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GLENN FOLGER : 1910 ORIGINAL MANUSCRIPT DIARY HANDWRITTEN BY A UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA GRADUATE WHO BRINGS HIS SKILLS BACK TO THE FAMILY FARM ONLY TO RETURN TO SCHOOL AND TAKE UP LAW

16mo - over 5¾" - 6¾" tall. On offer is an excellent record of farm operations in upstate New York immediately prior to WWI. Measuring 6 inches by 3 inches, the leather-bound volume is in very good condition and contains 368 pages including Memoranda. It is 100% complete. The handwriting is neat and legible. Glenn Folger was a young man who worked on his family's fruit farm near Olcott NY. Informal research suggests that he graduated from the University of Pennsylvania in 1904. Subsequently, he returned to Olcott to work on the family farm. The daily entries are generally focused on the weather conditions and the tasks carried out that day. Although there is a general routine to daily and seasonal farm tasks, taken as a whole across the entire year, the journal gives a very detailed and full description of the operations of this family farm. "Went after two Jersey heifers at Mr. F.R. Wheeler's Farm ... built manger for cattle in east-closed shed ... sawed and split wood ... Sam Lockwood and I measured off line of our farm from road to Lake on which we expect to place our Windsor cherry trees ... NYC Station at Burt Burned this morning" [Jan 24]. "Finished drawing car of manure from Burt. Finished cutting cornstalks this afternoon" [Feb 4]. "Finished drawing and burning brush from #1-NP. Began removal of brush from #2 NP. Sold hand spray rig to Sam Lockwood and he got it this morning. Led 'Topsy' to Tompkins. Dragged the road to dry it off. Wayne and I drove to Olcott and Burt tonight. Confirmed rumour that Mr. Burt Van Horn has sold his place and cold storage to W.O. and H.W. Davis of New York for $125,000". [Mar 26] Through the year, his journal records caring for livestock (cattle, pigs, etc., planting and harvesting vegetables (asparagus, corn, cabbage and potatoes) and the management of orchards of apples, cherries, peaches and plums - the main focus of the farm. Along with these, he notes the on-going maintenance of the farm - building repairs, irrigation maintenance and the myriad other tasks necessary to keep the farm successful. His journal includes many local references such as Wilson, Burt, Newfane (all small villages in the immediate area as well as places further afield - Buffalo, New York City. In September, he notes: "... I went up to the school and made a contract with Miss Carrigan to be teacher" [Sept 13]. However, there is no further record of him taking up those duties. There are frequent references to a woman named 'Gerry' and on December 24, they became engaged. He later returned to University and earned a law degree. He was admitted to the New York State Bar and opened a legal practice in Poughkeepsie, NY. He was the founding President of the Rombout Hunt Club which is still in existence today. For a historian, especially one focused on rural American life, this is a fine journal that presents an excellent portrait of a family farm at the turn of the last century. The author is well-educated and writes clearly and well. It provides a very stark contrast to the highly technical and mechanized farming operations a century later.. Illustr.: /. Manuscript. Book Condition: Good +

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