[Friday] 2d. Mercury at 31 in the Morning—50 at Noon and 44 at Night.
Morning very clear and pleasant—ground a little frozen. About 8 Oclock the wind sprung up at No. Wt. & blew rather cool. Before Noon it died away and became warm and pleast.—after which it began to lower and towards Night looked very hazy & portentious of a change.
Rid into the Neck with my Compass to ascertain if practicable the outer boundary of My land (had of Clifton). Could not do it effectually but was inclined to think that the place fixed on below Simpsons house was nearly right and I run a straight line accordingly; and fixed Stakes for my fencing thereon as also between Colo. Mason & myself—leaving 20 odd feet for a road.
Began to sow Oats in the Neck to day of the kind had from Mr. Young as the first sowed there also was.
Ordered yesterday; every thing to be turned of the Wheat at all the Plantations—Those in the Neck to be put upon the Rye and those at Dogue run to be turned into the great Meadow.
Ms reads “Saturday.” mr. young: may be either Notley Young (c.1736–1802), of Prince George’s County, Md., one of the original proprietors of the Federal City, or the Mr. Young who rented Traveller’s Rest in King George County from Col. Burgess Ball. William Deakins, Jr., of Georgetown in Jan. 1787 had contracted for 100 bushels of seed oats for GW from Notley Young, and, at about the same time, Alexander Spotswood had purchased for GW 150 bushels of oats from Mr. Young at Traveller’s Rest (Deakins to GW, 31 Jan. 1787 and Spotswood to GW, 13 Jan. 1787, DLC:GW; , 242).