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1849
November
14th Method of Washing Cucumber Seed
I.R. took 7 barrels arranged in the old kettle house, having a trough of water
very handy being filled by a spout from the stream; put 3 1/2 pails of unwashed
seed into the first barrel, stirring
it welluntil it foams, then fill up with water,
do each barrel thus: the barrel 1st filled willnow be ready to be poured off.
Pour off carefully 3 or 4 pailsfull, not more, stir up well, and pass on to the
next & so on to the 7th. Now pour off about 6 pails from the 1st, stopping as
soon as seeds (whether heavy or I ightj appear; stir round, fill up & pass on.
After the 3rd time 4 pails of water will be sufficient to each barrel. About
the 6th or 7th washing, the pulp may be poured off so close that the seeds may
run to the chimes of the barrel. Put the contents of 2 barrels into a large coarse
riddle over a tub of water, into which riddle the seeds by washing this separates
the coarse pulp & skins. Wash now about 7 times more in the tub, which will
send offthe light seeds; then pour out into a fine riddlethrough which the seeds
will not pass, and let a stream of water pass through them. Place the riddle on
one end to drain & when drained, spread out on racks.-Coarse stones .will be
separated by the coarse riddle; & fine dirt etc. by the stream of water'passing
thro the fineriddle. To get out dirt of the size of the seeds, take the fine
riddle fullof seeds, and dip itinto the tub of clean water, the stones & dirt
will first go to the bottomand a portion of the seeds may be swept over the sides
of the riddle into the water. Repeat this operation untilthe seeds are all out
leaving the stones in the riddle. By attending to this process two hands may
wash and take care of 6 hhds per day and not waste as much seed as in washing
1 hhd by the usual method.

15th Thur Brought some paper from the Church and commenced cuting seed bags. Drew
some manure on the garden

16th Fri. Got the seeds out of the Crookneck squashes cut some seed bags and made
some bags of the beet size

17th Sat Got out the scollop squash seed and drew some manure on the garden

18th Sab Publick meeting

19th Mon Threshed and riddled the yellow onion seed Toped the little onions.
Steady rainy day


20th Tues Washed the squash seeds and did some work in the shop

21st Wed Cleaned 343 1/2 Ibs. yellow onion seed. Washed the tomato seed. Plowed
some in the garden this afternoon C* Middleton started for Warrensburg with
garden seeds

22nd Thurs. Cut some seed bags and papered some seed for the Northern home load

23rd Fri. Papered'some seeds and cut some seed bags & pasted some