Thomas Jefferson Papers

White frosts which killed vines in this neighborhood, killed tobo. in the N. Garden, fodder & latter corn in Augusta, & forward corn in Greenbriar

a cold wind in this month killed all the peaches at Monticello. the other species of fruits escaped tolerably well.

in making the road from where it begins to rise 1. f. in 10. a little above the negro houses, up to the upper roundabout in front of the house (N.E.) 5. hands did 127. yds the 1st. day and 165. yds the second. it was 12. f. wide, and they crossed three or four considerable gullies which they filled up with stone.

Estimate of a road rising 1.f. in 10.f. from the Secretary's ford. begun at the point of a ridge making into old road at head of little wet meadow. stepped rising 1.f. in 10. f. by guess as nearly as I could. to the upper end of a rock 414 yds. [this rock dropping far down the hill & being impassable, it would be better to begin here & work downwards & upwards from it's head.] to the plantation fence 264. yds. [so far thro' woods.] into the road about 200 yds above Overseer's house 426.yds thro' the open feild. in all 1104 yds. & from where it enters the road up to the house about 700 yds. in all about 1800.yds from Secretary's ford to the house. it would probably be about 85 days work

on trial with the level, descending from the rock above mentioned 1.f. in 10 would have crossed the antient country road half way up the hill from the Secretary's ford. rising from the rock 1.f. in 10. to the right, it struck the fence opposite the stone spring, 376 yds from the rock.

Sunday. The thermometer at Dr. Walker's was this day at 96. which he says is 3 higher than he ever knew it since he lived at the mountains. there was no thermometer at Monticello; but I have observed when I had one here, that it was generally about 2. below Dr. Walker's. & mr Maury's. so we may suppose it would have been 94. It was at 97. at mr Madison's, in Orange on the same day, and at 99. in Richmond. this was probably the hottest day ever known in Virginia. on the same day was a violent hurricane from about the capes of Virginia Northwardly. it overset vessels & blew down chimneys & the tops of houses in Philada & N. York, & destroyed a great deal of timber in the country.