Thomas Jefferson Papers

To inclose all my lands on the S.W. side of the Thoroughfare road following the meanders of the road and in other places following the line would take in about 400 acres of land, & require a fence about 1323 poles long. suppose this to be a dry stone fence 23. I. thick at bottom, 19. I. thick at top & 4 f. 3. I. high. every perch length of such a fence is very nearly 5. perch of work. of course there will be 6615 perch. I think a hand will lay 10 perch of brick work a day having his stone brought into place. one hand then would lay the whole in 661 1/2 days = 110 1/2 weeks = years 2, month 1, weeks 2.

placing the Theodolite on the top of the house, the Eastern spur of the High mountain intersects the Horizon 19 degrees. Westward of Willis's mountain. note the observation was made on the intersection of the ground (not the trees) with the horizon.

from where the park fence crosses the branch at the upper side of the park to where a point of land makes in so as to separate the upper & lower meadow in the park, & forms a good place for stopping the water with a short dam the water falls 44 f.2.I.

C. H. Harrison sais fauns may be cut the spring after fauned, or at almost any age.

Ry. Randolph's park pales are 8. f. & 11. f. high.

brought another Aegyptian Acacia from Greenspring. it is in blossom.

About the 8th. of Feb. this spring the weather set in remarkeably mild & indeed hot and so continued till the middle of March, which had brought forward the vegetation more than was ever remembered at so early a period. then it set in cold; the blue ridge covered with snow, and the thermometer below freezing. this killed all the fruits which had blossomed forward. the very few blossoms which were backward escaped. Monticello seemed to suffer as much as it's neighborhood. the weather then again became mild till a thunderstorm on the 17th. March April. and wind at N.W. brought on several severe frosts. the fruit was too forward to be hurt by them; but the gardens suffered extremely, every thing young & tender being killed. at Monticello nothing was hurt except the leaves of the trees which had put out late. but the forest except near the tops of the mountains was totally blasted so as to put on the appearance of autumn, every leaf being killed on the hardiest trees. dogwoods & other early budding trees escaped. all the flax was killed. all the Indian corn which was up.

in opening the road from a little above the Thoroughfare to mr Lewis's mill six hands did about 120. yards a day.

in making the terrasses which run off level from the 22d terras, they effected at the rate of 20. feet in length a day to each hand, the terrases being from 8. to 10. f. wide.

seventeen bushels of winter grapes (the stems first excluded) made 40 gallons of vinegar of the first running, & pouring water on yeilded gallons of a weaker kind.

20 bushels of peaches will make 75 galls. of mobby i.e. 5/12 of it's bulk.