| Description | Farming diary, no. 16.
This worn, medium-sized paperback volume has a patterned blue cover. The diary's dates are written on a sticker on the front cover. The volume is faintly lined and the writing is generally neat and legible. Scots words, particularly farming-related terms, and idioms sometimes appear in the text. The action of the diary is mostly limited to areas in and around Mosshead, Mr Mathieson's farm.
Most diary entries record agricultural tasks such as: driving out and breaking dung, sowing, covering dung, caring for livestock and horses, driving, sowing, harrowing, ploughing, maintaining equipment and facilities, driving stones, gathering, drag-harrowing, creepering, driving off stones and weeds, delving, casting peats, hoeing, weeding, planting, cutting and coling hay, leading, thrashing, winnowing, road repairing, cutting, raking, riddling, wisping, thrashing with the steam mill, thatching. On Sundays Mr Mathieson usually worships at Church along with his wife Bella, and other family members. Friends and relatives sometimes come to Mosshead to visit.
Notable events from this diary: Charles leaves Mosshead; George leaves Mosshead; pays rent at Kemnay House; Auntie Mary receives telegram informing her of Auntie Helen's death in Glasgow; travels to Glasgow with Auntie Mary and attends Auntie Helen's funeral - she is buried at Cathcart Cemetery; takes the three bairns to see a menagerie at Inverurie - they are 'very much delighted' with it; attends Mrs Duthie's funeral at Kemnay ; buys bone dust and superphosphate from John Milne of Dyce at Inverurie market; Alec, Johnny and the bairns attend a picnic marking the parish minister of Kemnay's jubilee; goes up to Paradise at Monymusk and sees Tillyfour House; goes to Aberdeen with Alec to attend cattle show - shows him the town; receives letter saying the Uncle John has arrived in Scotland from America; meets Uncle John Moir at Kemnay station; attends sale of Canadian cattle in Aberdeen; attends Mrs Berry's funeral; meets Stewart the solicitor from Glasgow to discuss Alec his brother's trust; visits Skene with Auntie Mary, Isa, Andrew and Johnny; Uncle Robert, Auntie Annie, Uncle John and Uncle Tom all come to Mosshead for a meeting; Uncle John Moir is seen off at Kemnay station - he intends to leave for America on 13 September; attends sale of Canadian cattle in Aberdeen; commences the harvest on 3 September; pays his assurance premium; sells three queys to John Lyon for £46 and buys four Canadian (American) cattle for £46..15; joins the Trades Council at Bennachie on the Aberdeen holiday; reads from a book on the Salvation Army; hears Mr Smith the Evangelist at church - 'liked him very much'; William Watt's house burns down; gets the price of his corn at Inverurie market - £53..3..9 for 57 1/2 quarters; attends Kinkell market and Aberdeen cattle shows; buys a new hat and working jacket at Kemnay Village. |