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Farm Reports, 2–8 April 1797

Farm Reports

Editorial Note

When in November 1785 GW himself took over for a few months the direct, day-to-day supervision of his several farms at Mount Vernon, he devised the general format for the weekly reports that successive farm managers thereafter followed. The reports of the farm manager were based upon the reports that the overseers of the individual farms made to him each week and often included reports from the head carpenter, the miller, and others. See the editor’s note in Farm Reports, 26 Nov. 1785–16 April 1786. For the most part, the editors of GW’s Papers have not included the Farm Reports in the printed volumes. All surviving farm reports appear in CD-ROM:GW. James Anderson’s reports of 2–8, 9–15, 16–22, and 23–29 April 1797 are printed here because in April 1797 GW “Omitted keeping any Acct. of the Weather and Occurrences” (Diaries description begins Donald Jackson and Dorothy Twohig, eds. The Diaries of George Washington. 6 vols. Charlottesville, Va., 1976–79. description ends , 6:241); his diaries are otherwise complete from the beginning of 1797 until 13 Dec. 1799, the day before his death.

[2–8 April 1797]

A Meteoroligical Account of the Weather kept at Mount Vernon
1797 April
2d In the Morning 50 S. clear 52 S. clear 50 S. clear1
3 52 S. clear 56 S. clear 58 S. clear
4 60 S. cloudy 62 S. cloudy & some rain 62 S. clear
5 62 S. clear 64 S. clear 64 S. clear
6 64 N.W. cloudy & Rain 64 S. clear 66 S. cloudy
7 61 N.E. Rain 62 N.E. rain 60 N.E. rain
8 53 N.W. Rain 54 N.E. Rain 52 N.W. Rain
Dr. Mansionhouse for the Work of 8 hands Amount ⅌ Week 48 days
Cr. By Waggon hauling Hay to Mansion house  2
 "  Plank to Fishhouse, & Sand to Mansion 1 & Rails 1  2
 "  going for Corn & Oats 1 & Wood to House 1 day  2
   3 Horse Cart at Alexria for Seine 1 & Hauling wood 4 days  5
 "  do Hauling Meal & Bran from the Mill  1
   2 Horse Cart hauling manure  2
   broke down  4
 "  Fishing by Hauling the Seine 10
 "  Joe pruning of Trees2  4
 "  Gunner Cuting wood  6
 "  Anthony making Lime Mortar  6
   Sick James Sick by a sore leg  4
48
 
Dr. Ditchers for the Amount of the Work of 4 Men ⅌ Week 24
Cr. By Hauling the Seine 17
 "  with the Boat at Alexandria  1
 "  Cuting of wood  6
24

Stock, one Stud Horse, 3 Stud Jacks, & 3 do Young Jacks—10 Asses—6 Horses, 9 Mules Working & 16 do unbroke & 16 Cows 3 Calves—10 Wedders 4 Ews & 4 Lambs—Decrease 1 Wedder killed—And one calf sold the Butcher. And one Calf dead.

Dr. River Farm, for the work of 27 Hands Amot. ⅌ Week3 162
Cr. by ploughing, Harrowing, & Seeding of Oats, & Flax  42
 "  Hauling Corn to Mill 1, & Rolling clove ground 2 days   3
 "  Hauling of Old wood, & trash, out of the way   3
 "  Cuting of Corn Stalks, & carrying them of the Wheat  55
 "  Thrashing of Oats, When it Rained  33
 "  Hauling of the Seine at the Landing   8
 "  Working in the Garden at Mansion   6
 "  Attending upon the Stock  12
162

Stock 12 Horses & 11 Mules, 83 Cattle & 15 Calves—196 Sheep & 76 Lambs One Mare had a Colt which instantly died.

Corn sent to Mill 25½
do fed to Stock 17½
do sent to Mansion 30
Oats sent to Mansion  8 Bu.
Do sowed in all 87
95
Flax seed sowed  2 Bu.
Clover seed sowed 86 lb.
Dr. Mudyhole for the Work of 14 hands Amot. ⅌ Week 84
Cr. By Hauling Corn to, & Meal from the Mill  1
 "  Rolling of Wheat & Oats  2
 "  Ploughing 25 & Nathan in the Kitchen 6 31
 "  Picking up Corn Stalks  4
 "  fencing 12 & Burning of Brush 4 days 16
   Shelling Corn when Raining  9
 
   Sick Gabriel 3, & 3 Women in Child bed 18 days 21
84

Stock 7 Horses & 4 Mules, 33 Cattle & 2 Calves 49 Sheep & 18 Lambs

Corn sent to Mill  8½ Bu.
do  fed to Stock  4
Total 12½ Bu.
Dr. Doguerun for the Work of 16 hands Amot. ⅌ Week 96
Cr. By Hauling Wood from new Ground 6 & Mauling Rails 4 days 10
 "  Ploughing 25, fencing 10 days & Grubing in Mill Swamp 4 days 39
 "  Grubing new Ground 4, And cleaning up do 9 days 13
 "  Joe at Hauling the Seine 1 day & Grubing in new Ground 6 days  7
 "  Hauling of Rails  3
   Sick Dick 4, Judith 4, Liney 2, And Lucey 2 days 12
[By] Cleaning of Stables, & Shelling Corn, when it rained 12
96

Stock 5 Horses, & 8 Mules 67 Cattle & 6 Calves 136 Sheep & 41 Lambs Increase 3 Calves.

Corn sent to the Mill 12 Bushels
do  fed to Stock  7½
19½
Dr. Union Farm for the Work of 22 hands Amt. ⅌ Week 132
Cr. By ploughing for Corn, And harrowing  40
 "  Spreading manure, And filling up Gullys  35
 "  making fences  19
 "  Cleaning of Wheat 5 & cleaning out the Stables 20 days  25
 "  Carting Manure, & Hauling Rails  10
 "  Hauling of Slope from the Distillery to Jas Andersons   2
 "  Sowing of Flax, & Grass seeds   1
132

Stock 15 Horses 6 mules 66 Cattle 2 Calves 111 Sheep, 46 Lambs Decrease 1 fatted Steer Sent to Alexandria for the Butcher

Corn sent to Mill 20 Bu.
do  fed to Stock 10
30 Bushels
Mill Dr. I[ndian] C[orn] Wh[eat]
To Mudyhole  8.2
 "  Doguerun 12. 
 "  Union farm 19.2
 "  River farm 25.2
 "  Toll this week  8. 
73.2

Contra		 I[ndian]
M[eal]
Flour
Sup[er]
F[ine]
H[ominy]		 Sh[orts]
B[ran]
By Mudyhole  8.2
 "  Doguerun 12   
 "  Union farm 15.2
 "  River Farm 13.2
 "  Mansion house 19.2 196 16.5
 "  Fishery  2. 
 "  Jas Anderson &c.  1.3  3. 
 "  John Violet  1. 
 "  Genll Washington   .2
 "  Joseph Cash4  1. 
 "  Cooper Miller & boys  1.2
76.3 196 19.5
Flour as on 1st April Superfine 211 fine 66 mid. 2 ⟨Ship⟩
⟨Deduce⟩ Sent to the House   1 —
210 66 2
Ship Stuff Distilleed 697
Dr. Cooper for the work of 2 Men & boy, Amot. ⅌ week 18
Cr. By Coopering Fish Barrels & Tubs at Fish house 10
   Making, & Hooping Pails in the Shop  2
   Making Flour Barrels  5
   Working on the Mill Race  1
18
Dr. Miller Ben for one Weeks Work Amot.  6
Cr. By working on the Mill Race  3
 "  Working in the Mill  3
 6
 
Dr. Spinners, Sewers & Knitters for the Work of 15 Women Amounting to ⅌ Week 90 days
Cr.
By Matilda Spining 6 lb. Tow Yarn
 "  Delia Spining 6  do do
 "  Annie Spining 6  do do
 "  Delphia Spining 4  do do
 "  Judith 4  Stocking Yarn
 "  Kitty 2  Sewing thread
 "  Betsey Sewing 9  Shirts
 "  Alsey Sewing 3 2 days & in the House 4
 6
 6
 6
 6
 6
 6
 6
 6
 "  Lame Alley Knitting 2 pr Stockings
 "  Lucey Knitting 1 pr do
 6
 6
 "  Caroline Working in the House  6
 "  Charlotte working in do
 "  Dolsey working in do
 "  Sall working in do
 6
 6
 6
   Sick Doll  6
90

Lame Peter knitting 2 pair Stockings 6

Dr. Gardeners for the work of 4 Men Amounting ⅌ week to 24 days
Cr. By cleaning & planting in the Garden 19
 "  George working in the Kitchen  1
 "  lost by Rain  2
   Sick Peter from River Farm  2
24
Dr. Carpenters for the work of 7 Men Amot. ⅌ week to 42
Cr. By repairing of the fishhouse &a 10
 "  Repairing of Mansion house  4
 "  Going in the Boat after Salt to Alexria  3
 "  Working in the Shop in the time of Rain, Making of 2 pair plough ⟨Rims⟩, Hewing ⟨Cart⟩ & plough ⟨Sheft⟩ &c.  5
 "  Isacc, & Joe, repairing of the Fish Boat  1
 "  Making of 2 ploughs for Union Farm, & assisting in repairing the Mansion house  7
   Davie in the Cooper Shop  6
   Decrease Christopher in the House  6
42
Dr. Bricklayers for the work of 2 Men Amot. ⅌ week 12
Tom Davis & Muckles hauling of the Seine 12
A General view on the Stock on all the Farms
Stud H. Stud Jacks Horses Asses Mules Total
Mansion 1 6  7 10 25 49
River 12 11 23
Mudyhole  7  4 11
Doguerun  5  8 13
Union Farm 15  6 21
James Anderson  2 2
Mill & Distillery  1 1
Total 1 6 49 10 54 110
Cattle Calves Total   Sheep Lambs Total
Mansion 16  3 19   14  4  18 
River 83 15 98   196  76  272 
Mudyhole 33  2 37   49  18  67 
Doguerun 67  6 73   136  41  177 
Union Farm 66  2 68   111  46  157 
James Anderson 15 10 25  
Mill & Distillery  2  1  3  
Total 282 39 323   506  185  691 

AD, in James Anderson’s hand, NjMoHP.

1. In the preceding farm report Anderson recorded the weather of 1 April: “50 W. clear[,] 51 W. clear[,] 49 S.W. clear.”

2. Most of the slaves called by name in these farm reports of April 1787 may be identified, though often only tentatively and always inadequately, by referring to GW’s List of Slaves, June 1799 (DLC:GW).

3. For the location of the farms at Mount Vernon, River farm, Mansion House, Muddy Hole, Dogue Run, and Union farm, see the chart in Diaries description begins Donald Jackson and Dorothy Twohig, eds. The Diaries of George Washington. 6 vols. Charlottesville, Va., 1976–79. description ends , 6:245.

4. John Violet and Joseph Cash were overseers at Mount Vernon of, respectively, Union farm and Dogue Run farm.

Index Entries

    You Are Looking At

    Source Project
    Washington Papers
    Title
    Farm Reports, 2–8 April 1797
    Author
    Anderson, James
    Recipient
    Washington, George
    Date
    2–8 April 1797

    Reference

    Cite as
    “Farm Reports, 2–8 April 1797,” Founders Online, National Archives, https://founders.archives.gov/documents/Washington/06-01-02-0047. [Original source: The Papers of George Washington, Retirement Series, vol. 1, 4 March 1797 – 30 December 1797, ed. W. W. Abbot. Charlottesville: University Press of Virginia, 1998, pp. 60–66.]

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