Thomas Jefferson’s Farm Book, page 46

June 18. cut barley at Shadwell.
22. do at Tufton
27. begin to cut wheat at Shadwell. the force employed as follows
17. Cradlers. (

Ned. Toby. James. Val. // Bagwell. Caesar. Jerry. Philip.

Davy. John. Lewis. Johnny. George (smith) Isaac. Isaac. Peter. Patrick.
5. reapers. Frank. Martin. Tim. Austin. Phill shoemaker.
7. stackers. Etc Gr. George. Abram. Essex. Squire. Goliah. Tom. waggoner Phill.
36.
65.		 gatherers. Isabel. Ned’s Jenny. Lewis’s Jenny. Doll. Rachael. Mary. Nanny. O. Betty. Molly. Sally. Amy. Minerva. Lucinda. Judy Hix. Thamar. Iris. Scilla. Belinda. Phyllis Moses. Shepherd. Joe. Wormeley. Burwell. Brown. Jamy. Barnaby. Davy. Ben. Davy. John Kit Patty. Lucy. Lucy.
July 3. begun to cut wheat on this side the river.
3d & 4th

these 2. day’s they cradled 73. as there were but 12. cradlers at work on an average, & they stopped cutting by an hour by sun the 4th (Saturday) that all was cut might be secured. they cut therefore fully 3. as a day each, & may be counted on for that.

the ox carts carry the sheaves of about 7. bushels of wheat at a load. one of them with 3. loaders besides the driver, loads in 15.′ and to go ¼ of a mile & return took 22.′ they would load, go & return ⅛ mile in 30.′
6th finished cutting wheat
7th finished cutting rye.
8. began to tread at Monticello with 7. horses.

Were harvest to go over again with the same force, the following arrangement should take place.
the treading floors should be laid down before harvest.

½ a doz. spare scythes should be mounted, & fingers for ½ a dozen more ready formed, bent & mortised, & some posts should be provided.

1.

great George, with tools & a grindstone mounted in the single mule cart, should be constantly employed in mending cradles & grinding scythes. the same cart would carry about the liquor, moving from tree to tree as the work advanced.
18.

cradlers should work constantly. Smith George, John, Davy, Lewis, Johnny, Isaac, Peter, Patrick, Isaac; Ned, Toby, James Val Bagwell Caesar Jerry Tim & Philip.
18.

binders. of the women & abler boys. Isabel. Jenny. Jenny. Doll. Molly. Amy. Minerva. Lucinda. Judy. Belinda. York. Burwell. Jamy. Barnaby. Davy. Patty. Lucy. Lucy.
6.

gatherers, to wit 5 smallest boys & 1. larger for a foreman. Wormely. Brown. Davy. John. Ben. Kit.
3.

loaders. Moses, Shepherd & Joe, loading the carts successively with the drivers
6.

stackers. Squire. Abram. Shoemkr Phill. Essex, Goliah. Austin.
2.

cooks. O. Betty & Fanny.
  4.

carters. Tom. Phill. Frank. Martin.
58.
  8.

would remain to keep half the ploughs a going. Rachael. Mary. Nanny. Sally. Thamar. Iris. Scilla. Phyllis
66.

in this way the whole machine would move in exact equilibrio, no part of the force could be lessened without retarding the whole, nor increased without a waste of force.

this force would cut, bring in, & stack. 54. as a day, and complete my havest of 320 as in 6. days.

the proper allowance 4. gallons of whiskey, 2 quarts molasses, 1 midling besides fresh meat per day, with peas.

July 29. began to twy-fallow Slatefield.

Manuscript (Massachusetts Historical Society, Thomas Jefferson’s Farm Book, page 46). Scan available online here.

Source Information

Author Thomas Jefferson
Date June-July 1795
Place of Origin Monticello
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