John Quincy Adams Digital Diary

385 Friday. 1. September 1826.

1. V:15— Cloudy. Rain. Appraisement of Woodlots.

Riley. Captain French Asa Greenleaf Daniel Bass. Josiah Adams— Josiah

Captain Riley was here and shewed me Letters from two of his friends in Connecticut, expressing the wish that in the expected vacancy of the Collector’s Office at Middletown, he might receive the appointment. Captain Riley has formed a Settlement at the Western corner of the State of Ohio, which has been partially successful, but his health has not resisted the climate, and he is obliged to pass the latter summer and first autumnal Months North of his Residence— Mr French surveyed last Winter two of the Woodlots, belonging to my father’s Estate, excepting a small part of the line, which he this day finished. The survey of it by Mr Withington thus became unnecessary— The appraisers also went this day upon all the woodlots and I accompanied them— My brother’s two youngest Sons, John Quincy and Joseph Harrod, Farrar, and William Pote formed our party. My brother found himself so stiffened by the labour of the last, two days that he did not go. The weather was unpromising when we started; about 9. O’Clock. and it came on to rain just as we entered the woods for about two hours. It afterwards held up, and for the remainder of the day was cool and cloudy. The Sun shortly before setting came out clear— While the rain continued our work was uncomfortable— The rest of the day less Laborious than the two preceding— We dined at the same spot we had chosen the day before yesterday, and as we came out by the Railway and Bunker-Hill Ledges, we saw the workmen letting down two Monument Stones, weighing each upwards of two Tons— I continued my search for leaves and plants, attending more particularly this day to the Maples— The practice of cutting off the wood from these forests every fifteen or twenty years has so stunted them, that covered as they are with a beautiful growth of Oaks, it was with much difficulty that I obtained half a dozen twigs of black and white Oaks with young Acorns upon them—

I gathered a few Poke berries of the juice of which here is a specimen— Dr. Bigelow’s American Botany, Vol. 1. p. 39. calls this Phytolacca Decandra—and besides the name of Poke says it is in New-England more frequently called Garget, Cocum-Jalep, and Pigeon Berries— But he says this bright purple will in a very short time disappear.

I gathered also a few seeds of the Sugar maple— We saw one black Oak shrub nearly stripped of its leaves by a multitude of dark coloured worms about an inch long, of which without intending it, we brought a half a dozen home, upon a twig from another tree. I placed three of them under one of my glasses, to observe so long as I may have time their habits and if possible their changes. We found by information from Deacon Adams that Harmon the day before yesterday made another mistake in the lines and included a lot belonging to his brother Thomas in Mr Withington’s Survey. Farrar is to go to morrow Morning and give Mr Withington notice of this— After we returned home, I gave Mr Greenleaf, Mr Withington’s plots already completed. They are to view the Salt-marsh to morrow. Mrs Adams went into Boston this morning, to pass several days there. My Son John and Thomas B. Hellen, went with her.