51August 10. 1796 Wednesday. (Adams Papers)
Billing and Bass collecting Compost. Brought up two Loads of Seaweed and carted several Loads of Earth from behind the Outhouse. Mr. Howell of Rhode Island came up to see me and conversed the whole Evening concerning St. Croix and his Commission for settling that Boundary. David Howell , a lawyer and a former member of the Continental Congress, was one of the commissioners appointed to...
52August 11. 1796. Thursday. (Adams Papers)
Mr. Howell lodged with Us and spent the whole Morning in Conversation concerning the Affairs of his Mission. He said by way of Episode that the President would resign, and that there was one Thing which would make R. Island unanimous in his Successor and that was the funding System. He said they wanted Hamilton for V.P.—I was wholly silent. Billing and Bass brought up a Load of Dulce and...
53August 12. 1796. Fryday. (Adams Papers)
Billing, Bass and Sullivan carting Salt Hay from the Beech Marsh. Tirell and Th. Lothrop threshing and winnowing Barley.
54August 13. 1796 Saturday. (Adams Papers)
Three Load of Salt Hay Yesterday from the Beach Marsh. Got in 51 Bushells of Barley winnowed and raddled. Billing, Bass, Sullivan Lothrop and E. Belcher with Brisler poling off and carting Salt Hay. Tirrell and T. Lothrop threshing. Trask burning Bushes on Penns Hill. Reading Tullys Offices. It is a Treatise on moral obligation. Our Word Obligation answers nearer and better than Duty, to...
55August 14. 1796. Sunday. (Adams Papers)
The Weather hot and dry. One great Advantage of the Christian Religion is that it brings the great Principle of the Law of Nature and Nations, Love your Neigh bour as yourself, and do to others as you would that others should do to you, to the Knowledge, Belief and Veneration of the whole People. Children, Servants, Women and Men are all Professors in the science of public as well as private...
56August 15. 1796. Monday. (Adams Papers)
My Team met the Abington Team at the Bars, and plough’d the Baulk between Burrells Corn and the great Wall, with the great Plough. Ploughed on the North Side of the Wall from the Road to the rocky Vally with the small breaking up plough. Trask mowing Bushes and burning. At Night both Teams came home with both Ploughs. Mrs. Adams went with Mrs. Otis to Situate and Plymouth.
57August 16. 1796. Tuesday. (Adams Papers)
Mr. Reed and Mr. Gurney with Billings ploughing below the lower Garden with 9 Cattle, and the small breaking up plough. It took a long time to fix the Plough with a Wheel &c. In the Afternoon ploughed upon Stony field Hill. Sullivan with one Yoke of oxen, the Steers and Mare gone to cart Salt Hay for my Tenants French and Vinton. Tirrell and Thomas still threshing. James and Prince, idle as usual.
58August 17. 1796. Wednesday. (Adams Papers)
Seven Yoke of Oxen and a Horse, Mr. Reed, Mr. Gurney, Mr. Billings, Mr. Brisler, Sullivan and Thomas Lothrop and black James, Seven hands ploughing with the great Plough in the Meadow below the lower Garden. Prince gone to Mill. The Weather dry, fair and cool. The Wind Easterly.
59August 18. 1796. Thursday. (Adams Papers)
Ten Yoke of Oxen and ten Men ploughing in the Meadow below my House.
60August 19. 1769 [i.e. 1796]. Fryday. (Adams Papers)
Ten Yoke of Oxen and twelve hands ploughing in the meadow. It is astonishing that such a Meadow should have lain so long in such a State. Brakes, Hassock Grass, Cramberry Vines, Poke or Skunk Cabbage, Button Bushes, alder Bushes, old Stumps and Roots, Rocks, Turtles, Eels, Frogs, were the Chief Things to be found in it. But I presume it may be made to produce Indian and English Grain, and...
61August 20. 1796. Saturday. (Adams Papers)
Bracket and Vinton left me. We procured Captn. Baxters Oxen and William Field Junr. and went on with Eight Yoke including my red Steers, and ploughed as well as ever. Paid Reed £11. 2s. in full for the Weeks Work of two Men, three Yoke of Oxen and a Horse. The Men I allowed 6s. a day, tho I found them, being one Shilling more than the Agreement. The Oxen I allowed 7s. 6d. a Day, as they found...
62August 21. 1796. Sunday. (Adams Papers)
The hottest day. Unwell.
63August 22. 1796 Monday. (Adams Papers)
Mr. Otis and Family went to Boston. Mr. C. Storer and Mr. Storrow breakfasted. Billings and Sullivan began the Wall against the Road opposite the Corner of the Garden. Very hot but the Wind springs up. Unwell.
64August 23. 1796 Tuesday. (Adams Papers)
All hands and Tirrell, upon the Wall—carting Stones and Earth &c. Went down to Mr. Quincys and up to our Tenants with Mrs. Adams. Unwell. Brisler and the two black Boys picking Apples.
65August 24. 1796. Wednesday. (Adams Papers)
Billings, Bass and the Lothrops upon the Wall. The blacks going to pick Apples. I took Rhubarb and Salt of Wormwood. Bathing my Feet and drinking balm Tea, last night composed me somewhat, and I hope the Rhubarb and Salt of Wormwood I took this Morning will carry off my Complaints: but the Pain in my head and the burnings in my hands and feet were so like the Commencement of my Fevers of 1781...
66August 25. 1796. Thursday. (Adams Papers)
Billings, Bass and the two Lothrops all this Week upon the Wall over the Way. They make about a Rod and a half a day. Captn. Beale began Yesterday to clear his Brook. So much for the Exemplary Influence of ploughing my Meadow. The Benediction of Ulysses to The Pheacians, B. 13. 1. 60. “Sure fix’d on Virtue may your nation stand and public Evil never touch the Land” comprehends the Essence and...
67August 26. 1796. Fryday. (Adams Papers)
Cloudy. Wind. N.E. but not rainy. The shower last night has refreshed Us. The Corn, the Gardens, the Pastures, The After feed, the Fruit trees all feel it. Sullivan gone for a Load of Seaweed. The other Men upon the Wall. In digging a Trench for the Wall We find Stones enough, in Addition to the old Wall to compleat the New one. Four hands with a Yoke of Oxen have done Six Rods in four days...
68August 27. 1796. Saturday. (Adams Papers)
Sullivan carting Seaweed, spread one Load among the red Loam in the Cavity in the Yard. Trask mowing Bushes in the meadow below the Garden. James cutting the Trees. Billings, Bass and Thomas, about the Wall. Brisler absent on Account of his sick Child. The Wall, the Alterations of the Road, and the Carting of the Earth, Soil, Loam, Gravel and Stones, out of the Way, whether We spread them on...
69August 28. 1796. Sunday. (Adams Papers)
Hot. Went not out. Mr. Strong preached. Reading Bryants Analysis of ancient Mythology.
70August 29. Monday. 1796. (Adams Papers)
Warm. Billings, Bass and two Sullivans with James on the Wall. Carted 9 or 10 Load of excellent Soil into an heap, below the lower Garden Wall, and put it to two Loads of Seaweed and some Lime, for manure for the Corn in the Meadow next Year. Carted besides, 3 Loads into the Hollow in the Cowyard. An extream hot day. Reading Bryant. Wrote to Phila. to Wolcot and Pickering. Probably an error...
71August 30. Tuesday. 1796. (Adams Papers)
Prospect of another hot day. Pursuing the Wall. Tirrell worked with our Men. Trask cutting Bushes on the ploughed Meadow at the other Place. Wind shifted to the North and then to the N.E. and the Air became very cold. Rode up to see Trask. Carted Mould into the Yard all Day.
72August 31. 1796. Wednesday. (Adams Papers)
Wind north and Air cold. Working on the high Ways. Carried a great Part of my gravel and spread it on the Road to the Meeting House.
73[September 1796] (Adams Papers)
The Summer is ended and the first day of Autumn commenced. The Morning is cold tho the Wind is West. To Work again on the high Ways. Billings out upon his Wall a little after Sunrise. Captn. Hall Surveyor of High Ways finished the Road between my Garden and new Wall. To work again on the high Ways. They have taxed me this Year between forty nine and fifty days Works on the Roads besides the...
74September 1. 1796. Thursday. (Adams Papers)
The Summer is ended and the first day of Autumn commenced. The Morning is cold tho the Wind is West. To Work again on the high Ways. Billings out upon his Wall a little after Sunrise. Captn. Hall Surveyor of High Ways finished the Road between my Garden and new Wall.
75September 2. 1796. Fryday. (Adams Papers)
To work again on the high Ways. They have taxed me this Year between forty nine and fifty days Works on the Roads besides the other Farm in Quincy and the farm in Braintree. This is unjust, more than my Proportion, more than Mr. Black or Mr. Beale. Stumbled over a Wheelbarrow in the dark and hurt my Shin. Moses Black , an Irishman who had acquired the house and farm formerly owned by Col....
76September 3. 1796. Saturday. (Adams Papers)
Pursuing the Wall. Tirrell is here and We expect French with his Team. Some soft warm Showers in the night and this morning. French came not, because it rained. Anniversary of Peace, which has lasted 13 Years.
77September 4. 1796. Sunday. (Adams Papers)
Fair. No Clergyman to day.
78September 5. 1796. Monday. (Adams Papers)
The Anniversary of The Congress in 1774. Sullivan brought a good Load of green Seaweed, with six Cattle, which We spread and limed upon the heap of Compost in the Meadow. Carted Earth from the Wall to the same heap. Tirrell here. Stetson opening the Brook three feet wider, Two feet on one Side and three feet on the other, at 9d. Pr. rod. Billings has never laid up more than a Rod and a half a...
79Sept. 6. 1796. Tuesday. (Adams Papers)
Walked up to Trask mowing Bushes.
80Sept. 7. 1796. Wednesday. (Adams Papers)
Belcher, Bass and Sullivan gone to mow the Marsh and get out the Thatch at Penny ferry. Billings laying Wall. Thomas, carting Earth. Stetson, widening the Brook to seven feet at 9d. Pr. Rod and a dinner. Brisler and James preparing, Yesterday and to day, the Cyder Mill, Press, and Casks. Yesterday Jackson Field came to offer me Mount Arrarat at Three hundred Dollars. I could not agree. He fell...