The Journals of Martha E. McMillan

explaining why Martha writes on 26 June 1874 “After supper he [Mr. Mc] and Patt left with sheep for the Packer pasture” (ed. Bennett). From the entries in May to August of 1874 it appears Mr. Mc spent much of his time with the sheep and worked hard in devotion to the farm. Rankin remarks in his notes for 1880 “As I read these diaries I learn that he (James) seemed to spend most of his time with the sheep, or in buying wool and trading in other livestock in a radius of about ten or 15 miles” (McMillan 7). Rankin states what becomes obvious to a reader when he or she reads the journals. Sheep are an important part of the farm seemingly more important than grain or other planted crops making sheep Mr. Mc’s specialty. While shearing the sheep Mr. Mc and his men would have used clippers or hand shears. Martha records the sheep shearing briefly over the course of shearing time. In 1874 Martha writes: 29 May …Mr. Mc took George Walker with him to assist with the Sheep washing… 1 June …Began shearing sheep… 3 June …Our two men sheer Sheep till noon. This afternoon – Mr. Mc and his men washing wool at the Creek… 6 June …This afternoon Miller and Mr. Mc at the Packer Sheep pasture did not not get home till late… 15 June …Geo Walker and our two Jansrider men, Harlan Thompson, & Sam Washington finished the sheep shearing… ed. Bennett. In 1874 the sheep shearing took fifteen days. Martha gives brief mentions of sheep shearing when she records the daily farm work. Martha most commonly mentions the Packer pasture in regard to the location of the sheep and shearers. Depending on the year the McMillan sheep shearing took somewhere around two weeks, starting anywhere from mid May to early June also 75