Mr. D. C. Barrow
Sir I am don planting of my crop axcept about a quarter of acre of my low malb ground and about 2 Or 3 acres of my Ragan melb ground I hav atollerable good stand inn the first corn I planted except whare the creek got over since you was down her [??] we hav had the larges rain to dy and to morrow too weaks ago [??] we hav had since I hav live her the bridg on Silfork is caved inn ther was x about ten days I could not plant corn inn some of my bottem the first that I could plant is up nice I hav about 110 acres of my cotten tha [??] ther is a tollerable good stand of cotten know and all that hav bin planted longernought to be coming sum to be coming I hav had bad luck with my cows since you was her I hav [??] last 11 head of them 5 cows 4 yong steers 2 yerlins they would be put inn the pen of a knight and the next morning I would find too of them ded inn the pen the next morning the last one died [??] Wensday them that seem to be in the best order dide I shall finish ditching thrilb my low melb ground tomorrow I hav maid a nice job of [??] it it has bin the worst job I evr hav had to [??] doo ther was so many logs and bresh and stumps and trees to take up I could nt get a long fast as I wanted to doo it I shall commence weding corn tusday morning I will be at Lexington tusday and will tell how the corn and cotten look then this the 20 of April 1856
James. A. Spratlin
(on back of page)
I finish planting [??] Wensday morning all but what I stated to you in this noat
To Mr. D. C. Barrow
At Home
By the boy
rmsed