Carolyn Gay Taft Farm Letter - May 21, 1915

2020.1.22 05211915.pdf

Dublin Core

Title

Carolyn Gay Taft Farm Letter - May 21, 1915

Subject

Old Mission Peninsula (Mich.)
Agriculture
Farmers
Crops and climate

Description

Carolyn Gay Taft (1873-1952), was the owner of a small cherry farm on Old Mission Peninsula in the early 1900’s. While she spent her summers on the Peninsula, her primary job as a teacher at the Illinois State School for the Deaf required hired hands to run the farm in her absence. These farmers, and their families, lived on the farm and sent frequent written reports to Ms. Taft. Most letters are written by the farmer’s wives, and provide a record of both agricultural and social history.

Creator

Ralph Kitchen, Joseph Kitchen, Essie Kitchen, Max Gilmore, Hazel Gilmore

Source

Collection donated to Peninsula Community Library by the surviving members of the Taft family.

Publisher

Peninsula Community Library

Date

1915-05-21

Contributor

Mary T Morgan

Rights

This document is protected by copyright law. Contact the Peninsula Community Library for permission to reproduce, display, or transmit this document.

Relation

None

Format

PDF

Language

English

Type

Document

Identifier

LHC 010

Coverage

Traverse City, Peninsula Township, Grand Traverse County, Michigan

Scripto

Transcription

May 21, 1915 Miss Taft- I havn't harrowed the potatoes yet but it has been so cold they havn't come up yet and I will go over them before they come up. The corn is planted. harrowing corn is a poor proposition it has been tried here and after harrowing one has to go through with a garden rake and uncover it and any thing that will pull up the weeds will pull the corn also. A veal calf is never skined when took to market. I never butchered a veal calf and it has to be done very peticular. There is just two barrels but I can put the oats in the oat bin. Mr. Stutsman got 10 bu. more oats and there is no more to spare. No I havn't got the mower pole yet but I will find out if it is ready and if it is I will get it I will have to cut hay the first of the month. the oats and grass seed are up good but he did a very poor job of drilling. Yes the cherries were seting good but we have had frosts lately and some of them are gone. The lazy straps are all right but the pads dont fit very good the hooks were put on wrong. and Belle's pad is to short. Your onion seed is planted Yes the grafts have started to grow. All the tent worms I have seen on your place was in the choke cherrie tree where the old spring was and I killed them I picked all the eggs I could find when I trimed but I have seen them in other peoples orchards The asparagus is coming up and the strawberries are blossomed and it rained yesterday and is raining today. I am plowing the orchards. Belle is dangerous in the barn when I cury her hind parts. I have to hold her tail down a hard as I can to keep her from kicking and when I put the collar on her she dances and when I put the harness on her she kicks a blue streak and she makes the other horses so nervous I can hardly lead them past her and she kicked out in the field I think you better write to Core and see if you can't make them take her back they said she was an easy keeper and she eats more than both the other horses and paws and kicks for more. Dick had another sick spell last night but he got over it. Billie is naturally all right. Belle's a very poor horse around fruit trees when she gets near a tree she drives right into it and she is so tough bitted one can't hold her back. Ralph

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  1. 2020.1.22 05211915.pdf