DIY History | Transcribe | Iowa Women’s Lives: Letters and Diaries | Letters to Ellen Mowrer Miller from Sarah, 1869-1905

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Letters to Ellen Mowrer Miller from Sarah, 1869-1905

Rippey, Greene Co. Iowa July 9th 1879.
Dear Folks at Home.
The letter William promised me is at hand. It found us all well - we are all well at this writing. I hope when you get this you all may be in good health and spirits.
Our folks laid their corn by before the fourth. We made us plenty of good victuals day before the fourth. on the fourth went fishing and visiting had a royal good time. Were any of you at Perry on the fourth - we thought it too far away for us - 
People in the neighborhood are harvesting their rye and some are making timothy hay. timothy makes better hay if cut and made later - next week wheat & oats harvest - will begin with some. Chintz bugs are doing much damage to some pieces of wheat - Fields of corn everywhere look well - notwithstanding that fearful storm that pasted over it on the 24th inst breaking off a good deal & blowing the rest almost all flat to the ground. it did not hail here but rain fell in torrents - our garden is good - small fruits a failure - apples very few - new potatoes long age & plenty of them too. Chick raising no success. too many cats. we get but little good of our ducks this summer - they hide their nests out in the grass & grain and vermin destroy they eggs. We have about thirty ducks - this fall we will fatten and eat them -

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Rippey, Greene Co. Iowa July 9th 1879. Dear Folks at Home. The letter William promised me is at hand. It found us all well - we are all well at this writing. I hope when you get this you all may be in good health and spirits. Our folks laid their corn by before the fourth. We made us plenty of good victuals day before the fourth. on the fourth went fishing and visiting had a royal good time. Were any of you at Perry on the fourth - we thought it too far away for us - People in the neighborhood are harvesting their rye and some are making timothy hay. timothy makes better hay if cut and made later - next week wheat & oats harvest - will begin with some. Chintz bugs are doing much damage to some pieces of wheat - Fields of corn everywhere look well - notwithstanding that fearful storm that pasted over it on the 24th inst breaking off a good deal & blowing the rest almost all flat to the ground. it did not hail here but rain fell in torrents - our garden is good - small fruits a failure - apples very few - new potatoes long age & plenty of them too. Chick raising no success. too many cats. we get but little good of our ducks this summer - they hide their nests out in the grass & grain and vermin destroy they eggs. We have about thirty ducks - this fall we will fatten and eat them -