June 2012

During this time of transition, we thought we’d publish more excerpts from Record of Garden Success and Failures, the garden journal of Presbyterian College founder, Dr. William Plumer Jacobs. These excerpts continue previous blog entries from last month and January-March 2009. It appears Clinton was in a drought in June of 1868.

To begin, I’d like to thank Nancy Griffith for her service and commitment to Presbyterian College and to the Archives and Special Collections, in particular. Under her leadership, the Archives has evolved from a crowded room full of materials, to a pleasant, well organized, expanded space for the special collections of Presbyterian College. She has sought, acquired, organized and processed collections of great value to student and faculty research at PC, to our community, and to the collective memory in our part of the world. A visit to the Archives on the upper level of the library will demonstrate her handiwork. Please stop by if you are in the area.

Nancy is a “hard act to follow” and with Sarah Leckie’s assistance, I will do my best in this exciting new role. Please contact us with questions you may have regarding our fine institution and the special collections housed here.  Teresa

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Record of Garden Successes and Failures

June 1868

June 4. Set out today 8 rows of Sweet Potato slips. Those first set out are almost devoured by bugs. Set out 1 row of Pepper and 5 or 6 Cabbage. All of first setting have been destroyed by Chickens.

Resumé of Beans, planted Ap. 2. Six Weeks just beginning to form shapes. “Turtle soup” not yet blooming. Brown Valentine and White Rice beginning to bloom, while Yellow M’Clintock is in splendid bearing. This, for earliness & true value is ahead of all others. I have named it “Clinton Choice Yellow.” Peas bearing well. I like Ex. Early Dan’l O’Rourke best. M’Lean’s little Gem is too little for aught but a curiosity. Perhaps I did not plant it right.

[NOTE: Six Weeks refers to a variety of bean]

Set hen on 11 eggs. Cucumbers all in full bloom. We are now using Onions, Beets, Beans, Peas, Lettuce, & Irish Potatoes. Could also use Carrots, Parsnips & Kale. Cabbage, Beans, and all running sorts planted Ap. 18 are blooming. I have replanted my Goobers, with corn, beans & Peas.

June 18. We are suffering from drouth of three weeks-very severe. Beans nearly dead. Turtle Soup standing it best. Everything in house shade or fence-shade doing well. That under tree-shade is absolutely burning up. We are using Beans, Cucumbers, English Peas (nearly done), Carrots, parsnips, Beets, Potatoes-all in abundance. Last Saturday (13^th), I received a Chester White pig, 5 weeks old, named her Beauty, delighted with the stock. Cleaning out the garden.

June 22. First roasting ears from Adams Ex. Early Corn, planted Mar. 6. Garden still suffering very severely from drouth. Okra blooming. Shapes on Pumpkins, Muskmelons &c. Tomatoes very full but not ripening yet. Raspberries about done bearing. English Peas-last mess today. Kohl Rabbi forming bulbs, & Brussels, side sprout. Gave Patch third hoeing, replanting with melons. Beautiful turn-out of blooms on Pindars  and Cucumbers from sowing of May 6.

[NOTE: Pindar is a type of peanut]

June 29. The drouth still continues. Three days ago I had a slight shower and ventured to set out Slips. They are still living, tho there has been no rain on them. Beans nearly gone, Cucumbers dying. We are still using Irish Potatoes, Beets, Corn, Beans. Peas all removed. Will take up onions set out in Feb. today, a pretty fair crop. My patch is all doing finely, not suffering much, except under shade. Clover gone up.

June 1869

June 1. Heavy rains. Finished setting out my Sweet potatoes. Set out 3 rows of onions & 500 cabbage plants. Got plants from Wm. Vance. Set out a few tomatoes, pepper & egg plants.

June 2. Cucumbers blooming. 10 fig trees living. Set hen today.

June 8. I have had my whole patch worked over in two days. Worked my Gardens over myself. Barley a failure. Eaten down by chickens. Rains for over a week.

June 14. Cotton looks sick-peas look sick. My whole crop looks sick. Had all the garden worked over again. Have got in all my new 1000 cabbage set. Cauliflower & Brussells Sprouts coming on. Using from Garden, Cabbage, Lettuce, Potatoes, Beans, Beets, Carrots & Cucumbers. Garden is feeding us, doing splendidly considering its poverty.

June 21. Broke out the middles in my whole crop with a sweep. Cotton poor stand but looking better. Sanford Corn knee high & tasseling. Beans in profusion.

[NOTE: “Broke out the middles” is a phrase referring to cultivating a garden row using a plow and various attachments, i.e. scooter, scrape, or a V-shaped sweep.]

June 25. Hen hatched 2 chicks.

June 27. For the past four days, I have had George busy hoeing. He has got the smaller crops laid out. My patch is as follows.  [shows oat patch ½ acre at top]

 

June 29. Cutting oats today on the graveyard lot. Oat patch turned out only about 12 dozen bundles-about 4 bushels from 3 packs sowed.

June 30. We had today a very fair shower-it was badly needed. Set out cabbages.