Farm Reports, 16–22 August 1789
Farm Reports
A Meteorlogical account of the weath<er> kept at Mount Vernon 1789.
[Mount Vernon, 16–22 Aug. 1789]
16th Mercury In the morng 80 Calm Clear Noon 86 S. Wt Clear. Night 86 S. Wt Cloudy and sprinkle of rain
17th Morng 72 S. Wt Clear. Noon 75 N. Et Clear. Night 75 S. Et Clear, in the night a fine rain
18th Morng 70 S. Et Cloudy. Noon 73 N. Et Clear. Night 73 Calm Clear.
19th Morng 69 No. light rain. Noon 72 No. Thunder Showers Night 72 N. Wt Clear.
20th Morng 70 Calm Clear. Noon 75 N. Wt Clear. Night 75 Calm Clear.
21st Morng 71 Calm Clear. Noon 76 N. Et Hazy. Night 75 Et Clear.
22d Morng 70 N. Et Clear. Noon 73 N. Et Clear. Night 72 N. Et Clear.
Weekly Reports Augt 22.
Recd from the Mill 9¼ Bushls Meal sent to ditto 17 Bushls Corn 3 Bushls wheat sent to Mill for House use—deliverd the people for grinding in the hand Mill 4½ Bushls Corn sowd in No. 8–50 Bush. Wheat—Stock 95 head Cattle 139 head Old Sheep 53 Lambs. 17 workg Horses
Dr | Dogue Run plantn for the work of 7 Men & 11 Women amtg per week to | days 108 |
Cr | By plowg between the Corn in No. 7 | 10 |
By plowg in wheat in No. 6 | 10 | |
By haulg poles & straw for brick House and rails to enclose brick House 7 days 1 ditto at Mill | 8 | |
By weedg Carrots in No. 4 | 18 | |
By weedg Potatoes in ditto | 6 | |
By topg and suckg Tobacco | 10 | |
By Cleang Wheat | 6 | |
By tendg treadg out wheat | 6 | |
By pickg pease | 4 | |
By ripg the Mill meadow fence along the Clover | 4 | |
By Cutg poles and makg Scaffold for Tobacco | 4 | |
By loadg Carts with poles and straw | 6 | |
By sickness Siller 6 days. Lucy 4 ditto Brunswick 6 | 16 | |
Total | 108 |
Recd from the Mill 8¾ Bushls Meal sent to ditto 8 Bushls Corn Sent to Muddy hole 300 sheafs of Oats for Horse fead—1 Cart & tumbril load to Mansn House—Increase 1 old white face red Cow called the Camp Cow sent to the meadow to be fatned on acct of old age 9 Calves sent from the house—decrease 1 Spring mare Colt from the young Sorrel broad Mare got out of the Mill meadow into the Clover field and fell into a well at Berrys house—Stock 56 Head Cattle 99 Old Sheep 37 Lambs 10 workg Horses 1 Spring Colt—Sow’d in No. 6. 9 Bushls wheat.
Dr | Muddy-hole Plantn for the work of 3 Men & 10 Women amtg per week to | days 78 |
Cr | By plowg in wheat in No. 4 | 15 |
By harrowg over ditto | 5 | |
By Cart haulg Mud which had been got from the Swamp in No. 3 to the poor parts of No. 2 | 1 | |
By tendg treadg out wheat and Stackg Straw | 10 | |
By weedg Carrots | 12 | |
By weedg potatoes | 18 | |
By suckg wormg & topg Tobacco | 9 | |
By grubg up s[p]routs &c. in No. 4 | 8 | |
Total | 78 |
Decrease 1 Ewe by sickness. Recd from the Mill 5½ Bushls Meal deliverd for sowg 6 Bushls wheat to D: Run—Sow’d in No. 4 12½ for Bushels wheat. Stock 22 head Cattle 18 Old Sheep 5 Lambs 9 workg Horses—2 Spring mules—23 Wethers and 4 Steers from D: Run—3 ditto Steers from Mansn House—2 ditto from the Ferry.
Dr | Ferry & Frenches plantns for the work of 7 Men 16 Women & 3 Boys amtg per week to | days 156 |
Cr | By plowg between the Corn in No. 1 at Frenches | 12 |
By plowg in wheat in No. 2 at the Ferry | 31 | |
By harrowg over ground in No. 2 at ditto after the plows | 6 | |
By Cart ½ a day at Mill | 1/2 | |
By Cleang Oats and Wheat | 5 | |
By thresg and Cleang wheat | 26 | |
By weedg and hilling Corn in No. 3 at the Ferry | 36 | |
By weedg suckg & topg Tobacco | 24 1/2 | |
By assistg in landg Scantg | 2 | |
By Sickness Doll 6 days—Lucy 4 ditto Sabeen 3 ditto | 13 | |
Total | 156 |
Recd from the Mill 11¼ Bushls Meal Sent to ditto 10 Bushls Corn Stock 82 Head Cattle 100 old Sheep 28 Lambs 18 old Sheep from R. plantn 16 workg Horses 2 ditto Mules 2 spring ditto—Ferriages 21/.
The wheat sown this week at the Ferry in No. 2 amounts to 36 Bushls ¼th & ⅛th being of different kinds are sown and distingud in the followg manner—3 Bushls of the Common wheat was sown along the Ditch ranging with the Ferry road the ground being subject to overflow in very wet weather and therefore unsafe to seed in designed for future sowg—a vacancy left between each kind, and distinguished by stakes—this the common wheat between No. 1 & 2. Next to it 14 Bushls of the bearded wheat raised at Manleys in drills between stakes No. 2 & 3—Next this between stakes No. 3 & 4 are 10 Bushls white plain wheat raised in drills at ditto next to it between stakes No. 4 & 5 are 4 Bushls 1 peck & ⅛th English wheat raised on Stony hill at the Ferry—next to it 4½ Bushls of Cape Wheat raised in Drills at Manleys—this distinction will be continued throughout the field untill the different kinds of wheat are finished—the experiments of the Cape wheat heretofore made have been unsuccessful but deemed it well to give a small quantity of it one more trial—the above wheat has been sown under the most favorable circumstances—the ground in a fine moist state and well pulvarised by a good plowg—and harrowing—The Buck wheat if possessed of the properties of manure must in this field discover its powers having been turnd in early and in a very succulent state much of it sprung up and was turned in at the time of sowg—the wheat—of the Bearded wheat raised in Drills below the stable there was 4 B. ¾ which was sown on Monday morng at the Ferry next the Cape wheat in a good part of the field. this wheat after cleaning I found was a little injured by the flye—and the only wheat ⟨in⟩ which I have discoverd ⟨it⟩; this may have arisen from the warmth of the place it was in (the Granary) I mean the early appearance of them—as I presume they were propigated before the grain was cut.
Recd from the Mill 9 Bushls Meal 38 Old Sheep 18 Lambs 3 Wethers 39 Horses 5 last Spring Mules 1 ditto 2 year old ditto 4 ditto spring ditto—3 ditto spring Colts—2 ditto Spring Jennies 3 ditto old ditto 3 ditto Jacks. 1 ditto Spring ditto.
Dr | Joiners & Carpenters for the work of 5 Men amtg per week to | days 30 |
Cr | By Thomas Green 3½ days shingling the Shed and putg in the blades of the Dormond Windows and the mouldings round it strikg the scaffolds and putg them up again 1½ day getg a walnut log and prepg it and makg 1 pr Brick Moulds—1½ day assistg in landg scantg and plank and numberg it | 6 |
By Thomas Mahony ½ day makg 1 pr Brick Moulds 4½ Shingling, abt the Dormond window strikg and putg up scaffolds hewg and putg on wall plates | 6 | |
By Isaac putg a new set of spokes in the Mansn House waggon Wheel—stuff got and a new plow made for Frenches plantn 2 new axle tires got for the waggon and one made—1 pr Shafts got for the tumbril Cart 1 piece mortis’d & put in | 6 | |
Cr By James and Sambo Stockg and Sawg—80 Laths 16 feet long 4 breakg Cuts 16 ditto 10 Inches deep 480 feet | 12 | |
Total | 30 |
Mill Grist | Dr | Wheat | Corn | Rye |
Remg in the Mill | 5 | 13½ | ||
To Toll this week | 2½ | 5 | ||
To River Plantn | 18 | |||
To D: Run plantn | 13 | |||
To Ferry & Frenches | 10 | |||
7½ | 59½ | |||
46 | ||||
13½ |
Contra | Cr | B. Ml | R: Ml Midlings |
Bran for overseer |
By R: Plantn | 9¼ | ½ | ||
By D: R: plantn | 8¾ | |||
By Muddy hole | 5½ | |||
By Ferry & Frenches | 11¼ | |||
By Coopers & Miller | 1 | |||
By John Knowles | ¼ | |||
By Mansn House | 10 | |||
46 | ½ |
Dr | Coopers for the work of 3 Men amtg per week to | days 18 |
Cr | By getg 300 Tobacco Hoggshead Staves 340 pieces headg 500 flour Barrel Staves | 15 |
By stopg leakes in the Race | 3 | |
Total | 18 |
D, in the writing of George Augustine Washington, DLC:GW.
This report and other similar accounts were sent by George Augustine Washington and GW’s later managers on a weekly basis during GW’s absences from Mount Vernon. During the presidential years GW clearly read the reports carefully and used them in preparing his detailed instructions to his managers on the administration of his plantations during his absences. In comparison to their numbers, relatively few of these reports have survived. An earlier report, one for the week of 19–25 April, which was probably enclosed in George Augustine Washington’s letter to GW of 27 April, contains similar information to this report and is in DLC:GW.