As the days are short in winter, the people before my time occupied a part of the night after dark in the evening and in the morning before daylight, for threshing and cleaning wheat, and also for taking it to market. The great amount of fire wood, post and rail timber, which had to be provided in the winter season, also made much winter work. After sleighing ended, post and rail timber had to be split, the posts holed and rails sharpened, and, as soon as the frost was out of the ground, new fences were made of these and the old fences were repaired. In 1770 and afterwards, a great amount of fuel and fencing timber was used in consequence of the large fires farmers kept up in their sitting rooms and kitchens, the smallness and scattered situation to which farms had become reduced at that time, and the necessity of dividing them into small lots for pasturing purposes. In March and April, the flax which had not been previously dressed, was in these months all crackled and swingled, rope yarn spun, and ropes made for halters, traces, lines and other uses. Each farmer in these months prepared his hides for tanning, procured white oak bark, and laid down the hides, together with the bark and water, in troughs, to be tanned during the warm season. The linen for summer wear was principally woven in these months by the men, the manure drawn from the barnyards and stables, and flax seed and oats sowed. In May, the corn-ground was ploughed and planted, and ploughing for buckwheat was done for the first time. In June, the corn was hoed twice, for which it was prepared by ploughing each time between the rows one way, so that much had to be done with the hoe, and the ploughing for summer fallow was also commenced, and at an early day of the settlement sometimes finished in this month. In July the harvesting and gathering of winter grain and oats, and the pulling of flax was all done. In August, after meadows were made, the grass was cut and gathered for fodder, flax taken up and brought into barns, and a second ploughing for wheat was principally done in this month. (It was customary with the ancient people to plough three times for wheat and twice for rye).