Diary of Charles Francis Adams, volume 3

Tuesday. 21st.

Thursday. 23rd.

Wednesday. 22d. CFA

1830-09-22

Wednesday. 22d. CFA
Wednesday. 22d.

Morning cloudy and cold, threatening a storm. Rode to town as usual, and passed a large part of my morning at the House in pursuing the Catalogue of my father’s books in Boston at my House.1 I was also overlooking several changes which are going on at my House. I propose to mend the condition of things there a little. My study was so charming, I felt very much indisposed to leave it, but was obliged to.

Stopped at the new City Hall to a sale of the Stock and found that it was all as high as ever. Returned to my office late and found little or nothing to do. My time is now so much cut up that I cannot feel disposed to undertake large designs for want of it, and small ones use it up badly. Returned to Medford. Mr. and Mrs. Everett dined with us and it was tolerably pleasant. They went home early.

As the portion of time devoted to my stay here was rapidly vanishing I took an opportunity to ask Mr. Brooks to accompany me to see the Apple Trees for my Father’s Garden which I wished to purchase from the Nursery of a man by the name of Warren. After examining them and ascertaining their origin and goodness, I concluded a bargain for eighty of them at twenty five cents a piece. This is to be a fair 325experiment as we can make to get an Orchard.2 Returned to tea, and wasted the Evening in yawning and conversation.

1.

All of the books which had belonged to GWA became the property of JQA either by pledge or as a part of GWA’s estate. CFA retained possession of the books, keeping them apparently both in his office and at his home.

2.

A similar account of the expedition and of the purchase of the “budded Baldwin apple trees” appears in Brooks, Farm Journal, entry for 23 September.