Saturday 19th. Mercury at 40 in the Morning—42 at Noon and 43 at Night.
Wind at No. Et. all day; and more or less rain mixed in sml. degree with Snow; which with what fell in the Night made the ground so wet that I could plant no trees to day. Many of those planted yesterday yielded to the Wind & Wet, and required propping.
Received a Swan, 4 Wild Geese, & two Barrels of Holly Berries (in Sand) from my Brother John and a Barrel of the early Corn from New York.
The early corn from New York had been sent by Gov. George Clinton, who called it “small white Indian corn.” On 5 Mar. 1785 he told GW that if it thrived in Virginia he ought to obtain new seed every three years. It was probably a flint variety, as were most northern corns of that period (DLC:GW).