by Alex Brooks
In the last episode Holcomb had just bought another farm in addition to his father’s farm that he now runs. This gives him many more responsibilities. On top of taking care of his own farm, he walks over to the Rodgers Farm every day to look after the animals and plow the ground. He is also doing construction work on the new farm, and he has his blacksmith shop and his still to think of. To keep up with all of this, he makes deals with other men that help him. Keeping track of the details of these often complicated business deals is one of the primary purposes of this journal.
The widow of the man who owned the farm before Holcomb, Mrs. Rodgers, lives on the portion of the farm that was not sold to Holcomb, and he farms that for her “on shares.” His friend Isaac Newton has moved into the house on Holcomb’s part of the Rodgers Farm, and he farms parts of it for Holcomb, also “on shares.” This means that the owner of the land and the farmer split the produce. In addition to these basic arrangements, the farmers in the area are constantly working for each other, and they keep track of who owes what to whom. Holcomb calls this “changing works.” He also hires a girl to help around the house, but he is having some trouble with this, in the spring of 1821:
May 19: Today Mr. Nappins’ little Maryann went home with him, for she would not answer our turn – she is so small.
May 21: Today Mrs. Lyd Crocker came and fetched her daughter Betsey, and agreed that the girl live one year (at Holcomb’s farm) and I do agree to pay her 31 cents per week while she works for me, and I do agree to school her two months and pay for it. I pay her in clothing.
May 25: Today Capt. Abner Bull’s boy Horatio began to work for me. We planted potatoes and onions and beets in the garden.
May 28: This afternoon Wm took the single wagon and carried my hired girl home, Betsey Crocker, for she was taken unwell.
June 13 Wednesday: This forenoon I rode up to Hancock to Peter Crockers after Lydia Crocker’s girl Betsey. I found her to M. Butens near Wm Douglass. She returned home on the 29 day of May for she was unwell. This afternoon Newton helped us hoe corn in the way of changing works.
Today Wm returned from Hoosic. This day I am 30 years of age.
Although Holcomb’s business affairs are quite complicated, he has almost no dealings with banks. When he bought the new farm, the seller in effect held the mortgage – Holcomb promises to pay a hundred dollars a year for five years. He pays one hundred dollars in cash, most of which he has borrowed in fairly small sums from various people in the community.
The rest of the payment for the farm is made in cattle and a wagon. Interest on the money he owes is to be paid in blacksmith work to be done at his blacksmith shop.