30. Grafted, & planted as followeth.
viz.
12 Spanish pairs from Collo. Masons. They hang till November & are a very valuable Fruit—these stand next the little early pair in the 4 Row beging. with the 4th. Tree in the said Row.
Also grafted 12 Butter pears from Collo. Masons—these esteemed among the finest pears, & stand next the Spanish pears.
Grafted 10 black Pear of Worcester from Collo. Mason’s next the Butter Pear—these are a large course fruit for baking.
Grafted 10 of the Winter Boon Chrns.—from Collo. Masons—who had them from Collo. Fairfx. who praises them much—these begin the 5th Row next Grass Ground.
Grafted 8 of the Summer Boon Chrns. next these. From Do. who had them from Do. &ca.
Grafted 10 of the Bergamy Pears from Collo. Masons next the Sumr. Boon. These are a very fine Fruit but Co⟨arser⟩ than most other English Pears.
Grafted 10 of the New Town Pippin from Collo. Masons who had them from Mr. Presidt. Blair.
Grafted 43 of the Maryland Red Strick—had the Grafts from Mr. Wm. Digges—these are the whole of the 6th. Row.
winter boon: GW means Bon Chrétien pears. There are several varieties, summer, fall, and winter.
The Newtown Pippin apple was developed on Long Island, proved most popular, and is now called the Albemarle Pippin because of its association with the orchards of Albemarle County, Va. When he writes “Strick,” GW means “Streak.” Downing describes a “Red Streak” variety and calls it a good cider apple. An English Redstreak was offered for sale by nurseryman Philip Walten of Baltimore in 1788. George Mason used the Redstreak for cider and sent GW a quantity of it 5 April 1785, cautioning him that it would not be ready for drinking until May. Mason suggested that if GW decided to drink some while it was still sweet, he ought to grate a little ginger into it to make it “much more grateful to the Stomach” (Mason to GW, 5 April 1785, DLC:GW).
John Blair (1687–1771), of Williamsburg, became a member of the council in Virginia in 1745. Upon Governor Dinwiddie’s return to England in Dec. 1757, Blair took the oaths as president of the council and served as acting governor until the arrival of Gov. Francis Fauquier in June 1758. During that period GW, as commander of the Virginia Regiment, reported to Blair.