| Description | Farming diary, no. 27.
18 May - 30 June 1901
John and Andrew finish the rolling for the season; engages Fred Dow to work the horses for six months at £16; pays John his wages and he leaves; pays rent at Kemnay House; attends meeting of Mr Roger, an Evangelist working in Kemnay, who holds his meetings in a tent; the shalt foals; sells four queys to Mr Alsop for £62..10..0; attends meeting of Session; buys two stirks from Mr Alsop for £18..10..0; finishes the turnip-seed for the season; journeys to Rothes with Bella, for a couple of nights, from where they also visit Elgin and Craigellachie; attends prayer meeting and Deacons' Court.
1 July - 30 September 1901
One of the cows chokes on a turnip; Fred attends the quarriers' picnic; Auntie Mary sets off for Wales; one of Andrew's lambs dies through maggots - 'it was of no use but meat for the pigs'; engages James Gibb for the harvest at £4; collects sustentation money; visits William Stewart's folk after the death of Eddie; attends prayer meeting and Deacons' Court; 'exceedingly warm' weather at the end of July; assists at the steam thrashing mill at Backhill with Fred and Andrew then has his seed-hay thrashed the next day; an Edinburgh lady, Miss Annand, visits for tea; Auntie Mary returns; (a subtle joke appears in the entry for 8 August!); travels to Glasgow with Andrew to spend a few days in that area; a 'severe' thunderstorm causes damage to life and property in the north of Scotland; Andrew has an accident with his machine and misses work; collects sustentation money and, in the evening, attends prayer meeting and Deacons' Court; they commence the harvest on 22 August; attends Charles Moir's funeral; finishes the cutting for the year; assists with and uses the steam thrashing mill; pays Jamie Gibb his £4 for the harvest.
1 October - 31 December 1901
Buys lambs at Middleton's sale of store sheep in Aberdeen; attends prayer meeting and meeting of Session; John leaves Aberdeen for Yarmouth - friends see him off at the station; collects sustentation money and, later, attends prayer meeting and Deacons' Court; Andrew goes to Glasgow to see the Exhibition; visits the Williamsons of Auldtown of Carnousie with Bella; sells six cattle to Mr Alsop for £102; ploughing commences for the first time in the season on 11 November; attends prayer meeting and Deacons' Court; buys two queys from Mr Alsop for £29; engages David Watt at Inverurie feeing market to work the horses - £12 for six months; pays rent at Kemnay House; pays Fred his £16 wages and pays Mary her £6 wages on term day; helps David with his ploughing; attends concert in the Music Hall - 'enjoyed instrumental music very much'; visits the Art Gallery; attends prayer meeting and Deacons' Court; snow in December; Andrew falls 'out over the cart' and hurts himself; sells four cattle to Mr Alsop for £67; the Bell cow calves.
1 January - 31 March 1902
They all attend the ploughing match at Wellbush - 'Charles Lawie Jr was ploughing with my horses & plough'; collects sustentation money; the Sabbath School children have their Christmas tree night on 15 January; they work on the private road to the houses; Andrew undergoes a medical examination from Dr Henry due to his having taken out an insurance policy; pays Mr McGillivray his insurance for £450; attends prayer meeting and meeting of Session; intense frost at end of January; collects sustentation money; attends prayer meeting and Deacons' Court; the Lady cow calves; attends meeting of the Deacons' Court where they elect Mr Cowie for treasurer (Mr McDonald having resigned); pays David Henderson for the thrashing of the year's crop; the Bess cow calves; Andrew and Mary attend Alexander Reid's wedding at Kemnay Temperance Hall; the Maggie and Daisy cows calve; enjoys a 'very good' Spring Show in Aberdeen; attends prayer meeting and Deacons' Court; sells three year old filly at Inverurie market for £32..10; attends Mr Laughland's evangelistic meetings; the steam thrashing mill breaks; attends Alex Forbes' displenish sale at Pictillum; sows for the first time in the year on 28 March; receives telegram saying John is very ill with inflammation of the bowels - his Mother leaves for Arbroath.
1 April - 9 July 1902
Attends prayer meeting and Deacons' Court; receives summons to come to Arbroath as John now very ill - finds him slightly better as he gradually improves; attends Mrs Stevenson's funeral; John still very weak; collects sustentation money then later attends prayer meeting and Deacons' Court; visits John and Bella in Arbroath - finds John much improved; officiates with Mr Walker at Church communion; Bella and John arrive home from Arbroath; attends John Milne's displenish sale; heavy snow showers in mid-May; Peter Christie of Aquithie dies - Mr Mathieson attends his funeral with Andrew; the Flora cow calves; attends Inverurie feeing market and engages Alexander Barclay, 'a young chap', at £13..10..0 to work the horses; David and Andrew finish the rolling for the season; pays rent at Kemnay House; pays David his wages and he leaves; attends prayer meeting and Deacons' Court; a Miss Walker visits from America; attends meeting of Session; John goes to Aberdeen; Mr Forrest preaches a coronation sermon to the young on the Sabbath; J. Christie collects for foreign missions; goes for a drive with Eva Mathieson and John '[we were] highly delighted with our drive'. |