| Description | Farming diary, no. 31. Includes letter from Alick Gauld, dated 15 January 1907, on buying diaries, the lack of snow in London, and wishing all at Mosshead a good 1907.
20 February - 31 March 1906
George Wilson of Broomhill of Echt leaves for America; attends prayer meeting and Deacons' Court; snow in March; the Lady cow and the Topsy cow calve; insures the Rose mare for risk at foaling; Alec Reid leaves for America; attends the Royal Northern Agricultural Society's Spring Show at Kittybrewster; Andrew and Mary visit the Emslies at Easterton of Birnie; they use the steam thrashing milll; Mr Tod gives a lecture on cooperation in farming; attends Deacons' Court and meeting of Session; Uncle Robert and other Aberdeen builders prospect the bridge that is to be built for crossing the Don at Monymusk.
1 April - 30 June 1906
They commence to sow on 2 April; George and William Watt leave for America; attends Mr Gow's temperance lecture in Kemnay; the Bess cow calves; Andrew and Minty of Cairnton attend the funeral of Middleton of Bridgefoot's son; attends Alec Clark's funeral; Mrs Bruce Wilson visits from Sheffield; Joseph Annand unwell; attends Peter Diack's funeral; heavy snow in April; attends prayer meeting and Deacons' Court; pays insurance for servants; distributes communion cards for his district; arranges the Church money for sending to Edinburgh; attends Mr Emslie's displenish sale at Easterton of Birnie - 'I thought They got a very good sale'; the Rose mare foals; attends displenish sale at the Manse, Kemnay, 'belonging to the let William Emslie'; engages Alec for the summer half-year at £15; attends Deacons' Court; Andrew attends drill at Insch; 'the land is utterly unworkable'; pays rent at Kemnay House and pays tradesmen; sows first turnips of the year; Andrew drills at Kemnay rifle range; attends cantata at Church - 'a real success'; attends Presbytery meeting; Andrew goes to camp; Alec Gauld arrives from India; attends prayer meeting and Deacons' Court; Uncle Robert has hand operation; attends funeral of Polly Barron, the Kemnay station master's eldest daughter.
1 July - 30 September 1906
Attends prayer meeting and meeting of Session; buys 'binder' for £24; attends Deacons' Court; Mr and Mrs Strachan visit from India; attends funeral of Alec Mitchell of Craigiedarg; over the space of four days visits Inverness, Glasgow and Edinburgh with Alec Gauld and Mary; distributes communion cards for his district; attends funeral of Miss Mathieson, 'an old friend', in Aberdeen; attends Lawrence Fair of Old Rayne; attends prayer meeting and Deacons' Court; calls on the factor in Aberdeen; Auntie Mary returns to Buckie to start work; they commence the harvest on 28 August; the heat makes for oppressive working conditions; arranges the Church money for sending to Edinburgh; attends prayer meeting and Deacons' Court; they take clyack on 18 September; they use the steam thrashing mill; attends the military funeral of master gunner George Kerr, 'a Crimean veteran and an officer (5th class) of the Legion of Honour'; the King and Queen open the extended buildings at Marischal College in Aberdeen on 27 September - 'their progress through the streets was marked by scenes of the greatest enthusiasm'; Miss Mortimer and Mary collect for the Royal Infirmary.
1 October - 31 December 1906
Andrew buys thirty-one lambs at 26/6 per head; the black stot sells for £16..10..0; sorts Church money for sending to Edinburgh; attends prayer meeting and Deacons' Court; pays John Macaulay, blacksmith, for binder and twine; sells four cattle to John Lyon for £77; stormy weather in mid-October; Mary attends a British women's meeting; attends John Graham's funeral with Andrew; distributes communion cards round the district; attends prayer meeting and Deacons' Court - 'nearly eleven o'clock when I got home'; Andrew buys forty-seven sheep in Aberdeen; engages William Sim to work the horses for the winter half-year at £13..10..0; the new bridge over the Don near Monymusk is opened 'with much ceremony' on 21 November; pays rent at Kemnay House; pays folk their wages on term day and Alec leaves; attends prayer meeting and pays the beadle his £5 half-year salary; Mr Emslie visits for the weekend; attends meeting of Presbytery at Kintore; 'almost a hurricane' on 3 December; attends Deacons' court; attends the Christmas sale at Inverurie mart; they thrash with the mill; attends funeral of Mrs Wood in Aberdeen; pays the taxes for Church and Manse; Mr Mathieson is unwell - 'sick'; the Bell cow calves; heavy snow in late December: '[a] complete breakdown in the Telegraph wires', 'Aberdeen is isolated from the South'; the Daisy cow calves.
1 January - 31 March 1907
Mary attends the night of the Christmas tree at the U.F.C. (Andrew is not there due to a severe cold); arranges the Church money for sending to Edinburgh; sells the fat pig for £3..13; sells John Lyon four cattle for £70 - 'I was well pleased with the price'; stormy rain and snow in late January; they have difficulties with a 'wild' quey; attends prayer meeting and Deacons' Court; James Christie dies; distributes communion cards; attends Presbytery meeting in Kintore; attends James Christie of Aquithie's funeral; Adam and Maggie Gordon get their bannocks on fastern's een (Shrove Tuesday); Andrew and Mary have the cold; the steam mill arrives for thrashing; 'a perfect hurricane for a short time' on 17 February; attends the funeral of Sandy Diack with Uncle Robert and Mr Emslie; heavy snow in late Febraury; attends prayer meeting and Deacons' Court; assists at the steam thrashing mill; very cold in March; attends the funeral of Peter Tawse; the Bess cow calves; goes to the Spring Show in Aberdeen - 'a splendid show of seeds & roots and a record year for horses'; attends cantanta at U.F.C. Kemnay; Andrew goes to mounted drill at Monymusk; 'the land is in fine order for sowing'.
1 April - 2 June 1907
The Meg cow calves; the damp weather holds back sowing; attends George Tindall Juror's funeral at East Craigearn; Bella spends the weekend in Aberdeen; bids farewell to the Emslies before they leave for America; Andrew takes his shalt to the vet after it was kicked by another horse; attends prayer meeting and Deacons' Court; attends funeral of Mr Mitchell, the retired saddler; stormy showers of sleet and rain in late April; the Lady cow calves; attends meeting of Session; distributes communion cards; attends displenish sale at Balquharn, Alford; receives telegram from Mrs Barron at Strathdon saying her husband has died - Bella goes to see her; the Rose mare foals; attends funeral of William Barron; the Rose mare's foal falls ill and dies; hires Willie for the summer half-year at £15; attends prayer meeting and Deacons' Court; sows turnips for the first time in the year; pays Willie his wages on term day, £13..12..0; pays rent and tradesmen's accounts; Andrew shoots at the rifle range; the Gip mare foals; neighbours help Aquithie remove a dead mare; the cold weather inhibits growth. |