| Description | Farming diary, no. 15.
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: caring for livestock and horses, pulling, driving, thrashing, winnowing, ploughing, gathering stones, maintaining equipment and facilities, repairing dykes, breaking metal, driving metal, riddling, thrashing with the steam mill, delving, sowing, harrowing, tailing, planting, drag-harrowing, drilling, dunging, rolling, clearing stones and weeds, driving and breaking dung. 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: visits the Duthies at Corskie with Auntie Mary; Auntie Mary leaves; gets paid for oats at Inverurie market; Charles attends his Gradmother's funeral; tells the ferrier about his unwell cow which is off its food; Peter Christie collects money for Doctor Henry's wedding present; assists Charles with ploughing; received returns of £9..8..4 for slaughtered cow; buys a new cow; visits Uncle Robert and attends to business in Aberdeen; ploughs to straighten Charles' furrows; the ferrier attends to a hurt stirk; reads a sermon entitled 'Sleeping in the Kirk'; attends funeral of Mrs Reid of Roquharold; helps Charles with ploughing; 'very rough' weather in February; Charles drives the bairns to school; the Jamie cow calves; takes train to Aberdeen with Bella, buys grain bags then visits Uncle Robert; the depth of snow makes walking difficult; sells David Adam the butcher three stots and one quey for £77..10; goes to Alford market with John Ross; has day in Aberdeen; stormy showers of snow in March; Maggie Bain visits; the Bell cow calves; takes the bairns to a magic lantern performance in Kemnay - they are delighted with it; gets paid by John Ross for the keep of two queys and one stot; Bella attends a prayer meeting; visits friends in Skene, as does Bella, and attends Mr Valentine of Affloch's funeral; gets paid by John Ross for the keep of five cattle; puts the horses out to the grass for the first time; keeps Andrew at home from school to plant potatoes; orders 'bone dust' and superphosphate in Aberdeen; buys two cattle at Inverurie market for £25; the Maggie cow calves; visits Aberdeen for business and has dinner at Uncle Robert's; attends roup at Dalfing near Monymusk and buys a stot, a stone roller with frame, and paling posts; the Mary cow calves; engages a man to work the horses and a boy for orra work at Inverurie feeing market. |