I'll write more about this when I get some more information under my belt. Much thanks to my friend Marty who told me about this book, and also was the one who found this diary.

Title: Tinged with gold : hop culture in the United States / Michael A. Tomlan.

Published: Athens : University of Georgia Press, c1992.

April 22 thru April 23, 1894

If you follow Bert's diary regularly, you can skip this paragraph. I will not be transcribing each entry since most of Bert's diary is pretty clear. You can read the original more easily by clicking on the image above to view a larger version. I will be including this paragraph, or something similar in each entry so that new readers will know they can click the image to enlarge it for easier reading. Also, there will be some links to the right of the page with relevant information that may be of interest. My notes will include the basics of what Bert talks about each day, along with my own personal thoughts, research, information gleaned from past or future entries, etc. If you have information or suggestions that may help my research, please e-mail me.

Sunday, April 22, 1894 -- It being Sunday, Bert takes a day off. He borrows a horse and buggy from his brother Herman, and goes to visit his father - John Babcock. He doesn't get there till around 1 PM, and he leaves around six o'clock. He says he didn't get home till 11 PM which is pretty late for those days. I'm thinking that John Babcock may live further away than I thought because even in a horse and buggy in the dark, 5 hours is quite a long time. Bert does not mention any particular problem with his travel. He probably walked back from Herman's after returning the horse and buggy? Still, at 3-4 miles an hour? and time to put away the horse, etc... it would seem John may have lived several miles away. I had thought he lived closer? Bert mentions that "Pa gave me a nice woolen horse blanket for a present today."

Monday, April 23, 1894 --- It is a rainy day, so Bert and Russell work in the barn cleaning oats. They then go out in the woods and cut thirty four fence posts 34
Mud

then
we
done
the
chores

I'd love to know why Bert often does these odd arrangements of his words! I couldn't get this editing program to repeat Bert's arrangement.... picture below.

April 20 thru April 21, 1894

If you follow Bert's diary regularly, you can skip this paragraph. I will not be transcribing each entry since most of Bert's diary is pretty clear. You can read the original more easily by clicking on the image above to view a larger version. I will be including this paragraph, or something similar in each entry so that new readers will know they can click the image to enlarge it for easier reading. Also, there will be some links to the right of the page with relevant information that may be of interest. My notes will include the basics of what Bert talks about each day, along with my own personal thoughts, research, information gleaned from past or future entries, etc. If you have information or suggestions that may help my research, please e-mail me.

Friday, April 20, 1894 -- Bert continues to set hop poles at Milo Dye's place. He says that he set 78 poles in 10 and a half minutes. (I've got to learn more about this process because the hop poles I have read about are 10 - 12 feet tall, and fairly large, so setting them at a rate of one every 10 seconds would be quite a feat! - Any input from anyone reading this would be greatly appreciated. I have ordered a book about the history of hop growing in the US, so I'm hoping this will clear up this mystery.) In the afternoon Russell Dye set more poles, and Bert "punched holes" in the poles until five o'clock when there was a thunder storm!

Saturday, April 21, 1894 ---- Bert declares it a "fair" day. After doing the morning chores, Bert caught sheep for Russell to tag. Bert apparently herded the sheep into some sort of rack to hold them for placement of ear tags? Russell then took the sheep over to Milo Dye's place. Probably the tagging was to identify his sheep vs. his father's sheep? Bert took down the racks, and then picked stone all afternoon. He picked 8 loads of stone. He then did the chores, and afterward went over to Herman Babcock's, but evidently met him on the way, and they both returned to Russell Dye's place.

April 18 thru April 19, 1894

If you follow Bert's diary regularly, you can skip this paragraph. I will not be transcribing each entry since most of Bert's diary is pretty clear. You can read the original more easily by clicking on the image above to view a larger version. I will be including this paragraph, or something similar in each entry so that new readers will know they can click the image to enlarge it for easier reading. Also, there will be some links to the right of the page with relevant information that may be of interest. My notes will include the basics of what Bert talks about each day, along with my own personal thoughts, research, information gleaned from past or future entries, etc. If you have information or suggestions that may help my research, please e-mail me.

Wednesday, April 18, 1894 --- Bert declares it a hot and dry day. Remember it is only a few days past a quite heavy snowfall! We crawled out of bed at seven o'clock this morning. Chores as always and then Bert goes to Milo Dye's place and "commenced setting hop poles"

Thursday, April 19, 1894 --- Chores as always, and then Russell and Bert hauled hop poles over to Milo Dye's place until it started raining around 11 AM. They quit for a while, and then drew more hop poles until around 3PM. Bert then set poles until around 5PM when it rained again. Bert says "I set 149 poles in twenty four minutes."

I'm not sure how setting poles that fast is possible unless they used a different method of growing hops than I've been able to research. Most hop poles are 10 to 15 feet tall, with wires or strings strung between the tops from which strings are hung for the hop vines to climb. A couple of pictures below. It would seem to me that setting one pole might take 24 minutes! The next day Bert says he set 78 poles in 10.5 minutes? Any feedback on hop farming in 1894 that might explain the process would be very helpful.

April 16 thru April 17, 1894

If you follow Bert's diary regularly, you can skip this paragraph. I will not be transcribing each entry since most of Bert's diary is pretty clear. You can read the original more easily by clicking on the image above to view a larger version. I will be including this paragraph, or something similar in each entry so that new readers will know they can click the image to enlarge it for easier reading. Also, there will be some links to the right of the page with relevant information that may be of interest. My notes will include the basics of what Bert talks about each day, along with my own personal thoughts, research, information gleaned from past or future entries, etc. If you have information or suggestions that may help my research, please e-mail me.

Monday, April 16, 1894 --- Russell and Bert cut firewood at the house all day, and did the chores. Sam Cowell and his wife came to visit and stayed overnight. A hot day, and Bert comments that "I commenced to wear a hat today." He also notes that "a tramp came along today and he was a hard looker".

Tuesday, April 17, 1894 --- Spring seems to be here.... "it did not freeze a bit last night and it thawed all day today and the sun is hot and the snow is about all gone again." Mud is here again. Bert cut firewood "here to the house" all day, with Russell helping part of the time. (Cutting up firewood now probably gives it lots of time to cure over the summer for next winter. It is just too muddy and wet to begin to work the fields)

April 14 thru April 15, 1894

If you follow Bert's diary regularly, you can skip this paragraph. I will not be transcribing each entry since most of Bert's diary is pretty clear. You can read the original more easily by clicking on the image above to view a larger version. I will be including this paragraph, or something similar in each entry so that new readers will know they can click the image to enlarge it for easier reading. Also, there will be some links to the right of the page with relevant information that may be of interest. My notes will include the basics of what Bert talks about each day, along with my own personal thoughts, research, information gleaned from past or future entries, etc. If you have information or suggestions that may help my research, please e-mail me.

Saturday, April 14th, 1894 -- Chores of course, and then Bert and Russell go down on a side hill, and cut two ash logs, and some firewood and take it over to Milo B. Dye's place. Then Bert comments that "I bucked some wood this afternoon." A buck is any of a wide variety of frame work things to hold firewood for cutting to length, which of course would have been done by hand at this time. "Buck" as a verb would be to cut firewood to handy lengths to fit in the stove. See picture below.

Another great shot of cutting firewood below.

Bert then cut and bucked some more wood for S. A. Lion, and took one of the horses -Ned - down to Russell. Chores in the evening of course. Warm enough to thaw all day.

Sunday, April 15, 1894 -- Chores even on Sunday of course - the animals don't take a day off! Bert started to go to church, but there was no meeting because "the preacher was snowed in and could not get here." He went to B.H. Potter's for dinner instead. Bert then notes that "Wheeling has come again today" - I have no idea who that is?

April 12 thru April 13, 1894

If you follow Bert's diary regularly, you can skip this paragraph. I will not be transcribing each entry since most of Bert's diary is pretty clear. You can read the original more easily by clicking on the image above to view a larger version. I will be including this paragraph, or something similar in each entry so that new readers will know they can click the image to enlarge it for easier reading. Also, there will be some links to the right of the page with relevant information that may be of interest. My notes will include the basics of what Bert talks about each day, along with my own personal thoughts, research, information gleaned from past or future entries, etc. If you have information or suggestions that may help my research, please e-mail me.

Thursday, April 12, 1894 --- Chores and snow. Bert does a lot of shoveling. Shoveled some paths, cleaned snow out of the wood shed, and the barn. He also cleared a place for the buggys. Russell hitched up and "broke out the road". Bert washed Russell's cutter, and "buggy pole" - The buggy pole is the long pole that goes from the front of the buggy between the horses. Not sure why it would need washing? Thawed all day.

Friday, April 13, 1894 --- Wind in the north and thawed all day. Russell and Bert take a load of shingle bolts down to Hiler's shingle mill. Shingle making was a common activity in the area. Not sure if they were supplying wood to Hiler as a raw material for making shingles for sale, or if Hiler was making shingles for their use on the farm?
Bolt: Section of a log sized for processing in a shingle brake. A section is usually one-eighth to one-sixteenth section of the log. The picture below shows the making of shingle bolts on a larger scale.
From my research, it appears a tree is sliced into cylindrical slices whose height is the length of the shingle. The slice is then split up into smaller "bolts" that are then split into shingles.

Click here for a nice summary of shingle making from start to finish.

Bert then went to R.G. Phillips and got his sleighs for some reason. Then Bert notes that B. J. Potter came for supper and "a beggin for the church".